Your friend is spot on. If you look on the front of an auto trans , you will see the input shaft, pump stator , and behind the front seal , the pump gears. All three of these must be aligned and engaged to the torque converter.
The converter needs to be slowly spun with slight even pressure with a jiggle or two . Sometimes the converter will engage all three parts without any issues. Other times the pump gears do not want to cooperate. Never force a converter on. I’ve found that at times the pump gears may fall out of line. When this happens, a small screwdriver can be inserted into the pump and rotate the gears by catching one of the pump gears drive ears. Typically this will allow the converter to fully engage. timo22
The converter needs to be slowly spun with slight even pressure with a jiggle or two . Sometimes the converter will engage all three parts without any issues. Other times the pump gears do not want to cooperate. Never force a converter on. I’ve found that at times the pump gears may fall out of line. When this happens, a small screwdriver can be inserted into the pump and rotate the gears by catching one of the pump gears drive ears. Typically this will allow the converter to fully engage. timo22
