Thread: Fitting ZF Flex Plate

I just fitted a Flex plate Yesterday to a D2. ZF

Drive plate /Ring gear assembly, bolts to crank spigot boss, then spacer is fitted, then Flex plate is fitted and then another ring which is a reinforcement for flex plate is fitted

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/.../flexplate.jpg

yeah, that BUT have a good look at that backing plate, it looks chewed.

Originally Posted by Roverlord off road spares

I just fitted a Flex plate Yesterday to a D2. ZF

Drive plate /Ring gear assembly, bolts to crank spigot boss, then spacer is fitted, then Flex plate is fitted and then another ring which is a reinforcement for flex plate is fitted

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/.../flexplate.jpg

Thanks for that, I am mainly worried about the shim, which is no.13 in the diagram below. The crank spigot is chamfered, which means that the shim does not sit flat, there is a gap of 1-2mm. Just wondering id this is ok, or do I have the wrong shim.



The inside of no. 12 on the diagram is chamfered as if it supposed to fit straight on without the shim.

Short and simple, what the spacer is for is to regulate the clearance between the starter motor pinion and the ring gear. Assemble the ring gear and see that there is 1-2mm clearance to the starter pinion all the way round. You can even operate the starter if the engine is safely held in place and ignition disabled.

Originally Posted by bee utey

Short and simple, what the spacer is for is to regulate the clearance between the starter motor pinion and the ring gear. Assemble the ring gear and see that there is 1-2mm clearance to the starter pinion all the way round. You can even operate the starter if the engine is safely held in place and ignition disabled.

Thanks for that, I hadn't been thinking of that possibilitiy. Tried to fit the flex plate with the shim and no way was the starter going to engage, so tried it without the shim and it looks pretty close.

Next problem is, if you look at this post from Roverlord re the fitting of the torque converter.

Importance of fitting Torque convertor correctly.

If I measure from the spot on the flex plate where the torque converter should bolt to to the spot on the motor where the bell housing bolts to, it is 26mm.

To my way of thinking this should be the same dimension as from the feet of the torque converter to the bell housing.

From the table from Ashcofts, my Trans is a 741, it is from a late 80's RRC, but I also have a disco trans which is a 742. According to that table the distance should be 51mm.

My question is, were there different flex plates, torque converters or even bell housings fitted over time that would make these differences ?

I am seriously considering converting to a manual right now, I have had series 2/3 land rovers in the past and they were never as much of a pain as this.

AARGH

MY BRAIN HURTS

BUMP !!!!

Does anyone know what the differences are that cause the variation in Torque Converter to Bell Housing measurement.

From the picture below, (post #4) item no. 1, ring gear assembly, would be about 22mm from the block, then there is a spacer around 25mm thick (item no. 6) then the converter bolts to item no. 7, the drive plate. On a 3.9 block I have in the shed this indeed measures around 50mm from the block face. Are you trying to bolt the torque converter to the ring gear assembly? Late ones have large holes for passing a socket through to get at the drive (=flex) plate bolts to the converter. All the 4 speed ZF trannies between 1986 and 1996 that I have personally seen have this arrangement.

Thanks bee utey, I might have to get the plate off again on friday arvo and have a look. Might have to check if that No 6 spacer is there as it's thickness is close to the difference I have, 26+25=51mm.

Bought the plate secondhand from MR auto, so might have to pop in and pick their brains.

From looking at the list from Ashcrofts there are some transmissions which would suit the dimensions that I have, so wondering if I have the wrong flex plate maybe.