Crank Thrusting Foreward Issues

Well to touch on that, I roasted the rear clutch by accident shortly after its first engine start from forgetting to set the kickdown right. So I had to pull it, fix it, and put it back in.

So what you're saying is that I may have bumped the flexplate with the converter, pushing the crank forward and fucked #3 bearing?

Nope, I'm saying you didn't get the converter all the way into the pump, and that forced everything forward and ate your thrust.

Happens all the time.