we drove the S4 today, plus 100 kms so everything was up to op temp, 28c ambient.

what I previously thought was a bad TT bearing is now sounding primarily from the engine.

I would like to diagnose by disconnecting the flex plate then fire up the engine.........any experience out there? TIA

 

No direct experience, but no reason why it shouldn't work.

But before you go through the trouble of unbolting the drive plate from the flex-plate/flywheel, do the basic crank endplay measurement. That's really a definitive test for TBF.

Since you have a lift handy, use a simple stethoscope along the TT to listen for the offending bearing.


Prayers from over here hoping it isn't TBF.

 

thx dr Bob......we have the car at home (out of storage location) so Ill get it on the lift tomorrow.

We're so looking forward to taking the S4 to its winter Tx home.

 

Yup. No issue(*). But, I would suggest unbolting the coupler from the flex plate and moving it backwards on the shaft. You'll get more clearance and it's easier. Just mark both pieces so you can bolt it back in the same orientation.

However, do what DrB said also (if not first): measure the crank end-play.

Also, inspect you flex plate carefully. Look for cracks.

Edit * : other than unbolting and rebolting the exhaust to get the bell housing cover off.

 

thx Dave.........the car has an X pipe so hopefully can access the coupler and area easily.

I should add the car was fitted with a Pklamp some years ago but hasnt been driven much since the GTS came into our stable. Interesting what you hear when you havent driven a particular car for a while.

 

Malcolm,

Did you paint any index marks to visually test for slippage? If not you might consider doing so on the engine side of the flex plate hub before releasing the locking bolt. While you are in the general area you might also consider checking/replacing the rear pinch bolt as well if you have not done so already.

Hopefully it will be nothing more than your grey matter doing overtime.

Rgds


Fred

 

haha...........thx for that Fred, I am an optimistic guy but theres something wrong, car is on the lift, we'll know soon

 

You know the rules -- No PainKillers until you discover the 'problem'.


And in the "FWIW" category, we needed to dash to a local parts place during one of the little clinics at the hacienda in Glendale just above Los Angeles. Owner was working on his '89 GT. On the ride to the parts place in my S4, he was shocked enough to comment about how quiet the car is compared with his. After riding in his GT, with RMB and more miles, I appreciated why he had said something; besides the exhaust noise, just lots of squeaks and rattles and odd noises from his car. Some could be attributed to noise from stuff he was carrying in the cabin, but overall there was a much larger mechanical noise floor. Fast-forward to somewhere in Alberta, where we got used to ridng in the newer, lower-miles, better-insulated GTS. Suddenly, all that 'noise floor' stuff in the S4 is "objectionable"?

You might be chasing ghosts. Noisy, annoying, but somewhat normal ghosts.


Sign on my office wall: "Eighty Percent of Every Job is Managing Expectations!"

 

Best to just measure the crankshaft endplay with a dial indicator and remove all doubt.

 

See posts 2 & 4. Great Minds and all.

 

With the Pklamp, front pinch bolt and clamp bolts removed the coupler easily pryed off the flex plate I fired up the engine.

I never have a 928 rev so freely and without issue .........I'll check the crank shaft end play but the 'loud noise' is gone, completely.

 

I smell a smidgeon of toasted grey matter!

Sounds as though we are currently looking at either torque tube bearings or [possibly?] torque converter bearings. I take it there was no clamp jump when the pinch bolt was undone [not expected with PKlamp fitted].

On the positive side you like removing torque tubes don't you?

Rgds

Fred

 

TT brgs and possibly TC........Ill probably do all.

I'll do further inspection today, measure the location of the front TT brg and check the rear pinch bolt........anything else I could do at this juncture?

Removing the TT from an auto will be a new experience that I might leave for a winter project.

 

Malcolm--

I'll speculate that a rolling worktable handily holds a standard trans jack under the Max Jax lift, making it possible to unbolt the trans and rear crossmember and support it all in place as you slide them to the rear for TT removal.



Oh, and congrats on it being "just" the TT and TC bearings. That clean living has finally paid off!

 

dr Bob,

I have notes on the Bill Ball method on removing the upper bell housing which provides the space requirement for dropping the TT without removal of the gbox and rear x member similar to the method I used for the GTS with obvious differences with clutch removal/transmission moved aft.

Clean living.......indeed!