Dude, looking at your questions for the past 2 weeks, you should give up trying to fix your own vehicle. 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. Thinking they installed a new flexplate and tc when they changed the engine and that the missing tc bolt caused the problem. The problem turned out to be a cracked flex plate which. Damaged and leaking front seals and front transmission pumps are common symptoms. I just always assumed it was an exhaust leak or loose header. Havent had time to pull the trans and look yet, hopefully tomorrow night.
Every 8 months since then, like clock work, it has been cracking. The engineer put a triangular file on it and had no trouble marking the plate, he said it is just plain old mild steel, and welding would be no troubles. Took flexplate to engineering shop to see about repair. The biggest issues that caused cracked plates other than age are misaligned oil pans and missing pilot bushings in the crank shaft.
I dont know if this applies to your loader, but an improperly shimmed starter can cause unnecessary flex and eventually cause flex plate problems too. There are tough flexplatesand there are chuck norriscaliber flexplates. Cracked flexplate symptoms 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. May 27, 20 spun rod bearing vs broken flex plate sound i hear it coming from. I was driving along the m4 on my way to an important appointment, doing about 60mph in drive, 2500rpm on the possibly inaccurate tachometer, tc locked it locks at 45mp. The flexplate can crack or warp due to an out of balance engine or torque converter. Installing a flexplate without pulling the transmission rear wheel drive.
Nov 21, 2014 what a cracked flexplate sounds like mrdietrying. This increases clearance at the flexplate, which causes stress. Is it likely do due to a faulty transmission or installation. Should be causing a noticable vibration idling though. I know i posted my flexplate is good but just noticed a noise last night. Jumped under truck and i can hear a pretty bad noise coming from flexplate area. Because perfect alignment of the engine and transmission are not possible, the flexplate can absorb the minute misalignment. The reason for needing a new flexplate is that the oem unit will eventually crack due to engine vibration and the inferior thickness of the hub, or center section of. In january 2008 the original flywheel cracked and was replaced with a napa flywheel. Nov 23, 2015 the other task the flexplate must perform is joining the crankshaft to the torque converter. The flexplate also has gear teeth on it which the starter engages to start the engine.
And we also have heavyduty and sfiapproved flexplates for highhorsepower, highrpm race applications. How to fix a broken flex plate flywheel, how to find a engine knocking noise duration. Models include the f100 discontinued in 1983, f150, f250, f350, and others. What causes a flexplate to crack twice after two replaced. A reconditioned transmission was installed by a transmission specialist 6 months ago. Some race cars are equipped with the flywheel shield just for this reason.
If cracks are present, they will usually be in the area of the crankshaft or torque converter bolt holes. Flexplate technology and choosing the flexplate for you. Trouble shooter 2004 ford focus zx3 motor magazine. A cracked flex plate will usually cause a squeaky sound like a belt but shorter and sharper and changes when in gear or park and under load. Hey guys, i have an issue that i believe is a cracked flexplate. A flexplate is meant to move slightly and take up small dimensional irregularities in the flatness of the converter as the drivetrain rotates. Im now getting ready to replace it for the 3rd time. The same things that cause the flexplate to crack can also cause transmission problems.
In june 2008 the flywheel was cracked again, replaced with a new napa flywheel with spacers inserted. The transmission was replaced in 2005 with a remanufactured ford transmission. It was raining last night when i got off but i will get under there to verify it as soon. How to know if a flexplate is warped it still runs. What is actually making the noise when the torque converter nuts loosen or the flexplate cracks. The flex plate is a key component of your cars powertrain, which includes the engine, the transmission, and the other related parts that get the power to the ground. Pull lower pan,check rod movement,or remove bearing cap. Sucks because it has to happen when its getting cold.
Vibration does vary directly with engine speed, and power applied. Overtorquing the flexplate stretches the metal, causing high and low spots. A dropped bolt will definitely make noise but the noise typically doesnt last long since something breaks. The reason for the sound involves the flexplate s location and its function. The wildest automatic car i have is my wifes supercharged 347 with a c4 trans, and a 1970 flexplate. After you find the cause of the bent pushrod, i would check all battery connections, and load test the battery. Again, flexplate shims may be available to reduce the unwanted clearance. 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. Cracked flex plate my runner has been making a ticking noise when warmed up for the last 20k miles. It is almost impossible otherwise to have a misalignment. Cracking sbc starter nose cones chevy message forum. If not properly diagnosed it will occur again and often damage to the transmission may follow.
A misaligned flex plate can also keep the engine from running smoothly, which can lead to erratic changes in engine rpm. A competent shop can look at the plate they remove and tell you the cause of the failure. Nov 03, 2011 so, following on from my breakdown the car, then nearly me. A year or so ago i had the stock flex plate break on me.
Weve got tough yet affordable flexplates for stock and mildly modified street vehicles. When a flexplate cracks, it often produces a loud knocking noise as it rotates. The flexplate is also ringed by a series of teeth referred to as the ring gear. I have had a quick look through the starter motor hole and checked that the bolts that hold the torque converter to the flex plate are tight which they are. What can cause a cracked flexplate out of balance engine or torque converter.
A cracked flexplate is almost always a sign of other problems. Cracked flexplate question for a bodies only mopar forum. How to diagnose underhood engine noises mustang 360. Lower engine noise sources include the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, main andor rod bearings, flywheelflexplate, and various excessive clearances such as a misbored cylinder causing. Cracked flex plate toyota 4runner forum largest 4runner forum. Symptoms of a cracked flexplate general discussion. A serious crack can cause a mild vibration when driving, so can a faulty torque converter. Even if the flexplate was old and reused, the manufactures specifications call for an exact torque pressure and tightening sequence. Bad starter drive can cause teeth or ring gear to wear rapidly. Like loss of power, this symptom could be caused by many factors other than a cracked flexplate. Need help ticking sound from flexplatetorque converter.
A flywheel coming apart at high speeds in those cars have been known to cause serious bodily injury to the driver. What causes a flywheel to crack numerous times justanswer. After checking the flexplate id pull the valve covers to see if theres damage up top that is preventing the engine from turnung over. Upon startup the converter may then seat or not and the weakened flex plate may crack shortly afterwards or it may go months or years before giving up. I investigated it and it sounded like it was coming from the tranny. The reason for the sound involves the flexplates location and its function. Feb 11, 2011 dude, looking at your questions for the past 2 weeks, you should give up trying to fix your own vehicle. Also a voltage drop of 4v while cranking would indicate a weak battery. Smooths out a lot on level ground in 4th but still there at all speeds.
But going to work accelerating on to east link my motor did not sound right no loss of power or anything so i turned up the radio. It sounded like a big end knock at idle, went quiet when put into drive. So far over 500hp, and eight plus years, and no issues, not to mention the automatic cars i had when i was a kid. Cracked flexplate with audio first i had to get it trayed home fuel pump died, i replaced the pump and was back on the road. The flex plate usually makes a tinny or clanging some times chirping sound while starting,shutting off, accelerating or decelerating. How do i know if my flexplate needs to be replaced. The flexplate in an automatic is the same part as a flywheel in a manual. I also notice a new tc and what looked like a fairly new flexplate.
When the transmission is in place and the trans mounting boltstorque converter bolts are tightened the flex plate is distorted and under a lot of pressure. Be sure to check the balancer as unwanted harmonics can crack break the flex plate. It bolts to the end of the crankshaft and attaches to the torque converter. Cracked flexplate a couple of weeks ago i started to get a clicking sound that would speed up slow down with engine speed, but i just assumed was the exhaust. The classic and most obvious symptom of a cracked flexplate involves the sound it makes while the engine is running. 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. When i tore it apart it had a missing torque converter bolt. Going up hill it gets much worse, downshift and vibration frequency increases with engine speed.
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. Feb 05, 2011 after a couple of weeks it started making a noise and figured out it was a cracked flexplate. About a year and a half ago, the flexplate cracked and had to be replaced. Aside from a manufacturing defect, the only things that will cause a cracked flex plate are improper torque on the plate bolts at the. The flexplate takes the place of the flywheel on automatic transmission vehicles. Symptoms of a cracked flexplate general discussion modern. Weve driven it 100 miles now since flexplate replacement. One of the most common causes for flexplate warpage involves the wrong torque pressure and sequence on the flexplate. What causes diesel engine ticking, clicking, tapping, and knocking. A worn transmission front pump bushing will allow excessive movement of the torque converter and an out of balance engine, harmonic balancer or torque converter will also put stress on the flexplate. If a bolt has broken or become loose, on the flexplate, these can misalign the flexplate and cause the side of the plate to come into contact with. Any of you out there cracked a flexplate on any of your ford powered rides.
The sound is very similar to a bad engine rod and is often misdiagnosed. The flexplate has cracked twice in the past 6 months. A worn transmission front pump bushing will allow excessive movement of the torque converter and an outofbalance engine, harmonic balancer or torque converter will also put stress on the flexplate. Would a faulty torque converter cause this problem. It was also leaking pretty bad from the front seal. Oct 19, 2008 evening folks, my 300tdi auto today developed a nasty intermittant knocking, that seems to be coming from the bellhousing area. Oct 27, 2014 cant pinpoint the source of the noise im thinking either the flexplate or torque converter its a 2000 5. When stripped down, the plate had split around all 6 bolt holes. A flexplate can crack because of enginetotransmission misalignment or an engine or torque converter that is out of balance. The starter motor engages this ring gear to start the engine. Being an auto, it will be fluid balanced by the torque convertor, so babancing it wont be an issue. Lower engine noise sources include the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, main andor rod bearings, flywheel flexplate, and various excessive clearances such as a misbored cylinder causing. Repair guides and support for the seventh generation of ford fseries trucks.
Descriptions of the sound include clanking, chirping and a light knocking. Jun 26, 2008 a cracked flywheel flexplate can come apart with catastrophic results. There is a ticking noise that happens moments after i start engine after sitting all night, after engine warms up the. Before putting the torque converter into the transmission, take a.
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