Hello,

I have installed Flexplate on my '69 460 cid. Now I have some vibrations at 30 miles or when I give gas in idle. The new flexplate has an counterweight, the old one not. Is it possible that I have to deinstall the weight?
Any ideas?

Thank you in advance

have a nice weekend

Jens

 

You definitely have a post '79 (external balance) flexplate.
It's going to destroy your main bearings in short order.


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sc...view/make/ford

 

Hello,

Jim, thank you very much for that information.
I never heard bout internal and external balance before.
My dealer here in Germany have only flexies from 1973 and up

What do you think, is it a good idea to remove the weight from the flexplate or do you prefer to install a new (internal balance) flexplate.
If so....I have to remove the tranny again
Do you have more information about internal and external balanced for me?

Thank you very much in advance

Have a nice start into the new week

greetings

Jens

 

Jens,

The change from internal to external balance was made as a 'running change' during the 1979 model year.
ie, as parts were depleted, or new ones made available.

If your dealer has access to flexplates from 1973 they would definitely be correct for your engine. (be mindful of the number of teeth on the ring gear)

I would think it is not so simple to just remove the weight.
Imagine the forces involved in normal operation!
At the least, I would want to check for run out and proper balance after such a procedure.
And, of course that would necessitate disassembly...

 

Jim,

I just found out that I have ordered the right Flexplate:

68 TO 78 460 CID FORD BIG BLOCK " SFI " FLEX PLATE 164 TEETH W/O WEIGHT FWFP460A

Unfortunetly I got one with the weight - and what annoys me even more: I did not pay attention for it

as it may, I'll ask my local dealer for the ´73 Flexi tommorrow, maybe it is not to expensive.

So thank you very much for your help

Jens

 

You can use a nice hard chisel and a hammer and some man power and knock that weight off. Should hold you over till the new plate comes in.
Its welded on for rotational force not lateral and will break away easy in most cases.

 

Hello,

thank you, I'll try to cut it off with an mini grinder next weekend.
I'll inform you when I done it.
I wonder if it necessary to swap the flexplate, i suppose the new one is the same thing but without this damned weight. What do you think?

till then

Jens

 

If you can get it off without grinding into the flex plate at all, you'd probably be fine with it but I would still get the right one and change it as soon as it was feasible to do so. I had the opposite thing on my dodge and had to take the weight off the old converter and weld it onto the new one. It was no problem and still isn't a problem but a converter is a lot stronger than a flex plate..
So grind just enough to use the chisel the poster above mentioned and if there is a little bit of the weld left on there, leave it and go for a drive..

 

How are you going to grind it off in situ?
Through the inspection cover???
Certainly trying to beat it off an unsupported flexplate with a cold chisel is not going to end well.

For ~$50, there's no way I would want to have to pull the transmission a second time in order to install the correct part.

But that's just me, and I value my time at more than $10 an hour.

 

Hello,

After spending nealy the whole Sunday to try to cut that weight off with a dremel minigrinder (had to create a special tool on a lathe to use bigger unusual flex discs - the only way to grind off the weldings) I gave up my plan to cut it off and decided to pull the tranny and install the right on. I won't bring to much force to the unsupported plate with a hammer and a chisel.
Unfortunatey I don't have a hydraulic ramp so I have to lift up the car (in this case I mean the Mark III) as high as possilble to install the Jackstands to pull the tranny - practice english :-)
What annoy me is not the work or the 50 bucks for the new Flexplate, no but the Shipping for that part....another 64 Bucks plus customs

to be continued...

have a nice start into this week

Jens