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1997 Grand Prix GTP, flex plate change out

M

Mike3

New member
The flex plate broke a tooth and ruined the starter drive gear. Can the engine and transmission be separated a few inches such that the flex plate can be changed out?
 


it would be a tight fit, but you may get it done. if it dont clear, all's thats left is the fuel lines, rad hoses and wire harness and its out.
 
If I have to do much more than remove the screws holding the bell housing to the block and prying them apart I'm going to sell it as-is. I just don't want to mess with it. So I was hoping I would find someone who had done exactly what I'm suggesting...or say there's not a snowball's chance in hell.
 
i just did a engine swap, from what i saw its tight looking. most pull the engine or the tranny to change the flex. the flex needs to be put on right too, the holes have a pattern they need to line up to, it would be hard to line them up right with out being able to see them clearly.

theres a few more bolts than just the bell housing to separate the two, theres the tc bolts then a bracket on the tail shaft to the engine block, and a another bell housing bolt thats on the other side of the bell housing.
 
He's right^^^^ Even if you somehow manage to pull all the flywheel bolts out you have to torque them to spec and that's not going to happen.
 


It's a good time to sell it.

I bought the car new in 1997. It has 220K +/- miles. Ran like a top until Thursday afternoon at which point it started flashing the "check engine soon" light and ran a little rough. Got it home OK. It hasn't started since. Apparently two things happened. It broke a tooth off the flex plate that last time I started it. Then within a few miles it started with the warning. I don't get any codes from the scanner. Maybe the computer died. Before I could get that nailed down the starter solenoid gave up, probably as a result of cranking it with the messed up flex plate.

It drips oil but doesn't burn any. The transmission was taken out of the car and completely disassembled by the Pontiac dealership at 103k miles. Lifters, radiator, hoses, high pressure power steering hose, battery, washer pump, plastic coupler in the blower snout, AC compressor, dryer all new in the last 30K */- miles. Needs rear brakes. Hood and fenders need to be repainted. Light hail damage.

I'm in Norman, Oklahoma. If you're interested PM me and we'll thrash out the details.
 
I'm in agreement on selling.

It's that or you have to pull one or the other and you have to pull either too far to leave most stuff connected.
 
I have a dilemma. If I can't get the car started no ones going to have any confidence that once they repair all the stuff I SAY is wrong that it still won't be a piece of junk. So I think I have to be able to get it to start. That means a starter and an ECM from the salvage yard. But I don't know about the ECM. Does anyone know if I can swap ECM's? If I can what do I look for exactly? Does it have to be another 1997 GTP or can it be just any GTP? Can it be a Buick Regal with the same engine?
 
I would try swapping starters and you will need a PCM from a 97 (if the computer is bad). They are a different style starting in 98. The car should run ok with a broken tooth on the flexplate. I agree swapping flexplates without removing the engine or transmission would be nearly impossible.
 


Start with checking your fuses before you go replacing the pcm. IIRC the obd port is powered by the same fuse as the cigarette lighter, so check that out at least.
 
Hell they usually only break a tooth, I went months in an old Buick LeSabre and every time I hit the spot where it wouldn't move I would grab the crank pulley and turn it just past the bad spot and it would start right up... unless it took more than 1 revolution to get it to start, then I had to try again. Lol

Jeff
 
I have TOAD scanner software on the laptop. I don't have the flash cable but could buy it. Where can I find the file I'd need?
 


99GT2dr said:
Start with checking your fuses before you go replacing the pcm. IIRC the obd port is powered by the same fuse as the cigarette lighter, so check that out at least.
Click to expand...
ECM fuse checks good and 11+ volts across connections. The scanner reads same voltage at port.
 
what hes saying is 97 pcm's are for that year only. if your a gtp, you need a gtp pcm for it to just work. if you had a tuner you could make a n/a 97 pcm work by changing the bin file in it to a gtp file.

97 is a bastard year. lots of things are just 97 year only. like that dumb pcm its got.
 
GrannyDoggs said:
what hes saying is 97 pcm's are for that year only. if your a gtp, you need a gtp pcm for it to just work. if you had a tuner you could make a n/a 97 pcm work by changing the bin file in it to a gtp file.

97 is a bastard year. lots of things are just 97 year only. like that dumb pcm its got.
Click to expand...
Where can I find the bin file?
 
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