Broken flexplate :(
 

Finally broke my flexplate on the way back from pismo (500 miles) 2 miles away from home. Started making a chirping noise then rattling and then boom! So I stopped on the way home and got this
Attachment 50054

I know not a high dollar or upgrade but I need to be back on the road tomorrow. So if anyone has a chirp type and not from the belt, you might want to check yourflexplate

Is that one for a 1st gen? If so, stop, return, and get the one for a 1995 2nd gen Cummins part # 3946161. All 1st Genner's "in the know" have swapped out their OEM FP's for 2nd gen ones for reasons about the center portion being stronger from being shot peened in the manufacture process. Heard of prices ranging from $97-$140 depending on which Cummins you go to.
Others who had the extra $$ went aftermarket and bought thicker ones, some made out of billet aluminum. Those run anywhere from $160 to the $300 range if not more

Just did mine yesterday..... M@n I'm tired...

The catalog said it was for a 96, they couldn't find one for a 93. So I said the 2nd Gen is better not by much but get me back on the road

2 wheel or 4? I plan on doing it at work on the lift.. do you replace anything else while in there?

I was told by Cummins that if you order one for a pre 93 truck you get the updated flex plate 94 and up one Ken

This. ;)

Is there any down side (except cost) to a SFI rated flexplate?

Fer sure, it ain't gonna shear like the stock one does.

Well, if all is correct you are golden then. The 3946161 part number must have been superceeded.
Yeah, NJTMan is fresh out from doing his. Plus, he's probably gone thru all the remove n replace procedure steps over and over in his sleep, so he is a good source for questions. This is not something to hurry n get done, either. Took me 2 solid days plus a couple hours into the third day to do mine back in 2010. T, on the other hand, is much more blessed with youth than me, so he did his much quicker than I did
Last thing, make sure you load up on Ben-gay and ice packs. You'll be sore, LOL

When mine broke, I had the truck picked up by Good Sam and dumped off in NATCO's lot. Picked it up the next day and gave them a couple hundred for the few hours it took them to move the plate from behind the driver's seat to between the engine and transmission.

No pain, no strain, supported the local economy.

Geesh... Where do I start ???

okay,

Attached is the parts diagram for your truck. My truck and yours are identical 4x4 units, so all the parts I had to do you most likely should do as well.

I first ordered the flexplate from Amazon. It's double the thickness in the center webbing and fit perfect I had to grind down some imperfections on the mounting holes where the converter sits, but otherwise, it's good and thick, which is never ever going to break again.


Then I had to get new torque converter bolts and engine crank bolts, and the reinforcing plate as the shop I was doing this in said to replace the 20 year old bolts with new.
Dodge part numbers on my receipt, but make sure you bring the last 8 digits of your vin number there to confirm these are correct for your truck.

Converter bolts (6) 6033439
Crank bolts (8) 4429522
Reinforcing plater (1) 4798968

You will also need a transmission barring tool: Cummins # 5299073

I also bought a new rear main seal kit from cummins: 3934486

I didn't put in the rear main, as it didn't need it, so I gave it to the shop owner. He warned me that if the engine was dry, I might be opening up a can of worms as the seal is installed DRY, and wears a slight groove into the crank. If the new one isn't aligned perfect, it will leak.

There is a big black rubber plug in the flywheel housing which cracked on me. Chrysler parts are in the attached drawing, but it's available cheaper aftermarket or cummins

I also ordered all new shift linkage bushings from dodge:

Small bushings: (4) 3575333
Large cross bushings (2) 03467800

I bought new straps for my U joints as they had never been changed on the yokes and after 22 years.....

Napa U joint (1)# 316-10 for the front
Napa u joint (2) #331-10 for the rear

Trans bushings that mount on the cross member were replaced about 6 months ago. They were shot back then, but now, I just put them back in.

The tubing for the trans cooler took FOREVER to remove without snapping them off. The fittings on the trans and bottom of the oil cooler were slightly frozen on, but not terrible. Got them off with a small bernzomatic torch, and never seized the crap out of where they fit together. They'll never freeze again. I removed them completely from the truck. This included (2) 8" pieces of 1/2" trans fluid hose and (4) clamps for up under the radiator where they connect to the cooler out front. When they went back in, I completely coated each tubing surface with neverseize, as otherwise the rust monster will take it from me.

My wiring covers came off during the fix. I have to go back under there and wrap all the wires, as they're just jumbled up on top of the trans now.

In the flywheel housing, I used a brand new 3/8" tap and tapped all the bolt holes that attach the trans to the housing. Never seized them too.

The flywheel and housing:

once the flexplate was removed, I re-torqued all the flywheel housing (we call it an engine to trans adapter plate) to the FSM factory spec of 44 ft lbs.

Ok... Controversy here:

FSM says torque the flywheel to reinforcing plate to flexplate (they call it a drive plate) to 55 ft lbs. If you had a standard trans with a real flywheel, that number jumps to 101 ft lbs. Well, I had both bolts ordered through ARP but didn't use. They're exactly the same bolt but the standard trans are just a bit longer. I think they tell you 55 ft lbs on the flex plate because it's thin stamped steel and could get distorted. If I was using the stock flexplate, I would have done it to 55 ft lbs. Since I was using a thicker webbing flexplate I chose to lock them in at 101. The guy who owns the shop is a big rig diesel mechanic. He said every cummins motor he's ever done had the 101 torque spec for the crank. He knew the number without even looking it up. so that's what I did. You have to choose what you want to do there, yourself. I put blue locktite on them all, and the chrysler TC Bolts had it on them already.

The trans gets put back in, and now you have to install the torque converter bolts through the flex plate into the converter. There is a 2 bolt hole access cover in the flywheel housing. This is where you will be removing first, then installing the new bolts into the converter. You will need a magnet in case you drop them in there. They don't fall far, but are a pain to get back in your fingers. These bolts get torqued to 35 ft lbs. You install all the bolts hand tight. Once they're all in, mark the flexplate with a sharpie and now you can torque each bolt, use the barring tool to spin the flywheel, and install the next bolt. There is an embossed arrow at the bottom of the flywheel housing. Line up a bolt in the torque converter to there, with a hole in the flexplate. now up in that 2 bolt access hole will be your exact location to put in your TC Bolts. Once it's in, rotate the TC/ flexplate assembly until that bolt meets up with that arrow. The next bolt location is in that (2 bolt) access port. Once that Sharpie mark comes back to the bottom, I went to the next bolt and I was done.

I took my time with everything. Torqued what I could, coated the freeze out plug at the back of the head with neverseize, as well as all the other freeze out plugs I could get to.

Exhaust:

Cut the down tube just forwards of the rear cross member with a sawzall. you won't be happy if you leave it in place, as it gets in the way. I put a 4" stainless band clamp on there putting it back together, and it was perfect. No leaks at all.

I don't have the bolt mount on the transmission for the exhaust down pipe. I chose NOT to reuse it. Instead, (4 or 5 years ago) I drilled a hole through the floor up under the heating box, installed a reinforcing plate, and hung a universal hanger from the bottom elbow section of the downpipe with a big guillotine clamp.. The OEM mount broke off at the trans, and I'm not taking a chance of that happening again. I had to drill out that bolt and install a through bolt there, weakening the flywheel housing. I'd rather have to repair the floor if ever necessary. that floor mounted hanger has been in there for the last 4 years. The previous owner never had a hanger there, as the bolt was broken when I bought the truck.

You can see it in the attached pic.

Thank you for the information and part numbers, I will be doing this at work on my lift so shouldn't be too terribly bad lol here is my work setup, nothing fancy but it makes me a living.
Attachment 50048

I'm having the truck towed today so I can work on it on Sunday. I didn't even think about torque converter bolts, I did get a rear main seal while I was at Cummins even though it is bone dry I will take a closer look when it is all pulled apart. And as stated if it's not broken don't fix it haha so if I'm not leaking I'll have a spare part for many many moons.

Your shop is way too neat, bright and clean. I could never work there.[laugh]

Ha lol it was way dirty before I got there.. you looked in the shop and it looked like a garage sales going on with crap everywhere you couldn't see one stall to the other, me and another guy clean that place out and sealed the floors and put brighter bulbs in, because literally it was a cave and I can't work like that

Nice....[laugh]

But nice looking set-up you have there. You work for a chrysler dealership?