When I was driving back from dinner working on a project 5 hours from home, my CRD sounded like an early 7.3L Power Stroke starting up cold at -10F. Then I was going no where with out a tow truck. A repair shop in Oxford, OH that used to be a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep dealer got me back on the road. When I knew what happened, I called Suncoast and Erny recommended welding washers onto the Flex Plate and going to 3/8" - 24 TPI Grade 8 bolts. The shop University Motors was able to come up with 10mm bolts in a 10.9 hardness, the metric equivalent of grade 8.
Flex Plate

Torque Converter

$611.53 and I am back on the road.
After the event, I figured out how going to the larger bolts could be done with out dropping the transmission as long as they did not fail like mine did. Needless to say, I wish I had done it before it failed, hind sight is always 20-20.
1st, use a step drill or a drill collar on the drill to drill out the Flex Plate holes to 25/64ths.
2nd, using a Q drill with the end flattened, drill out the 5/16" - 24 threads in the torque converter.
3rd, using a tapping fluid, start with a 3/8" -24 plug tap and finish off with 3/8" - 24 bottoming tap.
4th, clean out hole with break cleaner and allow to dry, use compressed air to speed up the process.
5th, use Loctite (Suncoast recommends RED) install new larger bolt and torque up (50 Ft-Lb?).
Proceed to the next bolt until finished.
If you have more than an Eco Tune or Stock Tune, I would recommend going to larger bolts, Duramax and Power Strokes with strong tunes are failing their 5/16" bolts, why would our CRDs be any different?
May the Detroit Bean Counter Engineers spend a very long time in a place with the same name as a town between Howell and Lansing, MI.

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2006 Pearl Green CRD
Magnaflow 2 1/2" Cat Back
KJ Extra Leg Room Brackets, Carter Lift Pump, V6 Airbox, ORM
Fuel cooler, Oil Separator, Progard 7
Gauges EGT Boost Trans Temp Oil Pres, Michelin LXT AT2 245 70 R16
7,000# Draw Tight hitch, PML EX Deep Trans Pan
Centrifuge, SunCoast, Transgo, RAM TCM, InMotion Stage 2
Wife's 99 TDI VW Beetle

Mine failed also but I was lucky...My installer Rich Bewick of Bewick Transmissions absorbed the labor and cost of a new flywheel and drilled ant tapped my suncoast TC's bolts out to 3/8 fine thread.....If your in the Detroit area I highly recommend him for any transmission work...He's one of the honest ones....He does work on Monster truck transmissions so he knows his stuff....HJ


Here's what he had to say....
"After reviewing the bolts that sun cost provided and observing the depth and threads in the converter, I'm convinced this is faulty by design, or at least can be improved.
I spoke to someone at sun coast, explaining what happened and asked if it was alright to re drill 4 new holes rather than trying to helicoil the existing damaged holes. They assured me that it was ok. We decided to use a larger diameter bolt. The original is a fine thread 1/4"? bolt, and the depth did not go deep enough into the converter. The holes in the flywheel from the factory are much larger. I had 4 3/8 fine threaded holes machined onto the converter. I attached some pictures so you can get a idea of the damaged and improved holes. We machined the bolts to get maximum depth into the converter, but sill have plenty of clearance as not to bottom out (this step is important)."

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☀lllllll☀Black 05 CRD Splimited, Track Lock, Select Track, Suncoast TC, Transgo shift kit
GDE Hot Tune & Trans Tune, K&N Filter minder, Green Air Filter, Magnaflow 1226
LT245/75/16 BFG AT, EVIC, INPro LED 3rd Brake Light, V6 Airbox
LED Courtesy Lts & Rear floor Lts, Halo Key Light
02 Radio Bezel with ashtray & LED light ☀lllllll☀

Warp, will this only work on the Suncoast, or will it work on the Euro?

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2006 Sport, GDE FT Eco Tune, Custom Trans Tune
2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn EcoDiesel, GDE Hot Tune

What a bummer! Hope my euro never has that problem!

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05 CRD Sport Dark Kahki

RRO: Adventure Rack/Rails ** MOPAR: Skids/Renny Flares & 255/75r17 (32.1) BFG M/T on JK wheels ** ARB: Bumper/IPF lights/790/948/shocks ** GDE: TCM/Hot Tune ** ROCKLIZARD: Super Sliders/Komodo Bumper

My Build Thread
US Army Infantry

Going by only memory, as long as the welds are strong enough to hold the tabs onto the stamped sheet metal converter front, I don't see why it would not. Just don't drill into the converter body, flatten the end of the drill and use a drill stop collar if you try it.
The one thing the Suncoast has with the front billet cover is more metal that will allow for drilling out the bolt area. Also with the front billet cover ring where the bolt holes are, it could handle more bolts than any sane technician would ever want to bolt in, even an MGB or Perkins Diesel Technician.

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2006 Pearl Green CRD
Magnaflow 2 1/2" Cat Back
KJ Extra Leg Room Brackets, Carter Lift Pump, V6 Airbox, ORM
Fuel cooler, Oil Separator, Progard 7
Gauges EGT Boost Trans Temp Oil Pres, Michelin LXT AT2 245 70 R16
7,000# Draw Tight hitch, PML EX Deep Trans Pan
Centrifuge, SunCoast, Transgo, RAM TCM, InMotion Stage 2
Wife's 99 TDI VW Beetle

I guess i will have to pull arengant's old tc out of the box and look it over.

What grade bolts come with the tc anyways?

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2006 Sport, GDE FT Eco Tune, Custom Trans Tune
2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn EcoDiesel, GDE Hot Tune

Why did this thread end as it i did?

Any updates?

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2006 Jeep Liberty CRD 142,000 miles New engine 2-2014, Green Eco tune, FS2500 bypass filter Weeks elbow, European Torque converter, brakes front UCA's wheel bearing and front hubs. Front hitch OEM lift pump
98 K2500 Suburban 6.5td
96 K1500 " 6.5td
95 2 door Tahoe 6.5td
94 K3500 cc srw 5 speed 6.5td
91 International Model 6 speed spicer 4700