Aaron and I are just about ready to test fire his slant six and see if all systems are GO. Then it dawned on me, when we went to Wallyworld to buy all the various and sundry fluids.

We took a list of all the fluid capacities from the Haynes manual. Let's see...
transmission - 8 qts. Dexron II or Mercon.
Wait a sec., does that include the torque convertor? Holy moly - how do you fill an empty torque convertor - after it is already installed?

Please, tell me we don't have to pull the transmission to do this.

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Just pull the coil wire and turn the motor over with the trans in Neutral for awhile. The pump will fill the converter.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

See? It's not too late!

Let us know how the break in goes. Very exciting!

_________________
Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Its not absolutely necessary to fill the converter before installing it, just a precaution so you don't run it dry on inital start. I'd do like slantzilla said in your case.

If you want to get creative, you can take out the drain plug out and turn the converter so the plug isn't straight down (maybe remove the starter and gain access to the drain plug hole from up top?), then use one of those hand pump attachments on a quart of atf and pump some in the drain hole that way. Or find a funnel with a skinny tube, that may work as well.

Well, all of you certainly eased my mind with your comments. I was about ready to flip my wig. Of course the topic of this post reveals my ignorance of the inner workings of a transmission. I had hoped the fluid would equalize itself in the torque convertor by filling the tranny, but something in the back of my mind nagged at me about pre-oiling it. I did not know it is an open system, with them sharing fluid. I like the idea about pulling the coil wire and turning over the engine a few times. Actually, Pierre, you read my mind. I even thought about removing the TC drain plug and squirting some oil into it that way, just so it won't be bone dry.

Seems like every time we go to do something, it's always two steps forward and one step back... take this off to do that; move that over to do this; can't find this; wrong size that......I'm sure you know the old story.

Yesterday, we were going to install a mechanical oil pressure gauge to monitor the new engine break-in. Couldn't find a single wrench that would fit the oil sending unit. 1" was too small, 1-1/16" was too large, Cresent wrench just slipped off the round shoulders. Hated to do it, but the ol' Vise Grips did the job. I know we didn't use them two years ago when we first installed it.

We were also going to install the new radiator hoses. The "correct" upper hose was about 3" too long, and to force it on put a deep kink in the hose. Three stores later, we got the right one at Advance Auto.

If it's not chicken, it's feathers.
Thanks again for the words of relief,
Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

A special sending unit socket is required to remove the oil sending unit. Had to use visegrips and lots of profanity to get mine off.

Ever had the oil light come on going down the freeway at 80 MPH. Like to have had a heart attack when it happened to me. Fortunately it was a bad sending unit.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

Just start the engine and let it run in NEUTRAL and the torque converter will fill itself.

Hey Jerry,

All that two steppin' will be well worth it when you and Aaron get it all done and start takin' it cruisin'. You are really close now. Look back at your photo album for some inspiration on how far you've come on the project! It will inspire you.

_________________
Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Rob,
Believe me, Aaron inspires me every chance he gets.

What's frustrating for me is that we are really getting close to testing out all our work, but our busy schedules keep putting it off. Aaron's youth activities at church, or his Saturday track meets, or my school board obligations, or this, or that.... Then throw in the set-backs from wrong parts and such, it really gets irritating. But you're right, it wasn't that long ago that we had the whole back end of the Dart cut off. Now that is inspiring.

Thanks for the boost,
Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.