Anyone ever seen this happen?

[singlecab61]

Hello all!

I was going through my late A/S stuff before i swapped tranny's and found this. The flex plate and hub have started to separate!

Look closely at the grease splatters from the rivets on the center of the flex plate:


Look at the rivets and the ovaled out hole they are creating:


Anyone think these could be welded up? I am building a bigger engine for my A/S (2095cc). I am balancing this engine and I want to do it with the other engine still installed and running. So I would need to use this flexplate, or another one, to balance the rotating assembly. I'm a certified welder, I say no problem but I looking for a little feedback.

[volkenstein]

I'm sure Lee will chime in with his personal experience of this! I wonder if the post is on the old forum??

Regards
Sean

[68autobug]

Yes,
I had it happen to me..
as i had put the torque converter in incorrectly...

I re punched the rivets ...
they were nice and tight... no movement at all...
then My Son who has a welders ticket welded the hub in 4 places..

this didn't last long at all....

then while undoing the 4 screws, one of the captive nuts came loose.. as I had used loctite on the bolts... !!
I pondered over what i could do for about 3-4 days...
but I couldn't come up with anyway of undoing the loose nut...
so, engine out again...

and a replacement flex plate from Sean...
got Me back on the road....

My Son then welded the hub completely all around it..
I haven't had the loose captive nut sweated or brazed back on as yet...
as I now have another complete spare Flex Plate... in excellent order..

so, I wouldn't re use that flex plate.. IMHO.. [not worth all the trouble]

unless you drilled the holes out slightly and re riveted the hub back on... [oversized rivets..]
then welded the hub all the way round...

the rivets don't seem to be hard at all... very soft in fact...
maybe they can only be used once... lol..??

but nothing is impossible... just a darn sight harder..

cheers

LEE



http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug
also; http://community.webshots.com/user/68autobug


[/b]

[68autobug]

Hi again...

I wonder if they are riveted so the FLEX PLATE can Flex.
where as once its welded all the way round....

maybe not enough FLEX....

there aren't many things that haven't happened to Me with My beetle.

it was a very long learning curve... lol

I just hope [fingers crossed]  that none of these things will happen again...

LEE