Help before I lose my mind

[R18Civic]

I was literally an hour away from firing up my car after replacing the engine but I've literally got 3/4 of an inch between the oil pan and flex plate to attach the torque converter bolts. I got one in and tightened it down but now the other two are giving me problems since the holes in the T/C is flush against the opening in the flex plate.

I've tried locking pliers, channel locks and tossing a chair across the driveway and I can't get them to thread in. I was planning on getting the [censored] thing inspected today but it's not like that will happen.

My hands are about the size of A CD case so I can barely squeeze two fingers inside the access cover.

Engine trans is 3800 and 4t65e.

 

[Shannow]

The fact that you got one in with the gap was the indicator of what you need to do...

Back it off, so it's still engaged, and push the converter away from the flax plate.

Install the other two, torque down the second, then go back for the first and second...should be 5 positions.

 

[bullwinkle]

You got the one tight, which will make it hard to get the other ones started (not lining up perfectly)-probably just need to loosen it a little to get the others started, then tighten all of them.

 

[The_Eric]

I thought those bolts went in through the starter hole?

 

[CT8]

You put all the screws in then tighten to spec. rookie move.

 

[andyd]

Havent you ever changed a flat? Never ever tighten anything until ALL the fasteners are started.

 

[slo town]

Originally Posted by Hemispheres
.....and tossing a chair across the driveway.....


Show some sympathy people.

OP, I feel your pain.

Scott

 

[R18Civic]

Kinda figured that was the solution shortly after creating the thread, pulling the motor was easy as be compared to reinstall

 

[DeafBrad]

ahhh... if any of us are honest we would have to admit being in this spot. Every once in a while I still end up doing something like this.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by The_Eric
I thought those bolts went in through the starter hole?


My first thought as well.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted by DeafBrad
ahhh... if any of us are honest we would have to admit being in this spot. Every once in a while I still end up doing something like this.


Not really.

 

[cpayne5]

I'm not really a fan of his, but I always keep this quote in the back of my mind when I'm working on stuff...
"There comes a point during every repair where you say to yourself, 'why am I making my life so difficult?'" - EricTheCarGuy

It always seems to work out. Keep at it; you'll get it.

 

[Gokhan]

Yup, never tighten any of the bolts before if you get all of them fully threaded in first. And, after that, they need to be tightened gradually and eventually torqued to the specs in at least four or more passes, starting with light tightening in the first pass, in a sequence like this:

 

[clinebarger]

One of the three torque converter bolt holes in the flexplate is OVAL shaped......Start & tighten that one first!
I always bar the engine over 'til the oval hole is lined-up with the access point, Then install the engine....Or trans depending on which one I'm installing

 

[R18Civic]

Never thought about the starter opening, only took a few minutes of fumbling to get the one in place through the service cover. I'll give it a shot and see if I've got enough room to maneuver my arm in past the subframe

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
One of the three torque converter bolt holes in the flexplate is OVAL shaped......Start & tighten that one first!
I always bar the engine over 'til the oval hole is lined-up with the access point, Then install the engine....Or trans depending on which one I'm installing

Hmm, it also turns out that one of the torque-converter holes is different than the other two and needs to be aligned with the oval-shaped flexplate hole and then tightened first as you said.

 

[R18Civic]

Originally Posted by Gokhan
Originally Posted by clinebarger
One of the three torque converter bolt holes in the flexplate is OVAL shaped......Start & tighten that one first!
I always bar the engine over 'til the oval hole is lined-up with the access point, Then install the engine....Or trans depending on which one I'm installing

Hmm, it also turns out that one of the torque-converter holes is different than the other two and needs to be aligned with the oval-shaped flexplate hole and then tightened first as you said.



I marked both the flex plate and T/C with whiteout before removing the bolts, and said holes have marks from the bolt heads so there's no mistaking the proper hole.

 

[clinebarger]

Marking the flexplate to TC relation is not required on any GM vehicle, The ONLY thing that matters here is.....Starting at the INDEXING bolt hole FIRST.

Or you can start all three bolts......Then tighten them on a second pass, Makes no difference to me if you want to make this task more difficult than it is.

 

[R18Civic]

My service manual states you need to index the flex plate and torque converter due to the weights on the fled plate. And as stated above you can clearly see which holes in the flex plate had bolts and which ones didn't. Not trying to be argumentative, just telling you what I've witnessed.

 

[R18Civic]

Oddly enough the tooth I put white out on lines up almost perfectly with the oval hole in the flex plate. Took the bolt from last night out to clean the threads and apply new loctite but I'm going to be taking short break. All these hours under the car is giving me vertigo