Help - flexplate spacer?
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 360
Likes: 1
From: Kansas City metro area
Help - flexplate spacer? I am putting a 4L60E (pre '97) behind my 1998 Camaro LS1. I have a bad feeling that this has all been hashed out before. I bought the dished flexplate 12563136 that went on the engine fine but when we tried to bolt the torque convertor to the flexplate the snout on the convertor was short of going in the end of the crankshaft by maybe a half or three quarters of an inch. The guy at the transmission shop got a flatter flexplate that looks like it may fit but it is counter-weighted and seems like it will pull the torque convertor was out of the transmission. I don’t think the LS1 5.7 takes a counter-weighted flexplate. Now I see that there is a spacer available to take up the space between the crank flange and the convertor snout. So should I go with the dished 12563136 flexplate that I have and get the spacer? This is like when I started finding out about LS1s 5 years ago. HELP!
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Fredericksburg Va
I am putting a 4L60E (pre '97) behind my 1998 Camaro LS1. I have a bad feeling that this has all been hashed out before. I bought the dished flexplate 12563136 that went on the engine fine but when we tried to bolt the torque convertor to the flexplate the snout on the convertor was short of going in the end of the crankshaft by maybe a half or three quarters of an inch. The guy at the transmission shop got a flatter flexplate that looks like it may fit but it is counter-weighted and seems like it will pull the torque convertor was out of the transmission. I don’t think the LS1 5.7 takes a counter-weighted flexplate. Now I see that there is a spacer available to take up the space between the crank flange and the convertor snout. So should I go with the dished 12563136 flexplate that I have and get the spacer? This is like when I started finding out about LS1s 5 years ago. HELP!
What the transmission came from is just as important as the year. For example, 1997 4L60E's are all electronic and able to be controlled by the LSx PCM. However the 4.3 V6 and the GEN II iron "Vortec" 5.7 variants need the crank spacer while the LSx variants do not. To see if the transmission can be properly controlled by the PCM, the front pump will have "PWM" cast in it. You can see this in the upper left quadrant with the torque converter off.
PWM on the front pump:
You actually don't need the 6.0 flat flex plate, you just need the proper spacer with the flexplate you have. The spacer is .400" and can be purchased through the GM Performance Parts dealer network, Skoggin Dickey, Jegs, etc. GM P/N spacer: 12563532 (one) and longer bolts: 12563533 (six).
GM spacer you need (or one similar with the six longer bolts):
or a spacer like this eliminates the longer bolts:
PWM on the front pump:
You actually don't need the 6.0 flat flex plate, you just need the proper spacer with the flexplate you have. The spacer is .400" and can be purchased through the GM Performance Parts dealer network, Skoggin Dickey, Jegs, etc. GM P/N spacer: 12563532 (one) and longer bolts: 12563533 (six).
GM spacer you need (or one similar with the six longer bolts):
or a spacer like this eliminates the longer bolts:
Last edited by gofastwclass; Dec 7, 2012 at 07:13 PM.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 360
Likes: 1
From: Kansas City metro area
Thanks gofastwclass. It is the first version with 4 bolts holding the tailhousing on. The trans has a rebuilt pump so I don't see the PWM on it. But it is a 4L60E since it has the PCM connector and they did all of the 65E upgrades right? As far as everyhig fitting I think the flexplate I have and the .400 spacer will get everything supported properly. I am in Kansas City too, Lee's Summit.
