[tanksteve]

Originally Posted by chuckies76ta

Any chance you could post a few pics of the front and back of the converter? I ordered a 9" inch from them and had the same issue your having and I had to send it back to be revised. It cost me shipping for their mistake. Wasn't happy about that. They had to change the back cover. Thanks.

here are the pics. I rotated the converter against the back of the flexplate so i can see where the bolts were hitting

[spectramitch]

I just talked with a guy at Coan again and it sounds like what is happening is most converters are made with BBC in mind. Those take a 7/16" bolt with a super short head. The pontiacs have a 1/2" bolt with a thick head. So he pretty much told me that I needed to step up to the billet front cover with a deep dish for an extra $400. No way im doing that. It looks like Fly-wheel bolts for a pontiac have a thin head but they have a shoulder on them. Im wondering if that might be an option. OR Mopar flexplate bolts are 1/2-20 and have a short head. But the thread length is only .500"

[tanksteve]

That really is infuriating that Coan wont own up to their mistakes. I looked at flywheel bolts also. But as you said, shoulders are too long including the ones made by Mr Gasket.

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by spectramitch

I just talked with a guy at Coan again and it sounds like what is happening is most converters are made with BBC in mind. Those take a 7/16" bolt with a super short head. The pontiacs have a 1/2" bolt with a thick head. So he pretty much told me that I needed to step up to the billet front cover with a deep dish for an extra $400. No way im doing that. It looks like Fly-wheel bolts for a pontiac have a thin head but they have a shoulder on them. Im wondering if that might be an option. OR Mopar flexplate bolts are 1/2-20 and have a short head. But the thread length is only .500"

You could use a low profile button head screw. That would sit lower than a factory BBC bolt.

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by tanksteve

That really is infuriating that Coan wont own up to their mistakes. .

IMO if one sells a torque converter advertised to fit a Pontiac, then says it doesn't fit because it's not a Chevy the torque converter isn't really for a Pontiac.... It's seems Coan has moved back in time fifty years. Their torque converters used to fit Pontiacs without issues. I've used and sold more than a hundred of them.

[misterp266]

Perhaps you could add a mid plate, even if you just used it as a spacer and didn’t mount it to the frame, and then space the converter accordingly to maintain the proper depth in the transmission.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23491336073...BoC8mUQAvD_BwE

[Brentco]

Originally Posted by spectramitch

but I feel horrible about running a new engine behind a blown tranny especial in the current state of the trans community.

This deserves another LOLZ

[spectramitch]

Originally Posted by tanksteve

here are the pics. I rotated the converter against the back of the flexplate so i can see where the bolts were hitting

How much were your bolts contacting by? Were you using the 5/16 or so sized thick head?

[tanksteve]

Originally Posted by spectramitch

How much were your bolts contacting by? Were you using the 5/16 or so sized thick head?

I would say the contact is around 1/16". And yes i was using the bolts with head about 5/16" thick (stock bolts). I found ARP bolts have a slightly thicker head but have a smaller diameter head, which helps in my case.

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

I remember that. If I recall correctly they wanted you to pay for their converter not fitting properly but then came to their senses. Did you get an explanation why it didn't fit initially?

Hi Paul. No never did explain why it didn't fit. Rep told me they had no issue with these back covers on Pontiacs. They changed it at their cost and it cost me the shipping both ways.

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by tanksteve

here are the pics. I rotated the converter against the back of the flexplate so i can see where the bolts were hitting

Thank you for posting pics. That's the same back cover I had issues with that they changed. Here are the pics before they changed the cover on the back. I will never deal with Coan again.

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by spectramitch

I just talked with a guy at Coan again and it sounds like what is happening is most converters are made with BBC in mind. Those take a 7/16" bolt with a super short head. The pontiacs have a 1/2" bolt with a thick head. So he pretty much told me that I needed to step up to the billet front cover with a deep dish for an extra $400. No way im doing that. It looks like Fly-wheel bolts for a pontiac have a thin head but they have a shoulder on them. Im wondering if that might be an option. OR Mopar flexplate bolts are 1/2-20 and have a short head. But the thread length is only .500"

Not to tell you what to do, but He wanted the cost to change mine also, and I said no way I'm paying for your mistake. We went back and forth and he finally agreed to change it at their cost. I was still pissed at freight cost. He would also not refund my money when I said I'm returning it. He said it's a custom converter so no refund. You can use me as a reference if you want. I'll provide you with my order number to show what the cost was. Let me know.

[chuckies76ta]

Pics of new cover. I included the numbers on the converter you can share with them. Coan

[Dragncar]

Sounds like Coan is a no go these days. What a terrible experience.
Lane-PTC. Great guy, knows Pontiacs.
I am just about done fitting a Alston .100 thick mid plate in a stock A body frame right now. That might take care of these problems with those Coan converters.
The mid plate is not very big by the time you are done chopping it up to fit. needs trimmed for whatever headers you are using.

[PAUL K]

If it's a "custom" converter that means it's made for a specific application. If it doesn't fit that application that means the vendor failed. Most likely if you paid with a credit card and filed a dispute they would be given the option to correct their error or refund the money.... That's probably why they caved and fixed Chuck's converter.

They seem to be aware of the issue using their product in a Pontiac. They should go back to their old ways, rather than make excuses and keep raising prices.

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

They should go back to their old ways, rather than make excuses and keep raising prices.

But that's just not how America works now

[chiefbigb]

Trans specialties told me they have a different front section for BOP engines. The shelf convertors are Chevrolet based. I had this same issue but saw it when I was installing the trans. The box the correct one came in had BOP written on it.

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by chuckies76ta

Pics of new cover. I included the numbers on the converter you can share with them. Coan

I installed this new Coan converter to day and it fit perfect. The play from the converter to the flexplate is around .134
My ARP bolts from flexplate do not hit converter.

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by tanksteve

I would say the contact is around 1/16". And yes i was using the bolts with head about 5/16" thick (stock bolts). I found ARP bolts have a slightly thicker head but have a smaller diameter head, which helps in my case.

Have you received any other info from Coan on repair?

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by chuckies76ta

I installed this new Coan converter to day and it fit perfect. The play from the converter to the flexplate is around .134
My ARP bolts from flexplate do not hit converter.

What a concept.... So we know for sure they still have the ability to make a converter that fits a Pontiac.

I hope the new converter exceeds your expectations.