Ryanwiththe944

Hello all,
I recently bought my 944 back in January. About 2 weeks ago after a day of driving it started making a light clunking noise in the rear. I was on my way back home and after a short red light I began moving she started grinding and stopped moving forward. Got it towed home and the next day I got under and found the clamping sleeve all the way foward to the torque tube and part of the sleeve broken off. Right now I'm having a hell of a time getting the bolts removed off the clamping sleeve as it seems whoever was the last to touch it used an impact gun to tighten them down. I've heated it to make sure it wasn't thread locker and still no luck. I'm trying to avoid stripping the head off the bolt by using an impact. Anyone got a solution?

V2Rocket

drill out the bolts, or some folks resort to just cutting the sleeve off and getting another one.

951and944S

Might be able to help but what you are saying so far is confusing.

You say you found the sleeve slid forward...?
If the bolt is still in the sleeve, it's not possible unless the internal drive shaft slid forward also, in which case, your bolt would not be accessible through the access hole.

Are you talking about the large hole with the rectangular rubber/plastic removable cover or the small round one with the black sealing plug...?

If the latter, measure the diameter of that hole for me. There are some bolt extractors that work a treat (that's for the British RL'ers.. ) so even if you strip the head, I have a set here and can tell you if the right extractor for that size will fit in the hole.

T

951and944S

You brute...!



T

Ryanwiththe944

I don't believe the sleeve slid forward, whoever did the clutch prior to me purchasing the vehicle put the clamping sleeve on wrong over tightening the bolt and causing one of the "prongs" to break off. I can access the bolt closest to the trans end, I will not be able the access the other till I get the trans off. There's no way an extractor would work. I've already snapped an extension and my battery powered impact wouldn't budge it with heat and pb blaster. If I use an air impact as my last resort and stripper the head off, I don't think an extractor will hold up to that. Cutting and drilling probably will be my only option.

951and944S

Still trying to understand your situation.

There are two allen bolts, 1 at each end of the sleeve and 180 degrees opposed.

The first, rearward, accessible through the big hole in the rear bell housing, the second (front) is accessed through a round hole.

So, one of your bolts was overtightened, cracked away the threaded ear portion and you heard a noise and lost drive due to a non clamped spline.

Is this correct so far...?

You previously said you "found the sleeve all the way forward to the torque tube". In your last post, you replied that you "don't think the sleeve slid forward".

There is only one way to install the bolts if the drive shaft inside the torque tube has not moved because the bolts not only clamp the spline but they lock the shaft's fore/aft relationship because the bolts pass through a notch in each shaft.

In either event, if you can get a dremel cutoff wheel in there and cut the bolts where the sleeve's factory slot is you should be ok to remove the transmission because the portion of the bolt that will be free will be the head and threadless shoulder which is the part of the bolt that locates in the notch/circumferential groove to keep the sleeve from sliding.

T

Ryanwiththe944

Yes you are correct on what I am saying with it's current situation. The sleeve is all the way forward towards the torque tube. How it got there is by my only guess that it was installed wrong. The car only has 46k on it so I can speculate confidently that this is due to human error.

jeffro951

I recently had the stripped bolt issue, I took out the large access plug and I could just barely get my harbor freight cutoff grinder up in there and I just started grinding away until there was no bolt left. It took a better part of a day and thankfully I have a lift so I can stand up and not have to do this laying on the ground. hope this helps. I wish I could offer you a replacement slip joint but I destroyed the one in the process so I no longer have any extras.

Ryanwiththe944

Yes, it looks like I'm going to have to cut the head off the bolt here to release the transaxle end. I'm hoping there isn't much damage to the splines on either shaft once I get it out. As far as a new sleeve, there are plenty available so replacing that is not much of an issue.

jeffro951

You will need to cut away the whole bolt and not just the head because it catches in a slot and will not release otherwise. I was able to grind away enough to get the whole bolt out without any damage to the trans shaft.

jeffro951

One other tip, if using my method you will need to remove the safety shield from the grinder to get it to fit through the access hole.

Ryanwiththe944

I have a mini air grinder about the size of a dremel that will fit in there pretty easy. Should be doing this within the next few days. Thanks for the tips! Hopefully this is easier done than said haha.

jeffro951

Yeah it just takes time and takes a transmission swap job from 2 to 3 hours to an all day project.