bigsheldy

wow, $3k for both? Geeze, that's more than I paid for the whole car. I just may end up doing it myself

Devia

PAY for a clutch job? Are you all crazy!? That's what coming up with a local wrenching society is for!

I'd always suggest replacing the throwout bearings - I can't stand hearing them whine!

I also wouldn't pay retail for any parts - sometimes you can get them down to almost wholesale, plus tax.

We've done lots of headgaskets and such, clutch job takes like 12-14 hours, but as long as we help each other, it goes pretty far.

- Julie

bigsheldy

So doing it myself is a viable solution to my problem?

Clowd

Where at?

bigsheldy

Well I got an estimate for the work.

Timing belt: $355
Clutch: $1450

The timing belt price seems reasonable, but the clutch is ridiculous. Is changing the clutch a hard thing to do own your own, or is it not worth the 40 hours of manual labor and frustration?

Scott at Team Harco

Both jobs are within the range of the competent backyard (shadetree, etc) mechanic. Like most anything else you will need the following items:

1) A good service manual (Clark's Garage, for exmple is a good substitute)
2) The proper tools (and the ability to use them properly)
3) The right attitude and patience
4) A lot of time

Things will not always go as planned or on schedule. What if you plan to reuse the existing flywheel but it needs to be resurfaced? What if it takes two days to figure out how to get the torque tube moved out of the way to get at the bell housing?

Personally, I can't afford to pay anyone to work on my cars - so I learn how to do it myself. I pay for parts - that's it. Most people prefer to pay someone to do their dirty work. And believe me - doing the clutch in one of these cars IS dirty work.

Welcome aboard. Keep the questions coming - we'll try to help.

KuHL 951

Doing the clutch isn't that 'hard' but is very time comsuming and there are so many little problems that always pop up. I did the 83 about 6 months ago and learned a lot from members here. There were actually 3 of us doing clutches one weekend and we bounced our problems off each other until we were all finished. Best advise I can give you is read up all you can first, have the right tools and parts on hand, and take your time. Common problems that always seem to pop up are broken/stripped CV, pressure plate, flywheel bolts, getting the sensors off without breaking them, access to 2 of the bellhousing bolts, getting the release lever for the clutch fork out, getting the torque tube back far enough to pull the bellhousing, and setting up the throwout bearing shims in the right order. There are numerous write-ups here that will save you a world of headaches.

A new clutch is one of those things that make these cars a challenge but you will only do it once on your N/A and the rewards of a smooth drivetrain is worth all the effort. You have good local support from us here in Sac so don't be afraid to ask for help.

bigsheldy

Alright, I took apart the dash/center console and I can't find the heater clip you guys were talking about. Is there a picture or something I could look at? Thanks.

JDeitz951

You can't afford a $2150 Porsche (exactly what I paid for my first one) if you have to pay a mechanic to fix things. You could probably swing the payments on a early model Boxster with what you'll be paying the mechanic just to get and keep your car in good shape. I bought a car like yours, and I quickly learned all about repairing just about every item they warn you about in the 944 FAQ ( http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html ). But while I never imagined how much money I'd put into the old girl in 2 yrs ($5000), I always planned on doing all the work myself. That's part of the fun. Spending money is not fun, but credit cards help .

Soon you will know why they say "Buy the best example you can afford", cuz you spend the same amout of money but have a nicer car right away and less down time.

Hopefully the car has already hooked you and you'll buy some tools and go to that belt session and learn all about the car. There are worse ways to spend your time and money.

bigsheldy

Took it in to Les Schwab yesterday for an alignment and free brake check. 2 hours later, they said they wouldn't do the alignment because it needs a ride height adjustment and they don't have the tools for that. So, I call Big-O Tires and ask if they do ride height adjustments and they say no, too. I asked if they knew where I could go and they said "how about the dealer?!" like I was a complete moron. So I call the dealer just to entertain the thought of doing my alignment and the guy acted like a total dick as well, and ended up quoting me $275 for a friggin alignment. Does anyone know where I can get an alignment and ride height adjustment?

KuHL 951

I think the ride height adjustment is the part you will have issues with at a typical tire store. Indexing the torsion bars is not something they do everyday and requires a good knowledge of the 944. Call Radial Tire on Fulton and ask for Jake. See if he will do the indexing as part of the alignment work. He's an old school static alignment guy that many local people, including myself, have used for special alignments specs. He's a little rough around the edges but does a killer alignment and it's worth a call. Don't be surprised if he is booked solid for a week ahead though with the racing season upon us. Good Luck.

BTW -We got belt jobs done on two cars today even with a 'reject' new TB belt from a well know source; first one for me on the turbo. Sorry you couldn't make it by.

bigsheldy

Thanks for the info, I'll give him a call on Monday. As for the TB get-together, I'm bummed that I couldn't get out there and make it.

peterjcb

The reality of owning a 944 is that unless you're prepared to work on these cars yourself, they are going to cost just as much as any other Porsche to repair. Just because you only paid $2,000 or $3,000 for the car, doesn't mean that it's going to be cheap to repair and maintain - even if you do your own work.
Repair and parts can EASILY exceed the original cost of the car in short order.
Welcome to the world or Porsche.

Hedoniste

Nice shot man!

Serge944

On an n/a, a timing belt job takes 2 hours, or less. All you need is common sense and a few common tools. No reason to have a mechanic do it for you. As for the clutch, I understand going to a mechanic if you have neither the time or the place to wrench.