JDSStudios

Update:
Front differential crane wheel and pinion are completely gone.
Porsche only exchanges the complete differential- $5,000.00 CDN minus exchange with the broken one.

Labour is around 5 to 7 hours.

I lost my driving mood.

PS I've never tracked the car.

jumper5836

Time to rip out the front diff and make it a C2. There are a few 996TT and I saw one C4S that did it.

theiceman

HOLY CRAP

Sorry to hear that .. how many miles on your car ? I can't see how this caused the other issues , were you able to get any opinions on that ?

Do oyu think the surging of the car caused the front end to go or is there some other theory ?

I imagine you don't feel much likr chatting right now. If this is toy car at least you can park it until you decide what to do . if it is your DD your under pressure immediately.

Even if it is buggered I would not get it done at a dealer , try and Indy , you may get a better deal .

JDSStudios

83,000 Km
No idea why- like I said, I don't abuse it, and don't do any crazy corner or
anything that would lead to this.
It is been done at an Indy, that used to be service manager at Downtown Porsche. He worked on that location for 20 years.

I will think twice now before even taking a highway corner ta 100 Km/h.
it kind of traumatizes you a bit, specially financially.

JDSStudios

I think the car would loose its appeal and value as a C4S,
and I would have to tinker with a lot of electronics,
plus the stability this car is famous for, would suffer.

jumper5836

Well actually if you’re not selling the car, the front diff has no value.
You can always repair the front diff when you can afford it, at least you will have a driveable car. It will just be a rear wheel drive car and I don't hear those guys complaining.

Like Iceman. I feel bad about your position. I drive mine hard 92k and it barely sees anything below 4000 rpm and spends many days at the track or driving down crappy roads and flying like the dukes of hazards over rail road tracks. These cars are build for the abuse guess sometimes a few can't.

theiceman

Man that really sucks ... well let us know which path you go.

Good luck ...

JDSStudios

It's true I am not selling, but at the same time a AWD in the wet or snow
is unbeatable, and I like mods, but with taste (I would prefer more Horse Power, for example).
I would have to modify the PSM, so if I were to slip and slide, it would not try
to send power to the front wheels, when there would be no transmission and
differential to do it.

I would say keep in the back of your mind what happened to me
when you go at high speed, because things can break,... aaaah! never mind.
Just enjoy it and have fun! Maybe right now I am just the wrong person to talk
to you about spirit driving.

This experience made me aware of risks I never though of before.
Had I been curving at high speed, I might not be alive right now.

The new differential was ordered this afternoon, and it will be here in 6 days.

Thursday when I return from Ottawa, I plan go by the shop and take some
pictures.

Thanks for keeping me sane.

JDSStudios

Update:
Broken differential pictures here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ml#post6447245

theiceman

WOW
Thanks for the update in these difficult times , if it were me I would have a tough time talking to anyone. I would assume from the pics it was the head of the bolts that did the dmage to the gears , but to have 4 or 5 bolts break is strange , unless just one let go and the rest was just a chan reaction. ( once a bolt gets jameed in their the others will pop in quick succession at the weakened area.
Still , totally blows ...

JDSStudios

Clive
No no no no ALL 10 bolts were broken!! touch it with a single finger
and rotate them easily! The heads of some bolts are out - scroll down to 2nd picture here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...hen-cel-3.html
but the remaining 5 or 6 bolts on the crane wheel assembly, are also broken and just as loose!

I also agree that the damage to the gears was done by the broken bolts.
However: what does that matter?? Porsche will not sell the crane wheel or
pinion separately!!

So, either way, regardless of damage or no damage to gears,
Porsche would still force me to purchase a complete differential. Silly.!

theiceman

no question it is all grenaded now. I was just trying to piece together the chain of events, did the bolts break because it exploded or did it explode because of loose bolts. I have NEVETR heard of this . I have been reading your 996 thread too and it looks like they haven't either. It is exchange to boot so you have no heavy paper weight to show off !!!

JDSStudios

My guess:
the bolts were not tight to torque specifications to begin with, and they came loose;
they then danced around the gears (crane wheel and pinion) and damaged them.
What else could it be??

EDIT: All of them were actually broken, not loose.... geesh! I don't really know what to think here !!

theiceman

This is a strange one , and Porsche are going to tell you nothing except sell you a replacement one. I would think you had one bolt sheer and after that it was just a chain reaction .. it must be all due to that 1000hp you are laying down at the front end ...

JDSStudios

Thanks Clive
Your sence of humour keeps people like me from going insane.
Even though everytime I read one of your posts, I keep on thinking you are calling me a Moron... then I realize it is part of your signature.

Yes I think the same thing about the chain reaction you just mentioned!