OK -I need help - Throttle linkage

[rr262]

I am getting ready to drop the engine in my '83 SC and I have managed to get everything disconnected except the throttle linkage. It seems to be taking a lot of effort to disconnect the linkage at the top of the engine and I do not want to force anything.

Wayne's book says to begin the removal by disconnecting the linkage at the bell crank located on the transmission. (I can't seem to do this as there is not enough free play in the linkage.)

The tech article on this site says to disconnect the ball joint on the rocker arm first, which will then allow you to remove it at the transmission.

The article states " the ball end of the rod should simply snap off the rocker located inside the engine compartment" NOT...I am having a very difficult time removing this and I do not want to bend / break anything. Am I missing something here?

Thanks in advance...

[slodave]

I tried everything on my 3.2 and could not get that damn thing off. I was also dropping the tranny and therefore only really needed to disconnect at the bell crank. It is a ball joint as well. Hope you figure it out soon!

[CruiseControl]

Had the same problem with 3.2 at the ball joint located on side of gear box.
Solution was small angle grinder.

Assembly:
Drilled out the lever (5mm). Bought a 5mm female rod end (from bearing places). A 5mm captive nut and bolt (with washers) finished it off. It is a 5mm thread on the throttle rod that heads forward.

I could only buy the socket (NO RETAINING CLIP AVAILABLE) from Porsche, also for the ball one would have to purchase the complete lever.

Paul

[RWebb]

try wedging a flat screwdriver in there first

use anti-sieze on the next one

[Grady Clay]

Sometime in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s Porsche started putting the “safety pin” type throttle ball sockets on the vertical link between the engine mounted bell-crank and the throttle body.

Could some PO have installed one of these ball sockets (and ‘safety pin’) on the long link to the transmission bell crank? If the pin is in place, the socket won’t come off the ball.

While difficult, you could loosen the lock nut at that ball socket, remove the transmission bell-crank from the transmission and unscrew the long rod out of the offending ball socket.

I usually use a thin 10 mm open end wrench to pop-off ball sockets.

Best,
Grady

[rr262]

Thanks for the input. It definitely looks like there is some sort of locking feature (wire?) on the ball joint. The visibility / access is nearly impossible and I really do not want to break anything trying to force it off and I would like to try and keep the linkage intact.

I was on the fence as to whether to drop both the engine and transmission or just the engine so I have decided to just drop the whole thing and disconnect the throttle linkage at the transmission per the Bentley manual. This ball joint easily popped off using a 10mm wrench for leverage (thanks for that tip!) When I separate the engine/transmission (to do the clutch) I will simply remove the bell crank on the transmission and disconnect the throttle linkage. This way I can leave the on engine connection intact.

Once I have the engine out and have better access I will try and figure out what the locking feature is on the ball joint.

Thanks again for the help.

[ChrisBennet]

Forget what the book says about just dropping the motor by itself. Just drop the engine and trans together. Be careful not to get the throttle linkage hung up on the CV joint as you lower the motor. If I'm dropping a 3.2 where the linkage removes easily at the transmission, I do disconnect it just to keep it from getting bent.
(If I had to guess, I've dropped 911/930 motors around 40-50 times...)
-Chris

[rr262]

Thanks Chris,

I was just tieing off the drive shafts and definitely see how I could catch the linkage. Everything is now disconnected and as soon as my help arrives we are ready to go.

[yelcab1]

My 84 had a safety wire you hav to remove, and then easily lose.
My 80 just snaps off.

[rr262]

I got the engine/transmission out of the car. This went very smoothly, with the exception of a harness off of the transmission I forgot to disconnect. Now the real fun begins....

Now that I can get at the back there is definitely a safety wire that is somehow holding in the ball socket. My inclination is to just leave all connected as I really don't want to mess with it and then not be able to reinstall the safety wire. As I noted this is an '83 SC so I suspect this change was incorporated somewhere in the early 80's.

Once again, thanks for all the help.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by rr262

I got the engine/transmission out of the car. This went very smoothly, with the exception of a harness off of the transmission I forgot to disconnect. Now the real fun begins....

Now that I can get at the back there is definitely a safety wire that is somehow holding in the ball socket. My inclination is to just leave all connected as I really don't want to mess with it and then not be able to reinstall the safety wire. As I noted this is an '83 SC so I suspect this change was incorporated somewhere in the early 80's.

Once again, thanks for all the help.

Even with my engine out, two of still could not get that stupid ball joint off. We even removed the safety pin. Unless you really need to, forget about it.

[Walt Fricke]

After I got a particularly refractory ball socket end clip off I inspected the socket closely. The snap action was (if memory serves) created by a kind of semi circular wire clip inside the socket in a groove. The gap in the ends of this small wire piece should allow the wire to expand when being pulled off or popped on. Mine was full of crud, which filled the gap. Cleaning with dental picks and solvents, plus a little lubrication, had it working fine (like yours did on the tranny bell crank).

But if it has a lock, I don't know about that. However, with things out I'd figure it out and clean things up. It is useful to be able to adjust the throttle linkage. Lots of cars out there don't quite get to true WOT when the pedal is to the metal. None of my similar joints in the linkage have a safety clip, and the only times they have fallen off have been when I didn't get them properly snapped back into place.

Walt Fricke

[JohnJL]

My 83SC Japanese delivery just popped on and off.

And the spring popped too.

At 120KMS.

Heading into a hairpin turn...

[RWebb]

It appears there are at least 2 additions that Porsche made to these things at different times.

I guess the engineers realized the car was too easy to work on...

[DaddyGlenn]

Originally Posted by rr262

I got the engine/transmission out of the car. ...{snip}

And where is the picture of your smiling face sticking out of the engine compartment? I believe it is Pelican protocol.

BTW...they just pop off on my '78.

[Wayne 962]

The trick is to use a 8 or 9mm wrench and slide the claws around the ball and then pry it off. Even the most stubborn ones will come off with the correct tool applied in the proper position...

-Wyane

[rr262]

Thanks Wayne,

I tried the wrench but was not comfortable with how much force I was putting on the bell crank. Once the engine was out and I could get at the rear I simply removed the locking pin/wire and the socket came right off. There was no way to get at this locking wire with the engine installed. I tried to take a picture of the locking feature (attached) but with it being so small it was difficult to get a good picture of it. It simply sides through a hole drilled in the socket and clips onto the shaft once it is installed.

Glenn,

I attached the requisite photo.

[kevbo]

I had the same problem at the bell housing. Not sure if it was the correct action or not but I unscrewed the linkage from the ball socket.

[kevbo]

Some pics. I removed the circle clip and that didn't help. I marked the linkage with tape so I could reinstall w/o too much adjustment.

[ADDvanced]

What is up with the zombie threads lately. 2007?