converter swap question

[6T5]

I'm trying to budget my time and set a schedule here...

Can you swap a torque converter in a '65 by just sliding the trans back? (leaving headers on, linkage on...etc?)

My car has Dougs headers, if that matters.


Thanks all.

 

[silversedan]

depends , is this a street car with exhaust? cable shift? metal cooler lines? we used to do it on a race car with flexible cooler lines no exhaust in the way, slid it back and turned it alittle an you can get it out. if it's a street car not a quick job.
Russ

 

[Dodge 330]

Kinda difficult while the transmission is still in the car.

Seating the convertor properly would be a problem.

Doesn't take lot to get them down and out of the transmission tunnel for the proper clearance..

 

[6T5]

thanks. If I can just slide it back we can usually do a swap in an hour, with exhaust .......sounds like I better budget more time.

 

[HT413]

My exhaust has an x pipe and only goes to the diff, so that took me a few minutes to get out of the way.

After that, I was able to swap my converter just like you said, pull the tranny back and lower it a bit and it was a piece of cake. Like mentioned above, the metal cooler lines were a b;tch and so was unbolting the starter, though in hindsight I wonder if that was even necessary. Headers stayed in place.

This was my first attempt at it and it took me a few hours just to get it disconnected and reconnected but the next time I feel like it shouldn't take too long. Getting the converter properly seated was a piece of cake. I just took a straight edge across the bell housing and measured the depth to the converter and made sure the new converter was seated to the same depth.