Archived My Flexplate scraped up aluminum behind it!?

[HerbW]

I have a 1998 Dodge diesel that had a noise in the torque converter area. It sounded like marbles in a can when in reverse and sitting still. I just pulled the transmission and flexplate to find out why. I expected a cracked flexplate, but instead, the flexplate has shaved off some aluminum off the engine adapter in the lower area under the engine crank. The flexplate has aluminum shavings on it thru the vent holes. Could a bad torque converter cause enough flex to do this. There's no cracks in the flexplate.

Any advice is nice as I need it put back together asap due to work needs. Thanks, Herb:{

 

[Rhondasway]

I'm no expert but have had my share of tq converter mortalities. That sound could be your torque converter failing, and flex plate scraping is very bad! I'd recommend sending the whole thing in to have everything checked, including input shaft and torque converter. Input shaft could be failing; if it is upgrade to billet if you don't already have one. I'd consider a new flex plate as well; better than a future failure.

Last fall mine started making a rattling sound in reverse, then 1st gear, eventually went into lockup when idling at stop, and not locking up at all, all kinds of weird behavior... When it finally went out shortly thereafter, I lost all gears except just enough to drive it up on the trailer for tow home. It made a mess of my freshly rebuilt transmission and lines (metal everywhere). Mine had been in for about 4 years and I drive it hard with lots of power.

Do yourself a favor and do this right while it's down. Otherwise you're asking for a major failure when you least expect it. I have used DTT in Abbotsford for many years: 866-504-4002.

Good luck!

 

[Rhondasway]

On second read, consider this: stock trannies aren't great in the first place, so if I were you I'd consider just getting a new, correctly built one with new TC and flex plate. You can spend quite a bit of money at some local trans shop and have many things overlooked or simply not upgraded to last like it should. How did your fluid/filter look?

I've learned the hard way that just replacing a part may fail to fix the root problem, and you will pay later for trying to save money now... At least it sounds like you can do removal and installation yourself, which does save you some money.

If you call DTT they will be honest with you about what might be wrong, and wont' try to "sell" you something you don't need.

 

[Rhondasway]

I may have spoken too soon (thought I'd outgrown that ). I talked to a diesel guru yesterday and he said that if it wasn't a loose TC bolt rubbing the likely culprit is the crank thrust bearing. That would be motor, not trans. I don't know how to troubleshoot it, but worth thinking about.

Even in catastrophic failures I've never had the mount plate rubbed...

Good luck!

 

[Skydiver]

Herb, Just a thought. Try placing a magnet close to these aluminum particles. Did they attract to it?

 

[HerbW]

I was thinking about the magnet test also. I had drilled out one of the holes(inspection cover) on the bottom of the bellhousing to rethread it. Somebody had filled the original hole with aluminum and then redrilled another in a different spot. I drilled that out. I now wonder if a piece of that was sucked up and jammed between the adapter plate and the flexplate or something from my starter came loose and got hung up in the fray. They are very close together. The fluid looked and smelled new. The transmission pan didn't have any material in it either. I just put a new billet converter in it today and am putting it all back together because I need it for work Monday. If it goes to crap again, I'll have my second original transmission rebuilt. I did call DTT and nobody ever called me back so I had to go for it. I emailed them also willing to give them two 47REs and converters if they're interested. No reply. Thanks for the great advice from my second family. Herb