{"id":1947,"date":"2020-06-04T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-04T16:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/?p=1947"},"modified":"2020-06-04T16:56:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T16:56:01","slug":"what-is-a-flex-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/blog\/what-is-a-flex-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"Flex Plate \u2013 What Does It Do and What Are Signs of Bad Flex Plate?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
With a recently discovered quintessential use, the flex plate has brought efficiency and reorganization in the motor vehicle arena. Emerging as a streamlined counterpart of flywheel, flex plate is a beneficial device for vehicles featuring an automatic transmission system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Positioned amidst the engine, the gearbox, and the transmission instrument, it serves the main purpose of storing and processing the energy produced by the engine of a vehicle. While early vehicles embraced flywheels, owing to the latest mechanism efficiencies, the flex plate has entered the picture. This article walks you through several aspects associated with this handy device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Performing a major part of the job involved in running a motor vehicle, this robust technology transfers the energy required to run the wheels of the automobile and, ultimately, commence its movement. Sourcing and accumulating the energy transferred from the engine, a flex plate relocates the energy through a gearbox, i.e., the transmission system of the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original source of power generation is the engines. Even though the power generated is potent enough to run the vehicle, it is not perpetual and persistent enough to ensure even running of the vehicle. The process of internal combustion is quite irregular and thus needs to be administered before being transferred to the transmission mechanism. If the same is not done manually or automatically, the movement of the vehicle will be rather abrupt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the engine produces mass-energy, the flex plate or the flywheel initiate their job and start storing the energy produced. This is executed by the spinning of the plate at a high pace and an even speed. The next step entails the transfer of this piled-up energy to the transmission box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the vehicle is manual, the clutch is used to accomplish this; otherwise, a system called torque converter is used. This mediator assists in the transfer of the output from the engine and its further transmission to the gearbox unit. The arrangement of the elements is made in a manner to ensure a seamless shift of energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Even though bearing the same purpose, flex plate and flywheel have their share of differences. Both these devices perform the very vital function of leveling the energy generated by the engine to ensure that the vehicle rides fluently. The most apparent difference exists in the designs of these systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flywheel is an inertia device fastened to the engine crankshaft. The basic role entails carrying and storing energy from the engine to transfer it in an even manner for the movement of the vehicle. Since it is involved in the conventional mechanism, a flywheel also embraces a frictional surface to hold and clasp the clutch disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the flexplate, the function remains identical till the mounting of the ring gear to the starter to crank the engine. The contemporary system involves the use of a flex plate to provide a backing system to a torque converter, which is a counterpart of the clutch disc. Serving as a connection between the engine and the transmission, a torque converter enables the movement of the vehicle from a standing point in case of the automatic transmission system. A flexplate does not feature any friction surface as the use of the clutch is not involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the flex plate is lighter in weight than a flywheel, it also contains holes that ensure that the plate remains mounted and is properly fitted with the torque system. Also, a flex plate upholds a major task of maintaining and facilitating the balance of a vehicle. Therefore, whenever removed, the plate should be positioned in the exact same spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cFlex\u201d in \u201cflex plate\u201d implies the flexibility featured by a flex plate, unlike a flywheel. While flywheel is a stiff, solid, and heavy device fitted inside a vehicle, a flex plate is thinner and lighter in structure with a considerable amount of flexibility. Constituted by a fine and slender impressed steel sheet, the flex plate\u2019s adaptability to misalignments is well taken care of by its designs. The rigidity of a flex plate can lead to cracking of the plate and impairment of the adjacent parts in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it is not possible to bend a flex plate manually as it requires the immense power generated by the engine, which initiates its movement. Also, in conventional systems that encompass the use of a flywheel, such flexibility is not required as the clutch disc disengages the device from the engine whenever the gear is manually changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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While mechanic experts easily point out any fault with the flexplate, the same is not as seamless for a non-professional. So, here are a few signs that are prominent and point towards some defects in the flex plate of your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the problems involved in the working of the flex plate can only be detected by a specialist through proper analysis at a workshop. Some of the most common apparent problems observed with the flex plate and their causes are as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Substantially different from a flywheel, a flex plate has managed to create a niche for itself in the automobile industry thanks to the invention of the automatic transmission system. Even though proving to be indispensable and immensely effective, flex plates fail at times due to different discrepancies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering the technical nature of this device and its vitality in running the vehicle smoothly, it is suggested that the problems should be detected and resolved without delay through trained mechanical assistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With a recently discovered quintessential use, the flex plate has brought efficiency and reorganization in the motor vehicle arena. Emerging as a streamlined counterpart of flywheel, flex plate is a beneficial device for vehicles featuring an automatic transmission system. Positioned amidst the engine, the gearbox, and the transmission instrument, it serves the main purpose of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autounleashed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}