AW-4 and Torque Converter (TC) HELP-repost

86XJ body and interior
93XJ 4.0
93XJ auto
93XJ xfercase
97XJ Dana 30 front 4.56 gears
93XJ Chry 8.25 rear 4.56 gears

Just put this transmission on, did not fill the torque with fluid, was told it would fill via the pump in the trans and added new fluid-6 quarts so far. i started it up, let it sit for 20 or 30 minutes so as the TC could fill with fluid then checked fluid levels. Didn't seem to change according to dipstick. Ran it through gears again, even put her in 4-high and 4-low, but didn't make a difference. Still no movement.

Does the TC only go on one way? Friend told me i might not have gotten the TC on correct (splines lined up) and the fluid pump isn't activating. We got the TC to go on all the way.

TIA

you need to fill it before you put it in!! so now you need to pull it out and fill it

peanut1881 said:

you need to fill it before you put it in!! so now you need to pull it out and fill it

Click to expand...

The t/c does not need to be pre-filled. The oil pump is driven by the shell/outerhub of the t/c. It gets driven at the engine rpm regardless of whether the t/c is filled.

In the other thread you started, http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1007927, I think you got the answer that you haven't put enough fluid in. Indeed the FSM gives low fluid as the #1 likely cause for no movement.

so just keep adding fluid... mmmmmK

How was the converter installed? I've heard of people bolting them to the engine first then bringing the trans up, which is an almost guaranteed way to break the pump. When doing it the right way, in the bellhousing, an AW4 has several different sets of splines to engage. The converter should sit back from the flexplate with the engine bolted up, then the converter bolts pull it forward and engage the t/c pilot into the crank.

If there's enough fluid in the sump it is but a matter of seconds to charge the converter. To check the pump first verify fluid showing on stick, engine off. Start engine, stick should read lower.

I think the AW4 holds 10 quarts, IIRC, including the TC. It usually takes part of the last quart for many trannsmissions to work and engage (move).

I'm by no means an expert, but have bolted up a few AW4's. The first time, I spun the converter a little and felt it seat deeper into the tranny and remember thinking at the time, I'm sure glad I noticed that before I tried to install it. I thought it was seated all the way in and it wasn't.
There are more than a few posts about guys who have installed a new tranny and had the pump fail to pump. My first guess would be the converter not engaging all the necessary splines. Hopefully you didn't tighten the bell housing bolts without the converter being seated all the way, this could cause some sort of physical damage.
It takes a bunch of Dexron to fill the converter and the tranny, nearly a whole case (12 quarts). I'm not sure of the exact amount. but most of a case for sure. I buy bulk and use a pump to fill mine. I usually pump (pour) a few quarts into the converter before mounting it.

so a friend says to me, take one of the fluid lines off the radiator, and start the engine. if fluid shoots out that line, the pump is working fine. if it doesnt, remount the TC.

Is this okay to do to test the pump?

Trail Blazer said:

so a friend says to me, take one of the fluid lines off the radiator, and start the engine. if fluid shoots out that line, the pump is working fine. if it doesnt, remount the TC.

Is this okay to do to test the pump?

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It shouldn't hurt anything. Whats the level on the dipstick say when running?
A 93 FSM says roughly 8.5 quarts.

Also from 93 FSM
CHECKING FLUID LEVEL
Park vehicle on a level surface and apply parking brake. With
engine idling at normal operating temperature, move transmission
selector lever through all gears, ending in Neutral (Park for AW-4
transmission). Check fluid level. Fluid level should be between FULL
and ADD mark on dipstick. Add fluid as needed. DO NOT overfill.

so i took the top line of the trans off the radiator, then started her up. nodda nothing not even a drip came out the line guess i'll get to buy that transmission jack after all

lawsoncl said:

It shouldn't hurt anything. Whats the level on the dipstick say when running?
A 93 FSM says roughly 8.5 quarts.

Also from 93 FSM
CHECKING FLUID LEVEL
Park vehicle on a level surface and apply parking brake. With
engine idling at normal operating temperature, move transmission
selector lever through all gears, ending in Neutral (Park for AW-4
transmission). Check fluid level. Fluid level should be between FULL
and ADD mark on dipstick. Add fluid as needed. DO NOT overfill.

Click to expand...

I wonder how many people ever got out their level and checked the parking spot they used for checking fluid levels, LOL.

I was in my senior year Chem Eng. practices class doing a team project that had been done for years starting with a student doing it for his Ph.D. years earlier. I was told the results were always unexplainable, and odd. I was scratching my head for several days trying to interpret the results. It was a tower tray for a multi stage distillation column. We were studying mixing and turbulence on a tray, distillation tower tray, fractional, where the inter column rising gas mixes with the falling liquid from overhead. I was also told that the year to year results varied widely.
Then the last day of the class I was looking at the column and it dawned on me. I grabbed the level, and sure enough the tray was not level. The tray was only 12" in diameter, so it was not obvious just looking at it. The floor was level, but the inter tray seals were 1" thick foam, partly compressed, and a partial turn of the nuts on a bolt on any one side would shift the slope a bunch. The data problem was caused by the experiment never being level.

OMG, does the TC go on in just ONE way?

i think i found the problem....