Help with 96 Explorer engine and trans swap.

[isaacs23]

Hello all, as the title says I have a 96 explorer that I was led to believe needed an engine. Long story short come to find out the trans was bad not the engine. But anyways here's where I'm at now...

I put an engine and trans in this thing, both were used. I bought a new torque converter and flywheel. I got it all put together and drove it for about a week. It ran fine. On my home from work one day something in it "locked up." I towed it home and after checking a few things I have found that

1. The engine is not locked up. I judge by the fact that I can put a socket on the harmonic balancer and can turn the engine over by hand. There is what I think to be the proper amount of tension.

2. When you attempted to start the explorer you could hear the starter spinning but not hitting the flywheel.

3. After removing the starter, I can turn the engine by hand, but the flywheel doesn't spin.

I am going to be taking the transfer case/trans out this evening. I was wondering if maybe anybody here has heard of something like or might now what caused it. Thanks guys.

Dennis.

 

[pitbulldell]

I had this problem years ago on my 95 ex . What had happened was that the fly wheel cracked all the way around the bolts that held it to the engine

 

[isaacs23]

That's actually what happened to the guy that I got it from. It had cracked and was so bound up that it wouldn't let the engine turn over. The converter and flywheel were both brand new, what would cause that? The converter running dry? Maybe the pump in the converter was bad? Maybe the trans pump is bad?

 

[pitbulldell]

never knew what caused mine to break cause after about two years it cracked again but not as bad. i replaced the fly wheel and i had read on here that the spacer that the fly wheel bolts through will cause it to crack so i replaced that also.( i forget the exact name of that part as it was over 5 years ago when i replaced it) and have not had a problem since. do a search for cracked flywheel in sure the info will be there.

crankshaft to flexplate spacer. The Ford OEM design uses powdered iron. Get a Sonnax billet steel replacement.

 

[isaacs23]

Wonderful! Thanks a million for the info.

Dennis.


Just to let those that helped know, I pulled the trans out this evening, and I'll be damned, that spacer had split in half. All six bolts holding the flywheel to the crank had snapped. Not a huge deal, they all came out of the crank with relative ease. The flywheel and the torque converter both appear to be in pristine condition still. My question is do you think I should go ahead and replace the two of them or not? Got that spacer that was recommended above and a new set of flywheel bolts on the way. Hopefully it'll be back up in running by the weekend. Thanks a million for the help.

Dennis.