Cracked Flex Plate

[retired75]

I just found and joined this site a few days ago.It is really informative.To make along story short,I have a 99 Winnebago on a Ford V10 chassis.Last August I had to have the flex plate replaced at 36000 miles.It was cracked 3/4 the way around where it attaches to the engine.This flex plate connects the torque converter to the rear of the engine with eight bolts.Ford would not cover the repairs because it was out of warranty.I questioned this,as there where only 36000 miles on the unit when it happened,but to no avail.I am just wondering if this is an isolated case or has it happened to anyone else.I have 40,000 miles on the motor home now and crossing my fingers it won't happen again.BTW.I am not hard on my vehicles and I take good care of the motor home as for oil changes,filter and grease jobs.In fact,the wife says I am too fussy with it.Thanks

[retired75]

I just found and joined this site a few days ago.It is really informative.To make along story short,I have a 99 Winnebago on a Ford V10 chassis.Last August I had to have the flex plate replaced at 36000 miles.It was cracked 3/4 the way around where it attaches to the engine.This flex plate connects the torque converter to the rear of the engine with eight bolts.Ford would not cover the repairs because it was out of warranty.I questioned this,as there where only 36000 miles on the unit when it happened,but to no avail.I am just wondering if this is an isolated case or has it happened to anyone else.I have 40,000 miles on the motor home now and crossing my fingers it won't happen again.BTW.I am not hard on my vehicles and I take good care of the motor home as for oil changes,filter and grease jobs.In fact,the wife says I am too fussy with it.Thanks

[TandW]

The flywheel should have been checked with a dial indicator before arbitrarily replacing the flex-plate. Flywheels can wobble or "nutate" excessively around the rotational axis which definitetly leads to this type of failure.

[J Stemler]

I have a 1999 35C also, with about the same milage, what were the symptoms and how did you discover this ?

[retired75]

T&W.The flywheel and ring gear and the flex plate are all in one.The only way it could be out of being true would be a defect in the flex plate itself or was installed improperly at the factory and was overlooked during assembly.I am hoping this new flex plate will not go south again.That would be too much.

[retired75]

When this happened,it sounded like a deisel engine when it shifted into 3rd gear and would quiet down when it went into overdrive.Then I could hear it while coasting to a stop next to a curb on the drivers side with the window down.There was a clicking sound coming from under the motor home.When I left it in drive,one foot on the brake and press the gas to raise the RPMs not that much mind you,I could har a scraping noise.Then while shutting the engine off I could hear a clanking noise.At first I thought it might be the inspection cover on the bellhousing rubbing on the torque converter bolts.NaDa. I was able to look up into that area with a flashlight and could see the crack.The crack stood out like a sore thumb.It was shiny at the crack.If there is a way to post pictures of the flex plate you would see how bad it was.I was able to keep the old part to show people what a cracked plate looks like,and to say that Ford would not help cover cost because it was out of warranty.Like I said there was only 36000 miles on it when this happened.As far as I am concerned they should have stepped up to plate and find out why this happened and then make a decision.