PatHenry

Hey guys,

I recently bought a 95 XJ with a 94's I6 and AX15 manual and when I went to change the oil I noticed that the Flywheel spacer plate is missing. In other words, I was looking at the exposed flywheel. It appears as though the guy who had this Jeep before me put the tranny back together without the plate and used some other means of spacing the tranny and starter. The Jeep starts perfectly and drives beautifully.

I know the proper spacer plate for this requires separating the tranny from the engine in order to replace.

I definitely do NOT want to pull the tranny to replace the plate, especially when the clutch is only 30k miles old and there is zero problems with shifting/driving. I suspect this plate has been missing for the past 2 years since the guy before me ran the original engine without oil and replaced the drivetrain (assuming 30k miles ago).

What I was thinking of doing was just getting a piece of sheet metal and cutting it to fit the exposed area and then bolting it in place. Eventually, if I ever decide to pull the tranny for whatever reason I'll replace the plate, but for now I feel like at least having something there to keep rocks and dirt and snow from being kicked up and hitting the flywheel.

Thoughts? Advice?

Bugout4x4

I'm thinking they can't be bolted up without the proper needed Block to Trans plate so what you are missing should be just the non-essential inspection/dust cover that drops out the bottom. But it is better to keep as much water and mud out of there if you can.

PatHenry

Is it a separate plate on the AX15? Everything I researched seemed to indicate it was a single plate that you can't remove without pulling the tranny.

5-Speed

Its a solid one piece plate. You have to remove the flywheel to get it on. If it was my vehicle, I would put it back on even though its a lot of work. Again, this is assuming you are talking about the silver plate around the flywheel in the picture.

Bugout4x4

Boy do I stand corrected... Why would they do this? There is no thicker plate to back that up and make the Trans to Block marriage stronger?

PatHenry

Yep, that's the one. It looks like there's a notch in the top to drop it without removing the flywheel.




But the Jeep runs, shifts, starts, etc, -EXTREMELY- well, so whatever was done that left out that piece, it's working.

What I'm looking to do is just something to protect the flywheel. If pulling tranny's was something I did routinely, I'd just pull the tranny on my blown-tranny-TJ and use that plate.

EvstaG

You can get that plate in without removing the flywheel, I've done it. If I recall it required some hammering force to get it on, but it can be done. Obviously you'll have to unbolt all the tranny bolts, and slide it away from the engine to get that plate in, but the tranny doesn't have to be removed from under the engine IIRC.

Bugout4x4

Well if it didn't have a notch I'd cut one.

5-Speed

I could have sworn that I tried to pull it off with the flywheel on and it wouldnt budge. Could be very wrong though. I am not a big fan of forcing things to move...

Bugout4x4

That might be correct. From looking at the clocking of the notch, you would have to undo everything, pull it out past the alignment pins and then spin it around to get it off maybe? Main thing holding you up would be the alignment pins I would think?

5-Speed

I didnt think that the notch was wide enough to slip past the flywheel (notch looks to be 3" wide, flywheel where it mounts to crank looks to be 4.5"). If the notch was made wider, say another inch or so, I think it would slip past everything just fine. But yes, it would still require you to unbolt the trans and slide it back far enough to get the plate over the alignment pins.

Bugout4x4

You have it right. But behind the flywheel bolt flange it is no bigger in diameter than the rear main. And now that I think back, I have dealt with this on other makes and models. You have to pry it out from off the alignment dowel pins and take it out and put it back by tweeking it down and out and back. It isn't meant to be done this way but it can be done if it has the notch. It's one of those "Oh crap, I forgot something" kind of things. lol

Bugout4x4

Let me reword that. You can pull the alignment pins by twisting with a good pair of vice grips and then tap them back after you slide the plate up in there, or you can just try to bend and drive the plate with a dead blow or wood block up behind the flywheel until it finally slides onto the pins.

5-Speed

Ahh I see now. After looking at some pictures, it appears that there is a small gap on the crank between where the flywheel mounts and where the main is. Just enough room to slip the plate in and out.

Bugout4x4

Yep, You might have to tweek it a bit on the way in if you leave the pins in though. I have done it this way without pulling the pins on fords and chevys before, so it's worth a try. But once you get it in and all bolted tight it won't know the difference.