I'm sorry to hear about your car. You were lucky that the flywheel didn't end up in the passanger compartment and bounced around causing some real damage. Please post some pictures if you can. What kind of flywheel were you using - was it aluminum or steel? Did the flywheel fall apart or did it come off in one piece? Did you hear any banging just before it hapenned? If it was aluminum was it the same thickness as stock steel item or was it thicker at the mounting flange? If it was thicker did you use longer bolts and a steel spacer? Did the bolts pull out/break/shear?

Most manufacturers of aftermarket products sell them for "offroad/racing purposes only" without any warranties given or implied. Even if parts are warranted the manufacturer usually requires proof that the part was installed by a certified mechanic.

 

Ok I'm confused..... you had a FLEXPLATE in there but you have a 5 speed??? Did you mean flywheel? I looked on their site and didnt' see ANY manual trans parts.

 

Non turbo 2nd gens use a flexplate style of flywheel. They have a modular clutch with the pressure plate and friction together as one. If you saw it you would understand it, a flexplate but yet serves like a flywheel.

Im the guy he was on the highway with him and it was all bad. Rediculous really, flywheel bolts still intact with the crank and the metal center of the "flexplate" sheered around the bolts. SFI approved with less than 1k miles on it, how do you get and SFI approval with products like that?

 

SFI gives the standards and testing to insure manufacturers are complying. It is the job of the manufacturer to comply with SFI requirements and certify the parts meet the specifications by participating with SFI testing, including random testing of parts, placing SFI sticker with serial number on the part with date of manufacture. This is so if there is a failure they can trace back to when it was made. If they fail to meet the requirements when the manufacturer claims they do meet the requirements, then the manufacturer has some explaining to do. Can you send the part to SFI for testing or did they offer that to you?

Just because a part is certified as meeting SFI specs doesn't mean that won't fail. You should also be using an SFI certified belhousing or at least a scatter shield to prevent personal injury, etc.

 

You should also be using an SFI certified belhousing or at least a scatter shield to prevent personal injury, etc.

Holy crap can you imagine if it would have went backwards? I've heard of bad things happening (usually to the passenger).

I'm sure you must be bummed about the whole thing but I hate to say it's really not thier responsibility. They might have made a bad part, but if they got SFI cert then they aren't constantly making bad parts - this could be one in a million that just happened to be defective, and you're the unlucky guy who happened to get it.

The other side of it is that there are so many variables like torque specs, balance of that assembly, etc. Not to say that you didn't put it together correctly, but when it comes down to it you'll have to prove that it was 100% a defective part. It's good of them to offer a new one, but it's hard to expect much more than that. Maybe someones insurance will cover the rest?

 

Flexplates don't generally break, SFI or not, without something else contributing to it. Misalignment is a common problem to fail flexplates so make sure the engine to trans dowels are both in place. Loose bolts holding the flexplate on or the flywheel to the flexplate are also possible causes. We are working on a setup to eliminate the flexplate/modular design, and replace it with a forged flywheel and conventional design.

 

Flexplates don't generally break, SFI or not, without something else contributing to it. Misalignment is a common problem to fail flexplates so make sure the engine to trans dowels are both in place. Loose bolts holding the flexplate on or the flywheel to the flexplate are also possible causes. We are working on a setup to eliminate the flexplate/modular design, and replace it with a forged flywheel and conventional design.

2 ASE certified Mechanics that have been working on this car for over 4 years I think we know how to put a flexplate on.

As for torque specs they are dead nuts on, which also doesnt matter to much becuse no bolt was broken. All the bolts are still torqued inplace at the end of the crank. The metal sheered around the bolts and let go.

Well this car is probally one of the best put together cars I have seen, the tranny and interior being the only stock componets. We will send pics just email the thread starter for pics. This will speak all words of the flexplate quality. I just have a hard time seeing an SFI approved part going to hell on a low 11 sec car. But i do understand bad products can make it through.

 

2 ASE certified Mechanics that have been working on this car for over 4 years I think we know how to put a flexplate on.

As for torque specs they are dead nuts on, which also doesnt matter to much becuse no bolt was broken. All the bolts are still torqued inplace at the end of the crank. The metal sheered around the bolts and let go.

Well this car is probally one of the best put together cars I have seen, the tranny and interior being the only stock componets. We will send pics just email the thread starter for pics. This will speak all words of the flexplate quality. I just have a hard time seeing an SFI approved part going to hell on a low 11 sec car. But i do understand bad products can make it through.

No offense intended. I am not questioning the skill or quality of the work done. I am just trying to help with the limited information I have. There has to be a reason for the failure because a failure of this type is not common. I tried to email but your are not accepting email according to the forum. You can email me at dstarksen@advancedclutch.com with photos if you have time.

 

He should be posting or shooting you an email with the pictures.


So your planning on making a conventional clutch design for the 420a. That would be nice is there going to be a an aluminum flywheel an or puck designed clutches? We are deff in the market for a new clutch and flywheel at this point. As well as a radiator, tranny, water lines, starter, wiring harness and almost anything you can think of.

 

He should be posting or shooting you an email with the pictures.


So your planning on making a conventional clutch design for the 420a. That would be nice is there going to be a an aluminum flywheel an or puck designed clutches? We are deff in the market for a new clutch and flywheel at this point. As well as a radiator, tranny, water lines, starter, wiring harness and almost anything you can think of.

The flywheel will be forged chrome-moly one piece like our other flywheels. I don't care for aluminum flywheels much. We are aiming for 50% increase in clamp load and a selection of discs (street, 4/6 puck solid, 4/6 puck spring center). It wll probably be summer before they are ready because of the forgings. We have to share the forging batch with another application since there isn't enough demand to run these by themselves.

 

hey man i broke two of these sfi flexplates lol ... i went to the neon fw and got rid of the modular unit went with the fidanza fw and spec stadge 3 clutch no problems so far 700miles later

 

This may be the route we need to go, this was bad man I have seen few things that destroyed a car this bad.

 

That sucks that they are just leaving you stuck wth a completely messed up car. You could probably get something out of it if you were to get a lawyer and jump through some hoops.

 

That sucks that they are just leaving you stuck wth a completely messed up car. You could probably get something out of it if you were to get a lawyer and jump through some hoops.

I was going to get a lawyer but mine cost so much money, which isnt a big deal when it comes to something as expensive as this. I also called SFI and they told me to deal with Performance Automatic who made the flexplate and deal with them. Basically they told me to piss off along with PA.
So what I figure that I do is try to get on these message boards and call up magazines such as Turbo Magazine and tell my story so everyone can understand that even tho it may say SFI approved.....you can still die. lol

 

I was going to get a lawyer but mine cost so much money, which isnt a big deal when it comes to something as expensive as this. I also called SFI and they told me to deal with Performance Automatic who made the flexplate and deal with them. Basically they told me to piss off along with PA.
So what I figure that I do is try to get on these message boards and call up magazines such as Turbo Magazine and tell my story so everyone can understand that even tho it may say SFI approved.....you can still die. lol

So SFI isn't interested in inspecting the part to see if it actually meets their specs?

 

SFI told me to send the pics and they said just by looking at them they know its deffective.....they told me I need to go to tha manufacturer and deal with them. As of what they did to them im not real sure.....but my guess would be nothing at all!

 

As far as I am concerned whoever MADE that flywheel is who you need to go after.

Just because a grocery store has USDA meats doesn't mean you couldn't get Salmonella from it.

And if you did get sick from the meat you would go after the store not the USDA.

If they won't back what they made that is a shame.