scott_duerring
Regular Contributor
Many times as I follow a thread it just ends and am left wondering if the problem was solved. This prompted me to send this out. Since 2006 I have from time to time sent questions to this forum about a rough idle, vibration issue. In 2006 I have a new Velvet drive trans put in attached to a Crusader 8.2 MPI engine. That started a very frustrating and expensive sojourn through parts, mechanics and a lot of time to figure out what was wrong.
Finally, it is fixed. The damper plate was the wrong one. In 2006 I asked for them to install a new damper with the transmission and specified the "heavy duty" plate thinking heavy duty is better than standard duty. This spring, I again trusted a mechanic who thought originally the transmission was bad to pull the trans and send it to be rebuilt. Well the shop said trans was fine, I asked to have the damper plate replaced since the trans was out and that was literally the only thing I had not replaced since '06. I again specified the heavy duty plate... well the mechanic told me that the number that he was getting for the plate that should be on that engine was not the same as the plate that was on there. So against my request he ordered the regular plate that he said was for that engine... and that was what fixed it. The whole drive train runs smooth and quiet.
Am not sure what the moral of this story is, but I am a happy camper. Perhaps if any of your are suffering from vibration and rattle in gear at idle forward, before you chase a rough running engine and begin throwing parts at it and financing college educations for the mechanic's children, think "damper plate"...
Finally, it is fixed. The damper plate was the wrong one. In 2006 I asked for them to install a new damper with the transmission and specified the "heavy duty" plate thinking heavy duty is better than standard duty. This spring, I again trusted a mechanic who thought originally the transmission was bad to pull the trans and send it to be rebuilt. Well the shop said trans was fine, I asked to have the damper plate replaced since the trans was out and that was literally the only thing I had not replaced since '06. I again specified the heavy duty plate... well the mechanic told me that the number that he was getting for the plate that should be on that engine was not the same as the plate that was on there. So against my request he ordered the regular plate that he said was for that engine... and that was what fixed it. The whole drive train runs smooth and quiet.
Am not sure what the moral of this story is, but I am a happy camper. Perhaps if any of your are suffering from vibration and rattle in gear at idle forward, before you chase a rough running engine and begin throwing parts at it and financing college educations for the mechanic's children, think "damper plate"...
