Another baby step forward, the replacement slant six is now sitting on the engine mounts.
My oldest son helped me on Father's Day.
So I guess I'm now just over the halfway point in this project.
Onward!

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Awesomeness!

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Okay, so the tranny is not bolted up to the engine yet.
When I put the trans onto the engine, what do I need to look out for?
Like, the torque converter?

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Did you mark the flex plate and convertor so you know how they should line up? Wiggle, Jiggle, push and shove and you will have it!

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

with converter pushed all the way back bell housing should mate with motor flush. if you have to pull it together with the bell bolts something is wrong. get all four converter bolts started before tightening. after verifying your disassembly match marks

The most annoying thing is when the motor has spun and isn't lining up with the trans. I like to start one of the long engine to trans bolts and use it as a pivot point to line up the rest. If you can get the topmost bolt started it makes it easier to line the rest of the holes up.

When it is fully seated, the torque converter should be about 1.5-2 inches back from the lip of the trans housing. If it isn't that far back, spin and wiggle it until it is.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Unfortunately marking the flex plate and converter will only help if he takes the flex plate off the old motor and puts it on the replacement so the same flex plate is referenced to the same converter
it's not the end of the world if he has to bolt, check, unbolt, spin converter, repeat in order to get them lined up, just a bit of a pain....
Hey idea.... Convert to a stick and the flex plate to converter line up is no longer an issue

Thanks for the replies fellas!
So today I jockeyed the trans to where its mounted flush to the engine.
I did this before I started any of the bolts.
So maybe the torque converter is ok?

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

If the back of the block is flush to the face of the trans and the torque converter still spins freely, you are good.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I'm not sure now, maybe I'm second guessing myself...
The trans is mostly flush with the engine, a little more so on the drivers side.
I can spin the torque converter with my thumb,
Hmm...

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Put the bolts in and run the side that is closest up to just before they touch ( Don't pull it in further with those bolts) Then try and rock the engine to the side that is further away. A little wiggling and it should drop in onto your dowels. Now tighten the bolts. Make sure the convertor still rotates freely.

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

The drivers side is flush against the engine block, but the pass side still has a gap, a pencil could fit in that gap.
This is after trying to wriggle it into place. The torque will still spin.
So it might be time to get a better jack in order to move the transmission back out and try again.

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Try loosening the long bottom-most driver's side bolt. See if you can wiggle the passenger side into place if the bolt is installed but loose on the driver's side.

_________________
Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Thanks for the responses fellas!
Reed, I did what you suggested, I do believe I made some progress. Passenger side is closer than it was, still not perfectly flush though.
The torque converter still spins freely.

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Get a ratchet strap, loop it over the trans, and pull the trans towards the driver's side. That might shift the trans enough to allow the passenger side to pop into place. Could be you are binding on the locating dowels or there was some crud in the dowel locating holes on the block/trans.

_________________
Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.