Pictures why I preach to slow down

-
pittsburghracer

pittsburghracer

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
Messages
15,760
Reaction score
36,203
Location
Freeport, PA.
51650F8B-34CC-4BBB-BCFF-ACA4581F01A8.jpeg
27771F36-8464-49AE-8E6F-AD9E2BF3598F.jpeg
DA0AF9D3-9881-46E5-A4B1-CA7A4F07B62B.jpeg
3D33CD60-5EB2-4AB5-9468-8A1C78AC308C.jpeg
Not on the track but in your shop on your projects. I don’t like to preach but we have a couple members that do and redo projects almost weekly. My project started a couple weeks ago in search of my lost .05 in my 60 foot times. 90 degree race temps were my first though week after week but something bothered me. If you remember I started out with a compression test, leak down test and then pulled the transmission sine I had one I built ready to go and another converter. Well my first delay was one of the only bolts on the passenger side of my mid plate was broke out of the plate. My first thoughts were I’m not missing a race over this I’m going to rig a fix. Then sense came over me and I ordered a ATI powerglide bellhousing that I’ve been wanting. It came and I put the job off for a few days but did put the trans line fittings in the new transmission and got it ready to go. Before I bolted my new bellhousing on I wanted to test fit it on the engine. While on my back cleaning with my 64 year old eyes I spotted what looked like a cracked flex plate. First thought was it was locktite that ran out from last install but nope she’s cracked bigtime. This just ran a 6.22 in 88 degree weather and drove up my ramp. Someone was looking over me for sure. Stud that was broke out is circled on mid plate adapter.
 
Dang. Nice catch. So glad that didn’t become catastrophic. There are pics and videos all over the web of flywheels coming apart and it ain’t pretty.
 
Answers I’ll never know. Did the flex plate break then put stress on the adaptor bolt. Did the adaptor bolt break putting flex on the flexplate. It’s a spragless converter so did something go in the converter putting stress on both. Hmmmm. As soon as I try this converter and transmission and all is well the converter will go back for rebuild to Transmission Specialties in Pa and I will rebuild the transmission.
 
TT5.9mag said:
Dang. Nice catch. So glad that didn’t become catastrophic. There are pics and videos all over the web of flywheels coming apart and it ain’t pretty.
Click to expand...



I just showed Matt the flexplate and a Mopar Friend of ours just broke one and took out the transmission, converter, headers, and possibly more.
 
I would guess the added flex of the adapter plate flexing do to the broken bolt caused the added stress on the flex plate?
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
I would guess the added flex of the adapter plate flexing do to the broken bolt caused the added stress on the flex plate?
Click to expand...


If I was a betting man that’s where I would lay my money. Every single bolt was tite but there some crazy stress going on there. Transmission has been in there 3.5-4 years.
 
I broke all 4 ears off my flexplate running a small hub 65 convertor in a big bore 340 crank. Didnt know the bushing existed. One came apart under light load and hit the ground and bounced up and hit the floorboard. I pulled over and looked around and found the piece and knew what it was. I said F-it, Im limping this home as the tow truck charged by the mile. Took it slow and steady in the slow lane the whole way home and got it into the garage. Ate a Hot-dog and a beer and started right in. Every bolt I tool out of the convertor came out with a piece of the flexplate, cept 1/2 of one and that was the one that might have got me home. I found out I needed a bushing or a later convertor in a early 904. Ended up replacing everything from the flex plate back to the bumper! New 904, new driveshaft and an 8.75 SG.
 
I had a 318 in a dart that was dead stock. 2 barrel and ac. That thing broke flexplates all the damn time. Found out when I rebuilt the trans years later after replacing like 3 flexplates that one of the dowel pins was missing from the back of the block. Never happened again after that.
 
Picture why I preach to slow down and not to drink too much at the bar... Your beer goggles could get misadjusted...
Screenshot_20200830-203615.png

...lol....
 
Preach all you want to. If it saves somebody from gettin hurt I'm all for it. Glad you didn't get hurt.
 
Good catch John.

Generally once a year I'll put my car on the lift and go over everything. This year I found one flexplate bolt loose and bad shock on the front. I've had three bad shocks in four years. Even if I don't find anything it gives me peace of mind.
 
justinp61 said:
Good catch John.

Generally once a year I'll put my car on the lift and go over everything. This year I found one flexplate bolt loose and bad shock on the front. I've had three bad shocks in four years. Even if I don't find anything it gives me peace of mind.
Click to expand...


I use red locktite on my converter bolts so they usually hold tight plus I give them the old Millwright tug when tightening them. Hard to believe you can own a car over 10 years and race it weekly and still be doing upgrades but I am. Maybe one of this days I will get the cowl hood I want, new rear shocks, and rewire the whole car. Then some bodywork and paint it. I can do this type of work so thank God it won’t cost a fortune.
 
My Wife and 3 kids were on their way home from Bakersfield (500 miles or so)
She called and said her dodge minivan was making a horrible noise.
After some questions and phone sounds diagnosis I determined it was a broken flex plate.
I told her she had 2 choices.
Stay in Bakersfield for a couple of days and pay hundreds to get it fixed, or keep going and see what happens.
They made it home, but the only reason they did was the broken plate had pounded flat spots on it’s opposing pieces and kept going.
Sounded like a bucket full of metal being shaken when she pulled in, and came out in four pieces when I pulled the trans.
 
0305ACBB-AAB7-47CC-B25A-3303227745C8.jpeg
C2686120-5AA5-497E-BC4E-1E57E8339FFC.jpeg
F360B3C5-F447-4691-A7F8-BCA7BBF462E2.jpeg
0478F23D-A83F-4960-875E-507AD0868CF4.jpeg
CFF92BBC-68C1-4E02-AB4F-C6547A74C122.jpeg
85% humidity today but I finally go my butt in gear and after test fitting everything bolted the bellhousing on and get the transmission installed. Man what a difference with no mid plate adapter and powerglide bellhousing. I gained an inch of clearance up top and over three inches on the bottom. Very nice when working on the floor on your back by yourself. If I get it buttoned up tomorrow and loaded up I may go racing Saturday since I missed the big race at Columbus this weekend. My son is racing his buddies double entered camera.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top