Rocket Man's 02 Denali Build Thread AKA "THE BEAST"

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Sam Harris

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Why do you say that? I see no need for that unless the crank endplay is excessive which I don’t believe. The spacers are a normal part of shimming the converter but I’m close enough there I believe and that doesn’t require pulling the crank anyway.
I’m saying they should have come out, before the tow truck driver yanked your 6000 LB vehicle around, using the transmission as a buffer between tire traction and force.
 
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Rocket Man

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I’m saying they should have come out, before the tow truck driver yanked your 6000 LB vehicle around, using the transmission as a buffer between tire traction and force.
Oh, you meant to say driveshafts not crankshafts. In hindsight I shouldn’t have let him load it on a flatbed and insisted on a different truck where they could have lifted 2 wheels off the ground and put dollies under the other 2. The unloading was traumatic for the trans and I believe that’s where it got grenaded since it was locked up. And it probably didn’t help that I started the truck and tried to move it a few times while it sat for months.
 

Sam Harris

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Oh, you meant to say driveshafts not crankshafts. In hindsight I shouldn’t have let him load it on a flatbed and insisted on a different truck where they could have lifted 2 wheels off the ground and put dollies under the other 2. The unloading was traumatic for the trans and I believe that’s where it got grenaded since it was locked up. And it probably didn’t help that I started the truck and tried to move it a few times while it sat for months.
OMG yes, I meant driveshafts [emoji1787][emoji23]
 
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Rocket Man

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bottomline2000 said:That sucks..something isn't right because being slightly out of spec away from the flex plate may compromise the input shaft or converter pump, but if there was not enough spacing you would have crushed the input shaft immediately. If anything you have extra room for crank end play. I'm curious what the converter company has to say.

Agreed. Still waiting to hear back from FTI on the converter. Had to ship it all the way to Florida. But initial measurement on the end play is .012 inch but I couldn’t get a good reading until I remove the flex plate again and it was pouring down rain so I quit. Tolerance is .0002-.0008 but I believe that’s for a new engine.

Pic examples of what the different spacing looks like internally on this thread..see if performabuilt can provide pics of the carnage and try to make sense of this..you would be on the shallow end so you can see how the pump rotor would be compromised if anything..if your spacing is on the high side and the flexplate flexes then you can see where your engagement problems start.

This is what I was concerned with when I initially installed everything. TCI (the mfr of the flex plate ) as well as everything I read states 1/8-3/16” is ok and I was between 3/16- 1/4” but closer to 3/16. I tried for hours to get spacers in but due to the design of the converter I found it impossible with the trans in place and I couldn’t bring myself to lower it back down, plus still didn’t see how that would help. I’m thinking now that I can glue them to the flex plate and that’d prolly what Ill do this time, before installing the trans.

I don't think your crank is compromised..I'd say you need to measure the converter pads to bell housing spacing when you get it back to 1st make sure the converter sits deep enough in the trans then mock up the trans without the transfer case, check spacing, drop it back down and find a way to put proper shims in place if needed. Check out the pics from circle d in this thread.

I think that even at .012 which is close to what it is, it doesn’t factor into the problem. The spacing between the flex plate and converter allow for at least .075 tolerance there so I don’t see how .012 end play would matter. And I did check pump engagement by measuring the converter pads to bell housing and they were right at 1/2” just as specified by Performabuilt.

Add in the torque from a blown motor and you can see how things can get bad fast..


https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic-transmission/1766497-why-converter-clearance-important.htmlc063b797defb340cf534725015cf564f.jpg40c69be8a5b2b52ec4236932de8d6b6f.jpgba36575fbce8bd627667e080f282395a.jpg
 
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Rocket Man

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The trans is being delivered today. Full rebuild under warranty. And FTI just called to ask what’s going on with the converter- they cut it open and found nothing wrong with it. I asked if they saw evidence that it had been banging into the input shaft of the trans and he said no. I believe the trans just broke and the tow truck dude did more damage unloading it when it was locked up. I’ll do one more check of the crank end play and if it checks out I’ll just make sure the converter to flex plate spacing is correct and shim it somehow if it isn’t.
 

randeez

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bottomline2000 said:That sucks..something isn't right because being slightly out of spec away from the flex plate may compromise the input shaft or converter pump, but if there was not enough spacing you would have crushed the input shaft immediately. If anything you have extra room for crank end play. I'm curious what the converter company has to say.

Agreed. Still waiting to hear back from FTI on the converter. Had to ship it all the way to Florida. But initial measurement on the end play is .012 inch but I couldn’t get a good reading until I remove the flex plate again and it was pouring down rain so I quit. Tolerance is .0002-.0008 but I believe that’s for a new engine.

Pic examples of what the different spacing looks like internally on this thread..see if performabuilt can provide pics of the carnage and try to make sense of this..you would be on the shallow end so you can see how the pump rotor would be compromised if anything..if your spacing is on the high side and the flexplate flexes then you can see where your engagement problems start.

This is what I was concerned with when I initially installed everything. TCI (the mfr of the flex plate ) as well as everything I read states 1/8-3/16” is ok and I was between 3/16- 1/4” but closer to 3/16. I tried for hours to get spacers in but due to the design of the converter I found it impossible with the trans in place and I couldn’t bring myself to lower it back down, plus still didn’t see how that would help. I’m thinking now that I can glue them to the flex plate and that’d prolly what Ill do this time, before installing the trans.

I don't think your crank is compromised..I'd say you need to measure the converter pads to bell housing spacing when you get it back to 1st make sure the converter sits deep enough in the trans then mock up the trans without the transfer case, check spacing, drop it back down and find a way to put proper shims in place if needed. Check out the pics from circle d in this thread.

I think that even at .012 which is close to what it is, it doesn’t factor into the problem. The spacing between the flex plate and converter allow for at least .075 tolerance there so I don’t see how .012 end play would matter. And I did check pump engagement by measuring the converter pads to bell housing and they were right at 1/2” just as specified by Performabuilt.

Add in the torque from a blown motor and you can see how things can get bad fast..


https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic-transmission/1766497-why-converter-clearance-important.htmlc063b797defb340cf534725015cf564f.jpg40c69be8a5b2b52ec4236932de8d6b6f.jpgba36575fbce8bd627667e080f282395a.jpg



nice pictures..... and because i just bolted my converter back to flex plate i feel better. I had always heard you only want to have to pull the converter back to the flexplate about an 1/8 inch.
Not sure who from, or if it was even correct but it had been what I always shot for
 
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Rocket Man

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nice pictures..... and because i just bolted my converter back to flex plate i feel better. I had always heard you only want to have to pull the converter back to the flexplate about an 1/8 inch.
Not sure who from, or if it was even correct but it had been what I always shot for
1/8-3/16 but no less than 1/8 or more than 3/16 which is what worried me since I had about 1/64th more.
 
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