So, how badly did I wreck my transmission?

[goose_on_fire]

A couple brothers and I were pulling the engine, and since it's the first time we'd done it, we managed to miss a couple bolts holding the torque converter to the flywheel. Don't know how, but it happened.

When we cranked on the hoist, before we realized what we'd done, the transmission (TH350) bled out all over the driveway. Fluid everywhere.

So how badly did we likely wreck it? New seals, complete rebuild, scrap it and start shopping?

Just trying to budget for it in advance. Thanks guys.

[R.L.]

That doesn't sound bad at all, when the driveshaft is pulled from the transmission theirs nothing to keep the fluid from flowing out the tail of the trans. Before reinstalling change the trans filter remount it to the engine reinstall and then refill with new transmission fluid.

[R.L.]

Be sure to check the flywheel for damage, if it's warped it will need to be replaced.

[goose_on_fire]

That's what I was hoping to hear. Will check the flywheel for flatness and go from there.

Thanks for the reassurance!

[Bigdav160]

Most likely you just pulled the torque converter out of the pump.

Might as well put a new seal in there while it's out.

Key thing to make sure the torque converter is installed correctly before installing the new engine.

[wreckedchevy]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

Most likely you just pulled the torque converter out of the pump.

Might as well put a new seal in there while it's out.

Key thing to make sure the torque converter is installed correctly before installing the new engine.

I'll second that. the first time i installed one didn't get the torque converter all the way in and broke the pump in the tranny

[MARKDTN]

I would put a new flexplate while it is out. Absolutely I would put a new front seal.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

I would put a new flexplate while it is out. Absolutely I would put a new front seal.

Agree. You can't just eyeball the flexplate and later spin it to 6000 rpm and expect not to lose a foot if its been bent even slightly. And you wouldn't know without a machinst's straightedge and some experience.

For the price of a flexplate, I'd put a new one on.

[67ChevyRedneck]

You *could* have damaged the pump if the trans tried to drop as you were pulling the motor out. You won't know until you go to drive the truck. However, that's unlikely.

Like others have mentioned, at an absolute bare minimum replace the front seal on the trans (I guarantee it will leak and you will be pulling the trans if you don't replace it) and get a new flexplate. They're not expensive and to be sure you get the right one it should have a part number on it somewhere.

[goose_on_fire]

Thanks, guys. I will definitely take your advice when it's going back together.

My first car was a '71 VW bus I rebuilt myself in high school, but this truck is a whole different animal (and I had "The Compleat Idiot" book by Muir to help me back then). You can't exactly drop a 350 onto a skateboard and wheel it into the garage like you could with the 1600cc VW engine... probably also explains why I called it a flywheel and not a flexplate.

Learning is fun, I'm glad this resource is here.

Originally Posted by davepl

Agree. You can't just eyeball the flexplate and later spin it to 6000 rpm and expect not to lose a foot if its been bent even slightly. And you wouldn't know without a machinst's straightedge and some experience.

For the price of a flexplate, I'd put a new one on.

Funny story there. When I first got the truck (it was a college graduation gift and has bounced around the family for 10-ish years), there was this horrid rattling noise we couldn't figure out. I had family and friends over diagnosing it, doing the whole "screwdriver to the ear trick" trying to find the bad valve/lifter/whatever, and everyone was confused because it sounded like the noise was coming from *everywhere.* I got all sorts of differing opinions on what was causing the racket.

One day I crawled under the truck to check something unrelated, grabbed the flywheel (sorry, flexplate) for some leverage, and noticed that it wiggled. Like, a lot, back and forth. I torqued down the bolts, and the noise was gone forever.

The truck was clearly put together just well enough to sell at auction, which is the main reason behind the current rebuild. Fun stuff, thanks again.

[volksworld]

well then the bolt holes are probably beaten out of round and the flexplate should be replaced anyway

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by goose_on_fire

Funny story there. When I first got the truck (it was a college graduation gift and has bounced around the family for 10-ish years), there was this horrid rattling noise we couldn't figure out. I had family and friends over diagnosing it, doing the whole "screwdriver to the ear trick" trying to find the bad valve/lifter/whatever, and everyone was confused because it sounded like the noise was coming from *everywhere.* I got all sorts of differing opinions on what was causing the racket.

One day I crawled under the truck to check something unrelated, grabbed the flywheel (sorry, flexplate) for some leverage, and noticed that it wiggled. Like, a lot, back and forth. I torqued down the bolts, and the noise was gone forever.

I bought my truck when I was 15, like 18 years ago... I think I was 17 at the time, I got in the truck, pushed in the clutch, started it, then heard a really really really loud BANG! and my clutch wouldn't release all the way. After pushing it in and out a bunch of times I heard a weird rattling sound then my clutch released enough to grab and limp it the couple miles home. The clutch contact was so weak I couldn't even get up my parents driveway.

Got it home and looked under the truck. There was dent in the shape of a bolt head in the bell housing cover plate.

Removed the trans and found one of the pressure plates bolts was missing... then I found it jammed into my clutch. It somehow got loose, shot into the cover, bounced back, got into the pressure plate somehow and jammed between the clutch and the flywheel.

[BigMike]

Whatever you do, DO NOT spin the flex plate on your finger to see if it is bent or not. I did it back in '83 when I was putting a trans in my wife's first car (17 yo GF at the time), a 68 Chevelle, and it about cut my damn finger off.