S2, like drive shaft broke?

[911st]

My bud said he kind of popped his clutch backing out of us driveway.

Car seems to have lost all drive to the wheels. It goes into gear fine but when you let out the clutch nothing happens.

He said he has an updated clutch put in years ago so it supposedly dose not have a rubber centered clutch.

Rear axels and CV's all look fine.

What could it be?

Thx!!!

[running_cold924]

have someone get inside and put it in gear while you watch and see what spins. maybe a joint snapped or cv bolts broke. either way, easy fix.

[Pete R]

you could have had any number of drive line failures. I think running cold may be a little optimistic thinking it will be easy. If all outward appearance seems normal it's internal.. and not an easy fix. Are there any noises that can be heard coming from the clutch or tranny?
My initial guess would be that the pressure plate catastrophically failed. (i had one fail in a Jeep once). There was a "pop" and then it couldn't put enough force on the clutch to move the car, similar to what you described It may also me a clutch disc failure of some type. Given that you tranny feels okay and you didn't mention any horrific noise from it, I would look toward the clutch first.

[911st]

Thanks guy's.

No external indications.

Just nothing happens when we let out the clutch.

Also, it did seem like the starter seemed to slip when trying to start the car. He said it had been that way before the failure but not as bad as this morning.

[911st]

No noise except for the motor running.
Scary free of any noise from the drive train.
No drag on the motor.

[Pete R]

no noise is wierd. One of the couplings at either end of the torque tube could have broken, or maybe something in the tranny...or maybe I could just mention every component from the flywheel to the axles keep us posted.. this is interesting.. Oh, are you sure it's shifting? maybe something in the linkage has popped off and it's in neutral.

[running_cold924]

Originally Posted by 911st

My bud said he kind of popped his clutch backing out of us driveway.

strange to blow up a pressure plate from this...or catastrophic damage...

obviously if there is no output from the transmission (axles moving), then the problem lies before the trans or the trans itself. check the peep hole for the tt coupler and see if it spins with the engine or trans. clutch feel normal?

[911st]

Goes into gears great.

What are the couplings?

Is there something that fails that can keep the clutch from engaging?

Is there a failure where the slave cylinder or something hangs up?

Sounded like he pooped the clutch in reverse. His driveway is gravel so it dose not sound like it should have been to much of an impact.

Wonder, if it is possible to back the pinion gear off with such a move or something?


Again, thinks for all the ideas.

[911st]

Originally Posted by running_cold924

...check the peep hole for the tt coupler and see if it spins with the engine or trans. clutch feel normal?

Good suggestion. Where is the peep hole?

I do not know the clutch action but it did feel a bit light to me.

[Pete R]

strange to blow up a pressure plate from this...or catastrophic damage...

true, the whole thing is strange. (when I blew my PP in my Jeep it was after 4 wheelin, on the nice smooth easy ride home, It was just WHEN it decided to let go, not WHY)

there's a clutch, torque tube and tranny. there is a coupler between the clutch spline and tt and between tt and tranny. They are a grooved steel spline, I'm figuring if one of these went or stripped there would be noise of some kind.

Obviously the typical way the slave and master cylinders fail is you lose the clutch and it STAYS engaged. I imagine it is possible however for something to have broken off and wedged it's self to restrict the return, could happen on the release fork as well.

How's everything on the pedal inside the car? Does that all seem correct. I would suck to pull apart a clutch and realize the lever was broken inside the car.

Probably doubtful that the pinion backed off far enough to be "no noise", it seems like that would create loud bearing crunching and teeth grinding.

You said "updated clutch" Porsche? Not a Centerforce?, those fail A LOT. There are weights that can fly off the pp and jam it open.. just checking

[geofen8036]

Where is the peep hole? I hope you have lots of cash. Even if it is the clapping sleeve. which would be better than other things. The transmission is more than likely coming out or moved back. Might be lucky and only sheared the axle bolts. Happened to me on a dark rainy New Jersey night 600 miles from home. Fixed it too, with channel locks and a curb for a jack. Your going to need some triple-square sockets. I like ToolTopia.com.

[911st]

Clutch petal operation seemed proper.

My first thought is it was a rubber centered clutch disk and that they have known to fail. However, several years ago he had the clutch replaced and was told it was updated so that is not a possibility. It was a Porsche shop so I can only assume it was a Porsche part but could be wrong.

Thx.

[commdiver]

I broke a 951 transaxle doing this very thing backing up and dropping clutch around 3k RPM's

The tires burnt rubber for a split second then a load pop and then I had no gears at all. Transaxle broke internally and I had to pull it out and replace with another. I ended up getting around to puling that transaxle apart and it had completely broken half the teeth on a gear that drives the pinion gear!

Try pushing the car around in gear without motor running and see if you can get something to catch? Then start it up and try getting it to move under its own power? Let me know if you need a transaxle or parts as I have parted a dozen or so 944's over the years and have everything you would need. I can even do the labor if you need? good luck

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by commdiver

I broke a 951 transaxle doing this very thing backing up and dropping clutch around 3k RPM's

The tires burnt rubber for a split second then a load pop and then I had no gears at all. Transaxle broke internally and I had to pull it out and replace with another. I ended up getting around to puling that transaxle apart and it had completely broken half the teeth on a gear that drives the pinion gear!

Try pushing the car around in gear without motor running and see if you can get something to catch? Then start it up and try getting it to move under its own power? Let me know if you need a transaxle or parts as I have parted a dozen or so 944's over the years and have everything you would need. I can even do the labor if you need? good luck

This is the most logical reason for loosing all the gear drive to the wheels. It's cheaper to get a used open diff transaxle than to rebuild one.

[911st]

Commdiver

Sounds like it could very well be.

Appricate to offer to help. Will keep it in mind.

[HondaDustR]

Very likely something broke in the transmission if nothing is visibly wrong with the driveshafts or CV joints. Can you hear the drive shaft spinning when the clutch is released? Oh, wait, not everyone has noisy torque tube bearings...

[wild man]

Look through peep hole in rear bellhousing while engine is running (WITH REAR WHEELS OFF OF GROUND).

Check if shafts are turning with engine.

If DS turns, but not trans input shaft, coupler is broken or stripped.

If neither is turning, clutch is the problem.

If both are turning, problem is inside trans (assuming both CV shafts are OK).

[911st]

I will pass it along to my friend. Last time I talked to him he sounded like he just did not want to mess with it any more. He already bought another car.

Anyone near Sacramento want a broken 91 S2 on the cheap? Comes with a CA plate "RARE S2".

Thanks to everyone for all the help.

[wild man]

Does it have a good transaxle?

[Pete R]

Originally Posted by wild man

Does it have a good transaxle?

that's what he doesn't know.