Gm cracked flex plate

I was told that a small crack in the flexplate could mimic the sound of rod knock or piston slap. A 153 tooth flexplate will be paired with a torque converter that has a 10 34inch bolt circle. Manufactured in the usa on stateoftheart cnc equipment, atis flexplates are created from sfispec steel and are sfi 29. Perhaps someone had the transmission out years ago and failed to torque the flex plate to crank bolts properly. Usual failure mode is the crankcase bolts or the torque converter bolts work loose, allowing the parts to start moving in different directions, the clicking sound you heard. Be sure to install alignment pin between new flexplate and crankshaft hub to insure proper alignment. These bolts are sold individually and a quantity of 8 are required per engine. Nov 16, 2006 the 3 prior flex plates have all been cracked starting at the bolt holes. Nothing has changed as far as mods go to the enginedrivetrain or suspension for a long time. Perhaps someone had the transmission out years ago and failed to. Each ati flexplate is manufactured and toleranced from oem drawings to ensure a precise fit and location. The flexplates are double migtig welded for additional strength and lasting precision pass after pass.

Symptoms of a cracked flexplate general discussion modern. No movement of the engine confirmed that the flex plate must be broken. Descriptions of the sound include clanking, chirping and a light knocking. Cracked flexplate question for a bodies only mopar forum. I have seen a bunch where motor was pulled for said rod knock and broken flex plate was found. Ati sfi flexplates for racing automatic transmissions. The key to choosing the correct bolt pattern and tooth count is measuring the torque converter you are using.

Jul 11, 2012 i have a 2003 chevy commercial cutaway box van with 6. Discussion in chevygmc 4x4 started by 74 chev, feb 27, 2010. Nonlock years 19891993 must have goerend billet cover. Using the oval hole in flex plate as a starting point may ease torque converter bolt installation figure 1. Chevrolet infotainment system functionality varies by model.

When the trans is in gear, it shakes more than when its in park, but it still does shake in park. The other task the flexplate must perform is joining the crankshaft to the torque converter. Flex plate bolt sold individually sun coast a1bfp2 billet flex plate 6586 20. I investigated it and it sounded like it was coming from the. Thread each into the torque converter until they are all finger tight. Flexplate failure discussion in general discussion started by 95twintt, apr 9, 2010. There are tough flexplatesand there are chuck norriscaliber flexplates. It bolts to the end of the crankshaft and the transmissions torque converter bolts to it. What can cause a cracked flexplate out of balance engine or torque converter. If you really stop and think about a highhorsepower pro modified car planting the tires and launching to a subone second 60foot times, realizing there is a small, relatively thin plate of metal transferring 4,000 horsepower rearward at one of the key junctions in the powertrain, you begin to see the. When stripped down, the plate had split around all 6 bolt holes. Apply a small amount of threadlocker to each torque converter bolt and start all bolts by hand. Flexplate technology and choosing the flexplate for you. They are breaking the center piece with the 6 bolts right out of the center of the flexplate.

Broken flex plates can not be repaired, they must be replaced. Weve got tough yet affordable flexplates for stock and mildly modified street vehicles. Basically, the starter was engaging and rotating the torque converter but. I have a 2003 chevy commercial cutaway box van with 6. Determine from memory, or any past repair orders, if the flexplate has been replaced. A 168 tooth flexplate uses a 11 12inch bolt circle. Cracked flexplate so far in two years, ive had to replace the flex plate three times. The flex plate replaces the flywheel in automatic transmission cars. Flexplate failure chevy tahoe forum gmc yukon forum. The factory flex plate bolts are torquetoyield and should not be reused. And we also have heavyduty and sfiapproved flexplates for highhorsepower, highrpm race applications.

Like loss of power, this symptom could be caused by many factors other than a cracked flexplate. A damaged flex plate can create serious expensive damage. Chevy small block flexplate 168t external balance 12554824. The reason for the sound involves the flexplate s location and its function.

The 3 prior flex plates have all been cracked starting at the bolt holes. I guess another option is to take the weights off of an externally balanced converter and still get the 10239 flex plate. A cracked flexplate is almost always a sign of other problems. Worn pilot andor cracked flex plate issues return on the gm 4l80. Ok, so i replaced my flexplate 290,000 miles to see if that eliminated the lower end noise in my engine.

Remove the torque converter cover and inspect with a light. Most torque converter rebuilders routinely deal with the undersize pilots on gm 298mm converters. The gm 11610965 flexplate bolt is a direct replacement for your 20012010 gm 6. My uncle thinks it may be a cracked flex plate from how i described it to him. The good news is it was caught before a catastrophic failure. The starter is original and never made noise before. That in turn was the reason the front seal was not happy. After checking the flexplate id pull the valve covers to see if theres damage up top that is preventing the engine from turnung over. Constructed of thicker than stock steel plate to withstand the stress of high stall speed converters and high rpm engine securely welded ring gear with dual bolt pattern for use with either powerglide or turbohydromatic transmission meets sfi specification 29. The cracked hub is a little harder, usually experience with cracked flex. Then whom ever replaced the fp before me didnt catch the peened bellhousing and tightened it down causing a alignment problem. It is critical that you use the correct design for your specific engine application. Because the flex plate is an integral part of your cars powertrain, and replacing it involves removing the transmission, a. I just thought id post a short video of what a cracked flexplate on a 6.

Chevrolet performance offers small block engine flywheels, flexplates, and other components for your engine build or project car. Bad starter drive can cause teeth or ring gear to wear rapidly. Flywheels and flexplates chevrolet performance offers both internally and externally balanced flywheels and flexplates. Ati flexplates are created from custom drawn sfispec chromoloy steel and are sfi certified. Rattle noise and cracked flexplate 20152018 ford edge. It sounded like a big end knock at idle, went quiet when put into drive.

Flywheels and flexplates at the opposite end of the crankshaft from the balancer are flywheels and flexplates, which connect the engine to either manual flywheels or automatic flexplates transmissions. Similar in function to a flywheel in manual transmission engines and called a flexplate due to its expansion, or flexing, during the. It didnt fix the noise but now when i start the truck it sounds pretty bad only while. The classic and most obvious symptom of a cracked flexplate involves the sound it makes while the engine is running. Apr 09, 2010 turns out the flexplate was cracked all around the bolts holding it to the crank. A vital part of an automobile engine equipped with automatic transmission, a flexplate consists of a piece of thick sheet metal that bolts to the crankshaft and torque converter. A dropped bolt will definitely make noise but the noise typically doesnt last long since something breaks.

Even if the flexplate was old and reused, the manufactures specifications call for an exact torque pressure and tightening sequence. I will be replacing it with a stock gm flex plate and just plan on replacing it every two years as a maintenance routine. Its never broke flex plates until the rebuilt trans went in. You can drop the flywheel cover and inspect for missing weights on either convertor or flex plate. The tci superquality flexplates are thicker than stock plates to withstand the stresses of todays high rpm engines and highstall torque converters. This flex plate is twice as thick as stock and has passed the stringent 29. The gm 11610965 flex plate bolt is a direct replacement for your 20012010 gm 6. Symptoms of a cracked flexplate general discussion. A competent shop can look at the plate they remove and tell you the cause of the failure.

Mine cracked all over the place on me, didnt know it until i was doin some instals though and when i removed the starter i seen. Each ati flexplate is manufactured and toleranced from oem drawings to ensure a precise fit and location and is quality inspected to exceed. The first cracked fp for me i ignorantly assumed the missing torque converter bolt was the problem so i missed the bellhousing problem. I was just wondering how many of you out there with the 4. Hays 10030 hays steel sfi certified flexplate gm ls engines. Flywheels and flexplates chevrolet performance offers. These units are a direct boltin and fit any oem or aftermarket torque converter. As i start to move the knock speed increases slightly with rpm but then stops and the engine runs fine. The constant expansion and contraction of a flex plate over time can result cracks andor shearing of the flex plate. The only things that changed were the flexplate, rear main seal, rear cover gasket, oil pan gasket, and some other small gaskets and seals. You wont tear the center section out of this billet flex plate. A flexplate is meant to move slightly and take up small dimensional irregularities in the flatness of the converter as the drivetrain rotates. Aside from a manufacturing defect, the only things that will cause a cracked flex plate are improper torque on the plate bolts at the crank and torque converter and the most common cause of transmission to engine misalignment.

Here we are swapping out a transmission due to a broken flex plate. Those factors ensure that when the engine starts and the driver puts it in. However, a cracked flexplate has been reported to reduce gas mileage, due to the inefficiency it creates in the engine when it cannot perform as intended. The flex plate could also have cracked at the crankshaft hub. How to know if a flexplate is warped it still runs. Gm performance parts 19260102 flexplate ls engine to 4l60 trans.

Can anyone offer up any ideas it starts to shake before the flex plate actually cracks, then it cracks out of the center. I didnt see any obvious cracks in the old flexplate. A vital part of an automobile engine equipped with automatic transmission, a flexplate consists of a piece of thick sheet metal that bolts to the crankshaft and. As the horsepower and pulling weight of the truck increases, so does the strain on the flex plate that is why this flex plate is perfect for towing, daily driving, and drag racing. Any of these three items could cause your vibration. Gm power enthusiasts like us were relieved to find that the gm gen iii engine released in 1997 had essentially the same block bolt pattern at the rear face as the previous chevy. I have had this truck for almost four years now and i have now broken two flexplates within 4 months of each other. The likely cause for the cracked flex plate is likely due to misalignment because of dowel pins that keep the eng and trans from mounting flush together. Because the flex plate is an integral part of your cars powertrain, and replacing it involves removing the transmission, a significant amount of labor will be involved. Gm performance view topic broke my fourth flexplate.

May 26, 2015 a dropped bolt will definitely make noise but the noise typically doesnt last long since something breaks. This may be due to a flexplate crack around the crankshaft. Some aftermarket flexplates are drilled with both patterns to accept large and small. The job of a flex plate is to allow for expansion of the torque converter as engine rpm increases. Gm is not responsible for the safety or quality of independent supplier alterations. One of the most common causes for flexplate warpage involves the wrong torque pressure and sequence on the flexplate.

Full functionality requires compatible bluetooth and smartphone, and usb connectivity for some devices. That had caused it to run slightly off center, which wore a path in the collar on the torque converter. Equipment from independent suppliers is not covered by the gm new vehicle limited warranty. Ati flexplates and adapter kits for street and race use. The flexplate has cracked twice in the past 6 months. A bad flex plate usually has failed due to either damage or wear and tear, so replacement with a new flex plate is the only solution. Chevy 168tooth plates have dual bolt patterns to accommodate both powerglide and turbohydramatic th torque converters. The problem turned out to be a cracked flex plate which. Rm530 sbc metric balance plate 19862015 required with rm925 and rm930 quicktime flex plates. It runs fine in park but in any other gear with my foot on the brake it has a very noticeable, almost loud knocking sound. If the flexplate is cracked, replace the transmission fluid pump, flexplate, flexplate bolts and torque converter refer to workshop manual, section 30301a and 30701 when replacing the torque converter, ensure that the torque converter pilot hub is lubricated with multipurpose grease xl5a esbm1c930b prior to reassembly for claiming, use causal part 6375 and applicable labor.

Had a horble vibration checked everything found the cracked flexplate much the same way except i was going a. Tighten all crankshaft bolts an additional 60 degrees in sequence. There are many things that might cause reocurring breakage. This goerend transmission billet flex plate replaces the stamped factory piece that is prone to failure when under high power levels. Aside from a manufacturing defect, the only things that will cause a cracked flex plate are improper torque on the plate bolts at the.