HELP Flywheel/starter problems!

While driving I heard a loud noise and lost power to my tires, pulled over and turned off the truck and it wouldn't turn back on. Had it towed to a shop and they replaced the flywheel and the starter(flywheel ate the starter). After parts replaced truck drove fine for about 2 months and again I lost power to wheels while driving only to find my new flywheel was chewed out. Has anyone else had a problem like this? What can I do to stop this??

'03 Tacoma 4x4 automatic

posting pics asap

 

so randomly while driving your starter is trying to engage?

 

Well that's impressive, what were you doing to kill a flex plate?

 

not sure exactly what that would sound like, just driving down the road and heard a horrible grinding sound. Engine still seems to run fine but sends no power to the wheels. Both times heard a ticking sound before it blew out.

 

I've seen this happen before

The cause at that time, was a problem with the auto transmission torque converter. A vibration caused by the converter bushing, at the front pump or an internal problem with the converter itself

There were some cars that were prone to this problem; but Toyota hasn't had problems, with this

The driver really has no impact on this! Speedytech7 said, "Well that's impressive, what were you doing to kill a flex plate?"

oldracer

 

I had the same problem with my Isuzu rodeo. Flexplate broke 4 times within 2 months. No transmission shop could figure out the problem. They tried everything and it kept braking just like yours. I finally gave up and sold the car to carmax for very little money and moved on...bought a Tacoma.

 

been doing some research and it seems like their is likely a misalignment between the transmission and the engine causing the flex plate to break. I've heard sometime the dowel pins get left out during repairs and it allows the misalignment to surpass the flex plates limit...hopefully I can identify this as the problem since I have a warranty on the flex plate but nothing to protect the torque converter. Thanks for the help

 

Yes, I agree it is an alignment problem.

I think Chrysler products 318/360 engines had this problem for a few years; they never found a fix; just kept replacing flex-plates

The op's truck is a 2003; surely by now the problem would have surfaced before, if it was a missing dowel-pin. But you are correct, think that. I saw new Fords missing dowel-pins.

We should maybe ask him if the transmission bolts, to the engine, are tight??? I they are tight now since 2003, I don't believe the engine to transmission alignment is the problem.

I am really going to look, "if it were mine" at the converter and especially the bushing, where the converter rides on the front pump. If the converter wobbles there, it will put stress on the flex-plate

Maybe there is a slight misalignment; and only bad enough to show up since 2003.

I'd try another flex-plate, and see if it happens again. If it last as long as the first one; that is a lot of years/miles probably just do the same fix.

oldracer

 

After the first one broke I replaced it,about 2 months ago...it broke a second time. The 2 pictures I posted were 2 separate flex plates.

 

We had the same problem. We found out that the Flex Plates from aftermarket manufactures are known to have fitment issues and just don't measure up. In some cases they may cause the Torque Converter to sit back too far and make contact with the bell housing. This causes it to break as well. The Factory OEM one was the only one that we found that had the correct bends in the plate to have correct spacing.

Here is a link to our website for a factory oem one.

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/toyo...late-5vzfe-to-a340-by-toyota-32101-35010.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5h7kCs8sKU

 

OK now we are getting further into it now.

The spacing of the flex-plate is critical. Actually the flex plate is a little concave or convex. The converter doesn't really make contact with the bellhousing; the bellhousing is stationary. The converter rests on the forward extension of the front pump, it actually drives the front pump. When the converter rotates it drives the pump to make hydraulic pressure, for the automatic transmission.

If it doesn't go far enough into, or better onto, the front pump; it will not be supported properly. The front pump supports the back of the converter. OK
Two things going on here, support for the converter and also ability to drive the pump.

This acknowledgment is critical. If the flex-plate will not allow the converter to sit properly on the, or in the pump; there could and will likely be a wobble in the converter.

I had seen converters go bad internally and cause an out of balance; but if the converter is not supported properly, this is a key point

ON the transmission front pump, the converter engages a drive shaft, or maybe 2 slots, depending on manufacturer, something like a small axle shaft; this is not the support. This shaft drives the pump.
But the weight of the converter is supported by a large bushing, or a second shaft, on the outside of the inner shaft, that is also a part of the pump, and the front oil seal of the converter also is in the front pump, on the very forward end of it. The seal makes contact with the converter; and is usually just called the front seal.

This converter to front pump contact distance is critical. The converter thus is allowed to float "move" a little in and out on the bushing and shaft; some pumps have a second splined shaft, that the converter rests on while maintaining contact with the front seal. Whatever manufacturer type is used the converter must go back far enough to support the converter. You can google pics of the front pump; any automatic car or light truck will be this type. There may be differences in the pics but the theory is the same.

So conclusion: If the flex-plate is not the proper shape to allow the converter to slide back far enough into the front pump; there will be problems. The pump may be engaged and driven; but not fully seatind on the front pump. Google, auto trans front pump, there should be some pics.

You are on the right track, by looking at a flex-plate that is not made to spec for your vehicle.

oldracer