Shouldn't I be able to turn the engine over from the crank with the trans connected?
The engine spun fine when the trans was off. I reconnected the trans -same torque converter - and could only turn the engine 1/4 revolution before it locked up.

There is no fluid in the trans or torque converter and the transmission yolk spins freely.

I would think with no fluid there would be nothing impeding the movement.
Could the trans have somehow dropped into gear and now, without fluid, will not come back out?

The shift lever moves, but changes nothing.
I was going to adjust the valves before dropping it back in, but now what?

This is the sd by the way....and the engine and trans are on my garage floor. (Injectors out so it isn't a compression issue.

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tgingrich
'83 300TD 282k
'83 300D 239k
'82 300SD 204k
DFW

The engine should turn. Maybe you didn't engage the torque converter tangs properly into the front pump.

Have you bolted the drive/flex plate to the torque converter? If not, you should be able to turn the torque converter independently of the engine. Or hold it from turning as you turn the engine.

Doesn't matter if it's in gear. The engine idles in gear, doesn't it?

Sixto
87 300D

The torque converter is bolted to the flywheel - that turned as a unit to allow me to bolt it up before I mounted the trans to the engine block. I guess I will be separating the trans from the engine again.

Is there something I'm missing here? I don't see anything to line up except the input shaft for the trans into the center of the torque converter. Seems like it won't go in at all misaligned.

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tgingrich
'83 300TD 282k
'83 300D 239k
'82 300SD 204k
DFW

Sounds like you're doing it in the wrong order if you bolted the converter up before the trans. I agree your converter must not be seated in the pump, I've had this happen myself before. The converter has to be spinning at "stall" speed (the speed which the fluid begins to build enough pressure to couple) so in or out of gear, fluid in it or dry has absolutely no effect when hand spinning it. You need to separate them, and at this point if you had tightened engine and trans together all the way, should probably remove and inspect the front pump internals for crushing damage, as well as the converter snout. If all is ok, slide the converter on the trans first, wiggling and rotating until it is fully seated, you'll know by looking across the flange of the trans, see how deep back the converter bolting tabs sit in the housing, then look at the depth of the flex plate from the engine block flange, they should be the same distance. align and bolt the trans to the engine first, everything should tighten together with very little or no resistance, basically fall together. Check for free spin on the converter, then align and bolt it to the flex plate, should be good to go.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

thanks for the input. This is my first automatic trans and I was indeed putting it together in the wrong order. I hope I haven't damaged anything.

This trans is/was much better than the one in my TD.

__________________
tgingrich
'83 300TD 282k
'83 300D 239k
'82 300SD 204k
DFW