Question: I'm installing a new flex plate (flywheel) on a 1998 Chevy 3/4-ton with an automatic. The teeth got chewed up by the starter. I installed the plate and the transmission, but there's about a quarter-inch gap between the plate and the torque converter. I’m worried about tightening the bolts.
| 1998 K2500 4x4 Silverado Front View
Answer: The torque converter does slide rearward (toward the transmission) normally when unbolted. You should be able to slide it forward to where it's flush up against the flex plate during installation. Try gently prying on the converter; sometimes spinning the converter as you push also helps. If the converter will not go forward, and/or spin, you've got a problem. It may be the wrong flex plate, or it may even be installed backwards. Whatever you do, do not force it forward or try to draw it in by tightening the bolts. That may cause extensive transmission damage. If it won’t budge, remove the transmission and evaluate.
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