Clutch or Transaxle?

[thamlin000]

Help guys.

After autocrossing my 83 944 two weekends ago, it has not been the same since. I have not driven it in 10 days. Driving home from the autocross, I noticed a "clunk" on accelleration and decelleration. Also there is a lot of transaxle noise (whine) on decelleration that never used to exist. The car shifts fine and when driven gently, exhibits no problems. But when you step on the accelerator hard or release the accellerator quickly, the "clunk" is very apparent.

I searched the site and I pretty much know that this is clutch or transaxle-related.

The "clunk" would seem clutch-related but the "whine" seems transaxle-related. That is where I am confused.....which one creating the problems?????

History:
I don't peel out and rarely spin my tires when I autocross. I did, however, strip the gears very badly when I downshifted to first gear on one tight turn. I wonder if that was what created this problem? This is a 2 owner car (the first owner was my Father) and the transaxle is original and the clutch was replaced in 1992. Yes, both are old but when the car is street-driven I drive it like an old woman. Last summer, a Porsche mechanic claimed that my clutch disc was only half worn. Of course the rubber center could be another story......

Here's the $64,000 question:
So, do yall think it is a bad clutch or is it the transaxle? I'm leaning toward the transaxle considering the noise and whine it makes on decelleration. But then again, there is that clunk.

Thanks for any suggestions or input.

[Sabyre]

Could it be from where the center tube connects to the motor or tranny? "U" joints make sounds like that when they go bad.

[fast924S]

The clunk sound may be slack or play in the Transaxle because something isnt right, the wine is because proper clearences arent being mantained in the tranny. Sounds to me like your diff in your tranny is gonna blow soon. Before mine went I had the same sounds to start with. Loud wine in decell and a clank if I hit the gas hard. Then it wined under all the time, then CLANK.... blew the diff, Cracked the carrier housing in half. Just remember if you are replacing the ring and pinion always replace both, they are a set and should not be mixed.
Good luck

[fast924S]

There are no U joints in the Porsche drive shaft (from tranny to Motor) is one solid rod that spins at engine speed, kinda scary if you think of it.

[thamlin000]

Wow! Thanks guys for the fast replies!!!

Fast924S, those symptoms you describe about your car are spot on with the problems my 944 is having. And the tranny is 21 years old.

It looks like DS might have a customer. I'm sure a transaxle could fit into the back of a 260Z, right?

[fast924S]

I still have my blown tranny in my garage, One day I want to take it apart and try to figure out why it kept blowing, maybe even make some performance parts or inprovements

[Sabyre]

Are there splines on the ends of the center tube shaft? Could those splines (if they are there) bend, break, twist, etc? Just thinking with my keyboard.

[fast924S]

Yes there are splines But I think it would be very hard to break them. The only thing that could break is the cupler that connects the drive shaft to the tranny imput shaft. I also think this would be very hard to break too