How are you using the truck? I could see a WORK truck losing a few, but not in that short of order. :dunno:

 

My flexplate took 180k miles.... 150k @ around 300hp.... 20k @ 500hp.... my truck also sled pulled every weekend last year and drag raced many, many times. Something is wrong. I hope the tranny shop has covered your last 3 flex plates.

 

That's the funny thing. 98% of the time I baby my truck and drive like a grandma. Accelerate slow from stops, drive 65-70 on the freeway, run my chip on stage 1. I drive for fuel mileage. I don't drag race, I don't do any pulling. The heaviest trailer I ever tow is a 2 place snowmobile trailer (probably 3000 lbs. tops).

I have come to realize my tranny shop is worthless. I, of course, paid for the first one. They took care of the second one when it only lasted 4,000 miles. When the third one broke I assumed they would take of it too, but they made me pay for it. You definitely would think they would cover this fourth one, wouldn't you? When I called them today there was no offer to take care of it. I could tell by the way guy was telling me it was normal that he was saying it was my problem.

 

find another shop.

 

I just broke one on my Dodge and replaced it with a billet one, if you've broke 4, I 'd upgrade. I broke mine going down the road at 65 mph.

 

Ok the only thing that comes to mind for me is that the mating surface on the converter is not straight. I'd check the converter. The other possibility could be that you've lost trans bolts while driving down the road allowing the engine/tranny to torque differently then each other under load. Check and see if you're missing any.... if you are... it's MOST definitely the tranny shops fault.

 

Emailed BTS and Brian's reply was, "I have done several of these. Your probably going to question the fix. Put a new starter on it."

 

Wow, that is crazy. I never would have thought of that. You need to update this thread in....I dunno....6 months to a year or when the next flexplate goes out to let us know if that was a good fix. If it came from BTS though.....must be a good place to start. I will add that to the list of obscure fix's I keep in my brain.
-Aaron

 

I'd listen to Brian.

 

I have had a bent bendex on the starter and had it cause a broken flexplate...I would also make sure your converter is not distorted...

 

I've also heard ab te starter. I've heard people bending them from high power starters.

 

I have seen a number of OBS trucks with cracked flexplate but they are fleet trucks and used hard. I've never had one come back thought for the same problem. I would definatly find a new shop though.

 

I have this problem also. I replaced one about 5k ago for the ring gear being chewed up and now the center broke out of it. I have found a TSB from Ford on this and am tring to find more info. The TSB number is 99-23-6. Something about the transmission adapter may cause a misalignment between the flexplate and torque convertor causing a preload condition between the two components. Has anybody seen it?

Here's a couple of photos of mine.

 

yea my dad was going throgh flexplates every couple months with his 95 stroker,pretty sure the starter was the cause of problems.its been about a year now and still no problems

 

While I think it is the starter in this case, I think you should also spend $250 on a new torque converter also. Just to make sure that everything is right when it goes back in. If you have a stock one, then they are pretty cheap from your local parts stores (auto zone and Orielly's).

 

Something that hasn't been replaced yet is bent. Has the trunk been in an accident and repaired?