On the vanagon the ring gear is on the converter. If the plate is completely broken no start. Without the mass of a flywheel or the converter it won't run well either.

Dennis

Sent from my Windows Phone
I can't type anyway!
________________________________
From: mark drillock
Sent: 7/23/2012 12:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Suddenly nothing

I think the point Dennis was making is that during starting the starter
gear engages with gear teeth that are on the flex plate. If the flex
plate breaks free from the engine then the starter can't really turn the
engine anymore so how is it going to start it?

Mark

Hector Zapata wrote:
> Mine had a broken flex plate, and it does a lot of noise, like a soon to
> die water pump. The engine did run, the torque converter paid the price.
>
> Hector
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 10:22 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Broken flex plate you won't get the engine to run.
>>
>>