Just need to grab another gallon of trans fluid and get it to the correct level, didn't buy enough for the swap. Converter is a 3600-4000rpm stall 3800 target stall 9.5" dynamic converters unit. Looks beefy, nice welds.
I sure hope the TH400 is a "tough" trans because it fell off the jack twice.. not a fun two days, between this, the spider gears moving on me (my fault), and the wheelstuds cracking suspiciously right after a wheel alignment.
I would have taken it for a ride tonight but I cannot get the filler plug off of the rear end to refill it. I tried every tool I have short of a cutoff wheel and drill. I figure I could have cut the time in half for the whole installation if I didn't have to find a way to fit a breaker bar in where someone used an impact wrench at some point and tighted a bolt to god knows how many ft-lbs.
I will give a "seat of the pants" update and hopefully some track time within 3 weeks. Still stuck with the 26" ET Streets but I bet on the converter, hope I was right..

Matt

If you have a torch, heat around the plug and then put a ratchet on it. It should come out easily. Of course you have to touch up your paint on the housing. You might want to have a fan blowing under the car just to make sure you don't have any fuel fumes collecting in there.

I don't know if I am uniquely unlucky in this situation, but the fill plug on the rear is a 9/16 square. I can't find a single square or double square (8 point) set anywhere, and the "find how 12 pt makes a square and do that" isn't working.
I need to get a breaker bar on there with a single or double square socket.
All I have for a torch is mapp gas, the yellow cylinder, not sure that gets hot enough (stabilized methyl acetylene I think). I was trying to avoid heat beacuse I still have the original "limited slip only" red tag on there.

I just can't-- and I tried-- to find a 4 or 8 point 9/16 socket anywhere.
The best I can come up with is waiting 2 days for snap on, 3-5 days for sears, or tomorrow for a company to make a 4-point 9/16 insert for a 1" socket that I could use.

Matt

Could you buy heavy duty 9/16" crow's foot socket and put on the end of a breaker bar?

Here is another idea but use at your own risk. You can put the 9/16" wrench on the plug and use a hydraulic jack to lift it up the other end. This works if the wrench is parallel to the ground. Just make sure your moving the wrench the right way to loosen the bolt.

I'm not familiar with the "crows foot" socket. What is it?

I already gave the jack idea a run down, I've used it before. Problem is that the way the square bolt is makes the wrench point almost vertically, making the jack useless, and I can't get a horizontal (or even remotely near it) on there.

The guy who told me sears sells them (or used to stock them in stores) has a set. He doesn't sell tools, he sells tractors and power equipment. Do you think it would be out of line to go in and offer to rent the tool for some amount of money, plus some money and a credit card & drivers lic. to ensure I bring it back?
You can get them, its just the wait is nuts. I'd rather just pay this guy $10 and pop it off, then wait for my own one to come in the mail.

Do you think thats out of line? Its not a tool rental shop, so, I don't know whats what here.

Matt

"rental" sounds perfectly logical to me. smile.gif

Converter is in. Rear end is now filled. "rented" that tool from the antique tractor repair place the other town over and the plug came right off with that and my breaker bar. Like it wasn't even on tight.
Its nice to have the right tool..
Except yesterday was great weather, today is crap weather..
If there wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all..

Matt

A crow's foot socket wrench tool looks like an open wrench end with a socket fitting on the handle. I have seen them around, just never bought a set. I found a e-bay sale that shows a picture.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4312628217&category=20773