(Update in post #5 below)

We have a customer who is in need of an early 78-79 5 speed drive shaft which he has measured at being 1500mm in length.

Transmission end splines are worn down and he needs one in better shape for his TT rebuild. He is in Australia and is having a problem finding one in good shape.

Please PM me and I will put you in touch with each other. I have no interest other than helping this 928er out.

Thank you,

 

Weekend bump up.

No one has one of these?

 

I have an 89 Auto TT, needs bearings, perfect splines -- free to anybody who can help Constantine with acquisition of the old 5 speed part.

Just in possible case somebody wants to swap for something they can use on a newer 928.

 

Wow, now that is paying it forward!

Thank you Landseer!

 

Well we didn't have any luck for our customer in Australia with finding him a used early 928 5-speed drive shaft.

What to do? Make a new early 5-speed drive shaft using stronger material and with a cool yellow zinc coating to boot.

This will be sent off shortly to it's new home down under.

Cheers,

 

Does this mean you have a way to make new replacement drive shafts?

 

Now this is cool.

 

Yes.

Thank you, we thought so too.

Cheers,

 

Looks great. Let me know what my cost would be and what shafts you will be offering.

 

Hello Constantine

Beautiful work buy the way , but can I add an engineering perspective , that sharp raised edge back from the spline needs to be radiused , it is a large stress riser , ie a fracture point under load .
eg , harmonics (s4 ecu management cut , injectors etc) . Seeing that you have gone to this much trouble , you could now improve on the original design , as I think that the shaft did grow in size during its life .
Very well done, hope I didnt offend by commenting .

TIA

 

great work! i might be up for one......

 

I spotted that - then i recalled that Constantine had said previously that the new shafts he was offering for S4 and GTS would be constant diameter (The fatter stock shaft for the GTS being effectively weaker than the S4 shaft because of the same issue. I wounder if this shaft for an early car is machined down from Constantines S4 shaft ?

 

Hi John G.,

No offense taken at all.

The step is just about identical to the stock 5 speed drive shaft profile at the front, the photo makes it look a bit severe but there is a radius to it.

The stock 5 speed shaft is a smaller diameter aft of the front splines so one can slide the coupler back onto the drive shaft. We have copied the drive shaft as the original.

Hi Jon,

Each drive shaft is purpose built and all are brand new. They are made of a stronger heat treated/cold finished material by a professional concern who has done this sort of work for years and employs engineers on staff. We have replicated the originals as close as possible going through a few renditions ironing out the details.

At present we have copied the 928 early and late 5-speed drive shafts and the 25mm automatic (the older constant diameter) drive shafts. Because of the problems with the 28mm drive shafts fracturing at the neck down areas, we will not have those replicated.

And for those following along,

All this being said, metal things in cars will break. We do believe our drive shafts will last for years without problems, but who really knows. We now know Porsche sure didn't get the 28mm drive shafts right.

The new drive shafts will carry a two (2) year unlimited mileage warranty, as the rest of our products. Wanted to go with a lifetime warranty to original purchaser, but was told by many we would be nuts to do that. Oh well, still learning this biz...

Hope it clears it up a bit.

Thank you both for your comments and questions!

Cheers,

 

Hi all,

I just want to thank Constantine for his help in developing a new drive shaft for my early 5sp 928.
When I first discovered my drive shaft problem I had trouble finding anyone here in Australia who wanted to help me. So to have someone on the other side of the world go out of his way to make me a completely new drive shaft absolutely blows me away!

The drive shaft arrived yesterday and it is absolutely spot on when compared to the original.

Thank you so much Constantine!

Cheers,
Duncan.

 

Looks very nice!

and welcome to Rennlist Duncan