1958 Oldsmobile Flex Plate

[piperman60]

Hello All from Brisbane Australia, I hope everyone is safe and well!!, I think i may have an issue with the flex plate on my 58 Olds, It's now at the point where the motor will only turn over and start if i turn the engine by hand back and forth and then start it with the key. my friend said it could be the flex plate , If so  is it possible to buy a replacement? or can i have it machined if there are worn teeth on the plate? Many thanks for any replies, Sorry but i'm not that up to speed with the mechanical side of things. The car has the original 371 and i had the 4 speed hydramatic rebuilt about 1 and a half years ago, the mileage is 140.000 miles. Thanks again for any advice you folks might be able to offer, 

[joe_padavano]

I would start by getting under the car, removing the dust cover under the flexplate, and visually inspecting the teeth on the ring gear. Have someone rotate the motor by hand as you inspect. If there are damaged teeth, then you need a replacement.

[Oldtech]

This will have the rather ugly system where it is not really a flex plate. It is the front of the fluid coupling. More like a flywheel.

[mobileparts]

Once the teeth look chopped up ^^^ as in Joe’s picture above ^^^ , you can well imagine the teeth in the starter drive won’t have enough grip and grab to spin that flywheel and start the car….

[DFeeney]

I would think if you posted on the Oldsmobile page of this forum  you would find several good used one's at a reasonable price.