[Keith Tedford]

Why would someone put 1/8" washers between the flex plate and the torque converter at each of the three bolts? The converter will slide up tight to the flex plate.

 

[Mike]

With the convertor slid all the way back into the pump ,what's the distance to the flexplate?

 

[Just_Another_Mike]

The spacing needs to be 1/8 to 3/16. I have seen the oil pump drive tangs of the trans broken off because of too much spacing. I have also heard horrible screeching when there is too little clearance(I saw someone put 3 washers in there:sad.

 

[Chris_69_SS]

I run spacer on mine. You need to follow the mfg spec for clearance....

http://www.partshp.com/ConverterInstructions.htm

 

[Keith Tedford]

With a screw driver, I can pry the torque converter back about 1/4"+ with little effort. It's just a stock Turbo 350 and is working fine.

 

[Rowdy]

Unless absolutely necessary, spacers should be avoided because they prevent the converter from seating in the crank pilot hole. Theoretically, the three bolts should center the converter. Hardly as accurate as with the pilot, especially when reduced contact surface, along with increased side to side leverage starts playing heck with the flexplate, wallowing out holes and/or causing cracks.

If the application includes motor plate mounting, special spacers are available through many of the manufacturers.

 

[66 Buick Special]

What Rowdy said.:yes:

As part of my winter build I installed a Trans-dapt adapter plate between my Chevy motor and BOP trans. The kit came with two 1/8" washers for each of the new converter bolts, but nowhere did I see mention of a very critical part... the pilot bushing adapter for the front of the torque converter.:sad:

I bolted the converter to the flexplate using the washers per the instructions.
First time I tried to drive the car it was vibrating so bad I didn't make it a block before turning around.

Fryntyr did some research and found the bushing listed in another ad for the adapter plate. $50 and a bushing install later the converter slid forward with an 1/8" gap to the flexplate like it's supposed too, and no more vibration.:thumbsup: