Big and odd problem, can anyone help?

[Dawg_enD]

Hi guys, I'm having one heck of a problem.

Background: Doing a swap from 302/C4 to a Explorer 5.0 and AODE.
Parts involved: Tom's crossmember, Wild Horses Transfer case mounts, poly bushings, poly snubber and extreme motor mounts. Advanced Adapters AODE (late model) to Dana 20 adapter.

Bear with me as some of the words I need I either don't know, or can't remember.

The motor drops in fine, bolted to the tranny and turns (with a big ratchet in the front of the motor) just fine. When we tried to attach the transfer case we noticed a few things.

A) The bolts we purchased will not work with the adapter. The D20 bolts are a bolt / nut deal... the AA adapter is a threaded adapter. BC Broncos said to just drill them out, but it looks to me like you'd eat the adapter-case if you did, as the bolts go through it at an angle. I chose to buy some 7/16ths bolts instead and keep the threads. This isn't really a problem... but I wanted to mention it so you have the whole picture.
B) The bushings that the case mounts with have a nice little chamfer in them. Unfortunately, it's not anywhere near big enough to sit nice and flush. We had to grind about 3/4" off the edge of the upper bushing, and a little less from the lower bushing to make it fit nice and flush. In addition, the snubber stuck out quite a bit, so we ended up grinding it down some too. Again, this isn't the real problem... more of background info.

C) The problem: We bolted it all up just fine. The last piece was had to do is put some bolts in the front of the tranny inside it. I don't have the words, but you go in through an access plate by the starter and put them in. My illustrious job was to use the big ratchet to turn the motor so my friend could hit all the bolts in the tranny.

The motor will not turn. At all.

If we loosen the bolts between the motor and tranny it will turn, but as soon as they are tightened it binds up.

Our thoughts: Motor sitting at an odd angle or too high due to the Extreme motor mounts? Wrong transfer case bushings?

I've called some parts houses and I get this information:
The poly bushings are exactly like stock, and they are the only bushings they carry, so there's no chance it's the wrong bushings.
AA doesn't sell bushings.




So.. I know a bunch of you have done this swap, or one like it. Does anyone have any input?

Thanks in advance,

-Mike

 

[Dawg_enD]

One more question... My wrench friend thinks the motor or the transfer case might be sitting at the wrong angle, causing them to V into each other as opposed to being inline. Any idea what angle the motor's supposed to sit at? Having asked that, how the heck do you check?

Thanks again...
-Mike

 

[surfer-b]

sounds like the torque converter is not seated into the tranny correctly, when you placed the torque converter on did you spin it to seat it properly, when done correct you will fill it lock into place, make sure this is done correct or you tear the pump gears out of the tranny.

 

[Dawg_enD]

I'll check it out. Question, though... the motor / tranny turned fine until we attached the transfer case. With that information, can it still be the torque converter not seated?

 

[tsmustangs]

I would agree with above that your torque converter is not seated in the trans pump. Make sure the slots line up and it should spin by hand.

Then when you install it on the engine the torque converter slides forward into the 4 holes on the flexplate so you can bolt it together.

Terry

 

[Dawg_enD]

Thank you guys much. My wrench buddy didn't think this could possibly be it, but since the replies were all about the torque converter he gave it a shot.


The motor's in and I tow the Bronco home tomorrow to start working on the rest of the project!