Need Input on Grenaded Converter

[Detroit Iron]

I've never been so happy to find grenaded parts in my car. I've been chasing down a drive-train vibration for about six months now. I FINALLY found an obvious problem.

Background is this.... my car is a new build. I bought a '67 Dart and basically took the entire power/drive-train out. Original 273 and 904 removed. I bought a core 360 engine and 904 non lockup transmission combo that came out of a '75 model unknown. I rebuilt both the engine and transmission. The only thing I didn't replace is the torque converter. I put the car together and it runs and drives GREAT! Lots of power and the transmission up and down shifts as it should. Only issue is I had a "cyclical" drive-train vibration.

After chasing other typical sources of vibrations; drive shaft, pinion angle, tail-shaft bushing rear-end etc., I pulled the transmission and see this on the snout of the torque converter. Could this be a result of an issue with the transmission, or is it most likely caused from the torque converter itself? Another question for transmission experts. Does the input shaft look damaged? I don't know exactly how they are supposed to look.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Detroit Iron]

I just spoke to Jon Cope and he says 904 torque converter failures are common and so this problem is most likely isolated to the torque converter.

So at this point I'm feeling I can pull the front pump, replace the bushing and seal, then replace the torque converter.

 

[Demonic]

Basic small block - a 360 takes a weighted converter, and the other small blocks do not. This is, unfortunately, a common mistake. Unless you get a weighted flexplate made to use a neutral converter ( 273, 318, 340 ) with a 360.

Technically that is the reaction shaft, a part of the pump. I don't own enough 904's to judge it's condition. But maybe safer to get an entire new 904 pump from a reputable source like Cope?

 

[Detroit Iron]

It's the correct converter for the engine... it's just FUBAR.

 

[Demonic]

So you mean it was rebalanced for a 360 or the engine was converted to neutral/internal balance?

 

[Detroit Iron]

It's the correct 360 converter that came with the 360 engine and transmission combo that I bought.

 

[Big.J.007]

Lets see the weights on conv..

 

[Dana67Dart]

. The only thing I didn't replace is the torque converter

It's the correct 360 converter that came with the 360 engine and transmission combo that I bought

Your first statement suggests that you used the 273 torque converter

 

[Detroit Iron]

You guys are silly. See the original post "I bought a core 360 engine and 904 non lockup transmission combo that came out of a '75 model unknown."

 

[Detroit Iron]

Your first statement suggests that you used the 273 torque converter

I wasn't totally clear. I should have said the only thing I didn't replace when building the 360/904 was the converter that came with it.

 

[Detroit Iron]

Maybe this is the cause of the whole problem?

 

[65TerrorCuda]

That notched portion is wasted and is that a crack on the shaft? Good thing you yanked it out

 

[Lefty71]

Some will say its an unlikely issue in an automatic, but if i were you (esp since its apart) i would check the centerlines of the trans input and the crank. If you need offset dowels, now's the time to do it. Sometimes a funky converter snout is a bit of a telltale....look for a ridge.

 

[Detroit Iron]

Perhaps it's caused by the tangs of the front pump impeller having too much play within the torque converter slots.

 

[33IMP]

Could be worse. One of mine.

 

[transman]

You guys are silly. See the original post "I bought a core 360 engine and 904 non lockup transmission combo that came out of a '75 model unknown."

View attachment 1716480291

That converter is somebodies very poor attempt at trying to rebuild a converter. Notice that crappy welding of the butterfly weight was not put on by the factory or any reputable converter ship from what I'm looking at. And they way the hub was welded in is really, really bad, Ray Charles could do better work.
I worked in the transmission parts supply/torque converter industry and have seen and handled a lot of converters, and never have I seen anything so poorly done. Cracked hubs at one time on most Chrysler converters wasn't uncommon as the rumor was the metal was "soft", whatever that means. However that changed and cracked converter hubs became a rarity. Google a company called Transtar. They are probably the largest supplier of transmission parts and rebuilt torque converters to the transmission aftermarket. See if there is a location near you and go from there. Junk that thing.

 

[Hellrats]

I would throw that converter in the trash. Get a neutral balanced converter made for your combo and run the B&M flex plate for a 360. Tell the company that makes the converter ALL of the details like, camshaft, gear ratio, tire size. Tell them the truth and you will be very happy. Torque converters have come a long way from the old days.

 

[Detroit Iron]

I would through that converter in the trash. Get a neutral balanced converter made for your combo and run the B&M flex plate for a 360. Tell the company that makes the converter ALL of the details like, camshaft, gear ratio, tire size. Tell them the truth and you will be very happy. Torque converters have come a long way from the old days.

That's exactly what the plan is.

 

[transman]

Could be worse. One of mine.

View attachment 1716480393

View attachment 1716480394

I hope that someone didn't try and pawn that off as a performance converter. There sure isn't a lot of furnace brazing on the impeller vanes, and zero tig welding on top of those vanes. Same with the turbine, nothing added to make things stronger.

 

[33IMP]

I hope that someone didn't try and pawn that off as a performance converter. There sure isn't a lot of furnace brazing on the impeller vanes, and zero tig welding on top of those vanes. Same with the turbine, nothing added to make things stronger.

I don't even remember how I acquired that one. The replacement came from a small but well respected converter shop.... and was 2.5 tenths quicker, and 2 mph faster, in a nine second car.
Maybe I shouldn't have used the first one in front of a transbrake glide, behind a 550hp small block? LOL!

 

[33IMP]

I hope that someone didn't try and pawn that off as a performance converter. There sure isn't a lot of furnace brazing on the impeller vanes, and zero tig welding on top of those vanes. Same with the turbine, nothing added to make things stronger.

The single WORST performance part I have ever bought, in forty years, was a GER converter. That was a lesson I have not forgotten.

 

[lilcuda]

The single WORST performance part I have ever bought, in forty years, was a GER converter. That was a lesson I have not forgotten.

I knew a guy years ago that had a GER converter and he referred to it as “infinite stall”.

 

[mderoy340]

I cracked the hub twice and converted to the newer style slot drive hub. A&A sells the pump gears and Turbo action modified the pump housing.

 

[transman]

I cracked the hub twice and converted to the newer style slot drive hub. A&A sells the pump gears and Turbo action modified the pump housing.

View attachment 1716480832

View attachment 1716480833

Ford Style hub that they've used for years, and probably ford pump gear set. Did you ever ask the converter builder why the hubs were cracking?

 

[mderoy340]

Ford Style hub that they've used for years, and probably ford pump gear set. Did you ever ask the converter builder why the hubs were cracking?

It's a known problem with higher HP motors and the thinner hub thickness of the 904. 727 does not have the issue.