How can you check to see if the flywheel is loose in a 1998 xj 4.0 auto?

 

Hope there is a way to check it without dropping the whole thing.

 

There is an inspection cover, Pretty easy to check.

 

yep. has 3 bolts holding it on IIRC

 

I've had this issue twice, sounds like loose wrist pins slapping around. Both times I've tried to look through the inspection cover and saw no cracks.. Put a breaker bar on the balancer and rock it back and forth while watching the flex plate. I saw the delayed response each start back and forth and heard the noise. After it was confirmed I pulled the tranny and sure enough the crack ran around the bolts hidden from view with the tranny in.

 

I hope nothing is broken. Its too damn cold out to be trying to take a tranny out. How hard is it to replace and what did it cost? Im finding flexplates/flywheels for like 70 bucks shipped. What else would i need

 

Fixed the problem today! Flex plate was just about to fall off! Omg lol. Was able to tighten each bolt about 10-12 times. One problem solved. Now onto the next. Just thought it let eeryone kno it was the flexplate.

 

Did you put some red Loctite on the bolts? I hope so or you'll probably be down there tightening them again in the near future.

 

X2 with the Loctite, Had a 3/4 ton Burban 4X4 that I bought for $500 because the owner thought the rods were coming through the block. Was the flex plate bolts and it ran perfect til I sold it.

 

Yes used locktite. Red.