04 D2: old motor blew a head gasket and sounded like a slipped liner. Found a 98 P38 with 80k miles on it totaled, ran great. Studded it, resealed everything, stuffed it in this D2 and now it goes of 3/4 of a turn before locking up.

What should I be looking for? Oil pan is off and looked under there but nothing is blocking it. Sounds like maybe transmission? Did I use an incorrect bell housing bolt? Torque converter bolt?

TIA

 

Here’s a video: sounds like it coming from bell housing area

 

Took the heads back off, same issue.

I'm thinking I may have used the incorrect torque converter bolts, so taking those off next.

 

The torque convertor bolts just go into the torque converter tabs...nothing for them to hit on...unless they're not tight and sticking out towards engine side...but you would have noticed this while stalling...and you would not have been able to install all of them. The engine must have turned over enough to install all four bolts, right? Did the engine turn over prior to install? You didn't install engine with torque convertor mounted to flexplate, did you?

If you didn't check rotation before dropping in...my first guess would be you forgot the spacer on the pick up tube mounting bracket. If it rotated prior to install...my guess is you didn't have the torque convertor properly engaged in front pump of trans...or tried installing convertor mounted to flywheel...and trans is now ruined.

Hope the last one isn't the case. Good luck.

 

I came back to this project around a year later, so I had forgotten I didn't even install the torque converter bolts!

You're right, pickup tube. I had bent it while installing the engine somehow, or prior to installing.

 

There's a inch and a quarter long spacer that goes between oil pick up tube and block, on mounting stud. Normally, if tube is bent...this is missing.
Glad you found the issue...to bad you ulled the heads back off, my back hurts just thinking about instaling them again. A 60 year old back, leaning over fenders...is just out of the question anymore.