Jim,
Good for you helping a young new Porsche owner.
Is he on Pelican?
Yes, that will work. Just make another that is 32 mm for
the 901 to replace the P252 like the 41 mm you made for
the 915 to replace the P252a. A 901 clutch to replace
the P37 just like the 915 clutch to replace the P37a.
Yes, putting the cluster in two gears is just fine so long as
the two shafts are supported by their bearings at both
ends. The 2-gear method tries to force the shafts apart.
The 4-point bearings don’t like to be bent. When I use
the 2-gear method, I always have the gear cluster in the
transmission casting (or intermediate tunnel for 915) or
use the P260 (P260a for 915) guide plate to support the
bearings.
Randy, in this case it isn’t much more work to build a replica
of a P-tool as good or better than the original. Yes, a quality
socket, some steel tubing, lathe work and welding are more
expensive. Even if you use it once, you can sell to another
Pelican and recoup your cost. While Pelican doesn’t carry
these, they may be able to get them.
Baum has the P252
in stock for $84.50 retail.
There are a few things where a less expensive material may
be better. For example I think there is an aftermarket plastic
P260. I suspect this might be easier on the bearings but not
as dimensionally stable or long lived.
Here is one of the first P-Tools I built – probably early ’69. A
little crude but has worked well for 35+ years of regular use.
This grabs the syncro dogs at the circlip ring to press off the
dogs from the gear. In ’72 I made one for 915 1-2 gears.
(The extra little holes are because I was too cheep to buy a
virgin piece of steel.)
This is a much more elegant solution than hammer and chisel
and never damaged a dog set or gear. Only recently have
dog sets been available and some are of significantly lower
quality than original. Being able to transfer dog sets paid for
the tool X 10^3+.
Best,
Grady