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flexplate to crank GAP?

imiceman44

imiceman44

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should there be any?
I don't want to start taking things appart, I just took the inspection cover off to see if I can find the cause for the clacking noise around that area.
I was sure it's lose converter bolts or cracked flexplate, but it's neither, but i see a 1/16" gap between the crank and the flexplate, it's hot ouside and I am tired so I didn't do much probing beyond trying to pry the flexplate back and forth to see if it's lose and I had nosuccess do to tight spot.
I could unbolt the TC from the flexplate and check the bolts on the crank but figured I get some opinions first before I get dirty:D
 
The flexplate should not have any gap between it and the crank.
 
4X4HIGH said:
The flexplate should not have any gap between it and the crank.
Click to expand...

Kinda what I figured.
SO what is happening is the bolts are not tight or they did not index the flexplate properly which is leaving the flexplate lose and going back and forth hitting the bolts but once I give it gas, it is not hitting back and forth and keeps contact hence no noise until I let off the gas, then the clacking comes back.
Thanks for confirming, I will get to it once it cools down in the evening.
 
Are the pads for the convertor offset to the convertor side or the engine side? It's possible that someone installed the flexplate backwards which would leave a gap about like what you say you have because the flexplate has a lip on it that wouldn't allow it to sit flush against the crank if it were installed backwards.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Are the pads for the convertor offset to the convertor side or the engine side? It's possible that someone installed the flexplate backwards which would leave a gap about like what you say you have because the flexplate has a lip on it that wouldn't allow it to sit flush against the crank if it were installed backwards.
Click to expand...

I did think of that, but the weights for the balancing are on the bolt head side and I don't think they would work on the other side. I am going out now to see if I can figure out for sure that it's lose or not and maybe take pics if I can shed some light there.
 
well just went out and without taking it appart I tried to move the flexplate/TC assembly closer to the crank and it moved the crank in.
The gap isn't changing but now I am worried that the endplay on the crank is noticeable, how much is acceptable?
And I looked again the pads are facing the TC side so it's not backwards.
When I have more time I will have to take it all appart and see what is wrong, but in the meantime I need it running for short trips as a back up truck so until I have another one runnig it stays, it made the trip from L.A. to here no problem, so I guess I will wait.
 
It's not ok to keep driving like that. Something is going to be FUBAR when you take it apart. If the flexplate and bolts lasts that long.


Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
 
DEMON44 said:
It's not ok to keep driving like that. Something is going to be FUBAR when you take it apart. If the flexplate and bolts lasts that long.


Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
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I only drive it a couple of miles to my truck once or twice a week, if I have to drive it, as I said I just want it as back up so now it just sits while I drive my jetta, but it's a running vehicle in case my jetta fails.
I like to have an extra running vehicle since I have 20+ vehicles, it would be a shame if something happened to my only car and people would make fun of me that I have all these vehicles and not one is good enough as a back up :whistle:
 
Yeah, that would be a real shame...........
I had an F150, in good shape with a bad U-joint that I was afraid to drive until I fixed it.
A 250 that I had loaned out for the day, 2 M-Class Mercedes that both were almost out of gas, a 1966 F600 Boom truck also out of gas, and a 4 wheeler with a flat tire and no spare..........

No one in the area that could come by the farm and give me a ride.


I drove a 1948 8N Ford tractor 5 miles one way down the side of the highway with 3 5 gallon gas cans to the local service station for gas, filled them up, along with the tractor, and drove it back..............
 
Fordum said:
Yeah, that would be a real shame...........
I had an F150, in good shape with a bad U-joint that I was afraid to drive until I fixed it.
A 250 that I had loaned out for the day, 2 M-Class Mercedes that both were almost out of gas, a 1966 F600 Boom truck also out of gas, and a 4 wheeler with a flat tire and no spare..........

No one in the area that could come by the farm and give me a ride.


I drove a 1948 8N Ford tractor 5 miles one way down the side of the highway with 3 5 gallon gas cans to the local service station for gas, filled them up, along with the tractor, and drove it back..............
Click to expand...


Last time my car died on me and had no spare I drove my Freightliner tractor truck for a week even towed a small pickup bed trailer behind it and you can guess what comments I got for that.
My neighbours didn't say anything when I was coming home with it everyday and parking it on the street in front of my house, I also got it filled up with diesel at the local gas station... the looks I got there.:haha:
 
imiceman44 said:
well just went out and without taking it appart I tried to move the flexplate/TC assembly closer to the crank and it moved the crank in.
The gap isn't changing but now I am worried that the endplay on the crank is noticeable, how much is acceptable?
And I looked again the pads are facing the TC side so it's not backwards.
When I have more time I will have to take it all appart and see what is wrong, but in the meantime I need it running for short trips as a back up truck so until I have another one runnig it stays, it made the trip from L.A. to here no problem, so I guess I will wait.
Click to expand...

The spec is .005"-.008" anything beyond that and it's going to eat the crank and block quickly if you keep running that engine.
 
To put that into perspective, my fingernail is about .025" thick. So it needs to have about 1/5th a fingernails thickness of play.
 
y5mgisi said:
To put that into perspective, my fingernail is about .025" thick. So it needs to have about 1/5th a fingernails thickness of play.
Click to expand...
Yeah... it's bad, it has about 1/32" of play, so I will run it till I kill the engine and swap in my diesel which was the plan from the beginning.:bow:
 
NorCal_Chris said:
the perkins?
Click to expand...

Nope, just a 6.2 with possibly the tirbo I have sitting on the shelf.
The perkins is reserved for the Crew cab, this suburban will be more of a family station wagon and I want it to have everything stock, so I would go with the 6.5 turbo setup and stock 6.2.
 
I've seen engines with 3/16" or more end play run for years and only symptom is a woodpecker type of knocking when you first start it up!..on a manual tranny vehicle the thrust bearing on the crank gets wiped out often if you spend a lot of time in city driving with the clutch pedal depressed at stop lights...

I saw a straight six in an old Mustang that had so much end play the motor wanted to stall when you pushed the clutch in!...a friend had a 390 Ford in a '63 T-bird that had almost a 1/2" of end play--he drove it for at least a year like that,with the engine clacking and the oil pressure light coming on at every corner!..I think the fan belts were the only thing keeping the carnk in line--when they finally started de-railing,he bought a good used engine for it--it still ran decent the day he puled it out!....some cars never get diagnosed with excessive end play until some other problem arises,like a starter drive gear engaugement or a torque converter starts showing symptoms ...

I'm not saying it'll last forever,but it may surprise you...I dont like trusting engines with these kinds of "maypop" problems on long trips though!..
 
Thank you for saving me a lot of time and heart ache.
That is exactly what I am getting and I was thinking it's from the flexplate but it seems tight, and the only thing I could move was the crank.
Now it's settled I drive it till it dies or till I feel like changing the engine to diesel. :waytogo:
diesel4me said:
I've seen engines with 3/16" or more end play run for years and only symptom is a woodpecker type of knocking when you first start it up!..on a manual tranny vehicle the thrust bearing on the crank gets wiped out often if you spend a lot of time in city driving with the clutch pedal depressed at stop lights...

I saw a straight six in an old Mustang that had so much end play the motor wanted to stall when you pushed the clutch in!...a friend had a 390 Ford in a '63 T-bird that had almost a 1/2" of end play--he drove it for at least a year like that,with the engine clacking and the oil pressure light coming on at every corner!..I think the fan belts were the only thing keeping the carnk in line--when they finally started de-railing,he bought a good used engine for it--it still ran decent the day he puled it out!....some cars never get diagnosed with excessive end play until some other problem arises,like a starter drive gear engaugement or a torque converter starts showing symptoms ...

I'm not saying it'll last forever,but it may surprise you...I dont like trusting engines with these kinds of "maypop" problems on long trips though!..
Click to expand...
 
Just keep in mind that with an auto trans when the crank moves forward enough to pull the convertor ears out of the pump you'll now eat a trans pump and or convertor as well. :deal:
 
4X4HIGH said:
Just keep in mind that with an auto trans when the crank moves forward enough to pull the convertor ears out of the pump you'll now eat a trans pump and or convertor as well. :deal:
Click to expand...

I realize that but at this point it's a very small movement, I guestimated it at 1/32" and that is probable exagerated, but it definitely is not to spec, that much I can guarantee.
Anyway, I don't plan on driving it too much but it's nice to have an extra truck available to go when another is being repaired. I might put maybe 1000 miles a year if I really drive it.
Plus knowing the problems I have is a big plus, that way I can keep track of the deterioration, which means I need to get a real measurement before I put back the cover, and then check again after maybe 1000miles.:waytogo:
 
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