My car started to leak tranny fluid last week, so I took it to the shop. Today they told me that it spun the bushing on the pump in the tranny. Can someone please tell me what this means and what could have caused it. My car is a '98 SS A4 with all minor bolt-ons and 3500 stall Art Carr converter. I've had the converter in for about 2 months and have put about 1200 miles on it.

 

When your converter is pushed into your pump, the smooth tube part of the converter that pushes into the pump, the hub, rides on a brass bushing that is pressed into the pump. It acts like a bearing surface. It is not normal for this to spin. Check the hub of the converter for nicks or damage that may be riding heavily on the bushing. You can also mic. it to make sure it isn't out of round. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, but what does it mean to mic. it?

 

Use a micrometer to check the circumference of the hub. Check it like you would check a crank journal. I don't think there is a spec., I would look for it being oval. It should probably measure the same diameter when measured in three spots ie. 12 o'clock, 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock position. Your trans. shop can compare to other converters to see if there is a problem with yours. You may also want them to bolt the conv. by itself onto the flexplate and check for runout. A runout problem could be a bent flexplate or a conv. mounting bracket welded off location, or the conv. wasn't correctly piloted into the crankshaft. The only reason I suggest this is because this is such a rare failure, it seems something is wrong with the converter. It may just be a coincidence though. Good luck.

 

I went back to the shop yesterday and asked if the converter caused it and he said no, the hub on the converter was in perfect condition with no scratches or dings. He replaced the bushing with a teflon bushing and he said it should be fine now.

 

If it's a good trans. shop then you should be ok. Your failure was probably just a fluke. Hope all turns out well.