possible fly wheel ?

Today I had a mechanic going through one of my 02's with a fine tooth comb for someone interested in buying it. He said he believed that the transmission had been replaced (car has 102k) based on a marking on the side of the tranny. The car at idle in neutral has a slight vibration yet once you put it in gear, it smoothes right out. Based on this info, wouldn't it make sense to unbolt the fly wheel from the torque converter and rotate it 180 degrees? Has anyone run into something like this? Thank you in advance.

Hi Kev. The flywheel should be balanced so it should not make any difference how it is bolted on. You may want to check for a small crack around the mounting bolts. The engine idles a little higher in neutral/park and may cause a vibration and it is not noticed in gear when the idle is lower.

that's kind of what I was afraid of. I assume it's a common issue, huh? In theory it's not a horrible job to replace one, is it? Or would you probably just leave it alone?

To replace it all you have to do is remove the transmission. Unbolt it from the crank ans carefully inspect for any cracks. If you are worried about it before you sell it, go ahead and have it checked. Or explain to perspective buyer about the vibration and state that you don't exactly know what it is. Let them know up front about the little vibration issue. Then see what they say back to you.

I have had cracks before also have found loose bolts which by removing the bottom cover and using a long thin about 1/2 normal thickness I was able to tighten the bottom bolt then rotate it until all bolts were tight. Also check the tail piece and see if it is loose. You can replace the bushing with a special tool. Have the vehicle on jack stands and use a flashlight and look up from the bottom. Maybe a broken tooth causing an out of balance condition. If you can find the problem before you start you will feel better.