Dads928

Anyone who has an automatic and doesnt check their flex plate is playing roulette with their engine. I checked mine last year for the first time and found it was putting pressure on the plate. Released fine. Did my oil pan gasket today and examined the journals, clearly I was on borrowed time. So glad I did this.
Thanks to all of you who post this stuff, without it, I would have eventually destroyed my engine.

Tried to upload a picture of the scoring but it tells me the file is invalid??
I know how you guys like pictures

Leon Speed

Pclamp or Super Clamp.

Scoring might be factory machining of the lower girdle.

Bill Ball

How was the crank endplay?

MainePorsche

Just replace four bolts when replacing the lower bell house cover. Makes checking/releasing your flex plate tension a very quick thing to do.

Black Sea RD

Was just notified of another TBF victim in the NE a few days ago.

Yes, do check the front flex plate routinely on all automatic 928s.

BIMMERMIKE

Any year worse than other?

andy-gts

I have the constantine clamp, how often do you recom checking , constantine......

Avar928

If I remember right, the S4s and up are more prone to this problem. Not too much the '85-86 years. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't check them.

If you have an auto, have it checked. Better to do that than TBF and me cannibalize your car for parts.

Dave928S

If it looks like this then it is.

Checking your end play is vital to ensure it's within spec and to establish a baseline measurement for you to check against in the future.

Podguy

Ok there is a new invention for someone. A stain gauge for the flex plate. There has to be a point where the tension can be measured. Then light up yet another warning light. Cost of goods maybe less then $5.

what say - anyone game?

FredR

If your crank webs had beein contact with the girdle you would not be all smiles and happiness- your engine would be TBF'd.

What you saw are the regular factory machining marks on the girdle- the finish is as rough as a badger's a*se but quite functional nonetheless.

If you need instrumentation to tell you it is flexing too much then the engine is probably stuffed anyway.

Use Constantine's clamp, use Ken's Pklamp, use the Loctite 290 as I still do and forget about the problem.

If anyone on this list loses a 32V motor because he [or she] did not follow all that we have said then they deserve a good kicking!

Regards

Fred

Black Sea RD

You should check it at every oil change.

Black Sea RD

I hate to do this, but not all the solutions work well.

What ever solution one uses, the owner should check for movement at every oil change for best insurance against engine damage.

Cheers,

Black Sea RD

87 and up automatics seem to be at most risk, though the one in the NE is a 1985 from what we were told.

However, every automatic needs to be checked for this as a standard WYIT during an oil change.

As was said above, only four bolts are needed to hold the flywheel inspection plate in place, which makes checking this area a whole lot easier during an oil change.

underdog928

This question might have been asked a thousand times, so my apologies in advance if this is just a stupid question. I know - "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people!"

So here goes:

The manual transmissions don't have this problem because the TT spline just rides freely in the clutch plate receiver, right? Why can't that be done with the automatics? Why does the TT spline have to be clamped to the flexplate? If it's not clamped and is allowed to just slide freely inside the flexplate receiver then there would never be any lateral force on the thrust bearing.

Seems too simple, so what I'm I not considering?