I don't like that noise!!

[Earthworm]

After reading through some old posts I think I may now know what the noise is on my car that I first noticed on the way home from Reading.

It's a ticking noise most noticable when the engine is under a heavier load and kinda sounds as if the driveshaft (u-joint) was rubbing on a heat shield (what I initially thought).

What I've come to conclude is that I probably have a cracked/broken flex plate. Now my question is...is there a quick way to accurately diagnose if this is the case?

Also how much work would be involved in replacing it if this is the case?

[Earthworm]

Another thing...how safe is it to keep driving it like that? I don't hear any noise at idle. I figure it may be cracked but not broken.

[SVXPILOT]

mine made it from maine to colorado. There is no guarantee that it wont break apart completly. the way mine broke there was plenty of surface for the plate to provide drive evan though it was broken all the way around the center bolts. Anyone that was at the 10th ann. meet will let you know how much noise it was making.

[svx_commuter]

Has your tranny or engine ever been out?

[svxstarship]

Cost me around 500.00 cdn at the dealer for replacement on my 92. I supplied the flex plate whick I took off my spare engine. Sounds like a heat sheild when revved in neutral.

[Earthworm]

Tranny was replaced before I bought it 2 years ago. It only started making noise coming home from Reading.

I remember hearing the noisy engine at Lafayette. Mine doesn't sound that bad. It's only bad while accelerating briskly.

I guess there's no way to positively tell unless you take everything apart??

[Earthworm]

svxstarship, how many spare SVX parts do you have?

BTW, my SVX came from Quebec.

[wawazat??]

If you need a used one, I can help.

Todd

[Earthworm]

I'm not worried about the price of a new flex plate. I'm worried about how much effort is involved in replacing one and making sure that it is in fact the flex plate that is causing the problem.

I believe that there is a small inspection window that you can open up. You might want to check for exhaust leaks too. I once mistook a exhaust leak for a flex plate failure noise. I would imagine by description of the sound they could be mistaken for one another.

Mike

[SVXPILOT]

The first owner had a subaru rebuilt installed at AMD subaru in NH at 120,000 miles. I had the flex plate changed at 177,000 miles than again at 205,000 miles. now with 240,000 miles it sounds like it might be making a rattle again. to date the trans has been out of the car three times.

[SVXPILOT]

It could be that the four bolts that connect the flex plate to the converter are a little loose. there is an acces hole in the upper right of the trans housing. turn the engine over by hand with a socket and rachet on the crank pully bolt. check tightness of all four bolts. you may hear a slight click as you turn motor over slowly if the plate is craked. sounds like yours is cracked instead of in two pieces like mine was.

[SVXPILOT]

Its only bad while accelerating briskly.

mine did that for a long while before it was noisy all the time. I thought it was the exhaust ratteling at high rpms.