88 Cherokee Piston Slap? Nope, Cracked Flexplate

Yes, internally balanced.

 

Instead of flex plate they should name it Breaking plate.

 

Kinda looks balanced to me, with all those holes drilled in that spot. But I know little about these things. All I know is that I think wife's Cherokee needs one, too.

Maybe I missed it but, did you spin the rotating mass since removal of the flex plate....to listen for the knock....to make sure it's gone?

 

Isn't this universal for those of us that have the good fortune to know she'll be there for the next stupid thing we want to do? Mine's been doing that since 1992...

 

excellent read.

I'd be thinking the timing chain is the next project while I have this thing all apart. It'd give me pieces of my mind... (I'm late to the party).

OK, I'd bolt it up, get it going, spin it around the block and then have the daughter drive me to the DQ for a dilly bar...

Then I'd fix the timing chain.

It always amazes me the collective wealth of experience and knowledge folks here have and willys-ingly share for those of us who dabble and getting in over our heads with this stuff.

 

just a question: since the transmission is out...

Any thoughts of servicing it? (new filter, drain / replace oil, etc.)

 

Cheap low quality parts.

 

IMO, they each have their quirks. Lining them up is a piece of cake, but the flex plate bolts can be a pain on most engines, and the fluid lines can be a challenge, especially when setting them up from scratch. They have a flat bottom, so using a jack actually makes life easier, not harder like under a big truck 4-spd.