I have joined the Clutch Club

[Slam]

This morning, at 11:27, my 84 944 fired right up after I spent the last few days changing the clutch. I've done a couple of 924 clutch jobs but this was different.

Do those of us who've done it successfully first time out get a medal or a special card for our wallets? Took me and a pal just over 30 hours, a lot of that spent doing WYIT stuff and triple-checking torque values and assemblies. Nothing broke, nothing stripped, nothing stuck too badly. It all went as advertised, and I must say that jacking the front of the engine made all the difference.

And today it moved under its own power after a marathon of mechanicking that was more a test of willpower than anything else.

I cried.

And now I belong...

[nzporsche944s2]

Well done! Your reward is as follows;

1 - you get to bask in the warm glow of having saved yourself thousands of dollars in mechanics fees

2 - you get to tell and retell your clutch story to anyone that will listen

3 - you get a car that works again

P.s are you sure you seated that RMS properly?.. you sure wouldn't want that leaking after 30 hours of lying on your back....

[ernie9944]

Yes this is what you get to confirm your clutch assembly skill.A cap & a clutch logo to be sewn on your jacket.


Congrats on your first 944 one.

[Rasta Monsta]

60 man-hours? For god's sake, pull the frakkin motor next time.

[Jrboulder]

Last November my NA needed a clutch because the rubber center failed (15k on the clutch). My parents wanted to pay a mechanic to do it and I said "Fuch that, this is my vehicle. I will fix it". The largest job I had ever done on a car was replacing the shifter stick. I saw something on the 924 board about using a ford bronco clutch disc so I bought a remanufactured Ford Bronco II disc and drilled out the rivets and spaced it out with M5 hardware. I drove into my garage Friday night and drove out Sunday morning.

Total cost: $35. Total time 20 hours. Convincing my parents a Porsche is cheaper than any other car: Priceless

The clutch was really solid too.

[Slam]

RMS seated properly. I read the horror stories about that and made sure it was all the way in, not flush. Got a big plumbing fitting as a driver. Worked well.

Oh, Rasta, you sanctimonious twerp. Here in Canada the division of labor is such that one man does the heavy lifting while the other shows up with Tim Hortons coffee, provides motivational support, gets tools and relays funny anecdotes. One look at our government will confirm this. You know, though, considering the under-car contortions involved in this job, I think that pulling the engine next time may be the best economy of motion. One thing it would enable is resealing the balance shaft housings and doing rod bearings. I did those in my other 944 from underneath. And I didn't have Mand to help out on this one. She goes in for shoulder surgery next week to fix two big tears and her body-shop days are over. For now she's out of the game. Sad... I'm thinking of the classic pic with your wife helping you with your 931 engine install.

Jrboulder, last time I heard a quote for changing a 944 clutch around here it was $2,800 in Edmonton! You bet I feel self-satisfied.

I don't wear caps, but I may make an exception...

[Rasta Monsta]

Originally Posted by Slam

Oh, Rasta, you sanctimonious twerp

:-*

[Slam]

And another thing, James! Your quote: "Determination. Sometimes cars test us..." was uppermost in my mind the whole time. So there you go - you were part of my motivational team.

I checked the 30-hour time quote, as you got me thinking about it. Wrenching time came in around 24 hours actual, but Mand made me factor in the time I spent reading procedures over and over, the time I spent just admiring shiny new parts and the time my bud and I spent shooting the proverbial. Still, it took a long time.

[Rasta Monsta]

P.S. Sorry to hear about Mandy's injury. . .good luck with The Knife.

[Slam]

Thanks, dude. I'll tell her you said so - she'll be happy to hear it.

[mytrplseven]

After doing a flourescent dye check found that all the front seals will need changing. Pulled the cam tower, intake manifold (for painting) and while in there replaced a couple of cracked vacuum hoses, one broken vacuum plastic fitting, had the injectors rebuilt, AOL seals, water pump, verified that my oil pan gasket is solid but the RMS is leaking like crazy (I pretty much expected this since all the rubber seals are hard). Just minor maintenance, eh wot?

[Ga 951]

777,
Please stuff some rags into you intake ports. If no dome already!

Replace all the vac lines and venturi delete while the intake is off and now is the easiest time to replace the hoses on the HCV. Also, clean the main grounds on the back of the block.

Sorry to hear the RMS is leaking. No better time for a clutch job if not done already. May be contaminated by the RMS.

What a can of worms you have opened ;(

[Slam]

Big can of worms - now THERE'S a case where pulling the engine is the way to go.

[chrenan]

Nice work Simon! Good luck to Mand on her shoulder surgery. I have limited mobility in both after a number of gruesome injuries, its no fun but you quickly adapt.

[mytrplseven]

I had considered pulling the motor but....The transaxel seals and case gaskets have weeped/leaked enough to justify pulling the bottom end anyhow. I wanted to replace all the rubber boots and suspension parts up front, plus it wasn't convenient to rent an engine hoist and leaving the car in the driveway, so....doing it all from the bottom. Engine's all done and here's the results, at least pictorially:

[Slam]

Good to hear from you, Chrenan. I put the Yellow Peril up for the winter a couple of weeks ago and I think I'll do the clutch in it next summer. It's still running like a champ.

Mand's surgery was a success, relatively speaking. Doc says hers was the worst damage he's ever seen in anyone her age (early 30s, but a gentleman never asks and a lady doesn't tell). She won't get full use but she will see a marked improvement. She's going nuts recovering right now but the worst pain is over. Physio starts in January.

Been driving the 84 944. In spite of what many folks may think it's a very good winter car. All depends on the tires.

Cheers, chaps!