I know it sounded really dumb.

But if the kid asked "What is a flexplate?", would he have got the same response?

Think about it...there are no flywheels in cars that have automatic transmissions, are there? (Or was daddy wrong?) I was always told that a vehicle with a manual transmission has a flywheel, and a vehicle with an automatic transmission has a flexplate. Agreed they do the same job.

Well here's my stupid question for the day because I don't know that much about transmissions. Why is it called a "flexplate" in an automatic trans vehicle and a "flywheel" in a maunual trans vehicle?

Really, I'm not trolling!

A flywheel is an energy storage device due to rotational inertia, a flex plate is too thin and light for it to be considered an energy storage device hence the different name.

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Outlawed tunes from outlawed pipes

Just for grins, I thought that I'd add that a torque converter with it's mass stores some energy, so it isn't necessary with the auto.

Oh so its physics? I LOVE IT !!!! I'll be sure to find a storage place for this tidbit!

[thread split from the Dump]

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wow, love those pm stats, jon! it's called a flex plate cause if you step on it, it flexes and you throw it away