280razer

I'm getting really frusterated trying to put my '83 944 back together.
I am swapping out an auto tranny for a manual. I have the clutch and pressure plate in, but I can't get the bell-housing even close to going on.
There isn't enough room between the engine and firewall. This puzzles me because the old bell housing came off pretty easy.
The two bell housings appear to be exactly alike except for the additional holes drilled on the manual one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am trying to get this whole thing done and back on the road by Monday.

Thank you all

tod84944

I have done this conversion twice myself. Do you have the engine supported from under the car? If not, when you took the torque tube loose, the engine tilted back. What I do, is to put a block of wood under the lower part of the oil pan and use a floor jack to tilt it back up. Also, how far are you able to get it up on the motor. If you are getting most of the way and can't get it the last inch or less, you are hitting the bracket that holds the crank sensors. Also, did you change the flywheel? The automatic and 5-speed have different flywheels.

Kevin Baker

And how have you installed the clutch throw out bearing/release fork assembly?

tod84944

I don't think he has gotten that far. He said he has put the clutch and pressure plate in.

Kevin Baker

He'll need the release fork installed over the clutch pack to get the bellhousing on. The point of the question was to see if that assembly was in the bellhousing or not.

If you haven't gotten that far, you can put the clutch parts in the bellhousing and bolt the p-plate up to the flywheel through the starter hole.

Make sure the "pin" on the flywheel is pointed down (six o'clock) so you don't break it off trying to put the bellhousing back on.

lilredpo

Could use your advice...

I am in the process of swapping the engine from an '87 auto to an '86 manual 944. I have the manual engine out and on the floor. I expect to have the auto out and on the floor possibly over the weekend.

I was planning on putting both side by side, taking the auto engine apart up to and including the flywheel and set aside. Then I want to send the manual engine flywheel out to be machined and reassemble the manual flywheel, new clutch kit, pilot bearing and bell housing on the auto engine and reinstall as a complete unit.

Does that sound like a plan? Do I have to go that far and swap bell housings?

These questions may be premature as I will probably be able to tell once both engines are side-by-side.

Thanks in advance,
Ray