Fasthawk99

Its kinda long trying to explain the while story. I bought my 1993 cherokee with a cracked flex plate and the bolts vibrated out. Bought a new flex plate from morris 4x4 and turned out ok with a weird noise during starting. Not grinding but sounded like loose sheet metal banging against metal. Put about 2k miles on it. Ran fine for a while and repleced the starter cause wife left it in drive and turned it off and I jumped to conclusions thinking the starter was bad. The old starter looked fine and gear just had a little normal wear. Ran fine for another 1k miles. new starter was fine and now im getting metal to metal grinding noise on top of my sheet metal banging noise. Pulled my inspection cover off and gear teeth are chewed up on flex plate and starter. Anyone have something like this happen. If it was the wrong flexplate from the start would it have even ran? Should I order another flex plate and hope it fits better? Could I have put the flex plate on wrong? If its even possible? Any input or ideas would be awesome.

Turbo X_J

How did you go about setting the contact depth? Are you sure the starter was perpendicular to the flexplate & not tweeked?

Fasthawk99

I didnt set any contact depth. Was unaware I had to. I will look into how I do that and see what I messed up by not doing it in the first place. The started only goes on one way with no adjustments so you must be talking about the flex plate. Thanks. If I knew how to put your gun on my page I would. I am a avid gun enthusiast with lots of toys and concealed carry most of the time

Turbo X_J

Shims go on the starter if necessary, also make sure the bolt holes are clean and the threads are tight.

Sent you a pm.

Fasthawk99

Cant find any information about checking clearances. The starter goes on flush and is tight. I checked it a few times and if I shimmed it, then it would engage even less. I think with the banging noise it might be somehow the wrong flex plate? The starter and flex plate gears only engage about half way and with the original noise being there with both starters I believe it could be a flex plate issue. Maybe I will buy another flex plate and see if there is any difference.

Fasthawk99

Pulled the transmission again and have a few updated questions. Where teh torque converter **** at the center goes into the end of the crank. Is that suppose to have any kind of bearing or bushing? Mine is a little loose when I slid just the torque converter onto the crank till it was flush with the flex plate while it was off the transmission. And I have play and seems there was should be a bushing or something in there. Any input would be awesome. thanks

Fasthawk99

Fixed the problem. Dont know which one fixed the noise but it was the torque converter or the thin plate between engine and bellhousing. My original was beat up from the PO letting the torque converter bolts loosen all the way out. Could have been the plate or the torque converter alignment (nub) being wore down severly from the PO letting the bolts loosen all the way out. Either of those or a combination of those fixed all noises and gear problems. Thanks to all for reading and replying.