AW4 and flexplate ? no help searching

First off let me introduce myself. I am in Salt Lake City UT and just purchased a 1999 XJ with a known broken flex plate but body etc is in excellent condition. This is not my first restoration I have also restored a 1967 VW Type 1 (beetle) from the weeds to near show daily driver.

I have searched the forums and can not seem to find an explanation.

What I have done so far is removed transmission (which was also slipping). The flexplate was broken nearly all the way around. The Bellhousing was broken all around the crank position ?? sensor. There were only 2 bolts holding the trans in. Anyway I bought a replacement/JY trans with about 50,000 miles with the torque converter (TC). I replaced the output seal but did not see any signs off leaking at the TC so I left it alone. I installed an new factory driveplate / flexplate. after mounting the trans to the block I began installing the TC bolts I noticed that the conveter tabs were back about 1/4" to 3/8" away from the flexplate. I was a little concerned but I have never worked on this trans before so forged ahead. I torqued them to 40 ft/lbs. Filled the tranny with oil and started it up.

There is a fair exhaust leak but in about 3 minutes the leak quites down and I noticed a tick. I crawled underneath and discovered it was coming from the trans. I removed the converter bolts and pushed it away from the flexplate. Started the engine and the tick was gone. Reintalled the converter bolts and tighted to maybe 20ft/lbs. tick was quieter but there. torqued to 40 and it was the same as originally. Do any of you have any idea of what I may be facing? any help is greatly appreciated and sorry this is so long winded.

Are the dowel pins in the back of the engine? Without the dowels the new flexplate's going to have a short life.

I have run across some of these where the converter snout fits more tightly than usual into the back of the crank, grease is always good here. If you tighten up one flexplate bolt, then move to the next and so on it can actually bind the converter before it seats all the way, causing noises, vibrations, rapid flexplate failure and so on. It's a good idea to keep rotating the crank and tighten opposite side flexplate bolts to draw the converter in evenly.

I did cross tighten from finger to 20 ftlbs and then to 40 ft lbs. It was missing one dowel on the Pass side. Where can I get a new dowel pin? I want this to be a permanent fix.

Thanks

Ok I am going to try to locate a dowel but if the hole is out of round in the block will that matter? could the ticking be the alignment of the TC pin in the crank or is it most likely the flexplate?

thanks for the help

If the hole is not too enlarged just use a punch and hammer to raise enough metal to hold the dowel in.