Installing a new Torque Converter

[ineil]

How difficult is it to install a new Torque converter? Obviously I have never done it before. I don't have a lift or trans. jack. Basically working with jack stands and jack and doing it alone. Is it worth even attempting?

I previously posted this in the wrong section.

 

[chrisgarrett]

I did it once with the engine in the car, and I will never do it again. There are certain things that are just too much work and you're better off paying someone; especially if it's your first time. Laying on your back with a 300 pound transmission is just more work than it's worth. Next time, I will gladly pay someone to do it. Just my .02 cents.

 

[ineil]

That is what I thought. I did my entire suspension on my back, in it was not fun. I have a VERY tight area to work in. I will just continue to save.

 

[bison]

Unless you make $75hr or more at your job i would do it myself. Its very easy to do if you have the right tools. You need a long 3ft extension and a 9/16 swivel socket for the bellhousing bolts. All else is pretty easy as long as you are working on a level surface. Be patient and it will go fairly easy.

 

[chrisgarrett]

Unless you make $75hr or more at your job i would do it myself. Its very easy to do if you have the right tools. You need a long 3ft extension and a 9/16 swivel socket for the bellhousing bolts. All else is pretty easy as long as you are working on a level surface. Be patient and it will go fairly easy.

He said he's working with jack stands and doing it alone without a trans jack.

 

[Dabigguy]

I say try it yourself. It isn't really that hard. Spend a few bucks and get a trans jack or an adapter like this one from Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=507

 

[DRP]

If you invest in a trans jack, or a trans jack adapter for a floor jack then its pretty easy. I wouldn't try to bench press the transmission out of place tho. You should be able to find the adapter for under $50 locally or a cheap trans floor jack for under $100. Bellhousing bolts are pretty easy to get to with about a 3ft extension and swivel as already mentioned. For the top 2 bellhousing bolts, one that thing that helped me was to actually climb on top of the engine and then you'll be able to see both of the bolts and thread them in easily, even without taking the coils out.

 

[TurboGTA]

ah the good ol days of bench pressing the tranny in and out are long gone for me too

 

[ineil]

I will have to seriously consider this. I would really like to save the money and do it myself, but would hate to ruin the trans.

 

[Brer Rabbit]

Do some checking.

Call a few shops in the area and find out what they will charge u to install the convertor. I would guess they would hit u for $100.00. Thats not bad considering it would take them about an hour to do, as opposed to all day for u to do it urself and u would still have to spend close to that for the proper tools to get the job done. I can also predict a rounding out of a convertor bolt, or having a problem getting a driveshaft, or crossmember bolts out. Too many things to go wrong, not to mention that u have to work the convertor into place while spining it by hand to seat it properly. Hard to explain but really important. I do mine myself but I love the punishment.

 

[Daniel Jost]

I would do it myself. The first time i did it was with a small board on top of my regular jack not to dent the pan! I got a cheap long extension from harbor freight and used that it cost like $10. By myself i had it out in about 2 hours, without taking the crossmember out when i was 16!!! Now with a cheap floor trans. jack and being smarter (taking out the cross member) i got it out in an hour, it is very easy and there are only about 16 bolts/nuts, 2 coolant lines, a couple linkage clips, and one plug, and a speedo cable to take out, along with unhooking the TV cable.

,Dan

 

[denn454]

i say do it. if you have basic hand tools and a long ratchet extention and a wobbly or swivel tip your good to go. if you don't have the money for a trans jack ask around, i'm sure you know someone who knows someone that has one. you might even find yourself a hoist to use if you ask around. if not there is always the back up plan of converting your floor jack to a red neck tranny jack. take a floor jack and a few 2x4's (i've never done this, but i have seen it done, it works quite well) and screw them together to make something big enough to spread the weight over the tranny pan. or get really slick and form up something that will fit around the pan and hold up the tranny around the pan bolts. take a small tie down strap and wrap it around the jack (the part that goes up and down) and around the tranny, get what looks like a good center of gravity and tighten it down. pull the drive shaft, undo the bolts, slide it back swap converters and reverse the process.

with a tranny jack (get one if at all possible, even if its a cheap one. i used a small scissor jack that used an impact to run it up and down. it was pretty sad but got the job done. its really not a tought job. i wouldn't pay anyone to do it.

 

[Danster]

Do it yourself and save the money, because I doubt your going find a shop that will do it for $100 dollars as mentioned above. Your looking more at $300 average for a shop to do the job.

I pulled my tranny in my drive way with four jack stands and a floor jack only. I put a board on the floor jack to balance the tranny.

It can be done.

Dannyo

 

[bison]

1/2 hr for me the last time under the car on jack stands. I always drain them first and this takes 10-15 minutes if theres no plug. It helps to get the crossmember out and let the trans hang down so you can easily get all the bellhousing bolts out quickly. Just jack it up level agaig before you take out the bottom 2. Once its out, i put it on a piece of cardboard or a small tarp and slide it from under the car. Ive seen guys change the converter 3 or 4 times in a day at the drag strip with no air tools at all. Thats no picnic when the thing is hot as hell either, but its not that hard.