TurboOmni08
02-14-2007, 10:45 PM
This is a story of two cars...the conclusion is the same.
When I purchased my van (90 turbo) it had a broken flexplate. I replaced it and it has a click in the engine when IN GEAR at idle. It was driven about 200miles by the previous owner and me before replacing the plate.
My friend has an 89 Spirit turbo. He and his girlfriend drove it about 200 miles before asking me what was wrong with it, it too a flexplate. It also now has a clicking at idle when in gear.
So I can only conclude that the sound is caused by the same thing. I didn't know the van before the broken plate, but the Spirit was silent before the broken flexplate. Both cars in Neutral run very quiet. But in gear (any gear) they both clack at low RPMs. It sounds when using the stethoscope that the sound is coming from the block. Just listening to it you would think its in the valvetrain...but the steth clearly shows it is in the block, not the transmission, top end, or accessories.
One more clue. in both cars the end of the torque converter (the "snub") Is kind of mashed down and warn. Both broke the plates because of misalignment of the transmission.
So, the conclusion I have drawn is that the extra play in the crank because of the broken plate has caused wear of the thrust bearing and other bearings. Does this make sense to everyone? Would simply replacing main and rod bearings fix it if that was the case? Should I do rings when I do bearings? What brands are best?
When I purchased my van (90 turbo) it had a broken flexplate. I replaced it and it has a click in the engine when IN GEAR at idle. It was driven about 200miles by the previous owner and me before replacing the plate.
My friend has an 89 Spirit turbo. He and his girlfriend drove it about 200 miles before asking me what was wrong with it, it too a flexplate. It also now has a clicking at idle when in gear.
So I can only conclude that the sound is caused by the same thing. I didn't know the van before the broken plate, but the Spirit was silent before the broken flexplate. Both cars in Neutral run very quiet. But in gear (any gear) they both clack at low RPMs. It sounds when using the stethoscope that the sound is coming from the block. Just listening to it you would think its in the valvetrain...but the steth clearly shows it is in the block, not the transmission, top end, or accessories.
One more clue. in both cars the end of the torque converter (the "snub") Is kind of mashed down and warn. Both broke the plates because of misalignment of the transmission.
So, the conclusion I have drawn is that the extra play in the crank because of the broken plate has caused wear of the thrust bearing and other bearings. Does this make sense to everyone? Would simply replacing main and rod bearings fix it if that was the case? Should I do rings when I do bearings? What brands are best?