727 auto to LA small block issues

I just put my rebuilt 727 in this evening. With the converter fully installed and bottomed out, it was about 1/4" from the flex plate to the converter blocks for the bolts once the bellhousing was bolted up. Simply pull the converter forward to the flex plate and bolt it up. There is supposed to be that much axial play for the converter. You may have damaged the pump by bottoming it out on the bushing the first time, but maybe not.

I used a 3/8" box wrench bolted to one of the 1/4" inspection cover holes to hold the converter back against the pump as I maneuvered the trans into position. This keeps it from sliding out of engagement with the pump and not going back in the way it should.

I have a thread a couple weeks ago about my converter being bottomed out in the crank recess. Found the flexplate was slightly bent. Got a new one from NAPA and though they didn't measure much different, the converter slid into the the crank and bottomed out nicely on the new flex plate with no gap after pulling it forward.