Crank end play, destroyed converter, 408 nightmare

1974scamp said
I finished the engine about 2 years ago and put it bolted to the trans into the car

then i put not much miles on it due to overheating and some other issues

then it destroyed the first converter

took out the trans with the engine still in car

took the trans to the guy who "fixed it" and put it back into the car

then i drove the few miles, engine still really hot and on the edge of overheating, really high oil pressure on wot sometimes up to 100psi

now i took out the engine because i wanted to bring the compression down with the head gasket (which is a shitty idea i know now), install the xe275 cam and do some other modifications
also the trans slipped from 2nd to 3rd gear

so with the first converter i had really low milage on it

If you want to hedge your bet on the thrust fix then drill a small hole through the thrust face intersecting the main oil feed while you have it down the the bare block. It won't save it if the crank is being forced forward by unnatural driveline forces but it will provide pressurized oil where it is needed.

Sorry for your troubles OP but this is a classic case of a poorly matched/machined/assembled combo. Also for your transmission get in touch with John Cope @ CRT, I have never had a Mopar Auto work right or last until I used his products.