Flex plate issue

[Russell]

Man, murphey certainly loves to bother me :P

I'm trying to install my flexplate onto my 355 so I can break it in tommorow, but when I stick the flex plate bolts in, they hit the back of the block!

I just pulled these bolts out of this engine maybe a month ago, and they fit real good then... The engine has been sitting on an engine stand, and has not been dropped or anything. I never touched the lower rotating assembly, just put a new cam in, and valve seals.

Any ideas?

 

[diesel4me]

Ghosts??

Maybe a ghost swapped bolts when you weren't looking? --Are you sure you put the same bolts in that you removed??--did the lockwashers fall off?? Is it a new flexplate??--if not,I dont know what to tell you,unless your shop is haunted or the bolts stretched themselves longer all by themselves,you have a real mystery on your hands!--I hope its not due too excessive endlay in the crankshaft,if thats the case its time for new main bearings,or at least the one in the back that takes up the thrust..good luck..

 

[ss396]

Are you talking about the crankshaft bolts or the torque convertor bolts?

Flywheel bolts will be longer than flexplate bolts on the crank, maybe you are using the wrong ones?

For torque convertors, I believe the flexplate can only go on one way. There are indentations on the flexplate where the convertor bolts to. If it's in the wrong way then the bolt heads may hit the block.

 

[Russell]

Flywheel bolts will be longer than flexplate bolts on the crank, maybe you are using the wrong ones?

Bingo. I stuck the shorter style bolts onto my Chevy's flywheel... So I spent the afternoon trying to find a new set, but absolutely no one had them in stock.

I had another 355 I pulled the flex plate off of a while back, so I may still have them kicking around somewhere. Thats my only hope, unless I can hacksaw em...