CALLING ZV

[Raduque]

ZV, how involved is replacing a torque tube dampener on an 86 944 automatic? How badly is the cars driveability affected by a bad dampener?

I figure if anybody should know, it's you, being the resident Porsche guy, right?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Why would anyone buy an automatic Porsche?

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Why would anyone buy an automatic Porsche?

Maybe his right arm was cut off in a tragic woodchipper accident.

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Why would anyone buy an automatic Porsche?

drunk?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Roughly the same as a clutch job for a manual 944. The rubber damper unit lives in the front bellhousing where the clutch and pressure plate assembly live on manual-transmission cars.

You need to drop the transmission so you can slide the torque tube back and get at the flex plate ("Porsche-speak" for the damper unit). Not a trivial job; probably 6-10 hours of labor if you have a dedicated shop and more if you're just using jackstands.

If you're looking at a used 944, here is a good primer: http://www.pca.org/Panorama/Ho...orsche/Buyinga944.aspx

ZV

 

[Raduque]

Actually, I WAS looking at buying a used 944, but the guy updated the ad. The car now has no interior and the transmission and related assembly/parts are not installed in the car. Too much work for me, even for an $850 Porsche.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: nkgreen

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Why would anyone buy an automatic Porsche?

Maybe his right arm was cut off in a tragic woodchipper accident.

Or his left leg?

 

[AMCRambler]

Porsche's used torque tubes in the mid 80's? I thought everything went to driveshafts in the 70's. Wtf? That's old technology isn't it?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: AMCRambler
Porsche's used torque tubes in the mid 80's? I thought everything went to driveshafts in the 70's. Wtf? That's old technology isn't it?

Transaxle. There has to be a torque tube between the transaxle and the engine to maintain alignment of the input shaft. The C5 and C6 transaxle Corvettes use torque tubes as well.

ZV

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Raduque
Actually, I WAS looking at buying a used 944, but the guy updated the ad. The car now has no interior and the transmission and related assembly/parts are not installed in the car. Too much work for me, even for an $850 Porsche.

The interior trim is very expensive.

What most people don't realize is almost all the Porsches from the last 20 years were galvanized. They almost all look beautiful from the outside if not damaged.

I was looking about 5 years ago seriously at 1988 Turbo S and 1989 Turbo models. Down here they are pretty abundant with Palm Beachers buying these as weekend runabouts. I'd find them with 20k miles on them and a pretty decent price...however getting to see them showed trashed interiors (cracks and fading from our sun)...sometimes forgeting to shut the sunroof, etc.

I'd still like to buy a mint one, but at closer to $25k it's not worth it to me. The 944 is what lead me to my 240SX though.

 

[iamwiz82]

It doesn't seem too bad

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
It doesn't seem too bad

Heh - looks like a PITA but I still love that 928.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
It doesn't seem too bad

The 944 is a little easier since you can drop the transmission without removing any of the rear suspension components or the half-shafts and there's no crossmember. When I swapped the transaxle in my 944 Turbo for a limited slip unit the swap took about 6 hours of shop time. Granted that didn't include mucking about with the torque tube at all, so you're dealing with another few hours of shop time if you want to get into the front bellhousing.

ZV

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
It doesn't seem too bad

Oh, I'm fully capable of doing it (my dad has enough tools in to put a shop to shame, plus I've swapped transmission in my Accord before and pulled engines to rebuild them from minivans), I just don't WANT to do that much work. =P