I am in the final stages of assembly and about to bolt a 350 transmission to a rebuilt 327. I thought I would check the flywheel. With a dial indicator I found that it is a "little" warped. In one rotation the flex plate edge moves 87 thousands of an inch from lowest to highest point. Is this acceptable? Maybe even new ones won't be perfect. I just don't want any tranny pump problems later. What do you think?

Doesn't the converter register off the center of the crank hole without a pilot bushing?

I wonder if it matters all that much b/c maybe the registered converter will straighten it up, BUT I DON'T KNOW?????

Please contact somebody that knows more about this....

Maybe somebody will chime in here... pdq67

Flex plates will not be flat. They are stamped out from sheet steel. Secondly, they're welded on due to the ring gear.

I agree with pdg, t/conv will "flatten" plate. My suggestion is don't pull out the t/conv more than 1/4 in from the very bottom of the oil pump, this might disengage the t/conv from the pump. Use spacers, shims, or washers to take up the space between the t/conv lugs and the f/plate. Be sure to install the f/plate correctly onto the flywheel.

AND, if I have this right, you can put a flexplate on backwards if not mistaken???

Can't you, guy's???

Or will it even fit???

pdq67

Yes the flex plate can be installed backwards. I had this problem with my Camaro. The guy I bought it from installed it backwards and it was that way for about 15,000 miles while I drove it. It never was a problem then all the sudden it became one. I had to replace a starter and after it got chewed up from the wobbling flex plate I tried shiming it and then the flex plate ring gear got chewed up so I had to replace it. This is what I found and how you can tell if your putting one on right.

As soon as I got the trans moved back I noticed the converter holes were out of round and could tell the flex plate was warped. When I unbolted it from the crank I noticed it was sitting back from the crank flange and not flush. This is when I noticed it was on backwards. All flex plates when they are stamped have a bevel/flange this flange faces the trans or goes on the torque converter side, the flat side goes against the crank. If the flange is facing the crank (installed backwards) it will not allow the flex plate to sit flush to the crank flange, it will be spaced out the amount of the the flange size on the flex plate. It's easy to see it once you see one backwards. I don't know if it's common to have this happen but I have had two cars over the years that I had this problem with. Both are ones I bought with the problem and both had noisy starters.

The sad thing is the last one was about 12 years ago and I did not remember the lesson learned then so it took me a few weeks to figure out my starter problem on the Camaro.

Joe