Hey everyone, I just bought a 76 dart custom and the what I thought was flywheel is I think cracked, its rattling pretty badly. I called to check prices and the parts guy told me that an automatic does not have a flywheel and just has a flexplate. I know this is kindof a dumb question but can I get some advice? Does it have a flywheel??? THANKS!!!

 

i have seen 600 hp engine push a chrysler flex plate, with out breaking. if the engine has been out my bet is some one didnt put the dowel pins in. that WILL break the flex plate. the engine and trans MUST be lined up with in .008" max. been down that road. i think the pins are 1/2 ". you can make one from dowel pins used in tooling making. or cold roll drill rod.

 

I have several here in good condition. Let me know if I can help.

 

Pretty easy to check---pull the starter, pull the trans dust cover and examine it. If the engine is knocking, it might be "lower end" IE rod and crank, broken piston, etc. Mopars are not like GM. Mopar automatics have the ring gear for the starter on the torque converter. The flex plate is a simple "star" 4 cornered stamping.

Now, if you take all 4 bolts out, they only go back one way. That is, they are not symmetrical. There are marks on some converters/ flex plates to line up, otherwise, try one or two, then rotate for the others, and if they don't all 4 line up, you need to rotate one.

If you plan on doing anything at all with this car, do yourself a huge favor. Get online, or Ebay, and find yourself a '76 FACTORY shop manual. Not a Haynes, Chilton, etc, but a factory manual. There are several free ones to download, but none for 76, in which the wiring is very different. Must of the front end, chassis, and engine/ drive trains "stuff" is similar or same in the 72 manual, you can download here

http://www.abodyjoe.com/pictures/Mis...Serv%20Man.pdf

If you decide to pull the engine, you can pull the engine/ trans together, or just the engine. Do not EVER pull an engine and leave the converter hanging on the engine. Pull the 4 bolts, and leave the converter in the trans.

 

Thank all of you for the help! So Mo flywheel, just a flexplate and the teeth I'm seeing is the ring gear on the torque converter. Now just to drop the granny and see if I can find something cracked or broken. Thanks again for the help!!