1989 535i torque converter removal???

[gale]

Finally getting around to my son's e34. Any tricks to getting the torque converter out? We have the tranny out & on the floor & the 3 bolts off that bolt the torque converter to the flex plate & the torque converter rotates freely independent from the flex plate, but it doesn't want to come free. Haven't tried putting a prybar to it yet. The splines in tranny shaft slipped off smoothly when taking the trans out. Does the center nub on the torque converter sometimes get corroded or caked onto the end of the crank/flex plate with dirt/grease?

We're taking the tranny over to the carwash now & will do the Winfred (thanks!!!) A-clutch pack & bushing repair.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

between the converter and flex plate.

If it can spin...spin and wiggle and pull with both hands at 9 & 3 O'clock.

A couple of good tugs should get it off.

[Kalevera]

Don, sometimes they can get stuck on the crank, but it's nothing that a bit of light pry bar work won't fix. I use a long flat blade screw driver, while the trans is still in the car to prevent the TC from dumping on me...what a mess.

Who got the face full of ATF?

[632 Regal]

also try to lift the weight off the center as you pull.

[winfred]

two prybars one on each side and walk it off, watch your foot

[gale]

Thanks guys! That worked. I was able to loosen it with the prybars and work it off by hand. Found the "smoking gun" evidence of the oil pump bushing having walked forward against the lip of the seal & the seal was worn. The journal on the torque converter looks good but the bushing in the pump is scored pretty bad so will replace it:

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/zf_input.jpg

Took the bell housing off. The frictions don't look too bad but show signs of wear. The steels look to be in great shape so might be able to resurrect the trans & get it back on the road without too much trouble. The sludge in the pan & magnets was nothing more than ordinary. It drove smooth & quiet & shifted fine without any "trans program" issues for as long as I was able to keep fluid in it, which was about 1.5 miles.

[winfred]

throw a pair of teflon's on the shaft and new friction plates in 1st drive in a bushing and it's good ta go, the gasket that seals the pump to the tranny is a bitch to install a new one without tearing it, if the old one is intact it can be reused, the new one reminds you of a paper grocery bag but it's usually cut too small to fit around the pump

[gale]

Thanks. Yeah, the gasket looks pretty robust and stayed intact stuck to the bell housing side. Should be able to re-use it without any problems.