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Swapped flexplate, now won't start

XJSteven

NAXJA Forum User
Location
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Hi, I pulled the flexplate out of my 96 XJ (OBDII) today and it was badly cracked around the bolts so I grabbed a spare flexplate and spent the day putting it all back together again. When I went to start it up it turns over but won't start, so I thought maybe I somehow damaged the crank angle sensor.

But then I discovered that not all flexplates are the same, even though they looked the same to me, and the one I installed is out of a 95 OBDI XJ. Could this be my problem? Are the square cut outs on the lip that the crank angle sensor reads off different on a 95? To be honest I didn't even notice the square holes when I was comparing them side by side. :(

I have spark at the coil and I can hear the fuel pump start up for a few seconds when I turn the ignition on, so I guess the crank angle sensor is fine.
 
The information I have says a 1995 flex plate won't function correctly in a 1996-2001.

.
Each of the following engine years has a different part number for the flex plate:

1987-1990 -

1991-1992 -

1993-1995 - #52117761

1996-2001 - #52118551
 
The information I have says a 1995 flex plate won't function correctly in a 1996-2001.

.
Each of the following engine years has a different part number for the flex plate:

1987-1990 - #33002675

1991-1992 - #53006324

1993-1995 - #52117761

1996-2001 - #52118551

Thought I would add a little. :yelclap:
 
Thanks for that. Does anyone know what the difference is? I assume it's only the square cut outs for the crank angle sensor. Are flexplates listed under a different name because I cant find them on www.rockauto.com?

Under the 1995 year they are listed in the auto trans section as flexplate--they don't have a listing under 1996-2001 for the flexplate or adapter plate (another common term).
 
Last edited:
95 to 96, the difference is the window cut outs for the crank position sensor.
 
The information I have says a 1995 flex plate won't function correctly in a 1996-2001.

.
Each of the following engine years has a different part number for the flex plate:

1987-1990 -

1991-1992 -

1993-1995 - #52117761

1996-2001 - #52118551

Thanks for that. Does anyone know what the difference is? I assume it's only the square cut outs for the crank angle sensor. Are flexplates listed under a different name because I cant find them on www.rockauto.com?

95 to 96, the difference is the window cut outs for the crank position sensor.





there is NO diffrence between the 91-99 flexplates except the part#, ran a 93 flexplate in my 98 with no issues, the cps could of gotten damaged or somthing was left unpluged
 
Thanks for all the replies. I changed the Crank Angle Sensor over and it started straight up. I'm going out to celebrate now that I have saved myself a lot of work swapping the flexplate over again. So there you go...the 91-99 flexplates do appear to be the same. :)
 
No worries Tim, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about this. I received an email back from a well-known supplier of Jeep parts today that states the 91-95 and 96-01 flexplates "are not interchangeable, they are different". Someone forgot to tell this to my XJ because it's running fine now. haha.
 
It's not bogus info, but it's missing a bit. AFAIK (I haven't checked in years and the db I normally use for checking if a part has been superseded is down atm) each of the older part numbers EXCEPT the RENIX one is superseded by the newest one, i.e. if you ask the dealer for the 91-93 flexplate you'll get the one they put in the 01s.

All the OBDI/II CPSes are reportedly the same as well, just with different connectors. One of the local guys ended up screwed for time and spliced the connector from his dead 93/94 CPS onto something like a 99 CPS because it was all he had on hand and it worked fine. Only trick is making sure you get the 3 wires spliced to the right things. This isn't really all that useful as far as info goes, at least until you've got a dead rig in front of you on the trail and your spare won't fit their jeep, or your CPS dies at 11PM and you have to fix it in time to get to work tomorrow.

RENIX CPSes and flexplates are for RENIX years only, though.
 
Is the 52117761 flexplate correct for my aw4 swap into a 1997 OBDII tj Wrangler?

The 97 Wrangler was first year for OBDII. I have a 95 aw4 with p# 52117761 flexplate waiting on confirmation to go in.
What has me worried/confused is these two threads about the cps slots being 60° off for H.O. versions (also some un explained inconsistencies w others here only solved by a different cps)
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=246054243#post246054243
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70494

Not sure if this applies to my swap, any advice appreciated..
 
To the op. XJSteven,
Curious on some details when you changed flexplates then had start problems.
I assume the jeep ran before you changed flexplate, do you think the cps got damaged during swap and that was the no start issue? Just seems odds are (unless obvious damage to old cps) that the new replaced cps on a OBDII XJ some how got along better with the OBDI 95 flexplate??

Anyways, just thinking that maybe newer/replacement cps may be more universal for the yet to be confirmed "differences between 1991-1995 & 1996-2001flexplates"

I may be barking up the wrong tree and all 91-01 flexplates may be interchangeable or as some here have stated there is a 60° clocked difference between some flexplates, this could be just wrong, rare or random??

I've even read that to account for the 60° difference you can adjust distributor one tooth.:banghead:
 
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