Engine install help!
 

I bought a 1991 forerunner that the previous owner removed the engine because of excessive rod knock and never installed a new engine. I picked up an engine localy and am currently installing it. My problem is i cant get the bottom of the bell housing to bolt up. I have the bolts in and the top bolts are almost complety on but there is a much more signinifgant gap between the engine and the bell housing on the bottom. I just cant get the gap to close. It takes quite a bit off force to tighten the bottom bolts and i dont want to break anything.

You may need to lift the trans until they line up and slide them together. You don't want to pull them together with bolts. I like to leave the stiffener brackets a little loose and snug those bolts last, they use the 4 smaller bell housing bolts on the bottom.

Rotate the torque converter until it goes all the way into the trans, should hear 2 or 3 clicks and it should go deeper in the housing. At least on american v8 thats what you need to do

shem

. My problem is i cant get the bottom of the bell housing to bolt up.

Hi:
A little more information would help.
Is it a 4 cylinder or a V6, automatic or manual shift, and did the donor engine come from an auto or manual shift?
Do not under any circumstance try to close the gap by bolting it closed, you will crack the bell, and cause big time bux.
Pls. reply so the forum can help you.
Art.

It is an automatic. The engine that was in it was a v6 3.0 that is also what im installing. the donor engine was from a manual but i swapped over the flexplate.

Did you remove the pilot bearing from the end of the crankshaft??

The torque convertor can't seat otherwise.

Pilot bearing in the way? Might still be in the motor end, did that before lol

shem

Oh my gosh I thought it was out but I totally missed it. Makes perfect sense now.

IIRC On the 3VZE where the bottom 4 bolts go in are two brackets that attach to block. Two bolt holes per bracket. I had to loosen each bracket and thread everything in loosely before tightening it all up to make it work.

Millball we posted the same thing at the same time lmao!

shem