rdhayward

I had a long road trip lined up last night, leaving Denver at around 10:30 AM in order to make better time at night. I was first supposed to stay a night with family in Missouri, then go up to Ann Arbor for a longer stay.

Well, about 180 miles into my trip, I'm zipping along on I-76 Nebraska with the cruise control set, and I had to slow and downshift to negotiate an array of cones in a construction zone, and all of a sudden my car is unable to accelerate. I was dead on a remote and rainy highway at 1:30 in the morning.

I could freely move the gearshift into the various detentes for the gears without any effect. There was no noise or harsh feel or sound before this event. The clutch was not slipping although it might've been getting a bit thin. It literally felt as if the transmission just wasn't shifting.

Is this likely a linkage problem, or was it the clutch going bye-bye?

I eventually got the car towed to a truckstop near Big Springs, Nebraska, and hitch-hiked back to Denver. I'll borrow a friend's truck and rent a trailer or tow-dolly when U-Haul is open, and drive out there to bring the vehicle back to a shop here in Denver.

User 41221

It sure sounds like a linkage issue to me. Check on the top of the tranny and make sure the linkage is still connected.

rdhayward

Thanks for the reply.

Another question is that my car has limited slip. Can I use a tow dolly? I'm concerned that I may not be able to push the car onto a car-hauler trailer.

968 GUY

I would check the rear linkage, I know the linkage for the 951 and 968 are not exactly the same, but the setscrew came loose on the trans. linkage and I could not shift into gear at a red light, I pushed it to a parking lot, found the setssrew had completely fallen out, luckily still sitting on the trans case. I replaced it, and it shifted finr. Of course when I got home, I removed it and loctited the bolt(setscrew) and it has been fine.

Lemming

Sorry to hear about your car. The statement above leads me to believe that it is not your linkage (but I may be misreading you). When the linkage let's go, the gear shift just flops around with no feel of catching a gear, you would not feel a "detent".

If you could "put it in gear" and then left out the clutch, what happened? Any strange noises? There are a few possibilities that I can think of.

1. The clutch
2. Broke a half shaft
3. Stripped the linkage from the clutch to the TT or from the TT to the tranny.

I hope that I'm reading you wrong, fixing the linkage is much easier!

rdhayward

No, Lemming, there wasn't any unusual sound. I could move the lever into the various gear positions with or without the clutch. Placing the gear lever into reverse even activated the backup lamps.

However, despite the certain feel of the shifter going into the gear detentes, it lacked that little extra metallic feel (and sound) of actually changing gears.

Lemming

If you place the lever into what would be 6th gear, can you just move the shifter to the left to 1st without having to go down to neutral?

rdhayward

It required following the normal shift pattern.

I should reiterate that that the seminal event occurred as I was driving about 65 mph when cancelled the cruise control and downshifted from 6th to 5th. No funny feel to the shifter, or strange noise, just that 5th gear didn't engage.

Lemming

Then I would guess that it is not the linkage. Although I have not broken it in the 968 (knock on wood), I have broken a few with the S2 trans and the gear shifter just flops around.

notthd

You may have sheared the rool pin that engages the ****er shaft inside the trans. It will feel like it is going into gear but not actually shifting. Outside of clutch issues or linkage conections external of the trans I would think this is your problem. It is common in the 968- I have had it happen on two different cars.

Here is one of my old posts that has alot of details- Cheers, Mike

.... Remove the two top detent bolts first - Red arrows, Parts #1 and #2 then the three cap screws that hold the cover on -Part#3 blue arrows - remove the cover and O ring- part #4 be aware that pieces may fall out ( broken #8s) and the shaft and rotating assy ( part#7 and 8 ) that shifts the gear will be able to be accessed. What is happening is you are shifting, the shaft is rotating but the reaction assy is staying still. One pic is of the as found condition of Rich Sandor's car (Rich gets credit for the pics I am pretty sure these are from his car.) then pics of the shaft, broken pin and replacement. Rich ahd a post that may of us replied to for this same issue in 2008. Titled "NEED GEARBOX HELP" - suprised I remembered.

I hope this helps.






Cheers, Mike

rdhayward

Well, I literally JUST got back from a long day renting a U-Haul trailer in Denver, then driving up to Big Springs, Nebraska to bring the car back to Eurosport Ltd in Englewood. I'm confident I'll get the correct diagnosis n the mornng, and will report the findings.

It genuinely sucked being stranded at 1:30 (Mountain time) in the morning, heavily raining, in the midde of nowhere. Heartfelt apologies to a certain someone I called in the wee hours...

FRporscheman

Mike, you are a boss.

RD, sorry for you and that crappy experience. I hope it turns out well.

rdhayward

Just got the diagnosis: clutch/flywheel all shot and need to be replaced.

Jfrahm

Not bad. The flywheel is pricey but there is a used one FS in Denver:

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...ts-x-post.html

If you get a pressure plate, you might avoid the cheaper 993 plate. It fits and costs less but is stiffer and can cause the firewall to crack.

Good luck,
-Joel.

Lemming

I believe I have a 968 flywheel that I got when I bought a spare engine. You can have it for the cost of shipping if you want it. Not sure of it's condition but I can have a look and let you know if you are interested.

Guess I was right, it wasn't the linkage Darn, that doesn't happen often