Whoops Think I have Just Blown Up My Gearbox

[simkin911]

Good news that the cause has been found and just think how much you will have saved in labour rates and gained in (a perverse way) satisfaction of doing it yourself!

Out of interest, do you think this will be the 2nd replacement clutch for the car since new - noting the mileage on the clock?

Well done. Nearly there []

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Well at least you didn't strip it for nothing! And well done for getting there.

I know you have the kit and skills but if you need a hand.

PS Would like to refer to my first post on the thread []

 

[Jonny944CS]

Well done Rob, I'm glad all that work wasn't in vain - always nice to find a clear cause.

From the pics it also looks like the friction plate is also worn down to it's limit studs.

No sign of any Porsche symbol or numbers on the parts?

 

[robwright]

Yeah the friction plate is past it's best best never gave me a spot of trouble or slipping until last week. The one I have just lifted out is a Sachs. Not sure what the original clutch fitment was. Answers on a postcard.

 

[simch1]

My S2 cab has done similar today, lost all drive, but will move along at idle load if you are very gentle, but any load and it loses drive and grates like a bar steward.
Has mine got the rubber donut clutch, it is an 89 s2. And it is original, 22 years and 102k miles.

Looks like a pig of a job mind......

 

[robwright]

Turbos and S2s don't have the rubber centred clutch mate. It is a conventional one. And yes it is a pig of a job. I took my time and did some underbody restoration while I was at it. Will you be doing the work yourself or not? Just a pic of the fruits of my hard labour after I was eventually done.

And a close up.

 

[simch1]

Looks nice.

Not sure about doing it myself, I bust my arm 3 months ago and it is still weak and achy, plus I broke a rib playing golf yesterday! So I'm not in great shape for scrobbling round on the ground!

My (car) symptoms are exactly the same as yours, and it went whilst overtaking some guy on a single carriageway road. Thankfully I had enough momentum to complete the move, although he soon caught me up!!

I was meant to take it to France next weekend and had spent two days modifying a kids seat to fit in the back seat, (rather sucessfully!) In fact my 4 yr old was wiht me when it went pop today!
I suppose it's better to have gone this week than next, anyway.

I may stick it away back in the garage as it lives there from end Sept til May anyway, and sort it next spring when I am hopefully in a bit better shape! Maybe spray all the bolts with plusgas and release fluid, then stick it away for the winter. 8 months should be sufficient to free them off....
If it were an indy garage job, I am expecting it to be what, 10 hours plus? clcuth kit is how much, £200?? So it is going to be 700 to a grand......

...nearly a flipping write off!

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Sounds like the clutch I'm afraid. Dont think its quite as bad a job on an S2 as the turbo - exhaust, gearbox, and torque tube basicly, but the turbo has lots more plumbing!

 

[peugeot]

Well done Rob , it's a pity you have to park on your wheels , looks so clean underneath with all that reconditioning paint . Going to do my wiper arms next week with some mid sheen stuff !

 

[robwright]

Thanks Dave it was a whole lot of effort but well worth it in the end. simch1 you should actually reckon on around 20 hours labour for NA cars and 24 hours for turbos. You will also be lucky to pick up a Sachs clutch for £200. Depending on availability you should reckon on anywhere between £400-600 [] I have to agree with Mike it definitely sounds like your clutch centre has collapsed like mine did. Exactly the same circumstances and symptoms. Excellent opportunity to check out your driveshafts and CVs as well whilst in there mate. I didn't have the proper clutch alignment tool. Instead I bought a cheap plastic universal tool. This doesn't engage the pilot bearing on the flywheel though. Not really a problem just get it roughly centred then reinstall the torque tube without the clutch housing. Get a glamourous assistant or a long stick to dip the clutch for you and then use the torque tube to perfectly align it before releasing the clutch pedal. Like Mike said at least you won't have to remove the crossover pipe from the turbo, which on my car means removing the intake manifold as well. This is why later turbos have a two piece crossover pipe. If you need any help or advice mate then give me a call.

 

[simch1]

Yeah, just been looking further at hours and prices.
Flip me, i though the 8 hours for my Audi S3 was a bit steep!
Booger!

I think i will try to get the rib a bit better then see if I can persuade my matw with the ramp to let me have it for a few days and have a go myself. Can't afford to spend £1500+ on a car worth about 4k! No matter how much I love it!

(nearly chopped it in on a 996 turbo cab two weeks ago, but had just spent £300 having my brakes fitted, the ones i bought 5 years ago!!) The clucth would have been 3 payments on it!!

 

[robwright]

Well worth doing it yourself mate. I got a good deal on a clutch and with new clutch bolts, gearbox oil, moly grease, paint and a few other bits and pieces I think it weighed in at around £350-400. Not sure about the ramp though mate all sounds a bit easy to me. It's far more satisfying to to do it on your back on your driveway in the rain!!!!!

 

[333pg333]

Well done Rob and it looks so much nicer from underneath now. Not to mention replacing those CVs!!![:-]

 

[robwright]

I actually didn't replace the CVs. I just swapped them from one side to another after a good clean and repack full of moly grease. Good as gold for another few thousnad but will be geting changed next year I think.

 

[bertelli_1]

Its not a good idea to swap driveshafts over side to side on any car - they can break! Although the 944 shafts are stronger than most.

 

[robwright]

I didn't swap the driveshafts mate just the CV joints. You can see from the pictures that they were a bit worn on the thrust side. I am planning on changing them anyway just didn't have the budget for that and the clutch at the same time. I only use it at the weekends now so they should be fine for a while until they get changed.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: robwright
Turbos and S2s don't have the rubber centred clutch ...

I beg to disagree Rob; my S2 had a rubber centered clutch when I removed it a couple of years ago. I'm not sure about the turbos; I have heard both that they did and that they didn't.

ORIGINAL: bertelli_1
Its not a good idea to swap driveshafts over side to side on any car - they can break! Although the 944 shafts are stronger than most.

Interesting, why would swapping them from one side to the other make them more likely to break? I have swapped the driveshafts from one side of my S2 to the other (it's the only way to ensure that the drive on a CV joint is swapped to the 'other side') with no adverse effects, and never heard of anyone else having problems either.


Oli.

 

[bertelli_1]

s2's had rubber clutches, turbo's did not.

The driveshafts twist over time & if you swap them over rather than untwist they fail. It has been that way since driveshafts were invented.

 

[zcacogp]

Interesting - thanks, i didn't know that about driveshafts. If that is the case then how do you know which side of the car (if it has equal-length driveshafts, as the 944 does) a driveshaft has come off in order that it can be replaced correctly?


Oli.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Maybe that's why at least 2 drive shafts have broken in the club championship this year.