KY928

I've heard mention of this. What is the advantage and how do you do it?

daveo90s4

The only advantage of relieving the tension is that it then means the crank doesn't then grind its way through the thrust bearing, into the block, seizing the engine and creating an instant boat anchor. No other real benefit that I can think of.

Easy job to do - especially if done with the help of someone who's done it before, lots of past discussion on the topic. Do a search and do the job. Relieve both your and the flex plates tension !!

RngTrtl

If you do a quick search for "flexplate" or something similiar you will get all the info you need...But I too was a newbie once so I will give you the quick and dirty.
1)lift car
2)remove bolts that hold the lower bellhousing cover (there about 8 i think)
3) pray that the clamp bolt is oriented so that you can get an allen wrench to that bolt
4) If prayer failed, rotate motor until desired orientation is achieved
5) release tention and watch in horror how much the clamp slides back and releases pressure on the flexplate.
6) Tighten clamp bolt.
7) Put cover back on.
8) Get beer and dump some out for the god of bwah in the hope that he spares your thrust bearing.

The point of this exercise is to release the pressure on the flexplate. This in turn releases the pressure on you thrust bearing (one of the main crank bearings).

Hope this helps, and good luck
8)

DonS

6) Tighten clamp bolt to 66 ft. lbs. torque (110% of spec.).

KY928

Thanks Dave & Ring for the info. I did a search, I searched "flex plate, flex, plate, and flexplate," all with the same result: "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms." That's all the terms I could come up with. I guess I should be checking the flex plate.

Giovanni

try "tbf relief"

daveo90s4

Also:

2) - 6 bolts on lower bell housing. May need to lower front of exhaust to get at rear 2. If so, leave rear 2 out on reassembly to make the annual check easier.
4) Only rotate engine in normal direction to get at clamp bolt - quick hits on the starter worked for me
5) Check crank end float. record for future reference.
6) Use new clamp bolt

Q: Before tightening clamp bolt, should crank be full forward, full rear, or in middle of (hopefully very small) end play movement??

RngTrtl

I just did a search for flexplate and got over 150 results.

ckabee1

Someone suggested to undo those 2 bolts as much as possible and then cut them off; reinstall with shorter bolts. Should prevent you from having to drop the exhaust. And, may be better than just leaving out 2 bolts.

Anyone tried this? If so, where did you get the shorter bolts?

RngTrtl

Any hardware store has them, Lowes, home depot, etc....Take the bolt with you and find the right size just a little shorter.

PorKen

AFAIK, the lower cover is not structural (from '83? - when the starter is mounted on it's own bracket), so four bolts would be fine to hold it on.

I left my cover off.

Bill Ball

With a few that I have done, the exhaust was so close and the boss on the lower bellhousing cover is sp thick that a bolt short enough to fall out without lowering the front of the exhaust would be too short to thread into the bellhousing. So, I just leave them out. The only time I might want those two bolts inplace is if someone had cut the rear crosspiece on the bellhousing so they could drop the TT without removing the bellhousing.

Mike Frye

One more reason to get the crossover exhaust. That lower bellhousing drops right down with no problem. No problem accessing all of the bolts.

I'd recommend it for anyone that doesn't want to be inconvenienced by cutting down the bolts or moving their exhaust system.

ckabee1

^ getting an X seems to fix everything.

Garth S

Robert,
There is a link in this thread that will have you sawing to success!