Hi,

I just pulled the engine from my 1997 Outback 4EAT, to use in a Vanagon swap. The engine came out fine, but the torque converter is seriously stuck on the driveplate. When I separated the engine from the automatic transmission, the torque converter stayed with the engine. Do I just need to pry at it until it comes off?

A couple other questions I have about it...how heavy is the torque converter? Will it be difficult for one person to hold it while the other tries to pry it off? Is there fluid inside the torque converter that will leak everywhere when I finally get it separated?

Thanks for the help.

Hi,

I just pulled the engine from my 1997 Outback 4EAT, to use in a Vanagon swap. The engine came out fine, but the torque converter is seriously stuck on the driveplate. When I separated the engine from the automatic transmission, the torque converter stayed with the engine. Do I just need to pry at it until it comes off?

A couple other questions I have about it...how heavy is the torque converter? Will it be difficult for one person to hold it while the other tries to pry it off? Is there fluid inside the torque converter that will leak everywhere when I finally get it separated?

Thanks for the help.

 

Yeah, it is filled with fluid and is just heavy enough to be a PITA when seperating it - but it isn't crazy heavy. It is probably rusted to the driveplate. So it should just pry off once all four bolts are removed and lots of Liquid Wrench applied. You should replace the seal if the torque converter came off.

Yeah, it is filled with fluid and is just heavy enough to be a PITA when seperating it - but it isn't crazy heavy. It is probably rusted to the driveplate. So it should just pry off once all four bolts are removed and lots of Liquid Wrench applied. You should replace the seal if the torque converter came off.

 

I'll be using the engine in a manual transmission Vanagon, so I won't need to worry about replacing the seal because I'm not using the TC. Do you have any idea how much fluid it has in it? Is it possible to catch it all in a drain pan or is it just a messy job by nature? The Liquid Wrench is a good idea. I'll give it another go tomorrow. Thanks!

I want to say that there is at least a quart in there, maybe 1.5. You should be able to catch a lot of it with a pan. But if you tilt the motor a lot on the way out, it will probably spill some on the crossmember . Spread some towels on the crossmember and the floor.

if the engine is already out then i wouldn't worry too much about ATF coming out. it's in there, but keep it facing "up" and it won't drain. it only drains out the shaft, not the front. so keep the motor side facing down and the trans side facing up. shouldn't be on there that bad, i doubt yo'ull have much problem freeing once you have at it.

Pop it a good one with a hunk of 4 x 4 and see if that knocks it loose.

Okie dokie, I guess that was really nothing to worry about. I went back at it the next day and the thing just came off in my hands. I kept it the right side up and didn't spill a drop. Thanks for all the help.