The tech never said anything about the timing chains on these engines. He didn't believe anything was wrong inside the engine. We both listened to the rattle and It does sound like its coming from the rear... I guess my question is how can i know for sure it is the flex plate? I took the cover off and cant see any cracks. He said it would crack around the crank bolts, And you cant see them from the bottom.

If I took the torque converter bolts out and pushed it back, could I run the engine to see if the noise is gone? Is there enough clearance for that?