clicking / clunking noise

itsa914 · 03-16-2007, 09:24 PM

Well good news is I have my new (to me) 1988 944 NA home, bad news I already have a problem. I think I have a CV problem.

I've got a clicking/clunk noise from the rear that is proportional with wheel movement. Now when I press on the clutch the said noise goes away, and the same applies when I throw it in neutral while coasting. I did a search here and it sounds like a CV problem?

I'm not a mechanic, but I am willing to try and repair this myself. I'm a little gun shy, so would anyone in the Chicagoland area willing to give this noobie a little 1 on 1 help? I have a heated garage and dinner is on me. If not I need to find a good shop I can trust that is close to the IL/IN/ Northern Indiana area.

Thanks

Eldorado · 03-16-2007, 09:31 PM

might also be your wheel bearing..

ERAU944 · ERAU944's Garage

under load its most likely a CV deal. some people take them out, repack them, and turn them around (inside to outside, they aren't directional). wheel bearings will make noise all the time, and the noise will increase/decrease with load differences.

the CV re-grease is very simple. get an 8mm 'three square' or 'triple square' tool from napa or parts store of your choice (you may find it easier if you ask for a vw cv tool)... wait... i'm retarded... i see you're a 914 guy - you must already have the tool then if you do any work on your car. if not go get that tool, you will need it.

*edit* from napa it is called an '8mm serrated wrench' and is made by KD tools, their part number is KD - 2304

it's important to make sure the heads of the bolts are clean and that the tool goes in all the way, because the bolts can be a PAIN and are relatively easy to round out if they're full of dirt and grease.

once you have the axle out, clean both the transmission side and wheel side of all the old grease, then turn your attention to the axle. be careful taking it apart, as the balls can fall out and get lost. if the boots are good you're in great shape, hopefully you won't need to replace. get some CV axle grease from above auto parts store (brand of your choice). get a bunch of brake cleaner too, i used a parts washer, since my neighbor owns a shop. get ALL of the nasty dirty old grease out of the joints and boots, and make sure they are dry when you're done. then, you'll get as much grease on the joints as you can. the shop guys told me to put a bunch in the boot and use that to pack the bearing, it worked very well - it is a VERY messy job, keep plenty of hand degreaser and shop rags around. once you have everything satisfactorily greased up, put it back together.

some side notes - you will need to move the boots clear of the joints to clean the joints. when you get to cleaning, you will see there is a circlip that holds the joint on. if you remove the clip(which in itself can be a PAIN) and joint, it makes cleaning very easy. then you can take the boots off the shaft as well and clean them out.

i can't think of much else... someone will add more if i left anything out

good luck, it's a pretty easy fix if you take your time and don't round out any bolts, just very dirty!

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

With 62k miles I'd look hard at the CV's. Check all the bolts. Use some carb/brake cleaner to blow out the dirt in the heads of the bolts. Use a good quality 12 point bit. Make sure it is seated fully and in line with the bolt when loosening/tightening.

If the socket head bolts are tight, pull the rear wheels off and check that the large nuts are tight on the rear stub axles. Torque is 350 foot pounds.

ERAU944 · ERAU944's Garage

ah yes, that's true, some of the bolts could have loosened (which can cause a clicking/clunking symptom if enough of them are loose), i forgot they have a tendency to do that... good call hugh!

my roommate had a 951 that had intermittent clicking... we never did take the cvs out and look at them, it was very infrequent. we did look enough to see that the bolts on the cvs were tight... if they are, i'd suspect that a repack is in your future, i doubt the stub axle nut is loose, but it never hurts to check!

itsa914 · 03-17-2007, 04:42 AM

Thanks guys. I forgot to mention, sorry it was late last night, that PO just had the rear brakes & rotors done on wednesday.

I have the socket you spoke about, so I spend some time today cleaning the bolts heads and making sure they are tight. I do work on my 914, but I leave the BIG stuff to my mechanic who is a 914 only type of guy. Right now everything on my 944 is BIG stuff to me

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Might be the dust caps on the wheels. These can come a bit loose and make clicking sounds.

itsa914 · 03-26-2007, 08:27 AM

Just a update for those that care

I spent some time under the car saturday. I didn't find anything wrong with the CV joint, at least by looking at it. I did clean the bolt heads and tried to tighten them, but they were fine.

The weather was so nice this weekend that I had to take the 944 for a drive just around the block. Guess what, no noise. I put over 50 miles on this weekend and never made a sound. Just gotta love these type of problems.

I have a appointment for Thrusday to get the timing belt done plus anything else that needs to be done. Its been only 22k miles, but 5 yrs since the belt was replaced. I also have a small oil leak. I will have the shop check the CVs just to make sure I didn't miss anything

Stay tuned................