NOW what???????

In the process of reinstalling a new 340 in this POS. Since the motor has been out of the car for 20 years, trying to slog thru the problems......missing pieces, stuff I need to replace not in stock anywhere in town, stuff not going together very well, etc. etc. etc.

A little background info.....the 340 short block isn't original to the car. Tranny is numbers matching. When I mated the two, decided to go with a B&M flexplate, and aftermarket converter. Everything mated fine when I put the engine/tranny together, before I put them in the car. Only thing that concerned me a little was that there was approx 1/2' gap between the flexplate and converter when the converter was fully seated. Bolted the converter to the flexplate, everything cleared fine.

Then I get to the "last straw" for tonight....

So, I'm under the car .....getting ready to install the closeout plate to the converter......and it looks like the converter ring gear is contacting the bottom of the tranny case. WTF, over...?

Only thing I can think of to do is put a jack under the engine oil pan, then loosen the engine/trans attach bolts a little and hope it shifts a little. Or am I missing something here?

While on the trans subject.....

New engine....professionally rebuilt trans. I've preoiled the engine. Any way to preservice/preoil the tranny and converter? Or do I just light the new motor, run it up to 2500rpm, then start pouring tranny fluid in the trans as quick as I can?