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I have been trying to drop the transmission in my 944 and I cant for the life of me get off the drive shaft coupler from the TA / TT connection. To give some background I have completely removed both of the coupler bolts, have been hitting it with PB blaster for almost a week, and yesterday I managed to break the weld for the square that holds the bolt on the coupler on the TT side. I have also tried unbolting the two bolts on the bottom of the Bellhousing to the TA / TT and using a jack to try out different positions on the connections. I have given up trying to get this done with a crowbar, any suggestions on how to cut this coupler off?
This can be a hassle, especially in a car that has seen moisture and has not had the benefit (and f'ing common sense) of anti-seize used on drive train / suspension bits. First step would be to loosen the four bolts connecting the transmission bell (differential carrier) to the flange at the end of the torque tube. My experience has been that having them just a little loose, not a lot, keeps things aligned while letting things move enough that you can slide the coupler. I hope this gets things moving for you.
If not, you may have a coupler that is frozen to the input or torque tube shaft -- or both. I have a transmission on the bench right now that came to me with a coupler left on the input shaft while the owner stored it for several years.
After some time spent with heat and penetrating oil, I quickly got to the point that it did not make financial sense for me to keep on that path: my hourly rate versus the cost of a good used coupler. I had good access to the coupler, no surprise. I removed the front square using a composite wheel: one quick cut to the single weld. Then I ran a cut most of the way through the coupler tube at the base of two of the axial slots. This let me insert a pair of pry bars into the slots and pull them away from the shaft, just enough needed to break the freeze. You can see the cut in this photo:
And with that and a couple of taps with a drift, the coupler pulled off. The shaft inside was not pretty.
... but after tearing down the transmission, a few minutes with a glass bead blaster brought back the shiny.
You mentioned breaking off one of the square collars. Easy to weld back into place if you decide to repair the coupler. If you do, take the part to a balance shop and have it rebalanced. It matters.
I had a similar problem last year with a type 915 transmission from a '73 911S undergoing a full restoration. The clutch fork was irretrievably corroded to its bellcrank. There's even less access with a 915 than your 944. I ended up putting two slices along the clutch fork to break it free. Not a particularly fun job. It went back together with a new fork, bellcrank, and a healthy coat of Optimoly anti-seize on the splines!
03-12-2019, 01:02 AM
Seized Drive Shaft Coupler 85.5 NA
