Advice on installing 4R70W and rebuilt Dana 20

[KeithKinPhx]

Well it is finally happening after two years of prep work and a small battle with cancer, the tranny will move from the dolly, be pared up the 289 and then we can start reassembling the rest of the Bronco. I have two helpers to manhandle it but they have no tranny experience either.

I rebuilt the Dana 20 with the Wild Horses rebuild kit (and aluminum dress kit). Dana 20 is also on the floor. The separator plate has been painted and flex plate bolted in.

My questions are:
1. Should I mount the Dana 20 to the tranny first?
2. I’ve been told to put 2 1/2 quarts of tranny fluid in the torque converter before putting it in the tranny. Correct?
3. Any place I should be putting Locktite besides the flex-plate to torque converter?
4. Any other things to watch out for?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[bronconut73]

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Good questions.

Smart folks here with this specific experience.

 

[EricLar80]

Well it is finally happening after two years of prep work and a small battle with cancer, the tranny will move from the dolly, be pared up the 289 and then we can start reassembling the rest of the Bronco. I have two helpers to manhandle it but they have no tranny experience either.

I rebuilt the Dana 20 with the Wild Horses rebuild kit (and aluminum dress kit). Dana 20 is also on the floor. The separator plate has been painted and flex plate bolted in.

My questions are:
1. Should I mount the Dana 20 to the tranny first?
2. I’ve been told to put 2 1/2 quarts of tranny fluid in the torque converter before putting it in the tranny. Correct?
3. Any place I should be putting Locktite besides the flex-plate to torque converter?
4. Any other things to watch out for?

Thanks,
Keith

1. You can do it either way. If you have the engine out, I would hook the transfer case to the transmission and lift together, then install the engine. If the engine is in already, I would probably try and do them separate. Helps a lot to have a transmission jack rather than bench pressing them. It's kind of a pain either way you slice it and they get heavier each time you do it.
2. Yes, you don't want the torque converter to be dry. You can't put too much in because it will just spill out when you try and attach it to the transmission.
3. Nope
4. Biggest thing to watch out for - make sure you stab the torque converter into the transmission correctly. There are two 'bumps' to get past. Don't force it. Sometimes you have to rotate and lift the converter a little to get it on the shaft correctly. Don't force the transmission against the block. If the converter gets in the way at all, then you know it's not stabbed correctly and forcing it can damage the pump.

Here is the dipstick I used; it works well:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hup-hp5335

I'm not sure what camshaft you run, but make sure your converter of choice matches the power band correctly. High RPM cams require high stall converters, and vice-versa.

Now is the time to twin stick it if you are thinking of doing that.

 

[KeithKinPhx]

Thanks for the advice.

Engine in.
Do have cheapo Harbor Freight transmission lift.
Cam is pretty mild Comp from back in the 90’s.

Have new crossmember ready to go and already did the 1” WH body lift.

Tom’s twin stick in box ready to install....

Feels good to finally be making progress.

Thanks again.

 

[Broncobowsher]

#2 I have always heard 1 quart. More is fine. This is for a new dry convertor. Used ones are still filled, you can't drain that much out of them. There is a bearing and a sprag in there, you just want to make sure they are wet with oil. Not spinning dry at 2000 RPM waiting for the transmission to pump oil up into the convertor.

#3 flexplate to crank. Good practice. A lot of engines those are through holes and will weep oil through the threads. I think the 289 is blind hole. I never Loctite the convertor nuts, factory never did. Do watch that you get the shoulder of the stud through the hole.

#4 make sure you have both dowels in place. You need 2 of them. One or none will prevent the centerline of the transmission from matching the centerline of the engine and wreck stuff over time. Weird starter issues, eventually wasted bearings early, stuff like that.

The transfer case dowel I don't worry about. It is only indexing, not aligning.