Need some help here guys. I am in the midst of installing a newly rebuilt engine in my truck and having some problems. My torque converter was bad, so I bought a new one. When I'm trying to mate the back of then engine with the bell housing of the transmission, I'm about 1/2-3/4 of an inch away from the engine/bell housing. I've noticed that the part of the torque converter that meets up with the back of the crank is hitting and not allowing the engine to come back anymore. I've also noticed that the torque converter is as far back as it's going to go because the back of the torque converter is rubbing against the inside/back of the bell housing. I'm almost positive I ordered the right torque converter. The old one had 122 teeth, which makes my transmission a 904. And I ordered a low stall, lockup converter for a 904 transmission, part number (CR9L). Is there anything I'm over looking? Suggestions please!

 

You probably haven't seated your torque converter completely. Push on it while twisting it until it clicks down.

 

If the back of the torque converter is hitting the bell housing, as you say it is, you have the wrong torque converter

 

I have had converters hit the inside of the bellhousing when installed in the transmission prior to being bolted to the flexplate but when pulled tight against the flexplate they pulled forward and cleared just fine. I don't know if this would be possible on a 904 that was either on a Ford or GM IIRC. My only Mopar trans experiences have been with 727's and I don't recall that occurring on them. However, if you have that condition and it won't fit into the end of the crank then you have a problem.

Pull the converter and try fitting it to the crank and flexplate on the engine, it should fit in the end of the crank and the mounting pads should be flush against the flexplate. If if it doesn't it's definitely the wrong one.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. It turns out the guy that built my engine picked up 2 cranks at the same time for 318's and one was manual transmission and the other was an automatic. Well turns out that my automatic got the manual transmission crank, which had a pilot bearing in the end of the crank. Took the pilot bearing out, and all is well now. Thanks for the help.

 

Wow, bet you were relieved!