Well i just finished the clutch replacement on my 83 944 NA. Lots of gremlins with that job! Everything is back together, put the key in to fire it up and all i get is clicking. The car cranked and started fine before the clutch job. I am getting 12.5 volts at the battery. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

Check your starter wires, are they connected correctly?

 

Make sure you have reattached the ground straps from the back of the engine to the chassis/battery. If you try to start a 944 with out these connected you can burn out the DME. The ground path goes through the DME when the engine ground is missing.

 

^ thats a scary thought.

 

To Lemming...There were only 2 wires to reconnect, 1 larger wire to the starter and a small wire to the solenoid. To SolCal driver...Are you referring to the ground wires that attach to the rear of the engine above the bell housing? If so, those have been reconnected on completion of the clutch. I haven't tried jump starting yet, maybe i'm not getting enough amps to the starter. i cleaned all ground contact points before reconnecting any wires. any other thoughts out there?

 

There are *two* larger wires that connect to the starter..well on mine anyway. Make sure they are in place.

Also check that the ground braid is in place from solenoid to starter motor.

Hope this helps

 

All current for the starter comes from the battery. If you have an after market connector on the positive terminal (clamps the large cable rather than solders) you may have some serious corrosion. Also the red wires from the positive are the power for the rest of the car and the ignition switch and thus the solenoid. Clean all.

The two wires that go to the large lug on the starter (not the one with the braided cable going into the starter housing) are the large cable from the starter and a ten gauge (aprox) from the alternator. The small wire comes from the ignition switch to the solenoid. Note that the large braided wire is switched power from the solenoid and not a ground wire. I have seen the wire from the alternator run directly to the battery rather than the starter.

 

check into the speed/ref sensors. on my 924S after I rebuilt the engine, they were'nt properly gapped from the flywheel, and it tore one off and wedged between the flywheel and bell housing.

 

I don't recall any insulation on mine, figured it was a ground..I'll have to look at it next time I'm under the car.

 

Here are my latest attempts to figure out this problem. I removed starter again, cleaned all contacts, high speed wire brush to the mounting face of the starter and the bell housing. Took apart and cleaned all internals of starter. Reassembled and jump-tested starter from a known good battery, solenoid kicks in and starter turns. i know this doesn't prove anything under load but the inside of the starter is in really good shape. Re-installed starter, double checked all grounds on top of bell housing, everything tight and shiny. hook up battery, turn ignition and hear several heavy clicks. turn key off, try again...nothing, no clicks, no hums, nothing. dash lights work as do all other electronics. I am beginning to think it is an ignition issue. sometimes i have to jiggle the steering wheel to get the key to turn. guess that will be my next project. running out of patience.

 

I had to jiggle my wheel to get my key to turn sometimes but I never had a problem with getting the car started. Is it possible that you did not get the ring gear back on the pressure plate right?

 

How do you know that the clutch isn't stuck on the flywheel? Try putting the car in gear with the clutch in and ask someone to push the car back a few feet.

 

If your car sat for any length of time during the clutch job did you actually recharge the battery first? A static 12.5V looks great with no load and even a weak battery will show that. Measure the voltage at the battery while someone tries to crank it; if it drops to 10V or less you need a charge. You can confirm this by trying jump start it from another car.

 

Did you try to turn the engine by hand? I had the same exact problem not to long ago and it ended up being one of my balance shaft rollers had cracked and worn the belt badly so the whole engine was locked up.

 

Clutch disengages, battery has been charged, engine turns, (i did the whole timing belt routine a couple thousand miles back so the rollers are new). I get 12.5 volts at the posts, and 11.4 or so while turning the key. Tried cranking while jumped to another car, same results...clicks but that is all. Still haven't torn into ignition switch.