Yesterday the flex plate on my 2000 Toyota 4Runner (w/ 155K miles) was replaced. The symptom was a “ticking” sound under certain conditions. Expensive job! Just what does a flex plate do? What are the likely causes of failure (so maybe I won’t do it again)? Thanks for your wisdom. Ge…

The flex plate replaces the flywheel in automatic transmission cars. It bolts to the end of the crankshaft and the transmissions torque converter bolts to it. Usual failure mode is the crankcase bolts or the torque converter bolts work loose, allowing the parts to start moving in different direction…

The flexplate in an automatic is the same part as a flywheel in a manual. The torque converter is bolted to the flexplate, and so the engines rotation is delivered to the transmission through it. The flexplate also has gear teeth on it which the starter engages to start the engine. A failed flexp…

A flex plate seldom ever fails. Have you owned the truck since new or is it known if the transmission has ever been out before? Sometimes when an automatic transmission is removed the installer may make a mistake and not get the torque converter seated on all of the splines. When the transmission …

Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate it. Would using the engine to help brake on hills contribute to failure (described as a cracked flex plate)? We live in the Sierra Nevada mountains and going anywhere requires a lot of up and down. Thanks again. George

While I’ve never heard of engine braking cracking a flex plate, I’ll go out on a limb and say that I think that it’s possible. That spinning converter is heavy and is applying a jolting force to the flex plate when the shifter is dragged down into a lower gear. A few times may not hurt anything but…

Flex plate: what does it do? why fail?

Maintenance/Repairs

circuitsmith June 4, 2009, 2:16pm 6

I don’t think engine braking would be an issue. Otherwise many of your neighbors would be having the problem too. I do however know of a flex plate cracking on a car that had an engine miss for an extended time. That was a 72 Ford Torino.

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Flex plate: what does it do? why fail?

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