Stripped my Flexplate!

You may be able to just use a couple long bolts and slide the tranny back enough to replace the flex plate. I just went through the procedure because I was stupid enough to use a used flex plate which turned out to be warped. I'm smarter now.
It wasn't that big of a deal. Kicking myself in the ass was the hard part.
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I'm hoping it was a BLUE MOON type of issue!!!


I'll double check the timing and wires when I get get home....anything is possible at this stage!!

 

I'm hoping it will be that easy...but doubt it ith my luck!!

Going to get a new flexplate from NAPA today...Guess I know what I'm doing for New Years eve!!!!

 

Sounds like a Chinese copy. Inferior metallurgy will get ya every time!

 

The effect of the engine 'kickback' is a ruined flexplate, why is the flexplate being blamed as the cause? Timing was retarded, thats what'll cause an engine to 'kickback'. No way a flexplate will cause an engine to 'kickback', the engine had been spun over with ignition off enough to get oil pressure so all that stuff was good to go. problem happened when the ignition was turned on.

 

Advanced timing will cause a kickback. make sure that the timing mark is correct.

 

agree it was a result (albeit a sh1t a$$ bummer of one) of the actual problem - kickback/bad timing - sucks to have to pull the flexplate but at least thats a bolt on exterior part - coulda been worse I suppose - ive had good luck with summit mini starters - Ive been ndown on Napa for a few years now, so Im not sure theyll be any better - maybe try a tci or one from jw perf that are sfi approved? prolly overkill, but Id go that direction at this point - good luck!

 

I'm sure my timing must have been off to get the kick back....Thought I checked everything prior to throwing the switch...guess not. I'm just suprised that the flexplate stripped and not the bendix gear on the starter!

 

Timing being off was my first thought when I read the first line in the thread.

Also you do have the firing order running in the correct direction? Telling on myself, In the early 70's I put a 283 in my T bucket I was building and without thinking Timed it and proceeded to put the plug wires in the cap. After two days of fighting with it and getting dramatic backfires and kick backs against the starter I woke up at 02:30 in the morning with the revelation that I had wired the cap backward. I never did apologize to the neighbors for busting it off at 2:35 am with open megaphone style hedders.

Make dead certain that TDC on the balancer is actually TDC on #1 piston. There are so many balancers for these things with different mark locations that you may not actually be at 10 degrees before tdc. Each works with it's own tab setup on the timing cover and if you mix and match you are in trouble.

As someone else said, you can use a couple of long 3/8 bolts (10 or 12 inch ) work best and slide the trans and converter back far enough to get the flexplate out and in and not have to fight with getting it lined up with the block in the process. You still have to support it with the jack and it helps to support the engine a bit but it makes things a lot faster and you don't have to fight to get the trans back up in place.

 

Don't think you can blame the starter or flexplate for this one. Kickbacks WILL split the nose off a stock starter on stock small blocks.

What it looks like to me....big strong engine, big strong kickback, and the much-maligned chineese starter was stronger than a stock piece. Weak link is suddenly the flexplate. I really doubt there's any blame on the flexplate either, the teeth are only mounted to thick sheetmetal on even the highest quality flexplate. That stuff is not designed to survive hard sneezes, and if it's sneezing that hard frankly the block's starter mount is at risk of cracking, cause something's got to give.

 

IF I remember correctly from my auto part days. I do believe that the proper clearence for GM starters is .060 or the thickness of a heavy paper clip. 75% engagement is not enough. Again this is IIRC, been a long time since I worked Chevy stuff.

Hope you can get the flexplate replaced at no charge.

 

Send it to "yamadafaka" have him stripe it and you can have stipped n striped wall art

 

All the tech tips on setting the clearance on Chevy starters are great and I've used the paperclip method myself for many years but I don't think that has anything to do with what happened here. He said he checked that and also that the starter was working fine up until the backfire, kickback, or whatever exactly happened and that's what caused the damage. A GM flexplate would likely have survived that but might have broken the nose off a stock starter (his has no nose). Just my 2 cents worth but I'm convinced the problem is with the cheap Chinese flexplate not being strong enough to handle it. I've built high compression circle track Chevys and had violent kickbacks resulting in shattered starter nosecones, worked on some that had way off clearance issues both too tight and too loose, and NEVER seen teeth break off a stock flywheel. Tips of teeth ground down, yes from bad starter engagement but none broken clean off. This is with 35 years of messing with Chevy engines. If it was me I'd send it back for a refund and buy a GM flexplate from the local Chevy dealer. As for setting initial timing on a new engine (before firing it) I line up the timing pointer on 8-10 before TDC and drop the distributor in with the rotor pointing directly at #1 position on the cap. Everyone does it different but this is how I've always done it and they always fire right up with no messing around. On a performance engine I normally set final timing at about 36-38 degrees before TDC with the vaccuum advance hooked up (if it has one) and the engine running at 3000 or so RPM to be sure the mechanical advance is all in as well. Fine tune it by seat of the pants method from there... Here's one of my other hotrods.. Hard to believe it's been 10 years now. http://www.deadhorse.com/dhRACING.html

 

Same thing happened to me! Brand new "certified" flex plate from Jegs and mini starter.It tore the teeth off of the flex plate without any kick back. I replaced it with an old stock flex plate and a stock full size starter I had laying around.I've had no trouble with it for ten years now.

 

Got home...checked my wires...in the proper fire order...checked my "cold" timing..I must have move the distributor a bit....had about 30* BTDC...So I'm sure with the mechanical and vac advance trying to do something while cranking over to fire....it was way out.....reset it to about 2* btdc and snugged that distributor bolt up a bit more so I don't hit it and move it!!

Got the flexplate off....not to bad....removed the bolts from the bell housing, disconnected the driveshaft from the rear, removed the two tranny mount bolts...slid the tranny back a couple inches and was able to get to the flexplate bolts just fine..took the flexplate right out. Ordered up a B&M one..Stock style one wont work for me cause I need a dual pattern one for the slightly small convertor I'm using...Should have it Saturday. I don't plan on using this mini starter either..going to buy a new "normal" starter on it instead. That mini one seems to aggressive...it is like BANG i'm on...Bang I'm off.

 

Sounds like you made good progress. I like getting rid of starter too.

 

Spoke with Summit yesterday...they will take it back..but since I got it 6 months ogo...they will only give me SUMMIT credit...no big deal to me...will spend it sooner or later anyway!!!


Picked up a "NEW" Starter today at NAPA...made in China!!!....has a lifetime warranty...hope I don't need to use it too soon!

 

after you get it all back togeather, i would static time it for sure or possibly have the same thing happen. i went thru 3 starter bendix before i noticed my distributor bolt had backed off.

 

Already on my pre-startup-again list!!!

 

Installed the New FLYWHEEL, a new STARTER, bolted everything back together and rechecked my firing order--Good, reset my static timing to 2* BTDC, Made sure fluids were topped off....turned the power on...crossed the fingers...turned the key...........


She started up perfectly, idled niclely, ran the tranny thru the gears---Good!!..Now to Bleed the brakes and see what she does around the block!! (maybe next weekend...no windshield, 17* outside, 20 MPh wind gusts.....not tonight!)

Glad this mishap is over!!!

 

Congrats, sounds like it was a bad flywheel after all.

 

We just went through the same thing firing up the 377 stroker in a friend's T roadster, turned out the dizzy wasn't tightened down and got bumped up. Not much, 10* or so like yours. Sheared a big section of teeth off the NAPA ring gear when it kicked back. Bummer... Good to hear you got it figured out!