[Tom Ziokowski]

my friends and i bought a 82 camaro to fix up.(first rebuild, learning experience)the engine was seized so we rebuilt the engine and put everything back in and it runs great. we took the trans out with the motor, but, didn't touch the trans otherwise. we put everything back together and went to back it out of the garage and it wouldn't go in gear except park. the lever on the trans for the gears moves fine and moves when the gear shift lever moves. we took off the oil pan and found small metal shaving. would this mean that the trans it totaled and the gears are grinned or could it be something else. we are going to be taking it apart but was hoping someone could tell what we shoudl expect.
thanks guys

[tom3]

Did you separate the torque converter from the trans? This has to engage a notch in the tranny to drive the front pump to make the transmission work at all. Must be in a certain way to work.

[BillK]

Tom,
Sounds like when you pulled the motor out, you probably pulled the converter out of the trans and disengaged the front pump. Do you remember if when you bolted it all back up...was the converter pressed tightly against the flywheel ?? If so, that was your problem. When the converter is back into the trans properly, you should be able to pull it away from the flywheel about 1/4 inch.
If this was your problem, you probably did major damage to the front pump assembly in the trans and also the converter Probably best to pull it out and have a trans shop give it a look over.

------------------
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

[Tom Ziokowski]

thanks guys for your help. i have heard of that happening before. i know it will probably have to be rebuilt but i have one more question. you said that the torque converter should be able to pull about 1/4 inch away from the fly wheel, how do you get this gap? when we pulled the trans it was tightly bolted to the fly wheel so we bolted it back up tight.so so do you leave the bolts loose(doesn't sound rigth) or do something else?
BTW thanks guys for all your help. i am 17 and have learned a lot from this site and its memebers.

[tom3]

Best to put TC on tranny first, turn it around until you feel it go in the notch. Pretty noticeable when it does this. Then set the engine in place and you can bolt up the TC pretty easily. Probably been screwed up a million times by others, don't feel bad.

[Chris Edwards]

TOMZ

I dont want to come off wrong, but before jumping the gun on the transmission and Touque converters and all that work,

when you pulled the engine, you pulled everything out, you removed the pan and replaced the filter in the trans, did you fill the fluid back up? I know you probably did, but start the car and check it again , it takes about 13-15 qts. about 6 go into the converter alone, 8 in the pan and about 2-3 flow up the lines to the radiator for the cooling reservoir. I made the same mistake, the dipstick said full (for a second) then when the converter pumped it all away it was dry.. no fluid = No movement

good luck!

[This message has been edited by Chris Edwards (edited 03-10-2000).]

[JimM]

When you put the converter on the trans, you have to spin it some, push it further, spin it again, etc. There are like four things it has to engage with, the last one is the pump. When you put the trans on the engine, there should be a 1/4" gap between the torque converter and the flywheel. bolting the converter to the flywheel will pull it forward and close up this gap.