MAGK944

I don't think you misused the tool in any way so try calling Elephant Racing and see if they will give you credit for what you spent on the tool. I'm sure they would, they are friendly lot and you most likely be using some of their other products.

951Dreams

Thanks for the update! contact ER and see if they can do something for you about the tool?!?

Otto Mechanic

Hey Mike & 951Dreams -

I did talk to Chuck abut the problems I was having but haven't told him yet about the tool failing on the final effort. I can't say I hold him responsible to be honest since no one can build a tool that's sure to work on parts that have seized together after 30 years. It ended up taking a 20 ton press to get those sleeves out and there was still a fair amount of cussing involved.

One thing he did tell me that's worth passing on; the instructions say the tool can be used without taking the arm off the car. I told him I couldn't imagine doing that since I'd torn the vise out of my bench using it and I'd rather not risk tearing the chassis mount points off the car. He said the tool can only be used with arms on the car for the 911 trailing arms, not the 944, so I suggested they might want to make that more clear.

Regards,

Otto Mechanic

After having the front bushings removed by a professional, I find the PowerFlex front A-Arm bushings don't fit; they're about 1/16" too thick on each bushing, for a total of 1/8". Either the "lip" of the bushing is manufactured too thick, or both of the supplied steel washers are.

The net result is that neither by hook or by crook am I able to insert the newly equipped a-arms into the engine support crossmember. And yes, I tried a hammer The whole right side of my back hurts now and I'm off to the hot tub.

I don't believe these parts are designed to fit this car. Sigh.

I suppose I can grind them down to fit or maybe find thinner washers, but for the prices these folks are charging I really don't expect to do that. It's been a very long couple of weeks.

FRporscheman

Sorry to hear. I hate it when I see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it turns out to be a red light.

Will powerflex exchange them? A lot of 944 owners have used them (and they fit) so maybe you just got a bad set.

Or you could take them out and have a machinist shave them down. Or you could get thinner washers.

thomasmryan

Did you get blacks? Powerflex told me the purple ones are too soft for that position.


I usually had to tap the rear washer into place. It's not a slip in fit and the inside facings are as cast. No machining. The metal bits should be one with the crossmember and the plastic rotates with the arm.

If you 'worked' the faces of the arm removing the old bushings, there may be some high spots or burrs. I would block sand the faces of the control arms with some 320/400 grit to rid the high spots.

Any chances that the bolt was over torqued trying to remedy the bushings you removed?

Otto Mechanic

I did. They're very hard.


That's the same procedure I tried, putting the front washer in first then taping in the rear. I haven't been able to start the rear washer, there's pretty much no room with the front washer in place.

The thing that makes me think the bushings are too big is the way they ride on the steel core, they stand proud of the core by about 1/16" on both sides, which is why I'm guessing the bushing "face" is just a little bit thick.

The crossmember isn't the same one the arms were removed from, it's a new three piece part from Lyndsey. Until you asked I hadn't thought about it. I installed the new crossmember months ago, that might be the problem!

Both arms dropped right out of the original with no coercion and the inner faces of the new crossmember look and feel clean and flat.

I still have the old crossmember, I'll test fit the rebuilt arms on it today (at least I'll have something to do).

Thanks for binging it up, I really hadn't remembered it was a new crossmember.

Otto Mechanic

That's the best description I've ever heard. After wrestling with getting the old ones out for more than a week, I thought I was over the hump. I got a little depressed when I was writing that note yesterday, but things look better today. Just keep puting one foot in front of the other.

I sent a letter to Lynn at PowerFlex and asked her opinion. I hadn't remembered this is a new (re-built) crossmember and I forgot to tell her. I'll write another letter and let her know. It may well be these bushings will fit the old crossmember just fine. I'll check as soon as the shop warms up this morning.

I don't feel too good about using thinner washers without approval from PowerFlex, but I did ask, haven't heard back yet. If it really is just a "bad run" I'm sure they'll replace them. I'll need to get the exact specs from them before I can mic the bushings.

Otto Mechanic

As Thomas inadvertently (perhaps) suggested, my problem isn't with the bushings at all; they slip right into the old crossmember. No sweat, no blood, no problem.

The culprit in this example is the three piece LR crossmember I installed last winter. The opening for the A-arms and bushings is quite a bit smaller than the original.

I'll contact LR for advice.

MAGK944

Chamfer the edge of the rear washer and try hammering in again or cut 1/16" off the inside of the bushes to make them not stand proud at the face. Even the stock ones have been known to do that.

Otto Mechanic

Good advice Mike, thanks.

I'm going to wait just a bit longer to hear what PowerFlex has to say about thinner washers before machining the bushes. Even though I have a lathe/mill in the shop, thinner washers would be the easiest solution if PowerFlex engineering thinks it's OK.

Regards,

Otto Mechanic

PS: Very clean cross member there Mike Looks great! Thanks for the photo.

Otto Mechanic

PowerFlex has said it may be tomorrow before hearing back from Engineering (UK, different time zone). Lynn agrees thinner washers would probably do the trick but we're going to wait for Engineering to approve. She didn't have anything positive to say about machining the bushes themselves, said the material is very difficult to machine without damaging the bushes beyond repair. I have no experience machining poly so I'll take her word on that.

Otto Mechanic

PowerFlex beat all expectations and confirmed that a thinner washer will be fine. The washers are only used to provide a smooth, flat surface for the bushings to ride against, they aren't structural.

I'll start searching McMaster-Carr for a thinner washer. If anyone has another good source for these parts feel free to jump in.

Thanks for all your help and good advice,

Otto Mechanic

OK, after talking through all the alternatives with PowerFlex and Lyndsey racing I discovered the underlying problem.

I installed the bushes with a block of wood and a hammer. Earlier I mentioned the bushings were about 1/16" proud. Now I admit my mistake, which is painful but maybe someone else can learn from the experience.

The reason the bushes were slightly proud was they weren't fully seated in the arm. If I'd had them pressed in instead of using the wood block and hammer technique they wouldn't have been proud. That was the clue I missed.

I put them in a bench vise (the one I didn't destroy taking out the sleeves) and pressed them in again until they weren't proud of the steel core. They were still very difficult to get in (nothing like just slipping them into the old cross member) but they did eventually go in.

CAUTION: Use a wood block to keep the vise from damaging the face of the bushings. I started by using the washers instead of wood and I ended up scoring the washers on one side with the pattern on my vice jaws. I was able to use them but I had to make sure the smooth side faced the bushing.

I put the arm in along with the front washer, then tapped in the rear washer without a whole lot of trouble. It still took about a half hour to get everything lined up, and yes, there was cussing. But it went in.

Suggestion: I started by putting the front washer and arm in, lined them up, then partially inserted the bolt. After doing that I wrestled with getting the rear washer to line up. I think this works much better than trying to get everything lined up before putting the bolt in.

I've attached a photo: