| It's always something! I really enjoy working on cars and bikes but this is getting ridiculous. Mid July and the Trans-axle BANGS and crunches to a stop on the way home from work one afternoon. I'm lucky that it happens less than a mile from home and I get a friend to flat tow me over the last hill and I coast the disabled 944 into the driveway. It initially looked like a PITA job replacing the trans, but after finding and picking up a cheap used one on eBay and actually seeing the mount and shift linkage from the top, it looked like a pretty easy job to swap it out. * * * * * Fortunately it was an easy swap, because I'll be doing it again. The cheap used trans got a lot more expensive when it only lasted 2 days and also failed, again on the way home from work. This one seamed to let go without the big bang and all the bone chilling crunching noises, just some grinding this time. My hope is that I can tear them both down and build one good trans. The first issue is that the trans that came out has a trans code that seems to be unheard of. I'll have to go very carefully and scrutinize every part for any differences. If you have any info on a Porsche transaxle with the code 'PAR 68181" please let me know! |
| August / September 2010 |
| Update! I got another cheap donor trans and was going to combine all the parts into one good trans. Turns out the second trans was OK and when the first one ate it's differential it also took the center out of the original Rubber center clutch. Now I'm in the process of getting to the clutch, it's MAJOR dissasembly. The 944 has the trans in the rear and the clutch in the front. |
| November |
| On the road again, but for how long? Getting to the clutch was very time consuming but pretty straightforward mechanically. The biggest issue was the original exhaust flange bolts. They all either broke or stripped and had to be cut, hammered, heated, ground, drilled, cursed at and extensively lubricated. (one for me two for the bolts) Other issues were removing and installing the torque tube and exhaust system by myself. Thanks to Clarks Garage for all the great information on the procedure! |
| January 2011 The 944 is still on the road and going strong. My son is using it while he is stationed in Norfolk, VA. He reports it is running great and getting surprisingly good fuel mileage. |
| Here's a picture of the original and replacement clutch disks. You can clearly see where the old rubber center clutch disc separated, probably during the initial big bang. I got a couple of days out of it with the second trans installed before it went into full spin mode. When it went completely I originally diagnosed it as a bad used trans and started shopping for another. |
| January 2012 My son is out of Norfolk for a 6 month deployment and the 944 has returned home. Still going, odometer has stopped working and heater controls are acting strange. I drove it back and I was planning on dropping the insurance and just storing it but screw that, it's too much fun! |