Just got my '87 back from the shop today. I assumed the torque tube bearings were bad based on the location of the whirring sound, but it turned out to be the torque converter bearings. The service manager at Zims said the torque tube acts as a megaphone and can make the sound seem to be coming from the front. If fact, he says it is almost always the torque converter bearings and almost never the torque tube bearings. I feel confident I could have performed the service myself using Tony H.'s excellent write-up, but it would have taken me a month instead of a few days. Also, so much has to come off the car to get the transmission off, you have to have room not only to work on the car but also room for all the parts. I wasn't looking forward to tussling with the transmission under a car supported by jack stands. A lift makes this job a lot easier. Anyway, the bill was $1,500.00 of which $250 was parts (tc bearings and seals, front pump gasket and o-ring, teflon rings, kickdown cable o-ring, plastic ATF reservoir, pan gasket, filter and ATF). The old bearings were toast and felt like cheap-steel-sidewalk-roller-skate wheels. Approx. 15 hrs. labor. Nice and quiet now.

 

Did they do the TT bearings while the Tranny was out? Would be a good idea since the tranny has to come out to get the TT out.

 

The torque tube stayed connected to the engine. I elected to only replace bad parts. No indications that the torque tube bearings are going bad yet so I will gamble that they last awhile.

 

I used to be a "if it aint broke don't fix it" kinda guy. That is until I got a 928.

 

Steve,
Glad to hear you survived even if your walet didn't.
Same with mine and no problems with the TT bearings.
Zimms are good I would recommend them anyday.
Roger

 

Your pockets must be deeper than mine. I have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to "while I'm in there".
I'm not gonna miss leaving a little deposit everywhere I go or having to top up the ATF every month or so. I really had that routine down!

 

By not replacing the torque tube bearings at the same time as the torque converter bears, they are charging you for the job twice.

So you really are being charged $3,000 (including the deferred payment) for the job that should have cost $1,900.