Azir Khan

Today is exactly one week since I bought a 1987 928S4, auto with 90K miles. When I test drove the car it was already wormed up and I did not find any drivability problem except for a slight pull to the right and reverse gear was slow to engage (4 sec). Other then this I found the car was in good condition so I bought it.
The next morning when I started the car from cold I was horrified to find a loud bearing noise so I drove down to the nearest Porsche dealer who quickly proclaimed that it was the torque tube and gave me an estimate of $ 3000 to fix it.
As I drove home from the dealership the noise slowly subsided to a point where it was nearly gone. Subsequently I raised the car and got underneath it to verify for my self that it is indeed the Torque Tube and I am quiet certain that the dealership is right in there diagnosis.
Of course this has been a big disappointment and I am determined to fix the problem my self. However before I start the "TT replacement project" I was wondering if there is an interim solution by which I can temporarily lubricating the bearings and drive the car for a 1000 miles before embarking on the big tear down ? If I remove the exhaust, heat shield and the front fly wheel cover do I get access to the TT bearings? Are the bearings shielded? How deep are the bearings in to the TT, can I reach the bearings with a specially improvised nozzle to spray WD40 followed by White lithium grease? is the rear TT bearing accessible from the rear ?
I know I sound pretty desperate, but if you have waited as long as I have to buy this car then you will understand why I would like to drive it for a few miles before tear down. Any suggestions will be highly appreciated.

Thanks, Azir.

GoRideSno

Azir,
Welcome to the board! Maybe Steve Catteno or Wally P will chime in to give you some advice on this. Good Luck
Andy K.

Joe '87 S4

I have an '87 also and the TT just started to make "the noise" about three weeks ago. I've been told it's O.K. to drive it for a while. I've just been driving it locally the last 3 weeks (about 200 miles so far) until I have it fixed the begining of March. There's an excellent write up about it here: <a href="http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/" target="_blank">http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/</a>

Azir Khan

Andy and Joe, thanks for your quick response. How do I contact Steve or Wally ! or will they contact me ?
Joe, I guess you are having the TT fixed rather then doing it your self ! how much is it costing you on the west coast ?

Thanks once again. Azir
87 S4 Auto, 90K mi

WallyP

My first suggestion is to spend a couple of days searching thru the archives on this Forum and thru the Nichols web site for info on the torque tube. There are numerous posts telling how to replace the bearings, replace the tube, etc.

There are also numerous individual web sites that give repair info, such as Tony's V1Uh-Oh, and John Pirtle's site that will be of great assistance.

Joe '87 S4

I'm not as car savy as most people on this board and living close to DEVEK makes it easier for me to just let them do it. I think you are correct in the $2,000 - $3,000 range but I'm also getting new shocks, a complete tune-up, and a few other things done to it while the car is there. So, I'm looking at a fairly large bill when I pick up the car. Like Wally said, check out Tony's site (the link I gave above) and do a search on this site. There's a lot of info on it since it's a common problem. Good luck!

Drewster67

Hey Gents - I still have a 5 spd TT for sale - Threads Great and bearing sound. Taped up and ready to ship. The 1st 150.00 takes it off my hands. (Buyer pays for shipping)

Came from my 84 S2 parts car

Tony

Some have said that releasing any preload on the front pinch collar has helped with the noise somehow

Tony

Referencing spraying a lubricant in there onto the bearings. That perhaps may work but, if a bearing is making a noise the damge is already done really. The other thing is, Im not sure what the bearings look like, they could be sealed to the point where a lubricant wouldnt get where needed. If its the middle bearing you cant access it anyway.
HTH <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Shark_gts

Correct if the bearing is noisy the damage is done.

However if there is no noise when warm, there is only play in the bearing from wear. When the car is cold a couple of things happen - the motor mounts are stiff, the engine runs with more vibration and the bearings have a lot of play or clearance.

FIRST - Check the tightness of the rear pinch bolt. A loose shaft will vibrate the bearings like marbles in a cup. Second - check the front pinch bolt.

If this is not the problem, then you are into bearings. Obviously the owner knew this problem. You can go back and demand some sort of settlement.

You can fire grease down the tube from the front bell housing and reach the bearing, but this is of little use. Also the grease will flow when the cat heats it up.

DO NOT USE WD-40 - it's garbage. LPS #2 is the stuff to use, or similar quality lube. LPS is what Boeing and industry use. WD-40 is a joke.

PeteS

There's a procedure for rebuilding the torque tube posted at <a href="http://home.attbi.com/~gq-beej/928/ttrebuild.htm" target="_blank">http://home.attbi.com/~gq-beej/928/ttrebuild.htm</a>

Does anyone know if there's a specification to where in the tube the bearings are supposed to be located? I've heard a couple of people say that the bearings in their torque tube moved, and was wondering where they're really supposed to be located.

Jim bailey - 928 International

We do sell rebuilt central tubes for $495 exchange in stock ready to ship . The bearings are sealed and spraying lube would have no effect . The removal and replacement is not terribly difficult just big heavy items 225 pound transmission and time consuming , many shops charge about 10-12 hours labor plus parts . Porsche dealers install a new Porsche part $$$

Azir Khan

Thanks to all of you for your input, I will attempt to check the condition of the forward and rear pinch bolts this weekend. Does any one know what size of Hex Key is used for this bolt ? Also there was some talk about virtually doubling the tightening torque on the forward pinch bolt from 66 lb ft to 110 lb ft, is this true ? Also where does one get a can of LPS # 2 ?
Thanks.

Thom1

Hey Jim Bailey,

The rebuilt TT that you guys sent works great. As you specified, I told my mechanic to make sure the bearings were seated properly since they could shift during shipment.

Inquiring minds want to know how to verify that they are seated properly. Do the bearings slide down the tube until they hit stops? How do you verify everything is right before you put the TT back in?
<img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

Randy V

Exactly why we recommend a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) by a qualified 928 mechanic. Now, you get to pay for the repair, instead of the dealer you who sold it to you.