swaping out a stock ford 4 speed with a turbo 350 still have a couple of questions..... 1. attaching the TQ to the flex plate....I here "just bolt it up" but my flex plate is not threaded so does this mean that this is a nut and bolt "just bolt it up" or is my flex plate missing something.. 2. mounting the flex plate to SBC. I know there is one of two ways this can be mounted. Do the flex plate impressions go towards the engine or away and what bolts are to be used... really dumb questions, I know, but I don't want to get this ****er in the truck and find out the hard way that I F'ed something up. Something that is pretty simple.... thanks HAMBers
Leave the torque converter on the transmission, slide it back on the input shaft as far as it will go. Bolt and torque the flex plate to the crank, bolt the ****** to the engine, slide the torque converter forward until it mates with the flex plate, align the three holes and torque the bolts. Most flex plates that I have used have holes and you do use grade 8, fine thread bolts and nuts. I think I remember seeing a torgue converter that had nut plates welded in it, I can't remember any more. What ever you do, don't put the converter on the flex plate and then attempt to mate the transmission, 9 chances out of ten, you'll hose the seal in the converter...............................
The flexplate has a raised lip on the center hole, this goes away from the engine...otherwise it would get squished and keep the center of the flexplate from seating on the crank. If you look at it you sould be able to figure it out. The Chevy TH350 converters use bolts and nuts, but make sure they're the correct length, 5/8" from under the head to the end of the bolt (thread length) is usually correct so the bolt goes a bit past the end of the nut, but does not extend so far that it would hit the converter housing. loc***e is your friend, on both the flywheel bolts and the converter bolts. Also the manual flywheel bolts will be too long, you need the correct shorter bolts for the flexplate to crankhaft.
The flexplate has 6 bolts and the raised holes mate to the converter, you can purchase the correct bolts at any autozone in a small kit, they have a strange lockwasher built-in.torque flexplate bolts to 60 ftlbs. Chevy uses 3 bolts and nuts for the torque converter. You have to rotate the motor after each bolt has been placed.
perfect..........now bolting the TQ to the flex plate what is the direction of the bolts...should the bolts be bolted thru the TQ and the nuts on the engine of the flex plate...thanks Aaron
I work part time for a performance convertor shop. My boss has told me numerous times that the friction force between convertor and flexplate are probably great enough to hold them in contact without the bolts. Not that I would try it just kinda neat useless trivia. Pool
Huh? On a GM trans the converter should have about 1/8-3/16 inch clearance from the flexplate when it is completely seated in the trans, engaging the pump. You ***emble as John Copeland said, and slide the convereter forward until it contacts the flexplate. The bolts may hold the friction and the force is transferred that way, rather than through the bolts themselves. I think that is what your boss means.
Yeah, the bolts have to be there, torqued properly, for the friction between the flexplate and TC to be high enough...but indeed the bolts don't take the shear load, only tensile load. if you know what those wierd engineering terms mean
thats why your only part time! just kidding but no there is a gap. if it is tight it is wrong! the converter is not engaged with the pump and within minutes your new ****** will be a pile of pieces! you want about 3/16 gap and you pull it tight with the bolts.
Guys, I know about the gap and that the bolts need to be in place and torqued to spec. I just need to get the **** out of my mouth here. I didn't mean that you could maintain the clamping ability without the bolts just the torsional twist resistance if the clamping were done by other means.With as much twist as there is between the convertor and flexplate I'm surprised you don't see egg shaped holes in flex plates. I reread my earlier post and it sure wasn't what I meant sorry for being a dumb***!
I think I figured out what you meant....and you were right, even though it was a bit confusing. Properly bolted connections rely on the friction between the two parts to take the side load, they don't rely on the bolt itself. The bolt only provides clamping force.
Also make sure you get the converter seated properly. Push in and turn until you hear 3 distinct "clunks"...the converter should be all the way then. Bill
Make that incorrect trivia. Your boss sounds like the typical parts counter guys in most large auto parts store chains, clueless about how things work, but almost able to locate parts by following the prompts on the computer. Like someone pointed out, with the converted seated in the ****** properly, there is a gap between it and the flex plate. Might as well leave the converter out, it'll work just as well as leaving the bolts out.
If you're gonna bad mouth me feel free I can take it I didn't exactly do the best job of saying what it was I wanted to say. However, making ***umptions about someone you don't know is a big mistake. We aren't your local parts store. From machined housings to our own line of stators we do all of it selling to major companies and little guys too. We torture our **** so you can too. In fact our latest test mule camaro is on page 30-31 in the horsepower section of car craft april addition. I think this should speak for the bosses intellegence but won't do **** for mine.
I never intended to bad mouth you at all. I did say that if your boss said those bolts aren't needed, he's wrong. I stand by that statement. Maybe you didn't relay the message the way you intended, that's common when posting to forums, newsgroups, or email lists. I don't believe I said anything derogatory regarding you, if you feel different, PM me. I'm not here to stir **** up, but I will point out obvious mistakes on occasion. I'd expect others to do it for me. It's all part of learning more about the rods and customs we all enjoy anyway.
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