So I took it to the shop to see what's causing vibration, and the flex plate is all torn up. The mechanic also noticed that the torque converter doesn't fit snugly onto the crankshaft - the hole is too big and it moves around, which is what he thinks ruined the flex plate. He asked me if it was the OEM engine and transmission, which it is - only 54k miles on it. He also tried a torque converter for an 85 cutlass with the same result. I have a 1987 Cutlass Supreme Brougham with a 307 V8 and there's a position for overdrive on the gear selector. Do I have the 200r4 transmission? Has anyone had a similar experience? Could the crankshaft be warped, or might the torque converter just need a bushing to fit snugly?
Why doesn't my OEM torq cnvrtr fit snug? do i have a 200r4?
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The car's in the shop now so I can't look at it. I've never gone to this mechanic so I want to double check the work to make sure he's not missing something obvious. The engine and transmission are both original, so why would the torque converter be too loose? Is there a real specific one that was made for the 200r4, or is there supposed to be a bushing between the converter and crankshaft that may have disintegrated or fallen off?
I dont understand why it would not be snug with the crank shaft, it is bolted to the flex plate. Can you have the mechanic check the thrust clearance on the crankshaft? I dont know if it would cause your problem, but it might.
Also, what do you mean when you say the hole is to big and it moves around? What hole is to big?
Also, what do you mean when you say the hole is to big and it moves around? What hole is to big?
I don't understand why the converter SHOULD be snug to the crankshaft ... the two don't touch at all, flywheel bolts to the crank ... converter bolts to the flywheel Are you trying to say the converter is loose on the input shaft? .... it just slides on It should move back and forth.
Now I can't confirm any of this because I haven't looked under the car and it's in the shop now, but apparently, per the mechanic's words, on my 307 the crankshaft fits into a pilot hole on the torque converter. The problem is that the crankshaft sticks out too far and won't allow the torque converter to mate with the flexplate, so he's shaving down the crankshaft to fix this. The weird thing is, this is the original torque converter, so it should've fit perfectly. Also, I thought the crankshaft stopped where the flexplate bolts to it - I didn't know it went through the flexplate and fit into a pilot hole on the TC. Does this problem make sense?
jamesejam said:
crankshaft fits into a hole on the flexplate and then gets bolted. I can not think of ONE reason to grind the end of a crank down ... is he sure he has the right flexplate? I do beleive the Chevy engines use one different than the Olds for the 200-4r
Sounds like you need to get that car out of that shop right away before he screws up your car, that mechanic doesn't know what he is doing...
88hurstolds said:
I can not seem to find something backing my theroy up but I really honestly recall reading something about differences of torque converter/flywheel on the Olds ... my bet is he has a wrong part. BEFORE he goes grinding away on ANYTHING ... you need to take a step back and re-think ... if the mechanic is unwhilling to do so ... he (the OP) needs to remember who's car it is and think about getting it to another shop. If two items are designed to bolt together ... I get an uneasy feeling of "making them fit" .... I am going through the same with my engine/trans swap ... the guys that dropped that combo in (I wasn't there) keep "out-voting me", when I get out there again we are going to try it my way or I'm going to have to make other arrangements ... it's taking too long - the guy who's garage it is is agrevated. I'm agrevated and I need my car back ... but I am not keen on hacking up a perfectly good crossmember and relocating things .... just so this goes together with the engine where it presently sits .... instead of where it is suppossed to sit. I've put a lot more money into this than I've wanted to and I am NOT going to just tear it up and not be able to put it right. Grinding away on the *ss-end of the crank is non-reversible .... you'd have to rebuild the bottom half of the engine if this becomes an issue.
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