Gearbox Update - Help!

[scam75]

Afternoon all

Well finally got the AOR box apart and its bad news. Full gear set, crown wheel and pinion is toast. [] The LSD has survived and I can get a full gear set from somebody who has contacted me. I need a crown wheel and pinion. Does anybody A:know if the crown wheel and pinion is the same as in any 944 box, any turbo box? B: Have one!

I do have a non LSD turbo box in the car just now but it is quite noisy. The crown wheel and pinion may be ok, this box although noisy, hasn't run dry on oil to the best of my knowledge and it may well just be noisy bearings. So I could remove this box and get it opened, hope it is the bearings, replace them, chuck on the LSD and we should be all good. However this leaves me without a car, and also there is the risk that the crown wheel and pinion may be no good. So really I want the AOR box fixed and ready to swap back over. Bit of a quandary really. If I could get a decent crown wheel and pinion I would be over the moon!

Thanks in advance

Stuart

 

[944Turbo]

Don't recall anyone else ever looking for one so the one in your other box 'might' be ok - Or they don't get looked at very often and they can survive in a poor state!
I believe the S2 final drive is shorter and will give you more acceleration / lower top speed, I think the NA cars have shorter gearing but a longer final drive so slower acceleration and higher top speed potential, lower rpm for any given speed.

 

[scam75]

Thanks. The crown wheel and pinion for the AOR is different. It seems I can get them from OPC for £1k inc vat and discount. I'm sincerely hoping that the box can go back together with the existing crown wheel and pinion plus the rest of the gear set I can get my hands on for reasonable money. The box still worked when I removed it so can't be complete trash plus the current box is noisier than the AOR that was removed. Leap of faith needed here I think!

Stuart

 

[PSH]

Just to say good luck with the build, Stuart...I doubt very much if there's a 944 out there bar garage queens that doesn't have a worn crown...if you have play between the two shafts when turning opposite directions you have play...IIRC there should be no more than 0.8mm movement on a box within spec?

good luck

Pete

 

[scam75]

Thanks Pete. I've went down to see the gearbox man this morning. Although reluctant to re-use the crown and pinion eventually he agreed to dress it as best as he could to take the edge off the light scoring. I will also need to re-use my 1st gear, but that looked ok. I've managed to source all the other bits from a kind chap on TIPEC for a very reasonable price. Given that the box was much quieter than my current one before removal, although a bit whiney at higher revs, I'm hoping this will do the trick so fingers crossed! Plan B, if Plan A fails, is to do the bearings on the UY box and chuck in the LSD, not my preferred option but will need to do if Plan A doesn't work. I'm sure it's just bearing noise from the UY box as with it not having the external oil cooler it probably hasn't run dry and is most likely just bearing wear. Also need to chase up D911 for my adapter kit for my oil cooler solution, although probably won't need it for another couple of weeks due to current state of play. This has been an ordeal, I really hope my AOR box pulls through, as does my bank manager!

Cheers

Stuart

 

[PSH]

You may recall that I was concerned about the noise from my box a couple of months ago...it's been as quiet as a mouse since changing the oil...I know that I have too much play in the crown/pinion, not noticeable when driving, I guess it may knock a tenth of the 0-60 times...not that I'm worried about that... I also have the '89' box fitted, I bought this when destroying my original non LSD box about 15 years ago..my own fault...bad gear change. Think it cost me approx £1k with 69k miles on it at the time, I've probably added nearly another 100k since.

Pete

 

[scam75]

Yes Pete, glad you sorted that. I've got some nice Royal Purple oil awaiting the completion of the rebuild so hopefully that will be the icing on the cake! Destroying a turbo box, in 2018, is definitely something you don't want to do. Complete boxes in decent nick are hens teeth never mind trying to find a specific type in useable order. Anything you may source will need a rebuild which is never cheap. If all goes to plan I will refurb my UY box and store it away, heavily insured (!), for a rainy day for me or someone else in need.

Stuart

 

[scam75]

Well that's the AOR rebuilt and back from the gearbox man. Managed to get a box of gears and stuff from a disassembled AOR and best bits from that plus mine been used. Crown and pinion cleaned up well and gearbox man happy with the outcome. So fingers crossed! Hopefully get it fitted next week.

Stuart

 

[Frenchy]

Keep us posted, they really are a labour of love at times.

 

[scam75]

Getting the box fitted on Monday Jim. I have a 13 row mocal and the 9products adapters. Just need some hoses made up once we decide where the cooler is to be mounted. Got 3 litres of Royal Purple to fill it. Can't wait to get it back together. Hopefully all will be well but defo fingers crossed! The gearbox man seems to think it should be good. All the gears and bearings are good. He was happy with the recovery work on the crown and pinion and says it all seems to move well. Plus it's all nice and shiny now as well!

Stuart

 

[scam75]

Well all back together today, lovely neat new cooler solution, replaced elbow on water pump which had a small leak. Unfortunately a test drive showed the gearbox is still gubbed. Most likely the crown and pinion, which was a fingers crossed job, the likely culprit. Very noisy. So where now? There is an AOR on eBay at £1200 with no history or guarantees. Most likely have to strip the UY box and see if crown and pinion ok then yet another gearbox in and out affair. Boot in the balls of the highest order.

Stuart

 

[Dan944t]

Sorry to here that crap news stu!

Have you tried douglous valley breakers? ( this may not be the correct spelling

hope you get sorted soon and it’s not too expensive.

Atb
Daniel

 

[scam75]

Tried every breaker under the sun weeks ago. Pointless task. Rocking horse poo! May have secured a used but undamaged crown and pinion. Just another gearbox removal, gearbox rebuild and gearbox re fit to do! There is an AOR on the bay. £1080 or best offer, plus its cash on collection only (London). I've offered him half of that seen as how the box has no history or any sort of guarantee. Worth a punt at £500 plus £200 in fuel for the round trip. Any more than that then I think its too expensive. Doing my nut in really. [:'(]

Stuart

 

[blade7]

How much is an S2 gearbox?

 

[scam75]

Anything between 3 and 5 ton blade with no sort of warranty. Any 2nd hand box is a punt unless very lucky then you have box build to pay plus removal and refit costs as I can't swap gearboxes myself on the driveway. Ramp, transmission jack and two competent bodies required.

I've now secured a used but good crown and pinion. Getting sent up tomorrow. I need the box out the car again then get both my boxes to the gearbox man to build one decent one in to the AOR casing. With a bit of luck the crown and pinion ok in my other box and might get 2 good boxes back as I have a box of gears and bits also. Once this is done, if it works, I'll be the best part of £2.5k in, which does include the parts for the new cooler solution which came to £250 odds. If I end up with 2 boxes can at least recoup some money else may keep other box spare for me or anyone in a pickle.

This by far and away worst ever times of ownership.

Stuart

 

[Dan944t]

Sorry to hear of your bad luck with the box mate.

if it makes any odds I’ve had the same Hastle when someone kindly put too much boost through my engine and split the number 4 cylinder, and I had to go to extreme measures to fix the problem down the custom route. I’ve ended up rebuilding my whole engine , they also wrecked the rods and pistons so the parts bill was eye watering and I could have bought a second hand fast hatch maybe a mint mk2 golf gti but I had to fix the car and I’m only just finishing off the build now so I feel your pain mate and it does feel disappointing at times but the end result is always more than worth it, just never the right time to cost so much money to get there!

good luck with it and hope all is on mend from here on ??

Daniel

 

[blade7]

Anything between 3 and 5 ton blade with no sort of warranty. Any 2nd hand box is a punt unless very lucky then you have box build to pay plus removal and refit costs as I can't swap gearboxes myself on the driveway.

This by far and away worst ever times of ownership.

Stuart

Flog it and buy a Golf R [].

 

[scam75]

Ha Ha! Who'd buy a 944t with a cheese grater for a box!

I'm with Dan. Get if fixed and take the pain. The car is special and draws far more looks than a Golf R. Not to mention appreciating rather than depreciating!

Much you selling yours for Blade? []

 

[scam75]

And cheers Dan []

 

[blade7]

Ha Ha! Who'd buy a 944t with a cheese grater for a box!

I'm with Dan. Get if fixed and take the pain. The car is special and draws far more looks than a Golf R. Not to mention appreciating rather than depreciating!

Much you selling yours for Blade? []

Depends if a buyer wanted all the 3.0 bits that I've collected too. I wouldn't set the dog on someone if they turned up with £20k...[]