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First off, fist bump for saving this car, much respect.
Nice to see somebody appreciate these cars for what they are and not immediately think "part it for cash".
You seem mechanically inclined, you can repair this transmission with some help from forum members.
I for one and here to help if you want to attempt it yourself.
Since it's already drained, at least split the gear section from the main case as see what you have to work with, may not be as bad as you think and it's easy to do.
Post back if you want to give it a try and I'll pop back in and walk you through.
First off, fist bump for saving this car, much respect.
Nice to see somebody appreciate these cars for what they are and not immediately think "part it for cash".
You seem mechanically inclined, you can repair this transmission with some help from forum members.
I for one and here to help if you want to attempt it yourself.
Since it's already drained, at least split the gear section from the main case as see what you have to work with, may not be as bad as you think and it's easy to do.
Post back if you want to give it a try and I'll pop back in and walk you through.
I appreciate your encouragement. It did occur to me that I could probably do the work myself, but rebuilding a transmission would be a new level for me and I don't want to get stuck in uncharted territory. I did take some time to research and better understand how manual transmissions work, and to study some pictures of the internals of a 944 transaxle. However my initial research suggested I'd need some fairly specialized tools, especially for setting preloads / gear meshing / other terms I don't understand. That being said, I could be convinced pretty easily to give it a shot. So if you are willing to give me some tips on what will be involved and point me to any resources I would be very open to the idea. Thanks!
Originally Posted by black944 turbo
You can have your oil cooler lines rebuilt at a good hydraulic shop for a lot less than $550.
Great work on the car and I am sure you will love it once it is complete.
I did look into this path and even found a shop who would do it, but I didn't think they would be able to mold the lines like factory to clear the power steering pump. Meanwhile I got the car through the certification inspection and it hasn't dripped once in the last 3 months, so really isn't a priority for me anymore. If/when I'm ever pulling that part of the car apart I'll deal with those hoses then. And thanks for the encouragement.
I had about an hour last night to start disassembling the transaxle. I began at the differential; some other 944 enthusiasts I’d consulted with thought it sounded like a damaged ring / pinion gear so I wanted to take a look first. I removed the oil cooler and cover off the differential, and was delighted to see everything looking fine. No damage or visible wear to the gears, very light pitting on the differential roller bearings (which I have no desire to replace right now). Otherwise it all looks perfect which I think is very good news – if the ring / pinion gear set was trashed I think that would be the end of this transmission.
There was a small amount of oil left in the bottom of the case, which looked milky with fine metal bits and a few brass-coloured flakes. I’m suspecting one or more synchros are failing – it seems odd to me that the car still shifted okay if it’s a synchro issue – but we’ll have to keep digging and see.
If there was any doubt, it’s a real project car now:
Now here is where I need guidance: I need to pull the gearbox to see the synchros and to remove the differential for further inspection. I’d like whatever I do (at this point) to be reversible. Should I have any concerns about needing to readjust shims / preload / etc. if I just unbolt the gearbox casing and slide it out of the differential casing?
Also, the service manual isn’t very detailed. Can anyone elaborate a bit on these steps: 3. Remove threaded sleeve and locking parts for reverse gear lock.
4. Take out selector shaft hex bolts and remove complete selector shaft (do not disassemble).
I’m sure I can figure this out but trying to save myself the frustration of launching springs around my garage.
It’s time for an update: I’m still here, and I’m actually driving my 951!
I couldn’t find any obvious issues other than general wear with my original transaxle. Estimates for rebuilding were more than I wanted to spend, so I purchased a 114K mile UY transaxle from Lart. That was a good purchasing experience. I’m holding onto the original 5R in case I later decide to fix it.
I also serviced the parking brake and discovered that both hold-down springs on the passenger side were sheared off and rattling around inside the drum part of the rotor. That was probably the main source of the intermittent grinding noise I heard, but there’s no doubt the transmission was making bad noises too. After doing a lot of research on gear lube I’m using Motul Motylgear 75W90 this time; so far so good.
So I fixed the parking brake and installed the new transaxle. I did a DIY polyurethane transaxle mount mod, and cleaned and regreased the CV joints. I installed a Rennbay fuel line kit under the hood and replaced the rear fuel lines around the filter. With it all buttoned back up I took the car out for a drive last Friday and finally got to experience that turbo. For a 178K mile car she pulls pretty good! I gave it a quick hand waxing and polishing and dropped by a local car show Saturday.
I think she cleaned up pretty great. I got some nice comments from attendees at the show, but most importantly I’ve gotten some enjoyment out of the car again. Honestly I was starting to lose motivation with the project, but now feel encouraged to keep going and continue improving it.
12-10-2018, 10:54 PM
