Okay, so I got the rebuilt 4.0 in my GC, well, with a couple tranny bolts sorta in and the torque converter in the pilot hole, but my torque converter holes don't line up with the flywheel bolt holes, is there some super-slick method of making them align? On normal vehicles, you can reach behind the flywheel and turn the torque converter with a screwdriver until it aligns, but the ring for the crank angle sensor won't allow you to do that

 

It's a time consuming job to get the flywheel and tq converter lined up, a lot of trial and error if they are not marked when tearing it apart, but it can be done with the transmission bolted in place.

 

yeah, was sorta hoping for less pain, so how do you actually do it? I was thinking about sticking a little screwdriver in the flywheel holes and inching it along until they aligned, just wondering if there's a better super-slick method (or if that will work at all).

 

Use the bolt on the harmonic balancer to turn the engine over. They also make a cheap
tool that will allow you to turn by the flywheel. I'll see if I locate one ---


here you go --


you should be able to find one locally.

 

Its not hard. Take off the starter and you can use your finger and move the tq to align. I did works fast.

 

Winner winner chicken dinner!

 

ok, here's what I did, it cost 40 cents. In case anyone else has a stubborn TQ that won't turn nicely with your fingers, or is hard to reach that way, and is too far back to get the shorty bolts to start anyway. On this 4x4 the front axle is pretty much in the way, along with the oil cooler lines and exhaust pipe before you hook things up, so it's tough to see in there. I'm certainly not an expert, and there may be better ways to do this, but this worked, and was fairly easy, hope it helps someone else

I couldn't get enough leverage with my fingers to turn the TQ inside the starter hole, so I stuck a bolt from the bell housing that's a little longer than the flywheel/TQ mounting bolts, and then turned the crank using a rachet on the harmonic balancer, until the bolt spun around and hit the boss on the torque converter, this got me close without being able to really see in there very good. Then I took a center punch as an alignment tool, and turned the crank a little farther and wiggled the center punch around in the TQ hole until it aligned better with the flywheel hole. But then the threads were too far from the flywheel for the normal bolts to reach, so I had to pull it closer somehow. That's where the 40 cents came in. I went to the hardware store and got a bolt with the same thread at the shorty bolts, but around 1/2" longer, then threaded it in, which sucked the TQ in close enough to get a regular bolt in there. Right now I'm in the process of putting the rest of the normal bolts in with locktite.

 

Hey guys I just took the engine out of my xj (4.0) and I reinstalled it and it seams like my torque converter and flexplate are "pinched" together. They are almost aligned but the tq turns with the flywheel and is stiff... any thoughts and i'm going to try and use a punch to align them. have the engine slightly loosened from the engine and motor mounts are loose.....

 

I'd be willing to bet the torque converter isn't engaged with the front pump. There should be clearance between the drive plate and the converter when the engine is drawn up tight.

 

Is there a way to re engage the torque converter to the pump with it in or do you gatta pull the motor agian

 

You've got to break the engine and transmission loose enough to be able to spin the converter by hand. That means at least pulling the engine loose and leave it hanging on the engine crane or chainfall.

Here's a clue. Measure the distance from the engine block rear flange to the back of the flex plate. Next, measure the distance from the trans bellhousing to the torque converter bolt bosses. There should be greater distance there than on the engine. If there isn't, you're not engaged with the front pump. You can get it to drop back by turning the converter back and forth rapidly until it slips in.

Some TCs drive with 2 slots that fit over tangs on the pump. Some just have 2 flats on the side and those are hard to engage properly. You CAN get frustrated doing this.

Also, you should have installed the CPS AFTER bolting everything else up.

 

i had same problem all you do is start one bolt dont tighten it spin it start another so on and so forth.... for pinched yeah have fun i pulled the motor on my ZJ and when i put it back in my tq musta moved a hair off the shaft and couldnt spin it so had to seperate the tranny was easier then the motor and push it back on another thing if you have the same engine there are two different flex plates dont listen to anyone when they say there isnt cause i know from exp that there is lol the cherokee 4.0 and the grand 4.0 have different flex plates no matter the year i have a 93 cherokee sport 4.0 in my 95 grand so i know all bout that fun stuff lol