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Reinstallation order for torque converter in Deere 310D?

Finca SDR

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Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Costa Rica
Hi everybody,

Would anyone have any insight on the order you should reinstall a torque converter and reverser on a'97 JD 310D? I got one mechanic telling me to install the torque converter first, bolt it down and then install the bell housing and reverser afterwards, and another mechanic saying you muscle the whole assembly in all at once and bolt the converter down through the little hole in the bell housing.

Both swear the other guy is wrong and the torque converter got damaged because I let the other joker touch it. They both say you can't be sure some tooth or coupling or whatever is in all the way if you do it from the other side (specific to both situations) To be fair, the dude that favors installing everything at once was the last one to mess with it before it started squirting oil.

Thanks for any advice,

Sebastian
 

jughead

Senior Member
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Nov 1, 2007
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284
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soddy-daisy tn.
Occupation
retired
i have seen many auto and truck trans ruined when bolting the converter on the crank first. would think the basic operation would be the same
 

Deon

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
768
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Although I own a 310D I have not yet needed to remove any of these parts. But I would think one can remove the reverser to repair it and reinstall it without removing the torque converter. So I think the torque converter and then the bell housing should be installed first. If it was a truck, the clutch or torque converter would be the first thing to mount.
 

Tinkerer

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May 21, 2009
Messages
9,342
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The shore of the illinois river USA
If you choose to bolt the convertor to the flywheel first, cut the heads off of a couple of long bolts to be used as guides to slide the transmission on.
DO NOT force the transmission the last couple of inches. It will go on quite easily when the convertor and transmission are lined up.
 

Finca SDR

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Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Costa Rica
Thanks everyone! The consensus is leaning towards installing the converter and bell housing first... if anyone else has opinions please let them fly and I'll tally up the vote on Tuesday when we're putting this thing back together. Thanks again!
 

ovrszd

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
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1,523
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Missouri
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Retired Army
Heed Tinkerer's advice above. Guide bolts are an excellent idea. But most important, don't force the unit together. The converter and trans have to be turned to the correct position for them to go completely together. Using bolts to force the unit together will most definitely end with failure and broken parts.

Update us on the progress!!!!
 

Finca SDR

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Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Costa Rica
Now the reverser pump had to go to the machine shop get some bushings redone that got damaged too. Was hoping to rebuild it tomorrow but looking like Thursday earliest... pending, processing....
 

Finca SDR

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Costa Rica
Thanks everyone for weighing in! After tallying up all the votes from several sources, including several local machinery mechanics, we reinstalled the converter and reverser together as a unit.

Worked the thing hard for the last three days and everything seems fine! full wheel spinning power and the reverser oil doesn't get really hot. Hopefully it'll stay fixed this time.
 

DAW

Member
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
7
Location
TX
I just installed the reverser and the bell housing together, I wish I could have done it separate and now that I have to pull the reverser again I will try it apart.
 

Finca SDR

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Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Costa Rica
Good luck, hope it goes well. The way it Was explained to me was that it's easy to get some serious wrenching leverage forces on the inside of the torque converter as you try to line up all the splines and keyways and your arms get tired and the reverser drops an inch. I believe it too because a new torque converter seized up and exploded after the thing was disassembled for an unrelated problem.

Sooo, just make sure the thing goes in straight and true, perhaps try some of the tips suggested above about guide screws. But I'll be installing the whole thing together, in view of the disaster i had a while back. BTW, it's still working, thankfully

Good luck, hope you can straighten it out
 

DAW

Member
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
7
Location
TX
Good luck, hope it goes well. The way it Was explained to me was that it's easy to get some serious wrenching leverage forces on the inside of the torque converter as you try to line up all the splines and keyways and your arms get tired and the reverser drops an inch. I believe it too because a new torque converter seized up and exploded after the thing was disassembled for an unrelated problem.

Sooo, just make sure the thing goes in straight and true, perhaps try some of the tips suggested above about guide screws. But I'll be installing the whole thing together, in view of the disaster i had a while back. BTW, it's still working, thankfully

Good luck, hope you can straighten it out
I plan on trying the cut off bolt approach using a transmission jack. During install with the bell housing on I didnt have frame clearance to get the reverser under the tractor, the reverser with the bell housing was too much for me to lift onto the transmission jack so I wound up having to use a forklift then slide it onto the transmission jack, that was a PITA. I didnt realize the clearance issue until I was doing the reinstall because I had taken it out by piece.
 
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