Flex plate mounting direction

[Austin2013SHO]

Hey guys I was looking at my flex plate and comparing imagines and I think I may have it on backwards but was hoping someone could tell me or not. I did it this way so the torque converter had a flat mating surface but idk if it’s right. Below is a photo please let me know and help or advice u have.

 

[SM105K]

@802SHO @Jordan_R

 

[Jordan_R]

I think the torque converter bolts on the reactor flex plate are counter. I think it looks properly mounted to me.

 

[802SHO]

That appears incorrect. The counter sink TC bolt holes should be facing towards the engine not away from it. Here’s mine on the engine and here’s how it looks from engine looking at TC/transmission
The bolt holes are counter sink for the bolt heads. Also grab these

 

[802SHO]

I had to turn down new oem TC bolts and a 17 mm socket. You see the socket scuffing marks on the face of the flexplate? The oem TC bolt heads are too big, you start losing your socket on the bolts as you tighten them and start rubbing. The ARP bolts are the exact thread and pitch, and length. They have a smaller 12mm hex head and then you get maximum contact and plenty of room to torque them down. These ARP bolts live around 60ft/lbs on GM. Our TC I believe calls for 35 ft/lbs. I did 45 ft/lbs and a tiny dab of medium locktite. Torqued to 25 ft/lbs, then final pass to 45. I chose a little extra. If that’s right or not has yet to be determined. I marked them to check later for movement

 

[802SHO]

Yours is not labeled? The dead giveaway is the recessed bolt holes for the TC bolts. That’s what I noticed in your pic, recessed bolt hole sun reflection at 7’oclock

 

[802SHO]

Unless those bolt holes are recessed on both sides? From certainty to confused lol.

 

[802SHO]

Sorry for the confusion it’s much easier to see here which side is which. This was @bpd1151 photo of the original 1st one (white background) he had made that started the whole thing for the rest of us. His pic is engine side mine is converter side.
Jordan was correct. Yours is on the right way.

 

[KSHO11]

I recently installed one on my 2011 and had an issue with the flex plate being too wide/thick. It cause the TC to rub on the housing of the trans it would bind up the engine. I went back to the stock flexplate to solve the problem. I reached out to reactor products but have to gotten a response yet.

Has anyone else ran into this issue? What is the solution?

 

[802SHO]

Can’t say that I have. You measured the thickness and it’s thicker?

 

[ShatteredMJ]

I recently installed one on my 2011 and had an issue with the flex plate being too wide/thick. It cause the TC to rub on the housing of the trans it would bind up the engine. I went back to the stock flexplate to solve the problem. I reached out to reactor products but have to gotten a response yet.

Has anyone else ran into this issue? What is the solution?

The Reactor Products flexplate has the 3 bolts to TC which is for 2013+ models. When you swap to this from your 2011 you’d have to get the newer 3 bolt TC as well. Maybe something added a little width during installation. Bolts, or wrong direction?

Mine from RP is exactly the same as my 2017 OEM flexplate. Unfortunately it’s the same weight as well.

 

[802SHO]

The Reactor Products flexplate has the 3 bolts to TC which is for 2013+ models. When you swap to this from your 2011 you’d have to get the newer 3 bolt TC as well. Maybe something added a little width during installation. Bolts, or wrong direction?

Mine from RP is exactly the same as my 2017 OEM flexplate. Unfortunately it’s the same weight as well.

They are already very light OEM. But Billet is the better material by far

 

[KSHO11]

The Reactor Products flexplate has the 3 bolts to TC which is for 2013+ models. When you swap to this from your 2011 you’d have to get the newer 3 bolt TC as well. Maybe something added a little width during installation. Bolts, or wrong direction?

Mine from RP is exactly the same as my 2017 OEM flexplate. Unfortunately it’s the same weight as well.

Direction was confirmed correct. The TC and flex that came off my 2011 were 3 bolt. Tried both the aftermarket and stock TC with the same results. Bolts used arp 802 recommended as well as stock. Same result. RP flexplate is the issue. I'll take measurements of the flex plate in the next couple days and will update.

 

[802SHO]

41 ft/lbs is the OEM torque spec I found

 

[KSHO11]

Alright, measured the plate. It is 10.53 mm. Also want to note that on the TC side the plate is .058 past the ring. Doesn't seem like much but could that be the reason that the TC is hitting the trans housing? The crew at Reactor Products reached out and asked me to send it back so they can inspect it and make corrections.

 

[802SHO]

I’m just thinking out loud here. The TC is indexed into the pump/input shaft and has a fixed seated depth. Once it’s fully engaged, it can’t physically be pushed further inward toward the transmission.

The flexplate isn’t what determines how deep the converter sits in the trans, it determines how far forward it gets pulled when you bolt it up.

If the flexplate was actually too thick or the stack-up was wrong, I’d expect issues lining it up, difficulty rotating the crank to install the bolts, or incorrect converter spacing…not the converter being pushed into the housing.

Cool that you finally got in contact. Yeah, I’d send it back for an inspection

 

[KSHO11]

What you stated is correct. TC is seated on the shaft. When I merged the trans and motor together with the RR flexplate the TC is pushed into and rubs on the trans housing and can't spin the motor or TC. Once I replaced the RR flexplate and went back to the stock one, problem solved. TC rotated freely to line up the stock flexplate and was able to close everything up.

I tried using the RR flexplate with 3 different TC and same result. I used the stock flex plate off my 2011 and off a 2013 no issues.

 

[802SHO]

Gotcha. So no chance the TC wasn’t fully seated when you tried the RP plate?

 

[KSHO11]

No, all three TC were fully seated.

 

[Austin2013SHO]

Havi

I recently installed one on my 2011 and had an issue with the flex plate being too wide/thick. It cause the TC to rub on the housing of the trans it would bind up the engine. I went back to the stock flexplate to solve the problem. I reached out to reactor products but have to gotten a response yet.

Has anyone else ran into this issue? What is the solution?

ng the same issue currently