bowser1724

Hello-
I need some quick advice, car is in the shop right now...

There is clunking on accel / decel, like the car is sliding back and forth. On this forum, people suggested the clutch is on limp home tabs. The shop says they think its more than just that, that the pinion might be sloppy. The car whines a bit when decel

So if i truly do need to replace the rear end, what is recommended? I'd like to upgrade if that makes sense to a bigger gear, and get a little more punch out of the car. I dont care about top speed, maybe as long as I can still hit 120.

What site should be looking at to find / buy?

Thanks!

Dimi 944

I have many transmissions in inventory with and without LSD. The one in your car is a good match for the engine but if you want shorter gearing I have a LSD transmission from 8V model that is the shortest you can get.

mel_t_vin

Does this shop have any history with 944s?

Clunking under accel/decel could be shock mounts, castor blocks, exhaust hangers, CV joints, clutch disc...or ring & pinion, among other things.

KevinGross

Allen's list of possible causes for the clunking is spot on. If the shop is not comfortable diagnosing your 944, consider visiting a shop with more experience with the car. These things are pretty straightforward to diagnose if you know what you're looking for.

The 944S has a unique ring and pinion, and if you are considering a replacement transmission, I would look for another 944S gearbox. The "normal" (eight-valve, normally-aspirated) gearbox has the same r&p ratio, 9:35, but a smaller pinion that is not up to the stresses of the 944S horsepower. The 944 Turbo and S2 have taller gearing which will negatively affect performance on the street.

I don't know what your shop means by "sloppy" pinion, but the pinion is almost certainly not the cause of clunking. Whining on decel from the transmission can be a sign that the front pinion bearing is heavily worn.

Good luck!

bowser1724

Thanks for all the replies. The shop got back to me and said that there wasn't anyone making a performance gear for the car. The tip about the 944 not being strong enough is a good one, and I did see that the ratio for the turbo and S2 is taller, so that would be the opposite of performance upgrade.

I asked the shop to confirm that the rubber disc / damper on the clutch as broken. They did, so I decided that since I needed a new clutch anyways, to go ahead with that work and hope that it fixed the problem. Fortunately, it did. The car drives so much better now. No more clunking. Perhaps the pinion is still weakened, but for now I think the car is drivable.

I am a bit disappointed that there doesn't seem like there are many performance upgrades that can be done besides suspension and brakes on this car, but i guess that is what I get for not getting the turbo

mel_t_vin

Nothing wrong with the brakes on your S.

Best bang for the buck to increase driving/handling performance...summer tires, sport dampers, and thicker sways. With those improvements, your car will embarrass 80% of the newer cars on the road. Just don't try to pull an Odyssey or Sienna from a stoplight...

KevinGross

Biggest performance upgrade available is to the driver, always. Get thee to an autocross school or driver's ed event -- you'll have a blast and learn things that'll make you a greatly better driver. Cheers.

bowser1724

Sadly funny.

mel_t_vin

Can't argue with that...

mel_t_vin

Unfortunately, yes.

On the other hand, 10 seconds in the canyons and that van is left for dead...