What are the signs of a bad flexplate?
What are the signs of a bad flexplate?
Symptoms of a bad flex plate
- Clunking, grinding, chirping, or rattling noises from rear of engine when engine is idling.
- Knocking noise when engine is shifted into drive or reverse.
- Heavy vibrations felt through the driver’s seat when driving at normal speeds.
- Rough-running engine.
- Loss of power at higher speeds.
How do I choose a flexplate?
There are four main factors to consider when purchasing a flexplate.
- The crank style: One or two piece rear main seal.
- The torque converter bolt pattern: large 11 1/2-inch or small 10 3/4-inch.
- Ring gear tooth count: 153 or 168.
- Internal or external engine balance.
How much does it cost to replace a flexplate?
How much is a replacement flex plate? The flex plate or flywheel plate should cost somewhere in the region of $50-160, on average.
How does a flexplate work?
The flex plate bolts to the engine crank shaft and to the torque converter of your automatic transmission. When the engine starts and is running the flex plate turns, which turns the torque converter and powers your hydraulic pump in your transmission. A “flywheel” usually does not crack and fail like a flex plate.
How often do Flexplates go bad?
Slight misalignment may only cause a single flexplate to break in the life of the vehicle. More severe misalignment can break a flexplate in 15,000 to 30,000 miles.
Why do Flexplates crack?
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; sometimes caused by missing alignment dowel pins that mate the transmission to the engine.
What is an SFI approved flexplate?
Scat SFI Approved Flexplates Features double-welded ring gears designed to withstand high torque starters. Lightweight design. Constructed from high tensile strength material.
What is the difference between a flexplate and a flywheel?
Flywheels are typically found on vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, while flexplates are used in vehicles with automatic transmissions. A flexplate is mounted to the crankshaft and connects the output from the engine to the input of a torque converter.
What causes a flexplate to fail?
The following causes for cracked flexplate failures: 1) Out of balance engine or torque converter. 2) Bad starter drive can cause teeth or ring gear to wear rapidly or break off. Teeth can also break when engine is running and starter is engaged. 4) Some applications may require starter shims to be used.
What happens when a flexplate fails?
A warped flexplate won’t engage properly, with the starter motor. So, when you are starting your engine listen for, rhythmic bogging down of the engine, during starting. Consequently, the teeth of the ring gear, can become damaged over time, causing a grinding sound.
Why do flexplates crack?
Why is it called a flexplate?
The name refers to the ability of the disk to flex across its main axis – bending side to side – to take up motion in the torque converter as rotational speeds change.
What are the dimensions of a flex plate?
OEM flexplate weight is 4 1/4”x 7/8” x 7/16” thick. ATI Ford Flexplates with 164 teeth have an 11-7/16” bolt circle, and flexplates with 157 teeth have a 10-1/2” bolt circle for Ford converters.
Where can I buy a tough flex plate?
Ships Today. (295) In Stock, Including at a Supplier. Ships In a Few Days. (327) There are tough flexplates…and there are Chuck Norris-caliber flexplates. You’ll find both at Summit Racing! We’ve got tough yet affordable flexplates for stock and mildly modified street vehicles.
What is the best type of flexplate for drag racing?
TCI Automotive’s Jonathan Lunati summed up these high-quality pieces. “The ultimate flexplate for drag racers is a one-piece billet flexplate. On these flexplates, the ring gear is integral to the center section (that’s engineer speak for “they’re one solid piece).
Where can I get a flexplate for my car?
Your flexplate installation starts right here at Summit Racing—shop… There are tough flexplates…and there are Chuck Norris-caliber flexplates. You’ll find both at Summit Racing! We’ve got tough yet affordable flexplates for stock and mildly modified street vehicles.