Changing Flexplate - don't have to drop the tranny ?

**Meemperor** · 07-03-2008

I was told last week that when changing the flex plate you don't actually have to drop the tranny ?

Unbolt it and what, drop the left side of the cradle and jack the tranny up or ????

Is it a driveway job or is my ***** going to be on the lift on Monday ??

**Reptile** · 07-03-2008

only way I know is to drop the tranny or pull the engine. There's not really any way around that.

**archemedes** · 07-03-2008

you need room to get to the bolts, I don't think it will slide far enough to get a wrench in there and see what your doing

TDCRacing · 07-03-2008

Originally Posted by archemedes

you need room to get to the bolts, I don't think it will slide far enough to get a wrench in there and see what your doing

they have a flexplate inspection cover on the bottom of the tranny between the engine and the tranny...theres 2 peices to it...both plastic...wrench is fine...you will have to rotate the flexplate so that each time you are taking out a bolt it is twards the bottom of the engine...thats it...takes about 10 or 15 minutes because it goes real slow when grabbing 6 or 7 teeth of the flexplate at a time and turning it so the next bolt can be accesed....to make it go faster you could have someone turn the motor via the crank with a socket...but it was easier this way for me. hope that helps

**archemedes** · 07-03-2008

Originally Posted by TDCRacing

they have a flexplate inspection cover on the bottom of the tranny between the engine and the tranny...theres 2 peices to it...both plastic...wrench is fine...you will have to rotate the flexplate so that each time you are taking out a bolt it is twards the bottom of the engine...thats it...takes about 10 or 15 minutes because it goes real slow when grabbing 6 or 7 teeth of the flexplate at a time and turning it so the next bolt can be accesed....to make it go faster you could have someone turn the motor via the crank with a socket...but it was easier this way for me. hope that helps

mine doesn't have enough room to get a torque wrench in there (I can just see the bolts) of course I also would never change a flexplate and leave the rear main seal alone either (kind of like replacing the belt when you do a water pump)

TDCRacing · 07-03-2008

well yours shouldnt be any different then mine huh? I understand what you are saying and agree. There is not enough room to stick anything in there...thats why you have to turn the flex plate so that the bolt is at the bottom of the opening and it actually sticks out past the opening just enough so that you can get a socket on there. And usually it seems the rear main seals hardly ever go out on these cars....the front main seals...yes...mine had 110000 on it and the front and rear were just fine.

**GTP2K1** · 07-04-2008

ZZP did it from the top, motor an trans still in the car an they took a picture of it. But they were using every inch possible an I believe they actually shifted the motor to the left an the trans to the right to get the space. Meaning it might be more of a PITA to do it that way, but to answer the question yea it can be done an has been.

EDIT: Found the thread. I think the pics are gone but he describes what they did a little ways down.
http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=1517071

**VinnieGTP** · 07-04-2008

Originally Posted by TDCRacing

well yours shouldnt be any different then mine huh? I understand what you are saying and agree. There is not enough room to stick anything in there...thats why you have to turn the flex plate so that the bolt is at the bottom of the opening and it actually sticks out past the opening just enough so that you can get a socket on there. And usually it seems the rear main seals hardly ever go out on these cars....the front main seals...yes...mine had 110000 on it and the front and rear were just fine.

I think one of you is talking about the torque converter bolts and the other is talking about the flexplate bolts.

**SyntheticShield** · 07-04-2008

Originally Posted by VinnieGTP

I think one of you is talking about the torque converter bolts and the other is talking about the flexplate bolts.

I wanted to say something along those lines but I was not 100%. The Flex plate bolts are closer to the center of the plate and would be obscured by the torque converter, right?

**archemedes** · 07-04-2008

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

I wanted to say something along those lines but I was not 100%. The Flex plate bolts are closer to the center of the plate and would be obscured by the torque converter, right?

exactly, the flexplate is what the torque converter bolts on, and is bolted to the crank