Engine overheating can occur if a cracked engine block is severe enough to allow engine antifreeze to leak out of the engine, which causes engine temperatures to rise, and the engine to overheat. As its name suggests, the flex plates thinness and light weight allows it to flex and. Slight misalignment may only cause a single flexplate to break in the life of the vehicle. Patc sells billet flexplates, performance flexplates. I have a tired 366 chevy big block in one of my trucks. The teeth around the edges can also break off, causing. It sounded like a big end knock at idle, went quiet when put into drive. Hughes performance hp3994 sfi rated hd flexplate with external balance for big block chevy. I went from an externally balanced 454 to a internally balanced stroker 489 which. Pulled the passenger rocker off, check to see if there were any broken springs but everything seems to be fine. Has anybody had any luck welding up cracks in a 6 cyl flex plate.
Ways, some of which require a wellequipped workshop in order to diagnose but some common ones are. Those factors ensure that when the engine starts and the driver puts it in drive, the cracked flexplates movement will create a noise. Weve had a few forum members get broken flex plates in the last few years. 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. Carburetor tools ignition tools and testers trailer tools diagnostic tools. More severe misalignment can break a flexplate in 15,000 to 30,000 miles. A serious crack can cause a mild vibration when driving, so can a faulty torque converter. 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. There should be 2 dowels, one on each side, to align the bellhousing of the transmission with the engine block.
How do you tell the difference between a 396 and a 454 big. Engine antifreeze circulates deep within an engine block, in and around the main engine combustion chambers. Cant pinpoint the source of the noise im thinking either the flexplate or torque converter its a 2000 5. I have a chevy 454 motor my flex plate and starter are not close enough to start the truck makes alot of noise answered by a verified classic car mechanic.
If not properly diagnosed it will occur again and often damage to the transmission may follow. 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. Fp454 oem part number fp454 additional information. Cracked flexplates arent as rare on these vans as they are on other cars. I had the usaf metal shop make me one from a scrap of aircraft grade stainless. Any metal shop can make you one using the cracked one as a pattern. 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. Flywheel flex plate flywheel flex plate 8 454 7 4l fits 73 90 chevrolet forward control 18195. A dropped bolt will definitely make noise but the noise typically doesnt last long since something breaks.
If anything thing goes wrong in this process, it can cause the engine not to start at all. Shr trans,ati flex plate,ati overdrive pulley,getrag 3. After checking the flexplate id pull the valve covers to see if theres damage up top that is preventing the engine from turnung over. The sound is very similar to a bad connecting rod and is often misdiagnosed. I have a 69 camaro with a 350,ive been having an intermittent knock when cold that sounds like it coming from the crank. A loose bolt on a flexplate or a crack between its bolt holes. He was totally not expecting the cause of the valve train noise to be driveline related, namely a cracked flex. And like gearcruncher said, the flex plate does have a spacershim and maybe they didnt install it. Symptoms of a cracked flexplate general discussion. When stripped down, the plate had split around all 6 bolt holes. The reason for the sound involves the flexplates location and its function. Descriptions of the sound include clanking, chirping and a light knocking. As a result, this can cause the flexplate to wobble. Sounds just like when the flex plate on my 200 tdi auto was buggered.
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. I have heard that a 366 and 454 flywheel have the same weights on the flywheel and are inter changeable but no one i talk to is sure 100%. Allstar performance all26825 168t 454 standard external balance flexplate. Pull lower pan,check rod movement,or remove bearing cap. Theres also a chance they didnt gradually torque the bolts that hold the flex plate to the torque converter and maybe its not balanced. The flex plate dampens this vibration from the engine to the driveline and reduces the noise that we hear. Rattles at idle but the force of driving jams the bits together so no rattle when driving. Lots of experience with 427s and 454s but not a lot with a 366. Sfi 168 tooth sfi 168 tooth big block chevy 454 502 flexplate 1991 up bbc heavy duty 1 piece.
Cracked flexplate how can i tell the chrysler minivan. Mine was inspected through the little inpection hole at the bottom looking for radial cracks, but on full engine removal found it has split into two concentric rings, drive only. I have a chevy 454 motor my flex plate and starter are not. The first cracked fp for me i ignorantly assumed the missing torque converter bolt was the problem so i missed the bellhousing problem. Also, does the tranny need to be dropped to replace the plate, or can i simply unbolt it from the torque converter and throw in a new one. There may be some external clues that will point more one way than another especially since the 454 was made for 30 some years. I discoved the flex plate was cracked in several spots. This may occur in worn engines or engine that have been poorly rebuilt. Flexplate technology and choosing the flexplate for you. Flexall provides powerful soothing relief to joints and muscles. Scat crankshafts fp454sfi flexplate for big block chevrolet. As he had some other work to be done on his truck that required some professional expertise, he took the truck to a gm dealer workshop.
The flex plate is a metal disk that mounts the torque converter in an automatic transmission to the rear of the engines crankshaft. The other task the flexplate must perform is joining the crankshaft to the torque converter. Flexall vitamin e enriched pain relieving gel, 4 oz. A cracked flex plate is almost always a sign of other problems. I have talked to other mechanics about this and i have changed the timing chain and the flex plate to the trans and the fuel pump, and i still had the noise.
There are a crapload of different flexplates for the 454 since it came with th350th4004l80etc. Bbc big block chevy 454 flexplate flex plate 168 tooth external balance. Hope this helps others trying to diagnose this engine noise. There are several telltale signs that there is a problem with either the. Proper transmissiontorque converter installation duration. The starter is an electric motor that spins a small gear. 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. The flexplate can crack or warp due to an out of balance engine or torque converter. I just thought id post a short video of what a cracked flexplate on a 6.
Top rated products in automotive replacement flexplates. Like bill mentioned, there is a proper torque sequence to follow to tighten the flex plate to the crankshaft. For warranty information about this product, please click here. As i start to move the knock speed increases slightly with rpm but then stops and the engine runs fine. Chevrolet performance 10185034 chevrolet performance flexplates compare flexplate, 168tooth, external engine balance, 1piece rear main seal, chevy, big, block, 454 7. Mine was cracked all the way around the center mounting holes shop the new one is. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. I investigated it and it sounded like it was coming from the.
Carburetor tools ignition tools and testers trailer tools diagnostic tools lube. Dude, looking at your questions for the past 2 weeks, you should give up trying to fix your own vehicle. Typically this occurs because the torque converter bolts come loose, or if the transmission was ever removed and the bolts were not torqued properly this will. Do i have have to remove the tranny or can i just loosen the torque converter and slide it back enough to get to the flex plate.
Pics of a cracked flex plate peachparts mercedesbenz forum. Questions bmw bmw 528i 2000 bmw 528i is a cracked flexplate. Excessive crankshaft flange runout or end plate can also cause flexplate cracking. They do run hotter than other small blocks because they are a siamese bore,no space in the block casting between the cylinder bores.
The plate in question is bolted to the flywheel and transfers power to the input shaft of the transmission via a splined coupling. Fiy damper plate replacement first of all, the signs that a damper plate is going bad will be a knocking noise coming from the bell housing of the transmission. So i figured i had a broken crankshaft and disassembled the. Prw 1845400 sfirated external 168 teeth balance chromoly steel flexplate for chevy 454 197090, early. External 168 teeth balance chromoly steel flexplate for chevy 454 197090, early. It is critical that you use the correct design for your specific engine application. This video demonstrates the sound, diagnosis and solution to what sounded like a rod knocking on a 1999 toyota 4runner with a 3. Pulled the driver side valve covers off and rockers seem tight and no bent pushrods or broken springs. Flywheels and flexplates chevrolet performance offers both internally and externally balanced flywheels and flexplates.
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. I was just wondering how many of you out there with the 4. Chevy big block flexplate 168t external balance 10185034. The weight on the flywheel is critical,or you can use a 350 flywheel with a balance plate sold by summit or others. Symptoms of a bad or failing crankshaft harmonic balancer. I had a cracked flex plate on my 1999 land rover discovery 2, but before i knew what it was i had trouble finding information on diagnosing what it could be.
Its purpose is to absorb and reduce harmonic vibrations from the engine as the crankshaft rotates, as harmonic vibrations at high engine speeds can cause accelerated wear and damage to the components. The crankshaft harmonic balancer is a device connected to the front of an engines crankshaft, usually built into the crankshaft pulley. The flex plate has a ring gear around its circumference, which mates with the starter motor when you start your car. Similar in function to a flywheel in manual transmission engines and called a flexplate due to its expansion, or flexing, during the operation of the engine, flexplate. Mine was cracked all the way around the center mounting holes shop the new one is like. This item scat crankshafts fp454sfi flexplate for big block chevrolet. Most likely you will have to find a casting number on the block to know for sure. Its possible the rear exhaust manifold or even the crossover pipe cracked and developed a leak. It bolts to the end of the crankshaft and the transmissions torque converter bolts to it. Great for anyone who suffers from arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, backache, muscular tension, strains, sprains, bruises and cramps. The flex plate replaces the flywheel in automatic transmission cars.
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