flex-disk HELP!
 

Hey guys,
i have an automatic 944 84', and the flex-disk just broke..and the sound the car made was horrible. took it to the shop and they said it would take about 5 hours to fix. i wanted to kno where i could find this flex-disk part and if there are any good sites which would sell em cheaper. thanks

try oklahoma foreign or parts heaven, they should have a flex plate.

out of curiosity, what did it sound like and were there any symptoms leading up to it?

have not experienced a flex disk failure, but would like to know what it is when it happens.

it was totally unexpected. no sound problems, nothing. it just happened, and u could feel ur car shake. i was going up hill, pushing it. plus i was driving it for a while on a hot day :(. but yea, at a red light, you will heard a loud clanking sound, metal against metal. very loud and very annoying.

i dont kno how you can tell if its about togo....especially because this is such a vital component. but yea, i guess im looking for $1k in repairs.

Buy a new disk unless you can get a low milage used one. Todwick had one let go when he lived locally. Was a racket!!!

so i guess theres no way to tell :(. this sucks..i start school next week..btw...not to change topics..but does anyone kno any good security systems for cheap? thanks

Don't put a high dollar stereo in it. Pile lots of junk in the back and leave the cargo cover rolled up so it can be seen. Don't wash it. Put DeadHead stickers all over it.

HAHAHAH that'll cost close to nothing lol.

Good luck on the shop only charging you 5 hours........

Alarm systems..cheapest is to pull the fuel pump relay out every time you park it..no cost. Letting an alarm shop work on...a good way to annoy the shop that will be working on the car afterwards.

Or a hidden toggle that disables the fuel pump.

the guy said he charges by what the book said, but he told me it would really take him 8 hours to do.

Hope he noticed that the flex disc is on the engine, not what the torque convertor is bolted to....

Yeap. Bet he finds out and charges you more. If he's never done one before he's in for a surprize.

Hint: You have to unbolt the flex disk from the flywheel and the engine from the bell housing to get to the clip on the front of the drive shaft. That clip is between the disc and the engine.

yeah, the ‘flex plate’ (that the torque converter attaches to) rarely breaks.

but changing that disk (or rubber flex damper) on the flywheel is about the same amount of work as a new clutch.

the part alone is about $700…plus what?... 8 - 10 hours labor minimum

unless you do it yourself, you’re looking at about $2000 or more - easy

many would say there are better ways to spend that money than to put it into a 22 year old slushbox

There is wisdom in what carson speaks. The disc is @ $700, plus the two sensors I broke taking the bell housing off (yes, it was very, very hard to move the housing untill the sensors broke), plus the labor. I guess it all boils down to<ol=a><li>Do you love your car?<li>Or is it just like the Buick you had when you were 32?</ol><p>Then answer: Which to I have more of? <ol=a><li>Time<li>Money</ol><p>http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/...s/a_frusty.gif

dampner
 

IF you are interested, I have a used one for sale. I took it out of my 88 that I converted to a 5-speed. It is in decent shape with some surface cracks starting to come in it, but it is solid. E-mail me and I can send you a couple of pics.
toddandcharity@peoplepc.com
Thanks,
Todd

thanks for the offer todd, but i already started the job....man...he only charged me 8 hours, but he's put a total of 18+ hours trying to get some broken piece out of the other parts. its been a real headache let me tell u...btw

how did u change ur 88 to a 5 speed? is it hard?

What broken piece? If he's never ever worked on an 944 let a lone an automatic 944 your're in trouible!!!

Read him my previous post where I describe the procedure to get to and remove the damper at the back of the engine.

Further thoughts: Bet this is the sensors. Just remove the bracket sensors and all.

OK, after Hugh's post regarding the sensor bracket being broken...what's the betting that it won't start after repairs?

As I said, good luck on the shop only charging 5 hours....

Be afraid! Terribly Afraid!

Shaking??!?!
 

Sorry.. just to clarify..

1. Does the car still run after the flex disk goes? I ask because..

2. Whenever I stop the car the car shakes a little but it's perfectly fine when I am driving..

So I guess my question is.. how exactly do you know when the flex disk goes? Is there a simply place to check on the car for a non-mechanic, or is the shaking enough to indicate that the flex disk has gone?

I have also noticed my shifter gets very hot after it is driven for a while..

Thanks!

hey...i just got the flex disk in today!! THE RIDE IS SO SMOOTH

i realized that

1) u kno ur flex disk is about to go if u feel vibrations at stops. I thought it was the motor mounts, but once i got hte new disk in, no vibrations. this is probably one sign of a bad flex disk.

2) once the flex disk breaks, u must replace it right away, yes it will run. but at stops u will hear metal clashing against metal (loss of rubber part). then, when u accelerate, if u accerlate too hard, u feel grinding and the car shakes..this was a very bad experience.

yes its pricy, but the outcome is outstanding

Take a peek under your shift boot. There should (or was, as new) a rubber shift boot underneath that is used as a sound deadener/heat insulator....


Back to the flex disc....

Might be hard to describe the vibrations at stops, but can ya, possibly? Could you tell where they originate from (front/mid/back of car?)

I get a studder/grabbing sorta sensation, only while breaking (not a rolling stop or stopped, mind you, just breaking), mid-back of car, from which my mechanic says is the e-brake sticking.

Not that I don't trust his judgement... But all this talk of flex discs makes me perspire slightly.

well first off...i thought flex disks only came on autos?

but if they come on manual trannys too, heres what happened to me

my assumption is that when the car is in motion, the flex disk has angular momentum, which keeps it running smooth. however, once u slow down, and slow down that momentum, the disk becomes a lil more "off" if u will. im not sure about braking, but i kno that when i stopped, the entire car would shake (flex disk directly under shifter). the way my mechanic stated the job of the flex disk is as follows: it buffers the power from the engin onto the tranny. so if the disk is about to die, it'll vibrate more and more.

take my advice, switch out the flex disk if u are uncertain (be away that engine shaking is also due to engine mounts). i drove on the broken disk for all but 15 min, and shards of rubber crap got stuck in very very very bad places...took the poor guy 3 weeks to take out. an ounce of protection will bring a pound of cure...

thats my 2 cents

ya... see my sig... 3 speeder here.

Thanks for the clarification... I know my mounts are pretty shot, got that planned for mid-october after I get back from san fran... Was hoping to not have to deal with a flex disc for a while. From what you describe I think my mechanic might be spot-on about the e-brakes.

Mine let go in the driveway about 6 years ago, backing out of the garage. went into Drive and terrible vibration... no go forward.

check the inspection hole by the started for chunks of rubber..

IIRC I paid 650$ for a new one at Vertex.

My old wrench charged me for 22 hours of labor. I suspect he screwed up my TT bearing as well. Took him 3 weeks to get my car back to me.

been doing my own work ever since

wow...my mechanic charged 8 hours but took 3 weeks too...he said he's glad to get my car outta the shop haha.

its good to check that hold under teh flex disk once in a while, check on the rubber. unfortunately, with all rubber parts, they fail. try to change it out before it does any worse damage :-\.

Inspection Hole Location?
 

Can you please tell me where the inspection hole is? (by the starter?) Where is that?

Sorry to be so stupid.. but where exactly do I look on my car???

I've had the vibration at stop for over a year now.. no issues with using my shifter in all gears, and no issues with the car running.. and it's not the motor mounts cause they were recently replaced.

Thank-you.

driver's side, mid-front of the car, in front of the cat. hole about the size of the bottom of a pill bottle. ( I believe #20 )

Ok... my follow up question is: I looked inside that sucker. Nothing notable. All I could really make out was #23 in the picture . What am I looking at here?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/944_...3-85/Pic47.jpg

if memory serves me right, u'd be looking at the part where the flex disk attaches to the driveshaft. if its broken, u will see shards of rubber all in there, and parts of metal (if its really bad).

and dave...my car vibrated for a long time too, and i thought it was normal cuz i changed the motor mounts...guess not :-\

Usually, if the flex disc was shot, you'd see small chunks of rubber; especially if you heard a racket of clanking from the front while idling...

I had mine done roughly two years back. Everytime I think about it, a small tear rolls down my cheak due to how that repair made my wallet bend over as it had it's way with it. <lol>

Nevertheless, to be specific, where's your clanking/rattling coming from? (Front/Back)

I ask due to the fact that mine is currently making noise from the back. It's a light rattling, not like the clanking that came from the from when my flex disc went. However, right before I stopped driving it, along with the light rattling from the rear, it started to idle roughly, and the whole car would literally shake when I hit 2500 RPMs...

Any thoughts?

1/2 way through the Flex Damper replacement now. I ran mine periodically for 6 months before it completely gave up the ghost. However, the rattle, rattle, rattle at stop lights was quite embarrassing.

If you have the Horrible Rattle, Rattle, Rattle at idle but seems ok when driving and looking in the flywheel inspection hole finding bits of Rubber Dust or chunks and excessive vibration you can bet your last $1,200 it's the Flex Damper.

Once inside the guts of the bell housing, everything except the Damper was in good shape.

Hopefully, someone here can answer this question quite soon. What to I use as alignment marks on the Damper & Flywheel when reassembling?

A friend did this same job and it took him Four tries of trial & error until all 9 bolts fit. I really don't want to go through installation four times if I don't have to.

There is a notch in the in the flex disk that lines up with a line on the flywheel. There are also dowels that align the plate with the flywheel.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1373919430.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1373919455.jpg

The Photos of the alignment marks are perfect....THANK YOU!!!!

My 84 automatic with 133,000 miles 'blew' the first dampner at 120.000 miles and 25 years old. Replacement cost, with parts & labor ten years ago was around $1100.00. The bad part of the deal is.. the last disc made was in 1995. The NOS sitting on parts shelves around the planet are ALL getting old and we know how well the germans make rubber & plastic parts. Age causes bad things to happpen (cracks/seperation) . If I ever need another one ...I'll do the Ean 944online thing and get a standard flywheel and clutch (without a throwout bearing) and do it that way for a lot less money. My 944 doesn't get driven enough anymore, just shows, cars & coffee and PCA club events so I'm hopeful I'll never need another one. But who knows, time marches on and time is as bad as miles & usage.

We'll after tonight or tomorrow I'll be Bona Fide as a Porsche Owner..... I'll have completed my First of hopefully very few Flex Damper Replacements. The Part I have is used, low miles, good condition, date stamp 1992. I took the precaution of soaking it in Marvel Mystery Oil prior to installation. Dad was a PhD Chemist with a speciality in Rubber Chemicals. Plastics & Rubber lose elasticity over time due to UV's, Oxidation and Evaporation, liberally applying certain oils (that soak into the rubber) will increase life. If the damper holds out a year I'll be happy, 5 years ecstatic. I wish someone would make one out of Polyurethane instead of rubber. If I have to do it again the car's getting switched to a 5 speed.

This is what I did to mine. I don't know when the disk was changed last, but the price of those flex disks have gotten expensive. I think the total cost of "used" parts to convert mine to clutch parts was about $150.

Okie Dokie, the '84 is reassembled Correctly, Flex Damper replaced!!! .... I just completed one of the hardest mechanical jobs I've ever done.....Bad News, she won't start.
I have pressure at the fuel rail
I don't hear the fuel pump
I don't have spark on the wires or coil wire
I didn't move or reposition the Sensor Mounting Block
I attempted start with Speed & Reference Sensors in both positions (swapped them in the event they were in the wrong positions)

The Flex Damper went out last October (12), it also wouldn't start then since the starter was binding up due to the flex damper. It's sat since then, battery disconnected, 1/2 tank of gas. It now has a FULL charge on the battery, all grounds are good as far as I can tell.

My thoughts are maybe the DME?

Thoughts, experiences, Suggestions PLEASE. It's an '84 NA Auto

NM..... I DID do everything right after all.....I checked the DME connection.....pulled it aft...CLICK.... instant start & RUN and w/ the new Flex Damper it's a DREAM to drive again....Thank You everyone for the assistance!!!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/clap.gif

help me my damper plate just went in my n/a 88 944 what exactly do I need for keep it auto but avoid the hefty price of a damper please car is down and it is killing me not much time left here in upstate ny to drive it before the snow comes :( need links to the right parts and the exact order they go in