All you Transmission guys...READ this>.....

That article is nice to have, according to it, I will be ok, by using the flexplate from the 81 LTD AOD and still have the correct 28oz balance, since this was definately not an HO car it came from.

Does this sound right?

 

no Bound up with no starter.

My first guess would be the wrong flex plate after reading this.

 

and as already said with the trans bolted up firmly to the engine the converter studs should be loose in the holes meaning the converter should pull up to the flywheel. always..

 

Just went thru this with a friend, ended up his brand new converter was too wide!! It was the correct one, but some thing happened when it was welded together!!!You have to have a ittle play in the converter when its installed or you will wipe out the thrush bearing in motor!!!!!

 

Okay guys!!! Got it together with the 81 Aod flexplate and all is great!!! Went together great and as you described it should, engine turns over and it is all bolted solid. I havent started it yet, but will let you all know how it goes, I have no doubt this will work and just hope this current AOD is a good one.

My thanks and appreciation to everyone who responded on this topic, with your help you have fixed in one day what I have been jacking with for the last 3 weeks!!!! Thanks!!!

 

Just got my flexplate in the mail today

 

Okay, got it running and all the gears seem to be working, only drove the car about 100 feet and backed it into the garage. VERY loud with no mufflers!!!! It seemed kinda doggy but that may be from the 2.79 rear gear, and I didnt drive it enough to check the shifting. Thought I had an issue elsewhere so cut the test drive short.

Anyway, I now seem to have a BAD vibration. I used the flexplate from the 81 LTD AOD and have no clue what the harmonic balancer is weighted at. The guy who rebuilt the motor bought it and cant remember the weight. Great, huh?! So in this article http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/D...C4AODswap.html it says that the 81 5.0 that this aod came from MAY have the 28oz flexplate. If that is the case I think I may have the incorrect front balancer, which might be the cause of the vibration.

Can anyone verify if the 81 AOD does infact use a 28oz flexplate?

 

the crank determines the balance. if you didnt have a vibrations before then chances are the flex plate is the wrong imblance. you probly need to confirm what balance the flex plate you have is and change to the other one.

 

Thanks Bryant, that is what I am trying to do, by determining if this 81 AOD is 28oz or 50oz.

Will prob do what Cometized suggested and get a flexplate from Autozone for a 351w, and also a new harmonic balancer to match it. More funds for the "money pit" Mav!!!!

 

I just went thru a similar balance problem and was able to verify the harmonic balancer imbalance by looking at it from under the car and comparing the counterweight to known 28 oz and 50 oz balancers. 28 oz counterwieght only went about 100 degrees around the balancer. 50 oz counterweight went more than 180 degrees around the balancer.

I could see my installed balancer from underneath the car and determine that it was 50 oz. So, I changed the flexplate to a 50 oz and no more shake. In my case, the ebay seller sent me the wrong flexplate.

 

But wait a minute..........didnt Maverick75 say that having a 50oz balancer on a 28oz crank would cause more problems? What year engine are you running jsarnold?

My balancer is a "Professional Products" unit that has no outer balance to be seen, so I cant tell what weight it is.

 

need some history on your car.
did this motor run with a diffferent trans before the aod?
did this motor have vibrations before the aod?

 

I went to Autozone's site and checked an 81 Crown Vic with a 5.0. It lists an FRA214 flexplate...if you enlarge the picture it will say 50 oz right on the photo. Thats why I said to use an FRA205 as it is 28 oz and says so right in it's photo. I have used it in two Maverick AOD conversions and it works. BTW, FRA205 is Pioneer brand part number...you don't have to buy it from Autozone...any parts store should be able to cross it over.

Bill

 

Bought the motor from a junk yard and had it rebuilt, so never got to see it run till now. It did come from a 73 mav.
I did have it running after rebuild with another aod AND a different flexplate...read all previous posts.........and the engine had a small vib, which I attributed to maybe all new mounts, but is now much worse, so am assuming that the flexplate is a 50oz like Cometized said in the above post.

 

Drumroll please.......

The flexplate is.......
NAPA PART #600-5012
164 TEETH W/28oz weight