Flexplate failure

[jbliii]

Hey guys need to pick your brains - replacing the transmission due to a one-way sprag clutch failure and also discovered the flex plate disintegrated. I had an 04 where the flex plate disintegrated and in doing so took out the torque converter which in turn took out the transmission. None of my Jeep, Ford, Chevy ... off-roading friends have this issue. At $2,700 plus labor to replace the transmission leave me less than happy about my D2. So here are my questions hoping you can shed some insights for me:

1) Seems like a common and expensive point of failure - is it common to others?
2) What kinds of activity / driving that seem to precipitate failure?
3) Are there any alternatives i.e. modified torque converters that remove this etc.?
4) Why such a thin piece of metal that's so critical?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[boxster]

Hey guys need to pick your brains - replacing the transmission due to a one-way sprag clutch failure and also discovered the flex plate disintegrated. I had an 04 where the flex plate disintegrated and in doing so took out the torque converter which in turn took out the transmission. None of my Jeep, Ford, Chevy ... off-roading friends have this issue. At $2,700 plus labor to replace the transmission leave me less than happy about my D2. So here are my questions hoping you can shed some insights for me:

1) Seems like a common and expensive point of failure - is it common to others?
2) What kinds of activity / driving that seem to precipitate failure?
3) Are there any alternatives i.e. modified torque converters that remove this etc.?
4) Why such a thin piece of metal that's so critical?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Any pics of the broken parts?

 

[4Runner]

When I was rebuilding my motor ,I replaced mine just because. There were some unusual lines that I couldn’t explain on the original but not sure they were cracks. I ordered a stock genuine part and it show up with a bend in it. It was not flat at all. Returned it and ordered the heavy duty one from Ashcroft and used that one. It was thicker than the original, flat and has worked so far but I only have a couple thousand miles on it so far. I don’t really know why Rover has chosen to use the adapter set up that is back there.

 

[jymmiejamz]

On a d2 they should be replaced every time the motor or trans is removed. Every one I take apart is starting to crack

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

On a d2 they should be replaced every time the motor or trans is removed. Every one I take apart is starting to crack

I could only chuckle and appreciate the irony of this post.

 

[best4x4]

For what it's worth I had 2 05 Jeep Wranglers with the 4spd Auto and both had flexplate failures at around 50K........

My good friend with a P38 Rhino and nearly 168K had a weird noise going home, then ATF blew out like crazy. Turns out the flexplate finally died, and in doing so it also ruined the pump on the transmission. We replaced the flexplate, and he had a spare HP24 so we dropped it in and he's good to go.

That thin flexplate is a very common failure point on a lot of vehicles.

 

[boxster]

Any pics of the broken parts?

For what it's worth I had 2 05 Jeep Wranglers with the 4spd Auto and both had flexplate failures at around 50K........

My good friend with a P38 Rhino and nearly 168K had a weird noise going home, then ATF blew out like crazy. Turns out the flexplate finally died, and in doing so it also ruined the pump on the transmission. We replaced the flexplate, and he had a spare HP24 so we dropped it in and he's good to go.

That thin flexplate is a very common failure point on a lot of vehicles.

On a d2 they should be replaced every time the motor or trans is removed. Every one I take apart is starting to crack

 

[jbliii]

Thanks for the replies - seems like there should be a better solution to this weak link

 

[JohnnoK]

My P38 did that and it took out the pump when the torque converter moved out of engagement.
There are drawings for laser cutting your own one, but the simplest solution would be to just install 2 OEM plates with correspondingly longer bolts.

 

[4Runner]

This is the one I used

P38/D2 V8 Heavy Duty Flexplate

Made from 2mm (standard one is 1.6mm) CS 80 (75Cr1) Hardened to 48/50 HRC and Tempered spring steel, a very tough material, laser cut, very hard to machine, we have used this material for many years in our Defender TDCi conversions and never seen a failure. Fits Disco 2 V8 and all P38 V8 vehicles,

ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk