Oh yeah he said every one of them he has done he has never dropped the tranny OR lifted the engine. When me and my buddy did it last year it was a nightmare first we couldn't get the subframe back up and then we couldn't get the tie rod ends back on....oh and not to mention we bent the transmission dipstick tube, so yeah its worth the money to have it done once and done right LOL.

 

Thanks for the update!

 

I've never heard of being able to change a flex plate without seperating the engine and trans. As I said above the flex plates are strong and are ment to flex without permenantly bending. By wedging a screw driver in it to keep from spinning I HIGHLY doubt hurt it at all.

There is a ring that's welded on to the center of the flex plate that's known to break off so could be that or could be cracked but not bent or warped.

 

No, no he's separating them but just not dropping the tranny OR raising the engine. He said there is enough room to get in there and change it out without having to drop or raise anything....only separating.

I almost think its cracked in the center. The flexing is quite a bit more than normal, at least my nephew says it shouldn't flex that much. Plus he wasn't able to turn it as easily as he should have been with the tool he was using on the teeth which also led him to believe there is something wrong with it. He said he never had one that he couldn't turn with the tool he bought especially for that. He had to use a screwdriver to turn it instead.

 

Its possible, I've always turned mine by the crank bolt so never had an issue trying to turn it at the flex plate.

If you need a flex plate I have a few spares

 

Thank you he's already bought one he gets a pretty good discount at Napa and Chet Nichols.

I will post back when we tear it apart and post the exact problem even if its not the flexplate so others that might have a similar sound or problem can benefit from it.

 

ZZP supposedly does it, i have never taken one off without pulling them apart either, but have heard that it can be done.

as far as the wedging a screw driver in, i have personally ruined a flex plate by using a socket extension in the flex plate, wedged against the trans bellhousing to keep from spinning when i was tightening my crank bolt after swapping the crank pulley. basically, extension shifted, flex plate slid down and wedged the extension in at an angle rather than keeping it at 90*. chewed up the plate nicely. luckily it wasnt bad enough to warrant removal at the time.

but will be removed during winter when i put the car up to fix all the crap wrong with it, aka rust, suspension, hubs, etc...

 

Well I've also never wedged anything in the flex plate either. All you need to do is clamp vise grips on it and let them edge against bell housing. I do this and have never had an issue

 

similar concept, just put the socket extension through one of the holes in the flexplate, then lay the edge on the bellhousing and turn the crank pulley. the extension then braces the flex from moving.

 

OK gentlemen it was indeed a cracked flexplate. I can't believe this other one didn't even last a year? It was a "Pioneer" I think from Autozone. Unless me and my buddy did something wrong when we installed it last year? Or unless that brand is junk? LOL My nephew said he put in a GM OEM this time.

Oh well $450 later and its fixed and I got a new oil pan seal (it was leaking) and new flexplate.

Just to recap for others I had a very distinct "ticking" or "clattering" that sounded almost like an exhaust shield rattling or something like that. It would sometimes disappear and then reappear and was quieter in the morning when I first took off and would get extremely loud as I drove the car. It was in time with the crankshaft though which my nephew said if it was a lifter which I thought, it would be clattering at only half the time of the crankshaft.

Thanks again guys for all the help.