32RH Flex Plate Noise?

[Ken G Ford]

So, managed to fix my TQ Lock Out issue by replacing the TQ Solenoid. To summarize, Jeep engine was professionally rebuilt with only 1500 miles or so. 32RH Trans started making a knocking noise. Had the transmission professionally rebuilt. Before I had them rebuild it, I did some homework and read about cracked flex plates making noise. Anyway, gave the transmission rebuilder my NEW Flex Plate and asked them to install it while they had transmission out for a full rebuild.

Moved to TX a week after picking it up from transmission shop.

Drove it twice in TX. Once it started making a clacking/knocking sound from bell housing and then it went away. Started throwing CEL P7040.

Lost track of the sound once the P7040 CEL started coming on and I focused on that. Jeep basically sat for last year since moving from TX as I was focused on career and new house. Finally got around to P7040 issue and managed to fix with replacement TQ Solenoid.

Added water pump overdrive pulley as well from Texas Jeep Products and it dropped the temps greatly.

Found out due to my job, I am having to move back to AZ and packing up house hold goods next week. The house has been on the market after only living in it for 14 months..... Yea, taking a blood bath on the house with todays market.

Anyway, was glad that the engine temps dropped since I would be back wheeling in AZ again with triple digit summer temps. Anyway, fixed the P7040 issue last week and was so happy with my jeep...... until this evening after only driving it for the fourth time since P7040 fix.

Now the knocking/clacking sound from bell housing is back! No noise for first 4 drives and then on way home tonight, while waiting at drive through the clacking/knocking noise came back. Noticed it was rhythmic and sped up and down with MPH. Stopped and it was still knocking. Went through all gears including neutral and still knocking even in idle.

Decided "screw it" and started driving home at speeds under 40MPH.

Halfway home the knocking disappeared. WT%^$!!@!!!

My thinking is that the new flex plate was never put in at the transmission shop when they rebuilt the transmission. After all they missed a bad TQ Solenoid (Or coincidently it went bad right after transmission rebuild?) and since it was attached to crank, they were probably more focused on transmission?

Pulling the inspection plate tomorrow and checking tightness of bolts between flex and TQ.

Staying with friends in AZ until my TX home sells so probably no chance to work on it over the next several months back in AZ but is it possible to replace the Flex plate without completely pulling transmission out?

My understanding is that TQ slots into Transmission and Flex is attached to Crank.

When transmission is mated to engine, you bolt the TQ to the Flex plate.

If that is in fact the case, to remove the Flex Plate you would have to access the 6 bolts attaching it to crank?

Can that be accessible with the transmission pulled back 5 or 6 inches?

Just trying to wrap my head around the situation so I know what needs to be done to replace Flex Plate.

 

[Dylan_See_TJ]

You might be able to separate them enough to pull the plate, especially because it can rotate if you put a ratchet or wrench on the crankshaft bolt up front. It might be tricky to line the new plate up to mount it though. Honestly, it's not that much more work to pull the transmission the rest of the way off, because in order to move it at all you'll need to take it off of the bell housing, disconnect the cooler lines, and the driveshafts, and roll it backwards with, ideally, a platform jack like a transmission jack. It's pretty much impossible to replace the flex plate without pulling the transmission at least partially off, and disconnecting most of the stuff attached to it.

 

[mrblaine]

Can that be accessible with the transmission pulled back 5 or 6 inches?

Just trying to wrap my head around the situation so I know what needs to be done to replace Flex Plate.

Short answer is yes, you can access the crank bolts with the trans back that far. Longer answer is that it won't matter since everything that needs to be out of the way for it to move 5-6" back also allows it to move further if needed. You don't want to risk bending or breaking shit if the trans falls off the jack so everything will be disconnected and out of the way.

 

[hear]

Are you 100% certain it’s not the inspection plate? I’ve heard some nasty noises coming from the flex plate banging into a mis-fit inspection plate.

 

[Moglocker]

Are you 100% certain it’s not the inspection plate? I’ve heard some nasty noises coming from the flex plate banging into a mis-fit inspection plate.

Yes,drive it a week or two without the cover

 

[LJBean]

I had a clanking sound like that one time with my '04 42RLE. It turned out to be a torque converter bolt that had backed out and was hitting on the inspection plate. After further investigation, I found that only 3 of the 4 bolts were there. I had bought it new, so wondered if it never had the 4th torque converter bolt.

Anyway, since they come from Mopar with blue locktite, I replaced all of them and never had another issue with them.

 

[Ken G Ford]

Update, dropped it off with Reliable Transmissions here in Chandler AZ and they were very understanding and remebered me and my TJ. Needless to say, I greatly appreciated them honoring the now expired warranty. They pulled tghe Transmission to give it a good look over, did not identitify anything that could be wrong with TQ but did notice the Inspection plate was thin and bowed somewhat. I paid for a new inspection plate and after that was installed, the noise went away. Very Happy with Reliable Transmissions work since they even honored the rebuild 8 months after the warranty exprired. They even told me to bring it back in a couple week just to make sure all was right.

 

[Gilaguy23]

Early Cummins rams with auto's had flex plate crack issues. I had one myself that cracked apart. I will say I cant recall noise over the engine, but you could feel it thru the floor board with knocking like somebody was tapping on the metal floor with a hammer.

 

[hear]

Update, dropped it off with Reliable Transmissions here in Chandler AZ and they were very understanding and remebered me and my TJ. Needless to say, I greatly appreciated them honoring the now expired warranty. They pulled tghe Transmission to give it a good look over, did not identitify anything that could be wrong with TQ but did notice the Inspection plate was thin and bowed somewhat. I paid for a new inspection plate and after that was installed, the noise went away. Very Happy with Reliable Transmissions work since they even honored the rebuild 8 months after the warranty exprired. They even told me to bring it back in a couple week just to make sure all was right.

Shoulda listened to me back in June.

 

[Ken G Ford]

No doubt. It was really hard to believe that a thin sheet metal cover could produce that kind f noise that it did. Lesson Learned.

 

[MikeE024]

Shoulda listened to me back in June.

First thing I would have led an update with