Re: [MV] M-1009 flex plate problems

From: chance wolf (chance_wolf@shaw.ca)
Date: Wed Jul 07 2004 - 07:15:53 PDT


----- Original Message -----
From: "Glenn Shaw" <mpmutt@mtaofnj.us>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] M-1009 flex plate problems

> Hi Derek
> Those flex plates typically last the life of the vehicle. The only
> reason most of them are changed is due to the ring gear being stripped.
> You should be sure that it was installed correctly, and that the
> transmission bellhousing is fully seated to the engine block all
> around. A problem happens if the transmission hangs up on the dowls or
> has some material lodged under the seating edge when it is bolted up.
> If it is not seated exactly right there will be a mis-alignment that
> will flex and fatigue the steel flex plate with every revolution,
> causing it to crack and fail quickly.

I had one truck come back which was making a noise starting and also
periodically impacting the 'flywheel cover' shielding. Turns out that the
engine rebuilder had installed the flex plate backwards. Swell.

A friend had a CUCV pickup that kept developing cracks on the transmission
body itself. He'd replace the transmission with a used spare and, seven
months or so down the road, another body crack developed. Turned out that
the rear removable crossmember/transmission/transfer mount was badly bent,
and was forcing the transmission casing out of alignment causing the cracks
to develop as the only way the casing could relieve the stress. Doubt that
applies in this case though.

It's hard for the CUCV-style flywheel covers to 'bend', I think, as they're
made of cast aluminum. I have all kinds of problems with the thin sheet
steel HMMWV ones though, as they all seem to typically warp and bend and
distort and make intermittent contact with the ring gear almost as a factory
option. Whenever I come across one of those I just tend to pitch it in
favour of a takeoff CUCV-style replacement. I've even seen the sheet-steel
types 'modified' by the USMC mechanics with chunks cut out so they don't
interfere with/contact stuff around the vicinity of the starter. Binned.
<shrug>



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