Requesting Help: Jacking Up, Bleeding Brakes, Lube CV Joints, Chg Trans Fluid

[HDBrown]

Requesting any tips on the following:

-Jacking up a 944- jack and jackstand placement.

-Bleeding Brakes- do I need special tools/ wrench? I know about the plastic tubing.

-Lubing the rear axle CV joints- do I have to take out bearings? I have the 12 pt 8mm.

-Changing the Transmission Fluid-do I need a pump? I have the 17mm allen.

I have a Haynes manual and plan to use Swepco products. Thanks for any suggestions!

Semper fi,
Hank

[AznDrgn]

-Jacking up the car in the front I use the cross member or the jack points on the side of the car. In the rear I used the tranny with a hockey puck between it and the jack. Jackstands are placed on the crossmember or back on the A arms on the front and on the end caps of the torsion bar carrier on the rear.

-No special tools need to bleed brakes, just a wrench, some tubing and a cup.

-Depending on how thurough you want to be with the CV's would determine if you take them apart or not. I've always taken them apart and cleaned all the old grease out, examined everything and replaced parts as needed then reassembled. If you just want to grease them get a needle for your grease gun and poke it though the boot and fill'er up. You can reseal the little hole with some silicone when you get done.

-Pump would help to change the tranny fluid but you could always just fish a tube up through the wheel well and pour it in through a funnel. I've heard some bad things about swepco so you may want to check into that before you use it. Redline makes some good fluid.

[toolboy62]

If you are going to remove the axles to service the CVs you will need a cheesehead bit (I think 8mm? they come in a set, might as well buy them all, because they are used elsewhere in the car) for the bolts too. Make sure you clean out the bolt heads well, a toothbrush and some carb cleaner come in handy here - those bolts can strip easily. I *think* some boot kits come with new bolts but the reman axle I bought did not so I had to reuse my old ones.

good luck

nate

[toolboy62]

Oh yeah for bleeding brakes - you can't gravity bleed a 944 as the line for the RF goes higher than the reservoir. (you can however gravity bleed the LF which is handy when you're using a power bleeder - you can just let the fluid run out the caliper rather than having to use a turkey baster to suck it out of the reservoir when you're done and subsequently dripping brake fluid across your fender) I use the cheap Motive power bleeder and it works great. You need to take the front wheels off to bleed but not the rears, just use a small piece of washer tubing over the nipple of the bleed screw and let the fluid run into an old soda bottle or something. That way you can see if there are any bubbles and also you don't drip brake fluid on your rims. Don't forget the clutch, that is actually easier to do on a lift, the bleeder screw is above the starter. I just did this last weekend and my brake fluid was "kinda" dirty but the clutch looked like old, dirty gear oil, so it's apparent that some people neglect this area which is not good, because clutch hydraulics are just as important and expensive as the brake calipers.

I really don't like to use the "pump the brakes" method to bleed the brakes on any old car that's had a questionable service history; every time I've done it the master cylinder has failed shortly thereafter. What happens is you get corrosion on the bore where the seals don't usually ride, and when you let the pedal go to the floor it drags the seals over all that corrosion, which isn't particularly good for them... (and of course, one time I did it, my now-ex was living two hours from me and didn't think to mention to me that her brake pedal went to the floor - had to find that out for myself when I came to visit and borrowed her car to run to the store! yikes! Guess what I did that afternoon...)

If you haven't bled your brakes before you might want to give the bleeder screws a shot of Kroil or similar the day before you plan to do this... busted off bleeder screws suck. Use a 6 point socket to loosen them the first time too. (after you've got them free a wrench is OK)

good luck

nate

[AFJuvat]

Here are a few more tips.

Jackstands: the center ridges (on either side of the torque tube) are good placed to put jackstands. The lifting points on teh rear of the car work well to get the back of the car up.

As stated previously, you definately want to clean the CV bolts before removing them. Set the tool in the bolt and give it a tap to make sure that it is seated all the way in. You do not want to strip out these bolts. Cutting and drilling out CV bolts is a horrible way to spend a day (ask me how I know this...)

Bleeding: Use a pressure bleeder or a vacuum bleeder. This will allow you to do the job by yourself and it does a better job than the pump method.

Transmission: You need the 17mm allen wrench to get the plugs out. You may or may not have luck getting the plugs out. All too frequently, the PO has them severely overtightened. Swepco and mobil-1 are good fluids. Valvoline makes a good conventional gear oil as well. I use the long narrow bottles with a rubber hose attached to the nozzle and squeeze the fluid in.
Wrap a little teflon tape around the threads of the drain plugs and put them back in. Torque them to 24NM (17 ftlbs) maximum!

AFJuvat

[Porsche944]

Hank:

There are several jacking points:
Each side at the centerline of the car. Small triagle in the rocker panel marks the spot. One jack point behind each wheel, front and rear.

Do not jack using the tranny. You risk cracking the case and damaging the tranny mounts.

For bleed the brakes, get a set of Speed Bleeders! Speed Bleeders have an internal check valve so you do not need a pressure bleeder or a helper. Bleed starting from the passenger rear, then driver rear, passenger front and then driver front.

I use Mobil 1 tranny fluid with a pump. Be sure to remove the fill plug first!

You do not need to take any bearings out to lube the CV joints. Just drop each half shaft and have at it.

BTW: Try adding your location to your signature/profile. This makes it easier for local members to find and help you. Are you in "The Corps"? I'm retired Navy.

[HDBrown]

Gentlemen, thanks to each of you for your sound advice. You've saved me some time and probably frustration! Hank

Cliff, I'm in the Corps. Semper fidelis.

[Porsche944]

Hank:

I pulled several Med Cruises on Gators (USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2), USS Charleston (LKA-113)).

Semper Fi and Welcome Aboard Shipmate!

[mattdavis11]

Amsoil.....
Thanks AF, you reassured me, I put teflon tape on the fill/drain plug threads, then torqued to 17 ft. lbs. I used the yellow (gas) teflon tape. It took all my compressor/impact gun had to get both out.

[IceShark]

I believe teflon tape isn't the greatest idea on the plugs. As strange as this sounds the holes are straight taper and the plugs are pipe. So you are probably going to tear the tape up and get bits floating around inside the case. Not the end of the world but not something you want to do on purpose.