I’m kind of a shade-tree mechanic. I know how to take parts out and put new ones in there place. I took on a bigger job recently and ran into a tiny snag. I replaced the engine in a 1992 jeep cherokee 4x4. All went well with the engine swap, minus a few missing bolts here and there. Once finished, the new motor started right up, however when i put the truck in gear, nothing happens. I checked to make sure the transfer case wasn’t in neutral and double checked the electric plugs on the transmission. What did I do worng???
Did you bolt the flex plate to the torque converter? Did you install the flexplate on the new engine?
Yes. I bolted those together and then stuck the motor to the transmissions bell housing and bolted them together.
Yeah, I guess you had to or the starter wouldn’t be able to turn the engine. Did you remove the radiator? If you did, then you may have lost some transmission fluid when you disconnected the cooling lines. I will assume that your reconnected those but did you check the transmission fluid level?
you’d assume incorectly. I did remove the radiator and everything else for that matter… the trans fluid was a total loss while pulling it out (while still conected to the motor), so i went ahead and changed the filter and refilled it.
but yes i reconnected the hoses
I would check the ATF again, this is a long shot but what if the torque converter drained while the lines were off, when you refilled, it wouldn’t refill the torque converter until the engine was started, then you would be low on ATF again. This is just a guess but its all I have for now.
Dodge transmissions are prone to airlock. With your foot on the break and the motor running shift through all the gears slowly a few times. Check fluid levels and top off. Repeat first step. Do this over and over. It may take some time. just google torqueflite airlock or 46rh/re airlock.
Ill try this, thanks. Any other ideas are welcomed.
Did you fill the torque converter before putting it in? I know if this isn’t done sometimes you will get air pockets that won’t flush out. If it’s not a lack of fluid somewhere then I’d check all of your electrical connections.
Take off one of the transmission cooler lines, start the truck and put it in gear. You should have fluid spraying everywhere. If you don’t, you may have damaged the pump in the trans by not having the torque converter properly seated.
You may not have a good seal at the filter in the trans, have you tried overfilling it?
U pulled motor but left trans/ converter alone? No reason to suspect u did anything to trans. Shift linkage is untouched. Can u see fluid on dipstick?
It is possible that the pump was damaged when reinstalling the engine even if the torque converter was left on the transmission. If the transmission fluid is checked with the engine off and is above the fill mark and after starting the engine the level does not drop considerably the pump is not working.
fluid is on the stick…i didnt refill the torque converter when putting it back together…i’m checing the pump next, and anticipating a problem with air in the lines… when pulling the motor, the trans had to come with it, i re-assembled the two outside of the truck and put them back in together (the same way they came out)
If the Jeep has the shift lever on the column, I’d look at the linkage on the transmission while someone moves the selector through the gears.
Keith may be on so something here. Even if the Jeep has a console shift lever the shift cable is connected to the transmission lever with a clevis pin and the cable housing is held in a pinch fitting. Removing and re-installing the transmission could have easily caused a problem with the shifter.