flywheel problrm

[Guest]

my car was hard to start, and when it did start it made a clicking sound. when i put my car on a ramp i found that my flywheel was rubbing against my oilpan so i ran the oil pan a few milimeters, but it was not enough. does any one know what coud be causing this, any information will be greatly appriciated.

[Guest]

Are the three torque converter to flexplate bolts tight? Does the flexplate look straight or is it bent? Can you work it around with a pry bar? I have heard of torque converters "balooning", but I have never seen this personally. If I understand the concept correctly, the converter actually expands which puts pressure on the thrust face of the main bearings on the crank. This will take out the bearings and allow the crank to move forward. I'm not sure if this is possible as the oil pump drive is on the other end of the crank. If nothing obvious shows up, I would recommend a transmission shop look at it.<P>------------------<BR>Hal, btk@vbe.com

[Guest]

might want to check & make sure the transmission to engine bolts are all tightened down ... if they're not & it's shifting, that could cause the rubbing.<P>------------------<BR> <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A>

[Guest]

Good point on checking the bolts between the engine and trans. You should be able to see a gap if it has really shifted. I talked with a friend that used to do transmissions at a GM dealership and apparently it was not uncommon for the flex plate to crack around the center which caused a clicking noise. This was from many years ago, but if it happened once, it may be still be possible.<P>------------------<BR>Hal, btk@vbe.com

[Guest]

excuse my ignorance, but what is a flex plate. Thank you for your info.

[Guest Stan Leslie]

Flex plate is the more common and correct name for a 'flywheel' used with automatic transmissions. Its a thin plate, usually with holes in it, whose primary purpose is to hold the ring gear for engaging the starter and provide a flexible mounting between the crankshaft and the transmission torque converter, which will expand and contract during use. A true flywheel is used with manual transmissions and is quite heavy and also incorporates the ring gear for starting. Its primary purpose in being heavy is to provide inertia to help lauch the car more easily from a stop. It also helps smooth out the engine firing pulses and gives a smoother idle. This is not required on an automatic because of the torque converter providing these same functions.

[Guest]

I picked up a spare flexplate today for my spare engine. While removing it I noted how close the flexplate is to the rear of the block but should have over an inch of clearance to the oilpan. I can't imagine how it could hit the pan without hitting the block.<P>------------------<BR>Hal, btk@vbe.com