[gduncanson]

backstory: 2002 corolla used for son #2 who commutes 20 mins each way to college. He's had the car for two years and with 190k miles it was losing oil. Last week he called roadside assistance. Once home the car started and ran but very noisy, top end type noise. Checked compression 1/2/3/4: were 210/80/210/180; a wet test on cyl #2 bumped it up to 240. Bought a ZZFE1 from a 2005 Matrix with 128K miles on it to do an engine swap. Swapped it, started right up, but no motion.

After 30 mins of searching threads here I've come up with several possibilities.
a) gear selector was in Park when uninstalled/installed
b) the torque converter (TC) wasn't primed
c) the torque converter wasn't oriented correctly when reinstalled to the flywheel
d) because of (c) I've damaged oil pump or worse.
e) long shot but maybe the throttle cable need adjusting

Installation: A good two cups of tranny fluid spilled out of the TC during removal. The torque convertor went on the used engine easy enough, mating the tranny to the engine went smoothly, there was slight 'click' sound as I drew the two together the final 1/8". I didn't like the sound at the time.

Symptoms: added about 1.5 quarts of tranny fluid before starting engine, just so there was something in it. Started engine, everything seemed okay. Stopped engine, checked tranny fluid, it had gone down, added another 1.5 quarts, started engine, set parking brake and shifted out of P--nothing. shifted into N and am able to push the car, Back into P and the car won't roll. I reseated the wiring connectors on the tranny as well. I don't hear any mechanical clicks or clunks as I move the shift lever. And no sound from axle area either (as if they're popped out).

Questions:
1) Are there ways to prime the TC, I'd like to start there.
2) What could the click sound have been? Is there a specific orientation for attaching the TC?
3) help! and TY
4) new member, so if this is better placed somewhere else please advise.

 

[71Corolla]

Hopefully you didn't crush the transmission oil pump. The torque converter height relative to the bell housing MUST be measured prior to install this verifies the converter is properly seated. Not priming the converter will not prevent the transmission from building normal pressure.

To verify if the pump is working pull the LH line from the radiator direct that into a container and start the engine fluid should pump out at a good rate.

 

[gduncanson]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'll run up and try that. The car is in a garage I'm borrowing.

I certainly hope I didn't break it.

 

[gduncanson]

Disconnected the hose (LH, left hand) and ran engine. It seemed to pump quickly for about 15-20 secs and then taper off, only got about 3 cups. Checked fluid level and it's right at the bend of the dip stick. below cold low.

 

[71Corolla]

Maybe you simply didn't have enough oil in the tranny. Not enough fluid means the car won't go into any gear and won't move.

 

[gduncanson]

If the trans oil pump is functioning normally, will it take care of priming and filling the TC? Or does that have to be done pre-installation.

 

[71Corolla]

If the pump is functioning and there is enough oil the tranny will just start working. Dump a bunch of oil in worst case you have to drain some out.

 

[gduncanson]

I owe you something. I just didn't have enough oil in it. In thinking about it, I probably only had a total of 1 qt already in it. The small funnel would only take so much at a time. Added the rest of the gallon and waited a bit and then tried the selector, and lo/behold: I have D & R at least. Took a test drive around the block and parked it again. I did notice a new vibration that can be felt at idle and doesn't increase/change with rpm or mph.

Seriously, give me your favorite charity or something so I can make a contribution.

 

[gduncanson]

All I could glean from your profile is that you're from Canada. Armistice Day or Remembrance Day just passed and Canadian Hero was running a campaign to raise money for college scholarships: 11 for 11. I gave $22 bucks (something like $17 US) 11 for you and I matched it 11 from me.

http://herofund.ca/11-for-11/

Thanks again!

 

[71Corolla]

That sounds like a good cause I'm highly skeptical of most charities to put it mildly. On your car make certain the tranny fluid level is correct this means drive for 20 minutes then check on level ground engine running.

 

[gduncanson]

will do.

 

[gduncanson]

experiencing a setback.

I went back to the car yesterday and checked the oil level, it was almost to the level of hot low. And although everything sounds smooth, the transmission shifter does nothing(*). I had planned all along to replace the transmission filter so I took it as a good time to drop the pan, change the filter and refill.

I also read in the guide that one of the six bolts that holds the TC to the flywheel is chamfered to center it so I loosened and retorqued those bolts and the vibration is gone (dry inside).

I added 3.5 qts till it was reading high and slowly moving the shifter through the positions. I don't hear any clunk or indication the transmission is engaging, the idle does fluctuate briefly. No motion. Pulled the Oil cooler return to test the pump and nothing came out with the engine running.

I have a couple of obdII modules, hooked one up and there were no faults.

I'm sorry to have to dredge this up again, what would prevent oil from coming out of the LH hose? (other than a broken pump)

(*) I did notice that about 5 secs after moving the shifter out of park. the dash instrument lights come on.

 

[jonathan1173]

Checked shifter cable linkage? When someone else moves the shifter, does it move the shift lever on the transmission?

 

[gduncanson]

Oh, I'm pretty sure I did this.

Hopefully you didn't crush the transmission oil pump. The torque converter height relative to the bell housing MUST be measured prior to install this verifies the converter is properly seated.

The manual say that distance should be .528 inches. I think that PING I heard when reassembling the two halves was the oil gear cracking.

Last night I dropped the transmission and noticed right away that the TC is not fully seated (the centering quarter sized nub is beyond the housing). I don't know why it drove around for ten minutes and then wouldn't. Whatever, I have a used tranny on the floor waiting to go in.

 

[gduncanson]

Just to close the loop on this question with the outcome. I did indeed break the oil pump on my original tranny. Here's a helpful video of what I did, common mistake for first timers. My mistake was not turning it enough to hear two clunks (some say 3).

Working alone, I think in hindsight it might have been just as easy to pull the whole engine out again, do the swap and reinstall. The manual suggests removing the front subframe, I just removed the transmission support bar. The rear section of the tranny is above the sub frame so the tranny needs to be rotated forward and down to be removed. This was done with the engine on blocks and the engine hoist from above on the tranny and a jack from below. Installation was a bear, getting the housing to align alone was difficult. I think I would not set the rear mount bolt till the very end. When another person was able to help the mating was done in just a few minutes.

This Toyota we picked up for my son is my first japanese car and first auto, I've done engine swaps and tranny swaps in several german cars. Key observation, is tools: the german engine requires a handful of specialty sockets: torx, star, allen, poly, the corolla came apart with four sockets 10, 12, 14, 17. I was loving it until I broke the tranny, which wasn't their fault. Very impressive though.

 

[Bitter]

As soon as I read that you bolted the TC to the engine and then installed I knew what was coming, you would leave the TC in the trans when pulling the engine, access the flex plate bolts through the starter access or through some other access hole. Hopefully the new trans you get is in better shape, replacing the front pump isn't too difficult though. There's some bolts and then it pulls out, assuming no other damage was done to the trans or housing.

 

[gduncanson]

Actually I didn't bolt the TC to the flex before attaching the tran; I popped the TC on the tran spindle and DIDN'T rotate it till it clunked down twice and I DIDN'T measure that the distance between the front face of the tran housing and the TC nuts was at least .582 in+/-.

I just slapped it on and bolted it together. The wrenching up to that point had gone so smoothly I was referring to the sockets by names; I didn't bother *to think* that there was anything special about mating the two halves. It was an amateur/learning mistake which ended well.