johne

Someone please shoot me.

My engine finally runs properly with no leaks thanks to SFR’s excellent headers. So today I went to take the car on its first test drive after a freeking years work. I cranked it up and with the clutch in went to put it in gear. There was approximately twice the proper resistance and then a strange clanking/clunking sound coming from the transmission area. I pulled it out of first gear and tried third and then fourth, all with the same effect. I then turn the car off and it shifted around with proper resistance and smoothly with the motor not running. I then repeated the above with the same results. I then turned the car of and put it in first gear and tried to start the car with the clutch out (aka the car should not start) and the car started and the tranny made the clanking/clunking noise.

So no I am guessing that my transmission is hosed and I will have to rebuild it. Does anyone else have any other ideas? I am definitely open to other suggestions. Also does anyone in Georgia/Alabama/South Carolina/Maybe Florida have a transmission I can borrow for a month or so, I’ll drive to your place and pick it up and return it. I’ll even leave you a Check for the cost of the tranny that you could give back when I return it. The place I have my car now is going to shoot me if I keep my car where it is much longer.

Also does anyone in the Atlanta area have a garage/driveway I could use to pull my tranny. I live on campus and they really don’t like us doing that stuff in the parking lots.

Man, my life just went into full “sucks to be me” mode.

John

Dmitry S.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. I'd suggest finding a working transmission in the area, might be cheaper than a rebuild and much quicker to replace.

adrial

Are you sure its not the clutch?

I've heard the torque tube is very good at moving sounds around and playing games with your head.

Bruce '89 s2

Could be the centre plate is stuck with standing sucha long time.
Could try forcing it and it might free off.
Clutch down - put it in gear - start engine and up to about 1500 - 2000 rpm and drop the clutch. It might shake it loose if its just a stuck centre plate.
If the tranny's buggered anyway it can't do any harm to try.

johne

1988Porsche944,
I wouldn't mind rebuilding it if that is what is necessary. I would just like to be able to drive it in the mean time.

Adrial,
I am not 100% sure it is the tranny but it did sound like it was coming from back there. I bought the motor/clutch from ElonDooberhead and and said the clutch was fine.

Bruce,
Well I'm not sure what the centre plate is but chew on this.
I turned the motor off put the car in first gear with the parking brake on. I then started the car without touching the clutch pedal. The car started fine and made the clanking sound. The thing is the car didn't move at all. My brother suggested that the coupler that connects the drive shaft to the input shaft on the tranny might be loose. I remember torquing it to spec but I guess I will double check it.

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Please keep them coming.

John

dualblade

if you really want to be sure (and this is a pain in the ***), why not pull the tranny and start it up and work the clutch a bit. if the noise is still there then you know it's not a tranny problem

why not? when you say clutch out do you mean pedal pushed down all the way or foot off the pedal? cause my car starts whether i'm pushing in the clutch or not

johne

Dualblade,
I am pretty sure it is not the clutch because if that transmission is in neutral the car starts fine with no noise. I can push the clutch in and out and there is no noise and no problems. The problem is when I try to put it in gear or when I start it in gear.

When I say clutch out I mean my foot is off the pedal. And your car should only start if with your foot off the clutch pedal if it is in neutral. If it is in gear and you don't have the clutch pedal depressed then it should lunge forward or backward depending upon the gear. My car doesn't lunge at all.

I am really hoping the driveshaft to inputshaft couple is loose and causing all my problems.

Thanks for the thoughts, more are welcome
John

adrial

Well if the clutch isn't grabbing properly...then it wouldn't lunge forward when you try to start it in gear...

Proper diagnose = saved tiem & $$ down the line

I'm no expert, though.

special tool

Johne - did you get the sleeve forward far enough so that you were able to insert both OEM allen head bolts? Also, did you tighten the 13 mm. head pointed bolt that hold the shift rod to the linkage?

Brian Wilson

Well, i would say that it probably isn't the coupler. I can't see how that would cause a problem of putting the car into gear. Like adrial said, the damn torque tube can make sounds come frome everywhere...

You can put the car into gear with it running without any grinding, but just more resistence. You can let the clutch out with the car in gear while running. That really narrows it down to a couple of things at least. I'd say, pull the tranny out and start it to see if you still get the noise. Go with what dualblade said. Also, if you are getting normal resistence on the clutch pedal, then it is pretty safe to say that it is ok.

Let us know what you find out.


Forgot something...

With the tranny out, you should be able to(with another person) turn it over and shift it through the gears just to see if it feels funny. You'll have to hold the damnits where the axles connect to to keep them from spinning opposite ways.

Peckster

Was the tranny OK before you changed engines? If it was, and nothing happened to it, the obvious problem is a motor/clutch installation problem.

944J

how do you rebuild a transmission???????

Hans

Get it to an specialised shop.....
You dont have
- the tools
- the shims
- the experience

Joine: Mine had about the same noise problems when i bought it.
It proved to be an combination of things:
- no oil in the tranny (leak in the cooler connection due to ****ty installation by some idiot calling himselve an specialist).
- heat shield on the header cracked loose on the top weld.
The only damage I seem to have now is syncro on 1th gear not working, but I can live with that for now.

TakeCare

jimbo1111

Before you go crazy check the cv joints.