My understanding is that the last year for the c-clip and shims was 84

 

As long as you can get the lower bellhousing cover off easily (depends on exhaust configuration), it only takes about 20 mins to check flexplate / crank end play.

 

85' and later need to be checked for TBF. Starting in 85 uptill 95, no shims or clips. You might need to unbolt the exhaust from the manifold flanges and drop it a few inches to get all the bolt out of the lower bellhousing. After you check endplay and its good, (fingers crossed) Don't put the bolts back in that are restricted from removal by the exhaust. Then, next time you have to check the flexplate, it is a very easy task. The clicking you are hearing from the engine could very well be the injectors firing. Sometimes they are very loud. I thought my tappets were bad in a previous shark until someone who knew better showed me how loud the injectors can be. If the hood insulation is missing it is much louder too. Give the auto some time. It will grow on you. If it's tuned correctly, and you know how to use it, you will get astounding performance from the slushbox. search the forum for threads pertaining to how to shift your auto for starting in first gear. Also for posts regarding jumping the kickdown switch.

Other fine points: If you've got a lady with you you wont be forced to play with your stick. (instead, you can hold hands!) You can drink a coke without wearing it. You will never have to replace a clutch. No syncros to wear out and make it look like you can't drive a stick. Old knees feel better in traffic without the one leg workout... Good luck with the new shark! Hopefully it checks out .005" (perfect) to .008" (a little wear, still ok) to about .015" ABSOLUTE MAX. Double check it, and if its good, run with it. Be sure to plan on getting a Constantine clamp, or some lesser alternatives that don't require torque tube removal to install. The Constantine clamp is a work of art, however. You can maybe barter the price down a little more if it's any more than .009".

WSM tollerance limits are .004 to .015" (.1 to .4 mm)

Here is a link to my TBF post of recent. It was from a 86.5 car. This is the same engine as yours. This was a check on an engine I pulled that had confirmed TBF. Just wasn't sure the extent of the damage. It had .049" movement!!!

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ge-photos.html

Once again, Good Luck, and welcome to the tank!

 

It might be perfectly fine, BTW.

I've brought home two similar cars with similar original mileage, similar prices, seemed almost too good to be true. Significant flexplat movement on release, but only 7 or 8 thousandths endplay.

 

Don't worry.
There is no noobi question here. I learn everyday here and I mean EVERYDAY.
My wife always tell me that I spend to mutch time here!
But that's another story.

 

Looks like a nice car!!

As for your trans adjustment, hubby had me post this write up some time ago. Not 100% sure it would be the same for a 32v car (I don't know what the differences are between the two in this area), but maybe it will help you...

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-write-up.html

Congrats on the new acquisition!!

 

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I doubt that I'll be doing the end-play check before purchasing since we're meeting at a DMV midway between his location and mine...I can't see trying to do that in a parking lot, assuming I'd need to be unbolting exhaust, etc. Also, I haven't really stipulated any such conditions in my current commitment to the seller. Fingers-crossed, I guess!

I am going to pick up a vernier digital caliper today and make the flex-plate release/end-play check first on my list along with an oil change w/ 20W50.

It occurred to me that it would be pretty easy to do a quick oil change when I pick up the car - would it be possible to detect any metal resulting from a TBF visually as part of that process?

Only 3 days more!

 

Yes. If you can do an oil and filter change, cut the filter open and spread out the element. If there is a lot of metal in there you will see it. My 928 that was suffering from TBF showed it in a few ways. 1) slow cranking when starting. Sometimes would take more than one twist of the key to get it to crank at all. even with a new starter, battery, and grounds cleaned. 2) poor pick up in RPM from idle. 3) extra vibration. 4) lack of power. 5) engine stalled when chopping the throttle. These are just symptoms I experienced in my car, and may or may not help determine TBF in your car. YMMV... Hope its just all good, and you steal it from the guy.

 

Thx for the in-depth!

 

Nothing replaces a straight edge on the plate, or the endplay reading and you are probly not going to do an oil change in a DMV parking lot either, right? For any of these you have to raise the car, remove belly pan. I'm pretty sure the '85 has to have the exhaust dropped also, unless somebody has already cut the bolts or left them out. That is not going to happen in 20 minutes. Either arrange to go to the owner's house or take your chances. Most people don't go to these lenghts and they have been OK. But as the cars are getting older, I think it is more of an issue.

Maybe get some peace of mind by taking a dark/black rag, do several dip stick wipes on the rag and look for shiny shavings.

 

Yes....leave the rear two bolts (under the exhaust pipe). I left these bolts out and a year later the lower bell housing plate is still secure. The task of measuring crank end-play becomes a 20 minute job once the car is lifted if you do this..

First make sure your kickdown is working. An adjustable lever below the accel pedal must reach the kickdown button. If this action is disabled, then you won't get the 2-gear, kick-butt kickdown action, you'll only get the milder load based kickdown. Add a fused, heavy duty momentary button on the dead pedal, that runs in parallel with the kickdown button below the accel pedal. This really helps the character of the car, without necessitating the fuel guzzling behavior of the accelerator pedal-to-the-metal kickdown.

You can also install the shims and circlip on the end of the drive shaft. This is s $30.00 option and Roger (928srus.com) can provide. A bit tricky to install, but doesn't require the drop of the torque tube. yes, your drive shaft tip should have the groove for the circlip. Mine does. I ordered the parts and haven't installed them, as the drive shaft hasn't budged any since I started measuring.

I suggest not to buy a digital micrometer (as I did) for measuring crank end-play. The digital mic must be repositioned exactly in the same position for the before and after measurements. Difficult to do exactly and I ended up taking 5 measurements and calculating the average. Use a dial gauge like Bill Ball references in his guide. The dial gauge can be positioned and left for both measurements.

 

Lucky me! I bought a dial caliper on closeout for $10 at Eagle America which is local to me (and also unaffiliated, but check them out!). I'll also plan on the dark rag technique - that sounds simplest.

Meantime, I'll investigate the Constantine clamp and the shims+circlip and what all that's about...

36 hours left!

 

Shim/circlip - items 12, 13 and 14 on the diagram shown here (?)

http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLoo...-00-Frame4.htm

If I'm understanding correctly, this will stop the forward "creep" of the flex-plate on the drive rod?

Also, am I correct in assuming that the 85 AT is an A28? Pelican is a helpful resource for me given the parts diagram catalog (and they've been decent to me), but their catalog doesn't show AT diagrams for the 85-86 years...

Thanks

 

Those are the clips and shims in which we speak. The shims and clips keep the drive shaft from pulling out if the flexplate clamp (rearward) during hard acceleration and drive shaft twist-up. The flexplate harmlesly flexes back during driveshaft twist-up, and returns to neutral position when torque is removed from the drive line. The clip and shims allow the original clamp to hold the driveshaft end in place if your driveshaft does have the groove. Make sure yours actually has the groove, as some DO NOT. I think all of the large diameter driveshafts are missing this groove. As I understand it, if your drive shaft does have the groove, you need to loosen the flexplate clamp, and remove the six bolts securing the flexplate to the flywheel. Next install the bushing, shim/shims, and clip. Then you slide the flexplate back and check gap between flywheel and flexplate. Remove shims accordingly to achieve slight pressure on flexplate when the six bolts are re-installed. See WSM for tollerances. You won't need the shim setup and the constantine clamp together, either one will work the same. If you don't have the groove, there are four methods used that I have heard of.

1) Release tension every 6 months. Hope for the best.
2) Release tension, clean apply loctite to the splines. Record spline ending with clamp distance to be able to see if the clamp has moved without loosening the clamp. Check flexplate flatness and spline distance every six months.
3) Use a simple style two half clamp available from the sponsors that reinforces the original clamp. Check every six months.
4) Use a Constantine clamp and fu-getta-bout-it. Oh yeah... and then check every six months...

Also, be aware that the rear driveshaft clamp should be checked and retorqued when you are doing a preventative TT fix such as this. (IMHO)

Good Luck!

 

Picked up the '85 on Sat. Made the 100 mile trip without a hitch. The engine cranks freely and easily on startup and there was no hint of metallic matter in the oil (dark rag w/ dipstick oil) - the PO drove it about 50 miles to meet me. The only things I've done with it so far is to tighten the primary pump fuel outlet where it was dripping slightly and found the non working hvac blower motor was simply a missing relay. I have also found that the kickdown relay is missing so I'll be looking for one of those. Before driving I'll be proceeding with the flex-plate release / end-play check and oil change. It's possible that the bulk of the unwanted engine noise I heard was actually due to accessory belt-drive and fan... Thanks again for all your input. Curiously, I'm considering keeping both ;-)