Alex Sol

i may have dropped the speed sensor bolt into the bell housing... crap!!

looked everywhere for it with magnet but the tool i have with the light on the end is a little large. i couldn't look too deeply into the bell housing,

sooo. tried to start the 951 after installing the new speed sensor (which by the way was very difficult to remove)

the motor turned over twice then seized up.

starter will not turn but hums and gets warm and there is power to the starter - starter was rebuilt last year

any tips on possibly removing the bolt???

thanks!

Dougs951S

Wait let me get this straight....you knew you dropped a bolt into the bell housing, failed to fish it out, then tried to start it and locked the motor up?

mahoney944

Yicks, looks like a clutch over haul. Hopefully the bolt just wedged and didn't cause any damage else where

Tom M'Guinn

Pull the starter out -- the bolt may be binding the starter gear and ring gear....

refresh951

Bolt probably wedged between the bell housing and the fly wheel. May try turning the motor CCW with the crank bolt but depending on how tightly it is wedged it may loosen the crank bolt. Make sure to re-torque the crank bolt.

If you do break it free, you may get lucky with a magnet, I was.

reno808

Wait let me get your thought process. sooooooooooo you dropped a bolt into the bell housing couldn't get it out. Then you decided to start the car? Why??

Couldn't you have just taken 20min to take the starter out to take a better look?

968turbos2

To answer your question...yes did it just last week. Was hoping to find it elsewhere but with my luck it is in there. Did not start it though and since it is a 968 easier to get in there and check it out. Don't feel bad, I understand why you did it...I wanted to myself...sometimes we get too anxious after working/waiting so long to enjoy the car. Good luck...you will fix it

Alex Sol

okay i didn't know for sure that the bolt dropped into the tiny little hole but and spent half an hour looking for with a magnet with little light on the end and lifted the car and lowered it and looked all around so can only assume it's in there.

fyi, i started the car and it turned over just a little and then it totally seized up.

in retrospect will block off that little hole when doing any work and wonder if there's some kind of rubber plug. i have this on my 964. a pretty good sized rectangular rubber plug about 2" x 3" in size.

i did put a 24mm socket on the crank and set my extended torque wrench to about 80 lb-ft and tried both clockwise and counter clock wise and could not budge it...

which way would the starter have turned the motor? when standing in front of the car and looking toward the back. would it be clockwise or counter?

thanks for the tips and hope you pull same stunt!!!

Alex Sol

pulled the starter and nothing there. just the ring gear

most likely stuck between bell housing and flywheel. it's in there pretty snug

any easy way to get at it?

lift motor, split trans, voila?

while in there... fix:

oil leaks from age of motor - compression numbers pretty much 170-180 psi
seals, gaskets,
replace piston rings
recondition heads
magnaflux crankshaft and micro polish if necessary?

transmission leaks oil too -

turbo - eats oil

wiring is a bit of mess

hmmmmm not too happy about the state of the union...

other issues on this 951...

suspension old and spongy and soft

brakes - one caliper not quite fully releasing ( a little drag)

steering - need to replace ball joints (some play)

or do motor swap?

refresh951

Clockwise

968turbos2

Take the front lower access plate off (951 has one right?) It is sandwiched in between the flywheel and clutch housing.

lart951

What's that?

Black51

OP, you have a PM.

theedge

951 doesnt have the access plates on the bell housing. Those are only on the 968 bell housings.

Alex, dropping something in the bell housing is basically a right of passage on these cars I think. Follow the suggestions in this thread and you may get lucky. If not, Clarks Garage has the clutch procedure

mahoney944

Yeah the step that says tape over the bell housing window is one you'll never forget again. Good luck