Flexplate on chevy350/383stroker will not budge!

Forumers,

I dropped a newly rebuilt 383 into its place in ´72 c10 project I have. Engine would turn fine on the stand, then i bolted the flexplate on and dropped it in the truck, bolted the bell housing to the engine and when it was time to hook it to the torque converter it won't budge. The engine would take some force to turn before, but not excessive.

Torque converter spins freely, Ive already removed the sparkplugs. Im using a pair of wise-grip pliers to clank on the flexplate. What is my next step here?

Do you have the flex plate on backwards?? Or a long bolt in flex plate hitting the back of the block. If it turned before installing it that's where your problem has to be

You didn't put the flex plate on backwards, so it's dragging against the back of the block, did you? The "bumps" go toward the tranny. (Charlie & I were typing at the same time....)

No, I used the same flexplate that was in it before and it will only sit one way ("bumps" toward tranny). The bolts I used are nowhere long enough to reach something, they just barely go beyond the crank. Now because of some inconvenience reasons the engine has been sitting in the truck for a week before I could connect it to the tranny, Could that cause it to get stuck somehow?

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Originally Posted by VikingRed

Now because of some inconvenience reasons the engine has been sitting in the truck for a week before I could connect it to the tranny, Could that cause it to get stuck somehow?

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Highly, highly unlikely other than some totally non-related gremlin. You say "...when it was time to hook it to the torque converter..." Does this mean that you've got the transmission in place, sliding the torque converter forward to bolt to the flex plate? It may be a hassle, but I'd drop the tranny, then remove the flex plate and put a bar on the dampener retaining bolt and see how it turns, even measuring the torque if you have an old deflection beam torque wrench, then re-bolt the flex plate paying close attention to any interference and confirm it's not the flex plate binding on something like top of bellhousing? There should be no change in the rotating force with the addition of the flex plate.

Toddle yourself on down to your local Chevrolet dealer's parts counter and buy the correct flexplate to crankshaft bolts, then follow Roger's advice.


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My guess would be that the torque converter isn't all the way into the pump on the transmission. Slide the trans back and turn the converter till it goes against a "stop" for the second time!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

My guess would be that the torque converter isn't all the way into the pump on the transmission. Slide the trans back and turn the converter till it goes against a "stop" for the second time!!!!

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Hey, good catch Dave. Pour two quarts of ATF into the converter and turn it for two "thunks".

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Hey, good catch Dave. Pour two quarts of ATF into the converter and turn it for two "thunks".

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But the torque converter spins freely and does not seem to make contact with the flexplate?

But yes, I see no other option than to un bolt the Bell housing and try to shoo away what ever gremlins are hiding there. And hopefully that will resolve it and I won't have too take another look at the rotating assembly itself!

If the torque converter is installed properly, then the problem must lie either in the flex plate or internally. Take the flex plate off the engine and see if the engine will turn freely.

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Originally Posted by VikingRed

Forumers,

Im using a pair of wise-grip pliers to clank on the flexplate. What is my next step here?

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What does that mean? (clank) Get a breaker bar on the front of the engine and try to roll it without excessive force. If it rolls as it should, get a flywheel tool to turn the engine.