Ready to put my 48RE into my Excursion but I need to install the convertor first. For the life of me I can't get it to slide onto the splines of the input shaft/oil pump on the tranny?

Any tips or advice from anyone thats done it before?

 

Start it then spin it by hand wile applying a little pressure and it should align its self, and you will feel the splines line up and every thing slip together.

 

You might try spinning it then stopping it quickly while applying light pressure.

 

yeh, try rotating it while holding the front of the converter up and pushing. When it is fully engaged, you will not be able to slip your fingers in behind the converter and between the bell housing. It will also stick out slightly past the bellhousing when it is seated.

 

Still no luck. It's driving me nuts. I can get it lined up, then as soon as it seems to start on maybe 1/16th of an inch it won't go any farther (at this point the convertor is sticking out of the transmission about 1 & 1/4 inches). It looks like it is the oil pump splines getting hung up on the larger diameter splines in the T/C. The ones in the torque convertor can spin freely, so anytime they touch the oil pump splines they spin together and don't ever line up.

I even tried setting the tranny vertical placing the convertor on from the top. Didn't work either...

I did a sanity check and counted the splines, everything should go together.

 

Spin it hard one way then back the other way, that will get splines to spin different.

 

Once the splines line up, does it take any force to get it to go on? Or should it just slide into position? Should I try to use a rubber mallet to get it to go on?

I put grease on the splines to see what was going on, it goes on the larger diameter oil pump splines about 1/4 inch. Then the input shaft splines won't engage in the T/C?

 

DO NOT FORCE IT. It should not take any force to get the converter seated.

 

Any luck? Sometimes they can be a bear. I usually stand my transmissions up on the tail shaft when installing the converter. It usually help or it has so far on mine. Good luck.

 

Sometimes it can be a bear. The splines and pupm can rotate easily so don't "push" and turn. But grab it with both hands and use a "push/pull" style of action while turning it. Or trying to "dance" it on there. You can push/pull it in and out about a 1/16"- 1/8" and turn it a little as you pull out on it. Then the splines wont turn with the converter as you spin it. When your pushing in and turning it the converter splines are butted up against the trans splines and you spin both sets of splines, you need to get them apart a little as you spin the converter and then push in.

 

Still no luck, using the grease method it appears to be lining up correctly but it only goes on the splines 3/8" (oil pump) and 1/8" (input shaft). Then its a no go. Something is not right, clearances are too tight apparently.

I'm going to pull the oil pump and input shaft out of the tranny and try them one at a time to see what the problem is...

 

Biggest question? Are you sure its the right TC

 

Well I pulled the oil pump and it will slip into the convertor no problem. The input shaft is a different story. It will line up and go maybe 1/8" and then it gets tight. You can wiggle it around to get it on maybe another 1/16" but then it is very hard to get out of the convertor. I could lift straight up on the input shaft and lift the convertor off the floor (such a tight fit).

So either my billet input shaft is out of spec or the convertor is out of spec...

Waiting for Dave to call me back...

 

Dave Goerend is mailing me a new billet input shaft to try. If it doesn't work, he's going to send a new convertor. However he said all convertors get a shaft put in it for balancing and during testing, so the convertor shouldn't be the problem.

 

the wife called and said the new shaft arrived today, hopefully I can get the convertor on tonight...

Maybe she will surprise me and have it installed before I get home...

yeah right