95 EJ22T auto.. flex plate breakage?

[Guest baccaruda]

Hi.. A friend of mine has had three flex plates fail - the center breaks right out of them. The car is a 1995 Legacy turbo, EJ22T with automatic. Any ideas as to the cause here? thanks...

[Guest ferret]

Unless it's a manufacturing defect (as in the mopar 2.2/2.5 automatic flex plates), these have been very durable on Subaru's. So your problem sounds in the very minority and must be diagnosed as such.

First thought is an out-of-round (out of spec), Torque Converter. Next is a bent input shaft on the transmission. This usually also exhibits a front seal leak, But Not always. Also could be a manufacturing defect on the transmission to engine alignment. This MUST be straight and flush.

My thoughts on where I would begin.

[Guest UltimateRX]

WOW, are you sure it is a 95?? I could have sworn that they only built the Legacy Turbo from 91 to 94. I've got a torque converter and a flex plate off of a JDM Legacy RS EJ20G engine that he could have.

[Guest Legacy777]

Yeah....it's got to be a 91-94 if it's a true turbo legacy.

[Guest snotrocket23]

Got a dial indicator? Mount it on the new flexplate that you install on the engine and check the runout on the face of the rear of the motor.

If the engine and transmission don't mate exactly right (like for example, there are burrs on the engine or trans mating surfaces from jamming a screwdriver between the two to separate them), then the crankshaft and transmission input shaft won't be perfectly aligned. Everything will still bolt up, however. The flexplate will be forced to accommodate, and flex where it bolts to the crank. The flexing will crack and break it.

So, if this keeps happening, you have something out of round or the engine and trans aren't precisely mated. Or you've been dropping 6-grand neutral bombs.

[Guest baccaruda]

thanks guys.. i've forwarded this stuff to my friend.. he thinks the guy he's trying to solve this for is abusing the car (6 grand neutral bombs are best done to rental cars, not one's own!!) but he's going to check everything else too. can we keep this open for another day or two? thanks!