Flywheel Bolt missing

LIQUIDLENNY

MEMBER
2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX
55,000 MILES

06 equinox. Had a bad rattle I investigated and found a bolt wedged between the starter and the fly wheel. It is not a torque converter bolt but it does match the size if the 6 bolts that are in the center if the fly wheel. Since I removed the bolt the rattling has stopped and the engine sounds fine. Is this something I need to worry about. It is an expensive repair to replace the bolt. Can I get by with the 5 remaining bolts or do you thing they will eventually come loose and cause more damage.

2 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Check the flywheel if its crack if okay-Try retorquing the 5 bolts to specs 52ft lbs and go from there on

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Sunday, July 8th, 2012 AT 11:14 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Depends on why that one came loose. If someone had it apart and forgot to tighten that one, I'd live with it. If they forgot to tighten all of them, I'd expect to hear a rattling / banging-type of noise.

If more come loose, eventually the last one or two might shear off from carrying all the load, at which point you gotta pull it apart. If you are afraid it's going to come apart and leave you with a piece of bolt broken off inside the hole in the crankshaft, then you're guaranteed of having to take it apart. I'd be inclined to take my chances and keep on driving. Check inside the inspection cover in a month or two to see if any more bolt parts show up.