My 1995 blazer's flex plate has the teeth rounded and it looks as tho who worked on this car didn't know how to install a starter. Could someone tell me how many bolts there is that connects the tranny to the motor and is there any surprises. I appreciate the info.

 

There are 6 bolts that hold the transmission to the engine, 3 bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate, and 6 bolts holding the flex plate to the crank.

If you can do it, the easiest way to accomplish this repair is with some threaded rod or 6-8" long bolts. Unbolt the transmission from the engine & the torque converter from the flex plate, then install the long bolts in the lower two bolt holes on the bell housing. Supporting the transmission on a jack with some plywood or 2x8 between the pan & the jack and using a ratchet strap to hold them together, move the transmission backwards until you have enough room to get your wrenches/etc up between the torque converter & the flex plate. Remove the flex plate bolts & flex plate.

Clean up the threads on the flex plate bolts as well as those in the back of the crank. Inspect the rear main seal (now would be the time to replace it if necessary). Use thread locker on the bolts and torque them to spec once you've put the new flex plate up in place. Slide the transmission back in & reinstall all of the bolts.

The upper two bolts are going to be a pain. They are best accessed by removing the transmission mounting crossmember & dropping the transmission down; using a bunch of extensions to reach the bolts. You just have to be careful that you don't lower things too far & crack the distributor against the firewall under the hood.

 

I just replaced the flexplate on my wife's '93 Jimmy and I can't recommend Kyle's method highly enough. That's exactly what I did on that job. By putting long bolts or threaded rods in the lower bolt holes it keeps the transmission and engine in line so you won't have problems getting them back together later.

I would suggest that when you replace the flexplate you use brand new flexplate bolts. When I did my wife's flexplate the warranty stated that new bolts have to be used. Yes, it's a little bit more expensive, but since this is a job that most people don't want to do twice it's a good idea to use new bolts and reduce the possibility of failure in the future.

 

I can't thank you both enough for your guidance and that trick with the long bolts. I'll be diving into that job in the next few days and I will post the outcome. Thanks a billion knowing this site exists gives me a piece of mine.

 

You're welcome. This forum has saved hours of my life.

I'll add one more thing: when I did the bellhousing bolts I found that going at it from the back of the transmission with several extensions, a universal joint, and a magnetic insert in the socket was an amazingly effective way to do the job.