Help for a friend...BII

[hr223shooter07]

My friend has an 89' Bronco II, 2.9L engine, and the automatic...AOD i believe it is? Besides the point...lately he has had to replace the flexplate alot...by a lot probably 3-4 times in the past 3 months. So what could be causing this?... The first time it cracked apart, the second time the bolts just came out, and this time it cracked again...what could be causing this?...I told him to use a torque wrench on the bolts so they were equal pressure...It seemed to make sense to me so nothing was in a bind....what about motor mounts and putting stress on that area?...Just trying to give him some suggestions so he doesn't have to keep fixing it..thank you in advance!

 

[mjonesjr]

sounds to me like the bolts were improperly tightened and cause the flywheel to crack.

BTW: your friends BII has the A4LD automatic.

 

[pillen140]

you can get a cheap torque wrench for under $50... not the greatest, but it will prevent broken flexplates.

 

[mjonesjr]

Harbor Freight has torque wrenches for around $20.

 

[Mutant Pony]

Well, I hate to say it but, it could be a problem with the torque converter. Also it could be a problem with the seperator plate. If the plate has been cut or modified in any way, shape, or form, remove it and throw it away! Find an unmolested one to replace it!

 

[pillen140]

would that cause the loose bolts though? just asking, because i dont know crap about auto trannys and the crap that runs them.

 

[mjonesjr]

the lose bolts could be caused by not using high temp lock tight on the flywheel bolts.