Hot Rods 354 hemi how to get automatic torque converter off crank?

ok hemi guys, I have a stock 354 Chrysler hemi, with the stock auto torque converter on it. how the hell do you get it off? also has what looks like a factory aluminum adapter plate between converter and block. im told adapter or spacer is factory. trans is gone ,just short block with converter flywheel still on crank. chevy guy in a mopar world.any help? thanks

 

did you remove the nuts that hold the converter to the crankshaft yet? the studs on the converter face forward, they are pretty hard to see in the gap in the bottom of that aluminum spacer.

 

...loooong 5/8 box end wrench and skinny fingers usually do the trick..all done in the opening at the bottom of the alum plate.
I have never seen any of the nuts rusted in place and they usually come off by spinning them with a finger tip.
The converter needs to come off before the starter mounting plate.

 

thanks jim, I will look ,I just had eye surgery so im a pirate at the moment, shouldn't be in garage but im going nuts in the house.

 

thanks, helps to open your eyes!

 

ARRRRRR!!!!!!

 

I guess its figured out but I think I'll throw a couple cents in too. I had an engine seized on me back in the day so I got a cheap wrench I didn't care for so I cut off the boxed end and put a vicegrip on it that gave my enough length to reach the last bolt.

 

funny....bought a Merc motor with an auto torque converter......yep a long wrench to those nuts as well......

 

This will sound really stupid, but my 354 is under a stack of shipping blankets and I can't see anything. Tranny was sold years ago and I've got the same deal as rd martin without the eye patch, is there one access point and the engine needs to be rotated, or can you see all the nuts and gain access to them?


Bob

 

there is just a slot at the bottom, and its doable if the motor turns over, but naturally mine is stuck also. so I think the fire wrench will be in order! if the adapter wasn't there, wouldn't be a problem.i really have learned that people with only one eye really have my sympathy. its not fun.but im on the mend.had some retina surgery, and I think its going to be all good. thanks guys for the info.

 

Running a fire ax with one eye … post some pics !!!

 

Had to have a retina reattached a year or two ago. In my case at least, the surgery wasn't nearly as grueling as I'd expected. Do you still have the gas bubble floating around in your eye? Slowly but surely it will go away. Even after all this time I think the vision in that eye is still improving. Hope it's all going well for you and you have no regrets.

 

If the engine does not turn over then you have two options: get it freed up or sacrifice the alum plate so that you have a little more access to the nuts...a little, not much better.
IMHO it would be the better course to free up the engine and do the disassembly in proper order. Most often the rings will be stuck in the bores and the pistons should be the sacrificial unit...they get replaced anyway.

.

 

Post some pics of the inside of the engine, so we can sympathize and laugh...

 

Could be worse. I run a '54 GM Hydro on my 331 hemi. The flywheel is the front of the fluid coupling which bolts to the flywheel with a paper gasket and 30 or so 5/15" bolts. The flywheel bolts to the Hemi crank flange with I think eight 3/8" through bolts and nuts so you have to seal the bolts and the flange to hold hot, pressured tranny fluid!

 

I remember my apprentice days at the famous Mayfield's Garage...the torus cover was the daily practice, many of them came and went. The revolutionary welded torque converters were too good to be true!
A year later, I had my Journeyman status and went to the prestigious Cadillac agency in San Jose. Worked on carburetors/electric problems. I felt 'liberated'... LOL

 

well this motor has been sitting for years, so I split the adapter. not a problem after that. Chrysler sure didn't want that converter falling off! all is good.

 

yea claymart, retina surgery and that gas bubble is there,floating around in the eye, its a pain but its getting smaller every day. im behind in all my projects, and trying to come up with a good block to finish up this little jewel! think I have one!

 

Try welding with one eye that no longer will focus thanks to an IED in Afghanistan circa 2008. After three eye surgeries still have the eye and can see but have to move my head up or down to find the progressive glasses lens in the right place. Very lucky to still have the eye so no complaints just had to learn how to make the glasses work. Still half deaf from it and that they can't even fix. M2's and MK 19's didn't help that either.

 

I cant imagine warhorse! thank you for your service! I cant complain, I think mine will turn out good.but I cant sit in the house anymore. got to move ahead on the projects.

 

Just bought my first early Hemi and found this thread when looking to learn how to properly remove the converter. Thanks guys!

 

Welcome to the HAMB, I need to know how to do that as well. Bob

 

Every Hemi crank that passes through my shop gets its flange tapped, to eliminate the nut/bolt arrangement.

I highly recommend it.

 

what bolts do you use, i assume they're 7/16

 

The holes in the flange are correct diameter for 1/2-20 threads.
The biggest issue when tapping is that you MUST use some type of fixture to keep the tap properly aligned. Bolts going in on some bastard angle are useless and could actually cause additional problems.
Do NOT try to tap the flange free-hand.

 

so 1/2-20 grade 8 bolts or should i use a special "flywheel" bolt

 

Thanks to @73RR I bought ARP flywheel bolts and tapped mine. Worked great. Thanks again Gary!

Dave

 

For flywheels, use flywheel bolts from one of the 'usual' suppliers.
For auto trans swaps, pay particular attention to the height of the bolts head. The EarlyHemi bolt circle is larger than most later designs and a standard height bolt head could touch the face of the converter. This could keep the converter from fully seating or even poke a hole in the converter, all depending on which adapter and which converter is used.

 

I use ARP bolts. 1/2-20. The big-head 12-point ones have shallow depth heads, and should not hit the converter.

I have a fixture for tapping. If you are doing more than one, buy a fixture. If you are having a shop work on your engine, have them tap it.

As has been mentioned, the hole is the correct size to take the 1/2-20 tap. You don't need to drill, but the fixture is a MUST!

 

These tap guides come in real handy for jobs like that. I’ve got two that cover the popular sizes. I bought the drill guides too. I find myself using them all the time.
Obviously, McMaster Carr has them, you might also find them on eBay.

https://www.mcmaster.com/9550T12/