Trans and/or Engine issue in my race truck

Well,.....

I was at Bowling Green over the soggy weekend,.....and I had an issue with my truck.

They called our class to the lanes and I scrambled to make it because I didn't hear it over the PA.

ANYWAY,......
Pulled up to the line,.....rolled through the water box,....clicked it to 2nd gear  (C-6),..... brought it up to about 6k and did a big Ol' Smokey Burnout,....due to the track being dead cold.

After the RPMs came down,....the engine died.  Tried to fired it back up and all it did was click, click,.....NOTHING.

After getting it back to my pit area,....I started to diagnose it, as well as David Cole & Ward Pierce.  Thought it might have been an electrical issue at first,......Charged & Swapped to a different Battery,...and still no luck.  Someone said  ( Might have been Dan Hobbs,...I can't remember),....you might want to try to turn the over by hand.   I tried,......and it was locked,....SOLID.  

Pulled the plugs,....and the Valve Covers,.....EVERYHING looked good.  Nothing out of place.

The engine has less than 20 passes on it since being built and has been flawless.  It didn't make any odd/strange sounds prior to dying on the line
The Trans is a brand new build,.....as well as a re-fresh on the Converter.

I pulled in late last night from the event and just pushed the truck in the garage,....as it was late and I was beat.   BUT,....Something I noticed upon pushing it in,.....the truck was somewhat tougher to move.    I've moved it in/out of the garage hundreds of times,.....and this time it just didn't feel the same.

I'm thinking (hoping) it's either something inside the trans itself that let go,......OR,......a converter bolt backed out and is wedged against the mid-plate.

ANYWAY,......
I'm going to try to get it on the lift tonight and see what else I can find.   Probably see what I can do about separating the trans from the engine with the torque converter still bolted to the flexplate.
Anyone have any tips or tricks to make this process easier?

Seems as though something catastrophic happened in the transmission if the engine won't turn, and the truck is hard to move

Years ago a buddy & I were screwing around doing some burnouts behind his barn.. shut the car down for a while.  Went to move it later on, click, clunk, nothing.  After investigation & tearing it down past one cylinder head.. found a carb base plate screw between a piston & the head..  Fastened up the 4150 and she was race ready

Weird stuff happens.. you'll find it

I hate we couldn't figure it out at the track. Really hope nothing major in the engine.

I hope it is something simple. That is one fine truck. It was nice meeting you. Putting a face with your name. That is what I enjoy most about Bowling Green.

Front pump busted / broke and seized around the torque converter . Front pump and converter are toasted.

If it isn't in the trans then lack of oil ,oil psi volume lubrication and engine siezed up.

whitefield wrote:Front pump busted / broke and seized around the torque converter . Front pump and converter are toasted.

If it isn't in the trans then lack of oil ,oil psi volume lubrication  and engine siezed up.

That would suck if that's the case,i was going to say about the only choice he would have is to take out bell housing bolts and pull trans away from converter.But if like you said happened how would you get the engine and transmission apart?

Keith ,I hope it's not the engine buddy! I know it was locked tight.It could very well be something behind the engine.I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! That is one beautiful truck!!

WELL,.......

Got the trans out last night.   It was TOUGH,....where I couldn't get to the converter bolts,.....but I finally got it.


Good news is,......the engine is FINE (just as I suspected),.........
Bad news,....the Front Pump is going to have to be replaced,...... as well as the hub on the converter.

Looks like the converter wasn't seated enough into the pump,......even though I shimmed/spaced it out.

Spacer wasn't thick enough,......THAT was my problem.


SO,.....
No ones fault but mine.  

Costly mistake,....
BUT,...... You live & You learn

With the trans out and engine still mounted, use a 2" diameter pipe and dimple the firewall back behind the top two bolt bosses.

Or locktite in studs and just use washer and nut on top two.  Makes that torque converter adjustment less a hassle if you dont have to spend an hour getting two bolts out.

It was the converter bolts he had such a hard time with. It was seized up tighter than drum. Keith, I know that is a expensive deal. But.... It could have been much worse for sure.

Glad to hear it wasn't the engine. I'm going to put my new tranny in my Tbird tonight when i get off work and hopefully I'll be racing friday morning!

What is the converter + flexplate measurements ? How much clearance was there ? Must been a lot to do that ? Glad that's all it was .

Glad to hear it was not your engine Keith.

That's sucks that you did not get a pass at BG.

I have an almost identical problem with my daily driver T-Bird w/302/AOD.
Engine will not budge a 1/32nd of inch in either direction with a cheater bar and socket on the harmonic balance bolt.

Maybe I also have a trans lockup issue like yours ?