The torque converter is free to spin after the transmission is bolted to the engine. Spin it by hand to line up one of the bolts that attaches it to the flex plate. When that bolt is tight, use the wrench to turn it and the crankshaft until you can install the next bolt.
Some engines are "externally-balanced" when it is too difficult to cast some of the counterweights on the crankshaft. Those will have one of their weights on the torque converter, and those have to be bolted on in the right orientation to prevent a vibration. For that design, one of the flex plate bolt holes is offset so it will only match up one way. When we do not know if the engine we are working on is of that design, it is customary to throw a little spray paint on one of the bolt holes so we do not have to resort to trial and error when doing the install. At worst you wasted a little paint, (or a chalk mark), but if you need that alignment mark, you will be happy you added it.
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Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 AT 2:36 PM