Transmission installation problems

May 21, 2009, 10:37:09 PM

Hey all, I came across this site and I'm hoping one of you has a 90s Cougar and has had to put a trans into it. I've been watching some of the topics on here to help a friend with his car, and I think I even found something useful for my old 79 LTD II on here before. My car now is a 1994 Mercury Cougar with a 3.8, auto. and 62,000 miles. Awhile ago, I started having many engine issues. I traced it back to a handful of engine sensors and what not - oxygen sensors, MAF, TPS, IAC, and a bunch more. I got those all straightened out and then I started having transmission problems. At first, it was just slipping a little, kind of stumbling in and out of gear. I figured it was an MLPS (manual lever position sensor) going bad, so i replaced that. Didn't help, then I figured maybe the VSS was giving the computer a poor signal because I had heard that those can be one of the causes for my problems. I took it out and found metal shavings on it, and at that point, I decided it was best to replace the trans. The filter showed what I expected, the black coating from the pressure plates in the forward clutch pack. I've had that happen before so I knew what it felt like driving.

I found myself a nice recently rebuilt trans in the junkyard with a new Ford torque converter. There were markings under the input shaft seal and paint under the output shaft seal from the originals. I have the trans lifted into the car, torque converter lined up and bolted in, and then once the trans is bolted to the engine and the crossmember is bolted in, the engine will not turn. The engine turned before, otherwise I would not be able to get the converter bolts in. I took the whole thing out, realigned it, and then started putting the trans bolts in one at a time, cross-tightening them slightly. At that point, the engine would still turn. However, as soon as I get the trans case bolted to the engine block and the crossmember bolted in, the engine will not turn. It feels like it's binding up on something, and the most I can think of is the stupid steel plate that Ford put between the flexplate and engine block, intended as a gasket of sorts. It almost feels like the weights on the flexplate and the studs off the converter are grinding against this stupid 1/16" steel gasket.

Does anyone have any advice or insight into this predicament? I've put transmissions into a few other vehicles before and have never had a problem like this. I even purchased the factory repair manual, the one that's about 1600 pages, and followed all the steps.

The most I can think of is something with the inner shaft on the input shaft. I've heard that it controls when the torque converter locks up, and can possibly have an affect on the problems that I am having. I don't know if this is the case or not, but I would greatly appreciate any input that any of you may have. If anyone here can help, you have no idea how much that would help me with this problem.

Thanks!

Jeff