[78w72]

Originally Posted by TRADERMIKE 2012

Unless I caused it, with the Transmission build, causing Thrust toward the Crank, by not having the exact tolerances at the front of the TH 400 that I should have, yet to see that answer, Cliff where are you? Mike out.

Originally Posted by Cliff R

Transmission endplay will have nothing to do with applying thrust to crankshaft as the torque converter is in between. You just need some on both ends of the TH400. The range they will run in is really wide and not a problem area. Even so I shim mine down on the lower end of the range and have never had an issue either way.

This assumes that you correctly shimmed the new converter (if it needed it). Basically as that needed to happen was that you correctly engaged the converter in the stator, input shaft and oil pump inner gear and shoved it all the way back during installation. At that point a quick gap check between the converter and flex plate, then decide if it needed any shims or not. You don't need much clearance in that area as the converter isn't going to "grow" much in use. Too much is not a good thing as you are pulling the notched portion of the converter out of the oil pump inner gear. It still has a LOT of wiggle-room there and you've got to pull one forward quite a ways before it comes too far out of the gear and shears something off.

Your strange noises are no doubt piston "slap" from having most of them installed in the wrong direction. Had the EXACT SAME ISSUE with my fresh SBC 400 build when I pulled that dumb move. I had other issues which included more oil consumption than I was happy with for a fresh build with less than .002" piston to wall clearance and hand fitted Speed Pro oversize rings. As I told you several times on your long running thread that engine just never ran right and after 10,000 miles I couldn't deal with it anymore and pulled it out for inspection. Found the issue, put it back together the right way, noises gone, power restored and on to bigger and better things.

I tend to learn some pretty valuable lessons when I made blunders like that, so do my very best NEVER repeat them, plus pass on the info to others. Sadly in this case all the advice and DIRECT experience I provided to you went on deaf ears. You'd rather buy into some BS regurgitated theory (wives tale IMHO) that "racers" WAY back in the day reversed all their pistons so they could pull bigger wheelies and end up with the trophy at a bit event they were racing in. That moves makes no sense whatsoever then or now. You need to get back into this build and get ALL the pistons and rods in correct orientation. Only then can you move forward and accurately troubleshoot engine "noise" and other issues it's throwing at you.........IMHO.......

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