In my haste I crushed the key on the engine side of my V4AW2. I fitted the torque converter on but apparently failed to engage it all the way onto the transmission, needing the last 10mm or so. Thinking I had it all the way on I attempted to mate the engine to the transmission and in the process crushed both sides of the key. I plan on heading to the junkyard, possibly this weekend to take the front plate off a transmission to see if I can salvage that part. Has anyone been into this part of the transmission?

I think you are talking about the oil pump....

Ouch..Sorry man..I almost made the same mistake a few weeks back. I decided not to force it and dropped it back down and finally got the TC fully engaged after spinning and pushing for about 15 minutes.

Has anyone pulled the cover off the front of the transmission to get to the inner workings? I really don't like to touch transmissions, however if there isn't anything to difficult to manage to get to this component, I'd be up for it.

umm... good luck bro. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> For future reference you have to push the torque converter on my rotating it in 3 steps. full turn clockwise, full turn counter clockwise, and usually half a turn clockwise. Brendan screwed up the first transmission he had in the blue montero. I have had to do trans work about 3-4 times now, and never had a problem following those steps. takes 30 seconds to be sure <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

You will have to be sure the pump is the right one or it will not work. I think the length between lockup and non lockup converters are too differnt to be cross compatible.

Yeah it's the pump.

Thanks StockRaider. Yeah, I feel kinda stupid considering I pulled the engine out a couple of times on my last Montero. I suppose the brain cells stopped working at about 3am.

did you mess up the pump? or the squash the converter? no consolation either way, but if its the converter its a little easier at least than tearing into your trans. You could always just find a lower miles junkyard trans and swap the whole unit. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> Ive got trans swaps down to a personal record of 5 hours out 4 hours in. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> (faster if I didn't use a torque wrench)

(extra hour out is for PBblaster and beer/soda) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I crushed the key in the pump. I believe this also made the shaft on the torque converter misshape. Couldn't I just replace the pump and tc?

I was the one that killed a trans the same way.. but in my case, I was up till 3 am the night before killing brain cells and the next day having taking breaks on the tranny install to puke outside the garage. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Yes, I've grown up a little since then <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Definetly a kick in the balls to hear that sound when firing it up after a painfull weekend.