Awesome thanks Larry! Yours looks like the one I have. Where's the weight pad, facing towards your engine?
Does it matter what way the pad faces since our plates are flat? The stock style plates the have a "step" in the center section can only mount one way I think inorder for the torque converter to bolt up properly and for proper starter engagement.
I had a conversation with Jim Weise about the flex plate. He told me some flex plates have the weight on the engine side. Stockers have it on the transmission side. The only problem I had with this flex plate was the ring gear was offset that put it very close to the starter pinion gear. I didn't realize the problem initially after I installed the new engine and transferred my mini starter to the new engine. I noticed the mini starter would grind at times. Thinking it was going out, I used it as a core for a rebuilt AC Delco starter I got from Rock Auto. That starter lasted a few months after which it left me stranded at a gas station when it freewheeled and would not crank the engine. Rock Auto replaced the starter under warranty. Instead of installing it, I bought a Robb Mc Mini Starter, much more expensive, but it looked like a better unit. It was then that I noticed the problem with the ring gear. The pinion gear was almost touching the ring gear at rest. The instructions that came with the Robb Mc starter specified the clearance should be 1/16"- 3/16" gap. I didn't even have 1/16". The nice thing about the Robb Mc starter is that it uses a separate mounting block, so you can shim the starter to back the pinion away from the ring gear. Each shim is 1/16". The starter comes with 1 shim, I had Robb send me an additional one, and used both. The starter worked great with no more grinding noises. Fast forward to a few years ago. I decided to go with a new 9.5" converter from Jim Weise. I took the opportunity while ordering the converter to talk with Jim about my flex plate. He told me that he now used another flex plate on his engines that was SFI, but more closely resembled the stock unit with an offset. I had Jim send me one, and swapped the flex plate and converter at the same time. Low and behold, I bolt up my Robb Mc starter, and the pinion is now a mile away from the ring gear. I removed the 2 shims, and it was perfect. Bolted up my Rock auto starter, and it was perfect. I now carry the RA starter in my trunk as a spare. Bottom line is my first flex plate has the ring gear positioned incorrectly. That was the source of my starter problems. I'm pretty sure I read about someone else having the same problem with an aftermarket flex plate here on V8. Could not find the thread here, but I am pretty sure I saw it at some point. If you use that solid flex plate, have a look at your pinion to ring gear clearance. Yes, the flex plate only bolts on ONE WAY.
https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?t...r-motor-flexplate-combos.329389/#post-2779514 https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/jw-wheel-flywheel-weight-problem.327796/#post-2752750 https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/jw-wheel-flywheel-weight-problem.327796/#post-2744377 https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?t...-ring-gear-on-a-flywheel.305261/#post-2533390
Thanks for all that Larry, I appreciate your help! I've found that this is the one I have and it originally came from TA. From what I understand from the description I have it installed backwards on my current engine.
Not sure Larry?? Cause if you look at your pic then look at my pic ours are mounted different yet everything works as it should. I have no starter alignment issues the weight doesn't hit anything so it must be able to run either way. Now for balancing and engine harmonics it might make a difference but for my current engine the balancer wobbles like a hula girl but everything is tight, I'm guessing the crank is bent but that's the way I got it and hence one of the multiple reasons I'm building another engine.
I pretty sure if you flip the flexplate over you can't get all the bolts in....the pattern prevents it
Again, not sure what to say about that. In my pic that's how I bolted the flex plate on, then bolted up the trans and my JW 9.5" custom torque converter had no issues bolting up to it. Maybe my plate is an older unit? My plate is also the JW the wheel EXT and Larry's is a budget sfi plate so maybe they're manufactured differently and the weights are on different sides??
I have a spare Jw wheel for my race motor, it too is external, I can see tomorrow which side the weight is on......though not really sure it will matter
