FRporscheman

I posted a topic just a short while ago asking about the advantages of using a torque tube instead of a conventional driveshaft, so I got that covered. I always wondered why, though, they couldn't make a nice little access port to slide the clutch out, like on the 928. They finally did it for the 968.

Anyway, I met a 924S owner in Long Beach at a gtg last year. He told me he was a long-time mechanic by trade and he'd seen a lot of stuff. He also told me he completely understood the deal behind the 924/944 clutch arrangement. A lot of blah, and some more blah, and to make a long story short, he said he was told how the clutch could be changed easily.

To break it down:
1. cut away some of the spare tire well (he said a large hole is enough, but I think you'd have to cut most of it away)
2. disconnect axles from the tranny and hang them on wires
3. disconnect the shift rod
4. unbolt the TT from the bellhousing
5. support the transaxle with a jack, then unbolt the trans mount bolts
6. slide the trans/tt assembly backward enough to completely get the driveshaft out of the bellhousing, and voila

I will definitely try this next time I need to do a clutch, but has anyone here thought of this? Tried this? It would be nice to be able to leave the dumb tranny in there. It's a mondo bitch getting it lined up with the rear bellhousing, while getting the shift rod in, and avoiding dropping a big piece of pain on your face.

badmofofosho

Have not heard talk of anyone here doing it this way, but there is a write up in the 'how to' section over on 924board.org about this.

In my opinion, since the trans takes all of about 20 minutes to drop once the axels are undone, the cutting up of your spare well is a pointless exercise, and adds more PITA to the party.

PeteL

What do you do with the giant hole you created? I don't know, but for the frequency with which the clutch needs to be changed...what, once or twice while you own the car...the damage created by the hole far outweighs the extra effort of doing it the "right way".

Scuba Steve

I agree... I don't like the idea of cutting a hole back there in an area where water and exhaust fumes are already trying to get into the cabin.

MPD47

The axles are the worst part of taking the transaxle out. After that it's another 6 bolts or so and it's out, less than 30 minutes. I dont see the point.

JimV8

Dropping the tranny is easy. I can't see any advantage to cutting a hole in the body.

tifosiman

No offense to your "mechanic" friend, but that is the dumbest thing I have read on Rennlist today. The day is young, so of course that is subject to change.

Why would you hack up your car to save maybe 30 minutes worth of work to do it the right way? If I paid him to do work on my car (if I was suddenly ill or laid up and couldn't do it myself), and found out that he chopped up my spare tire well..........................there would be hell to pay.

Oddjob

Even if it would work, its a rediculous idea. Problem is, the torque tube, when attached to the transmission, will not clear the tabs/ears on the torsion bar carrier. You cant jack the trans high enough (will hit the mounting cross bar and fuel tank) for the torque tube to clear, so you cant move the assembly back into the wheel well - no mater how big of a hole you cut in the spare wheel well. Guy is full of ****.

TRP951

Like everyone else is saying its not bad at all to drop the trans and I found my dads motorcycle jack with some boards on works awesome for lifting and dropping the trans

tod84944

I will have to agree, that taking the tranny out, and sliding the tt back would be a lot easier than cutting a hole in the spare tire well, then having to slide all the tranny and tt back at the same time. That would be a lot of weight. Plus it won't work.......
To get the tt back far enough to do the clutch, you have to turn it some!!!!
Taking the tranny out on a early car is way easy. Like stated above, it takes everybit of 20 min after you take the axles loose. Having to slid the tt back with the tranny attached, will take a lot longer. Plus you would still have deal with the shifter rod.
My .02 cents from a guy that has done several clutches on these cars. Do it the right way.

BlueDog944

Just to pile on since my experience is fresh from doing my own clutch job... if a mechanic ever did that to my car without me explicitly ASKING him to cut it up there'd be a lawsuit pending. When you get down to it, it's got to take more time to cut up the spare tire well than to actually drop the transmission. Its not all that heavy, hell I lifted mine back into place without even having to use the jack. Then the question is, what do you do with the hole in the trunk? Like it won't let exhaust gasses back in, or rain, or even your friendly little garage dwelling mice.

tifosiman

What other fiction did he tell you when you speaking with him? I would be curious to hear his "expert" take on transaxle series clutch arrangement and design.

PorscheDoc

A clutch job on an NA is a 4 hour job, doing it properly. Why the hell would you cut a hole in your car to try and do it any quicker?

Van

Because of the saftey lugs between the torque tube and the torsion bar tube, I doubt this is possible.

And, like everone else said, this is like chainsawing a hole in your wall to fix a broken door ****!

SamGrant951