Here is the senario....

I am driving home, then a transmission line burst. Smoking, fluid gushing, I pull into autozone while leaving a trail of fluid. I ramp the car on a curb so I could get under it, then made a temp fix to get me home. However I was short fluid, I had to drive home while 3 1/2 quarts low on fluid. Why you ask? I have a lokar dipstick and basically no funnel even comes close to fitting.

I drive home, I have no fourth gear and it shifts hard into second. Which would mean most likely your TV is stuck.

I start the car, there is a rattle.... rev the engine the rattle gets worse. My first thought is I screwed a bearing or something.
I narrowed it down to TC, so I took off the inspection over and noticed hairline cracks on my flex plate.

I also noticed, and someone double check me here... that the TC seemed to move too far toward the engine. I could slip my fingers under the TC, and you should not be able to get my fingers in. Which would mean that the TC is not fully seated that last click.

So here is what I am wondering.

#1. The TC somehow got loose and cracked my flex plate? Which means I have a bad TC and flex plate

#2. The flex plate was just weak and broke, as a result the tc came forward and is still good?

#3. The low fluid driving damaged the transmission and cracked the Flexplate and ruined the TC and I am screwed all the way around.

The TC only has a thousand miles on it.

The flex plate is a stock oem piece.

So where do I go from here? Obviously I need to remove the transmission, I just hope I do not need a new TC or transmission for that matter.

 

stock flexplate was probably just a piece of crap and got stressed about a thousand miles ago when you did your tranny swap...

It's a terrible coincidence that this happenned right after you blew a line but stranger things have happenned...

You have the right amount of distance with your torque converter; I don't think you could go a thousand miles with it not fully seated. If you remember, you have it shoved all the way back when you install and then you pull it forward to the flexplate to bolt it on. You should be able to unbolt your torque converter and then push it back and pull it out fairly easily; if you can do that then you're probably okay.

What damage you may have incurred from fluid loss or low level is another matter... I would check inside the pan if I could...

 

who put the converter in 1000 miles ago? Ask them some questions about locktite and converter bolts. how did you ramp up on that curve without seriously bottoming out?

 

I put in the TC and did use locktite. Autozone had a ramp used for deliveries and I used some technique to make that a car ramp.

 

I will drop the pan since I have the remove and clean out the TV since it is sticking. I will remove the TC bolts this weekend and see if the TC moves back and forth.

I wonder if I should buy a stock flex plate from AZ or order an SFI approved one?

 

A stock one is fine for a long, long time if yours is any indication. However, I think it's better to get a GOOD new, stock one rather than a chinese one.

Just my opinion. I'd look for an NOS (new old stock) piece on ebay if you can afford to wait... The original GM piece is pretty good.

 

a stock one is more than o.k.

 

I have a hard time finding a good flexplate.

I thought thirdgens used 153 teeth flexplates. Autozone says it is 168 tooth. So now I have figure out what is what.

 

Just buy a SFI approved one. I bought mine for 59 bucks. Teeth only matters as far as your starter goes. Just make sure you get the same balance as far as external or neutral balance.

 

Well, I am having a hard time finding a good deal on a 1 Piece RMS 153 tooth

 

I have the same problem with my flexplate (12¾ inch 153 teeth)who relly make noise i orderd a new one SFI approved, when the guy open the box this morning, he said this is the wrong one
Have to order again
My setup is a stroker 383 all internally balanced and blueprinted whith heavy duty and race parts inside the TH700R4.
To this date the flexplate was completely stock.
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What Brand, TCI, B&M, Hughes, Hays.
Can you give me the parts number.

Sleeper383