Engine and tranny install

I wish I had a lift but I don’t. So once the torque converter is slid onto the splines it with still be on the splines when you slide it up to bolt it to the flywheel?? Is it possible to slide to far forward?

 

having done that exact job a few times I choose to pull the motor out the top and the trans/transfer case out the bottom. With just the engine and the lift chains as short as possible it was still a pretty scary/tipsy job with all of that weight. I work alone and having to lift it as high as was needed to clear the core support AND roll the cherry picker back w/o having it get away from me, well... The real bitch are the torque convertor bolts... it took a combination of a flex socket and long extension(s) and lifting the engine up off the mounts to get access to the bolts. There is a "special" groove in the back of the oil pan that the extension slips/slides into. 3 weeks after doing it the first time the crossover cracked and had I to pull the motor a second time. On later Tacomas, 98 and up I think, the crossover has been redesigned so that you don't "have" to pull the engine.

IIRC, you should feel 3 "clicks" when you install the torque convertor. I would pour 3 or 4 quarts of ATF into the convertor if it is/was a dry install. I would also put a little grease on the front "hub" where it snuggles against the end of the crank. In addition, take the separator plate off and examine the core plugs while you are there... a simple "poke" with a screwdriver just might show a thin/rotten plug on the inside core plug.