Torque Converter install

E

excobraguy

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Hi All,

With my recent purchase of an 87 GN the guy included a brand new Pro Torque 3200 stall converter. I am running a PT61 turbo and everyone tells me it will work well with this turbo. Here is my question or questions:
What steps do you have to do to prep the converter for installing it? Does it get filled with trans fluid? What do I have to do? Also, is the Pro Torque converter a good brand? I've heard it was but want some other opinions if you have experience with them. And lastly, would anyone be interested in a used 5000 mile 2800 stall converter that is coming out of the car? Don't know the brand yet until I get it out.

Thanks Guys, Dean
 
if your trans is a lockup and the new converter you intend to use is a lockup its a straight swap, just dump a quart of trans fluid in it and rub a little on the seal surface and install on trans making sure to spin it and make sure it goes all the way abck and engage the pump , once its in the car push converter forward and then back to check the gap distance at the converter mounting flanges to the flywheel , youll find you will need some shims (washers) between the mtg flanges on converter and the flywheel to keep the converter raised dimples from dragging against the trans and still be not tight against the crank

if the new is a non lock and your is a lockup youll need to get a nonlock conversion kit for the trans ,

if your old was non lock and new is lockup then again youll need to demod the trans and add a lockup solenoid

i like the Protorque 10" 28-3200 lockup , have it in my 87
friend had their 9" nonlock and that was a real nice converter
 
pacecarta said:
if your trans is a lockup and the new converter you intend to use is a lockup its a straight swap, just dump a quart of trans fluid in it and rub a little on the seal surface and install on trans making sure to spin it and make sure it goes all the way abck and engage the pump , once its in the car push converter forward and then back to check the gap distance at the converter mounting flanges to the flywheel , youll find you will need some shims (washers) between the mtg flanges on converter and the flywheel to keep the converter raised dimples from dragging against the trans and still be not tight against the crank

if the new is a non lock and your is a lockup youll need to get a nonlock conversion kit for the trans ,

if your old was non lock and new is lockup then again youll need to demod the trans and add a lockup solenoid

i like the Protorque 10" 28-3200 lockup , have it in my 87
friend had their 9" nonlock and that was a real nice converter
Click to expand...

Has anyone else had to install shims like mentioned above? I'm not doubting that it could be true, I just haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else. Input????
 
yes if you dont have to proper clearence you will need to use shims. also what i did to prep the converter is fill the converter up as much as possible. he posted above to use a quart i think i used like 3 quarts. just keep dumping ATF in the converter till she doesnt want to take anymore. it takes some time but it needs to be done. also like posted above make sure when you put the converter on you turn it back and forth and make sure it seats all the way. this is a comon problem that people put it on and the dont make sure it seats all the way in. you will know when its fully in trust me you will be messing with it and then it will push back another 2 inches. good luck with the install take your time.
 
Boost231 said:
yes if you dont have to proper clearence you will need to use shims. also what i did to prep the converter is fill the converter up as much as possible. he posted above to use a quart i think i used like 3 quarts. just keep dumping ATF in the converter till she doesnt want to take anymore. it takes some time but it needs to be done. also like posted above make sure when you put the converter on you turn it back and forth and make sure it seats all the way. this is a comon problem that people put it on and the dont make sure it seats all the way in. you will know when its fully in trust me you will be messing with it and then it will push back another 2 inches. good luck with the install take your time.
Click to expand...

I need some assistance. I have my tranny out and dumped the fluid in and put the converter in the tranny, that is out of the car. When I spin it, the dimples on the back side of the converter are hitting the casing of the tranny. I thought you guys were talking about shims for the bolts to the flywheel, do you put shims on the shaft that the torque converter slides onto? Something doesn't seem right.........any input?????????? HELP!!!!!!
 
the shims (washers) go between the conveter and the flywheel where the three bolts go

measure the distance you have between flywheel and converter , then slide converter toward trans and see how much gap there is between flywheel . you want to be sure not to tighten the bolts up if there is a gap between flywheel without shimming and you dont want to install with the converter nose against the crank which will lead to thrust bearing wear

you want to only pull converter forward about 1/8 " from trans and shim the rest of the gap between the flywheel
 
you are going to put shims (washers) between the ears on the converter and the flexplate. you will see when you bolt the bellhousing up to the block that you will have a gap between the converter and flexplate. If you just bolted them together you would pull the converter too far out of the tranny and possible dis-engage the pump drive. its kind of werid to understand it until you get it all bolted together if you havent done it before. the shims are there to prevent the ridges on the converter fron hitting the pump like yours is right now. once its bolted up with the proper amount of shims it will pull it away from the pump the right amount and it wont hit.
 
pacecarta said:
the shims (washers) go between the conveter and the flywheel where the three bolts go

measure the distance you have between flywheel and converter , then slide converter toward trans and see how much gap there is between flywheel . you dont want to be sure not to tighten the bolts up if there is a gap between flywheel without shimming and you dont want to install with the converter nose against the crank which will lead to thrust bearing wear

you want to only pull converter forward about 1/8 " from trans and shim the rest of the gap between the flywheel
Click to expand...

OK, I think I got it now. Right now the bumps from the torque converter are hitting the trans but once I get it bolted back to the engine I should slide the converter about 1/8" forward to get the "bumps" off of the tranny so they don't rub. The remaining gap from the converter bolt flange to the flexplate will be shimmed with whatever washer thickness is needed.........sound right? Thanks guys........
 
brohr01 said:
you are going to put shims (washers) between the ears on the converter and the flexplate. you will see when you bolt the bellhousing up to the block that you will have a gap between the converter and flexplate. If you just bolted them together you would pull the converter too far out of the tranny and possible dis-engage the pump drive. its kind of werid to understand it until you get it all bolted together if you havent done it before. the shims are there to prevent the ridges on the converter fron hitting the pump like yours is right now. once its bolted up with the proper amount of shims it will pull it away from the pump the right amount and it wont hit.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response too, much appreciated.........
 
I'm concerned now.
I had a local transmission shop install my converter & transmission so, I do not know if he shimed the converter or not.
Transmission works OK.
How can I tell if it was shimed properly?
 
I didnt see where the second article said anything about shimming the fly wheel- did i miss something?
 
excobraguy said:
Did either say anything about shims????? I just re-read it and didn't see anything....
Click to expand...

Can someone comment on this? Neither article, that I could see, says anything about using shims. It just says the gap should be between 1/8-3/16.......Any transmission rebuilders reading this? If so, do you use shims between the torque converter and the flex plate?
 
on a stock converter ( D5) there isnt any need for shims , the protorque on the buick even when slid as far as it will go toward flywheel will have a gap between the flywheel , if you just bolted it up and drew up the gap using bolts the converter hub would be pressed hard against the crank leeading to thrust bearing issues , and the flywheel would be distorted as its being pulled from three sides leading to flywheel cracks
also pulling it all the way to the flywheel means less of the pump notch and splines is engaged in the tranny so its strength is compromised ,

the converter needs to ideally be seated in trans and pulled forward at least 1/8" to prevent conveter from bottoming on trans or the internals expanding and causing damage to the pump , this leaves a gap between the converter mounting tabs and the flywheel of which ive explained needs to be shimmed for reasons above , if with converter all the way in trans you have to pull it 1/4" for the coverter tabs to hit flywheel you need 1/16" shim , if you have to pull more than 1/4 you definitely need shims , if on the protorque the crank hits first so if it can only come forward 1/4 " and there is still a gap between converter tab and flywheel of 1/8" then you need 3/16" for the shims
you need to be aware that the converter isnt engaged into the crank so it can sag and alter the measurement ,in the GNM high tech article stated he installs two bolts but the atricle being done by a writer not a mechanic isnt giving away all the steps or reasons due to space or knowledge what they dont explain is after putting two bolts in (loose) that you need to rotate the converter so the two installed bolt holes are to the top (you need to do this to keeps the converter from sagging then measure the gap , on the lS1 chevy motor shimming might not be required

other converters may be just fine and not require shim but they need to be checked and if it can go without shims then you dont need them , but here we are talking about the protorque, , my protorque once brought up to crank had space at flywheel and required shimming , my AC 9" doesn't have shims but it also has a thicker aftermarket flywheel
 
pacecarta said:
on a stock converter ( D5) there isnt any need for shims , the protorque on the buick even when slid as far as it will go toward flywheel will have a gap between the flywheel , if you just bolted it up and drew up the gap using bolts the converter hub would be pressed hard against the crank leeading to thrust bearing issues , and the flywheel would be distorted as its being pulled from three sides leading to flywheel cracks
also pulling it all the way to the flywheel means less of the pump notch and splines is engaged in the tranny so its strength is compromised ,

the converter needs to ideally be seated in trans and pulled forward at least 1/8" to prevent conveter from bottoming on trans or the internals expanding and causing damage to the pump , this leaves a gap between the converter mounting tabs and the flywheel of which ive explained needs to be shimmed for reasons above , if with converter all the way in trans you have to pull it 1/4" for the coverter tabs to hit flywheel you need 1/16" shim , if you have to pull more than 1/4 you definitely need shims , if on the protorque the crank hits first so if it can only come forward 1/4 " and there is still a gap between converter tab and flywheel of 1/8" then you need 3/16" for the shims
you need to be aware that the converter isnt engaged into the crank so it can sag and alter the measurement ,in the GNM high tech article stated he installs two bolts but the atricle being done by a writer not a mechanic isnt giving away all the steps or reasons due to space or knowledge what they dont explain is after putting two bolts in (loose) that you need to rotate the converter so the two installed bolt holes are to the top (you need to do this to keeps the converter from sagging then measure the gap , on the lS1 chevy motor shimming might not be required

other converters may be just fine and not require shim but they need to be checked and if it can go without shims then you dont need them , but here we are talking about the protorque, , my protorque once brought up to crank had space at flywheel and required shimming , my AC 9" doesn't have shims but it also has a thicker aftermarket flywheel
Click to expand...

Thanks for the extra details in helping me understand, and yes we are talking about a Pro Torque converter. Thanks again.
 
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