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I just need someone to confirm that I screwed up! After having the engine & trans rebuilt, we bolted up the trans to the engine. After starting, the trans emitted a "whinning" sound. Now I'm told that if the splines on the trans aren't lined up correctly with the engine, major damage is done. True or false???
Thanks
Torry
Torry, it seems to me I have never had to do anything special to get a trans to align with an engine. You bolted everything up so I am not coming up with any reason there should be a serious misalignment. It all aligns.
The question now is - trans or engine? Sorry, I cannot guess.
Torry - assuming its an auto? was the flexplate bolted to the torque convertor?
1954 DeSoto Firedome 8 Club Coupe
1960 didn't have a flex plate,not until 1962 on
Chrysler products (automatics)
ok, i'll shut up now 
1954 DeSoto Firedome 8 Club Coupe
It's important that the torque converter is mounted into the transmission correctly, or else you run the risk of damaging the pump in the transmission.
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
There are three units that need to "index" when mating the converter to the transmission. The innermost spline must be indexed into the turbine; the next (or fixed) spline must be indexed into the stator (called the stator support) and the "dogs" must be indexed into the pump drive gear. If you had to "draw" the trans up to the engine with the bolts, you probably damaged the pump drive gear.
When mating the converter to the trans, it must be rotated until the converter pump "dogs"(slots) align with the notches in the trans pump drive gear. If they don't and you force the trans to couple with the engine, the drive gear will be forced too far into the pump and you'll get the "whining" of which you spoke and no trans fluid pressure to operate the trans hydraulics.
End result? You'll need to replace the trans pump.
This information courtesy of the "College of Hard Knocks" for which the tuition is very expensive. (...and I didn't even get a "T"-shirt!)
My 2 cents: To install the transmission, first the adapter plate is installed, then you bolt the torque converter to the crank with special nuts and special tool if you are lucky enough to have one. You can use a normal wrench if you can't find the correct one. Now you install the TC housing (bell housing) and check run-out on the TC. Once the run-out is OK, then get a couple of long bolts the correct size for the transmission mounting holes. I'm not sure but I think 7/16 X 20 X 5 inches long is about right. Put the transmission on your transmission lift/jack, eyeball the splines on the TC and align the transmission input shaft to mesh. Now get the transmission up into position and install the long bolts, one on each side. Now Carefully slide it in, do not force! Install normal bolts in the 2 other holes then remove long bolts and bolt it up with the remaining normal bolts.
If you did it that way, you are OK, if not, you broke something.
Have a nice day
Steve
Don't want to hijack Torry's thread but I've got my 60 Adventurer transmission back from the local shop. They are very professional and have rebuilt two 727's for me in the past. The rebuilder installed the converter into the trans so I'm sure it's indexed correctly. The engine is also out of the car.
What I'm planning on doing is carefully rotating the converter studs to align with the crankshaft holes and manually slide them together. Understanding that it's not advisable to draw them together with bolts. Or allow the converter to slip out of it's position.
Is there any advice you guys can give that will help me avoid any pitfalls?
I don't want to tell you what to do, but..........if it were my car.......I'd bolt the TC to the crank etc. See above post or see your service manual. It ain't that hard to do it the right way and it sure saves a lot of time and money.
Good Luck
Steve
PS, If you bolt the whole thing to the engine and crank you will have no idea what your TC run-out is.
It looks like I will shut up on this one also. Is any of this intuitive for the mechanically inclined? Or are there definite "tricks" to getting it done properly?
The good thing on these pre-flex plate transmissions is that it isn't hard to align the TC with the front pump. You can eyeball it to get it close enough and then slide it in real easy. No bumping or banging is needed and certainly never use bolts to squeeze it in. Also it helps if you left it in drive so you can turn the output shaft to help get it lined up. It really helps to have the car on a lift and a nice transmission jack so you can line everything up.
The later Torqueflites take quite a bit of fiddling to get the TC lined up to go into the front pump.
Have a nice day
Steve
For what it's worth; NDC member Hennie Jacobs own a transmission shop in South Carolina and works on Torqueflites...
