Does anyone have any tip on lineing up the flex plate to the tourque converter ? I have the trans all bolted up but can’t line any of the bolts for the flex plate

 

If the torque converter doesn't spin freely, you don't have the converter installed properly into the trans pump and may have damaged it already. The converter should never be installed while mounted on the engine for this very reason, plus you can bend the transmission input shaft when installing the engine. This is too common a mistake and can be costly. When removing the engine with the torque converter disconnected from the flexplate, the engine can be lifted out by just moving it forward enough to disengage the flywheel pilot. If you pull it with the converter still bolted to the flexplate, it has to come forward far enough to clear the trans shaft and often it gets bent as you lift it out on an angle to clear the radiator support. When the bellhousing is closed up tight, there should be around 1/4" clearance between the converter and the flexplate so you have to slide it forward to install the bolts.

 

hopefully you have correctly aligned the torque convertor with the oil pump tangs in the trans...it wont really bolt up unless they are, unless you use brute force

(bolt pads should be 20mm recessed within the bellhousing...its nearly flush if the TC is not fully home)

assuming all is well there. this is how I did it;


The trans connecting bolts should not be dead tight, just a bit loose...push the trans back about 1/32"

rotate the engine with a 3/4" socket

shine a light thru the flexplate bolt holes

feel thru the bolt hole with a 90* angle pick for the bolt pad on the torque convertor to come around, use the pick to help align the bolt holes

get the 1st one started, it can be difficult...dont do it up fully tight, rotate the motor and do the rest likewise


a tip given to me by a pro...crank the motor over with no coil wire, and TC bolts only slightly tight...this allows TC to "centralise"

I then R&R them one at a time and add blue loctite, prior to run engine

the only other problem you could have is the TC is rotating with the flexplate.... hence not having trans dead tight prior to TC bolts