Poltergeist Flywheel
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
Freaky Flexplate
I just replaced my flywheel and made sure everything was right. Lined up and bloted the tranny good made sure it was balanced like the original and not even 20 miles down the road my new flywheel has gotten a crack in it and is making a hellacious racket. Any idea what could be causing my flywheel to keep cracking like this? I might just be missing something. I changed the last flywheel myself. I wanna have an idea of problem areas to look for before I go and tear it all up under the car to replace the flywheel, yet again. BTW this engine is brand new with only 4k miles on it.
-Joe :confused:
[Modified by obelisk, 2:44 PM 3/3/2004]
-Joe :confused:
[Modified by obelisk, 2:44 PM 3/3/2004]
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 16,978
Likes: 7
From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
Re: Poltergeist Flywheel (obelisk)
I've never heard a flywheel crack....flexplates have a tendency to crack, but not flywheels....sure you're not talking about a flexplate? Sticks use flywheels, Auto's use flexplates.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
From: Marshalltown Iowa
Re: Poltergeist Flywheel (obelisk)
:iagree:
We need to know if it is a flex plate. If so, is the nose of the torque converter seating in the crank? Do you find that the flex plate has to be "pulled" to the converter with the bolts? Where is it cracking and how did the starter sound after the new install? Did you notice a vibration at any certain RPM before it cracked?
We need to know if it is a flex plate. If so, is the nose of the torque converter seating in the crank? Do you find that the flex plate has to be "pulled" to the converter with the bolts? Where is it cracking and how did the starter sound after the new install? Did you notice a vibration at any certain RPM before it cracked?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
Re: Poltergeist Flywheel (Eric R)
Yes it is a flexplate. For some bizzare reason I thought the terms were pretty much interchangable. Anyhow I dropped the tranny completely and then installed it on the crank in the same manner as the old one. Then I lined up the torque converter got it to sit on the end of the crank and then bolted the two together. I then lined up the transmission to the torque converter as best I could and proceeded to bolt the transmission flush to the block. Once that was done I reattached everything else including the driveshaft and went on a test drive of about 10 miles. Everything seemed to run exceptionally smooth with virtually no noticable vibration at all. I had to leave for a month and the car sat. When I got back I started her up and again sounded fine. Then as I was letting her warm up I went inside and came back outside and heard that telltale clacking the old flywheel made. So the final cracking occured at idle speed which is a little high right now cause my carb is getting outta whack. but that's another story. FYI I changed the flywheel in my garage with the car up on 4 jackstands (not fun).
-Joe :smash:
-Joe :smash:
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
Re: Poltergeist Flywheel (Eric R)
oh and the starter sounded just fine... first crank no problems. even with the cracked flexplate, it is still running pretty smooth just noisy, embarassingly noisy. figure that one out.
-Joe :smash:
-Joe :smash:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,802
Likes: 241
From: Niles, MI
Re: Poltergeist Flywheel (obelisk)
The torque converter should be installed in the transmission and the flexplate bolted to the engine first. You have to spin the converter to make sure it is in all the way. Then the transmission is bolted to the engine. The converter should be back from the flexplate at this point. If it isn't then you didn't get it inserted into the tranny all the way. Finally, move the converter forward to the flexplate and bolt it to the flexplate last. You will need to rotate the engine to do to reach all 3 bolts.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
Re: Freaky Flexplate (Fevre)
it's an externally balanced 350 crate motor with 4000 miles on it (yes the new flex plate i put in was balanced). It's in a 1974 El Camino. I bought the car off the guy who put the engine in. He had some money problems and gave me the title for free instead of letting it go to auction from an impound lot. from the impound to my driveway cost about $500 which was fees and towing. The old flywheel was broke before I got the car/truck or whatever you want to call an El Camino.
-Joe
-Joe :steering:
-Joe
-Joe :steering:
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
From: Marshalltown Iowa
Re: Freaky Flexplate (obelisk)
BINGO Kid Vette has her on the nose... If you bolted on the flex plate and then mounted the torq conveter to the plate THEN slid the tranny in, you have just jammed up the pump, input shaft and most likely the stationary shaft. This is a three step process on the converter. Since it ran I will assume you were beached against the pump rather than seated but at any rate, here is the deal. Bolt on the flex plate. Seat the converter in the tranny by lightly pushing and turning at the same time. You should hear 3 dull thuds as the input shaft aligns then the stationary shaft followed by the pump. When you install the tranny and bolt it up you should have roughly an 1/8" or better of clearance between the flex plate and converter. If not, pull it back down and double check the seating of the converter. Install again and push the converter against the flex plate and bolt it up. Finish as before but this time the flex plate will not crack again!