flex plate issues

[Ederd]

I have a guy contacting PCA alabama FB and is havins some issues that he says are from the flexplate whilst traveling Cross country from Cali. Just wanting to help him out. Are there any quick fix's other than avoiding stop and go traffic and staying in "limp home " mode or other info I can convey to him?

[Ederd]

Basically, when car is in drive or reverse and it is sitting idling there is a lot of chatter and rattling coming from under the car.

When drivetrain is pulling it has no issues.

Rolf says all of the above is symptomatic of flexplate failure. He said put it on a rack, look through bell housing, turn something (I cannot remember offhand what to turn). If it turns freely then flexplate failure is the issue.

I haven't had an opportunity to get the car on a rack, yet.

[944 Ecology]

I don't know Rolf, but he might be confusing the flexplate (attached to the torque converter at the back of the torque tube) with the rubber damper (attached to the flywheel at the engine).

If the rubber damper has failed, there are a couple of metal stops for limping home, but cross country from California would be pushing it. If it fails in West Texas or such, he will get a nice ride on a flat bed truck (if he can afford it).

[OYAHHH]

Okay,

I'm the guy with the flex plate issue. Or perhaps it is the rubber damper issue.

Per the correct name, well, Pelican Parts sells the part on their website and I believe the part number is 944-116-065-04-OEM. Look it up and it will be referred to as the flex disc (close to Rolf's Flex Plate description).

But, if you look on page 78 of the E_968_KATALOG.pdf provided by Pelican Parts the same part is referred to as a damper.

Go figure....


FYI, the problem is in the front of the car, not near the transmission.

I created a Youtube video of the problem. If anyone would like to view the video it can be found here:

Porsche 968 Flex Plate Failure - YouTube

Any comments would be appreciated.

TIA

[Ederd]

bump

[Ederd]

Porsche 968 Flex Plate Failure - YouTube

[Gawernator]

Nice accent.

[944 Ecology]

Yep, flywheel rubber damper failure...

[wrench1]

I am not real familiar with the flex plate, don't have one but I understand the idea and design. I would have thought that the flex plate under pressure (such as in gear, holding the brake and giving it gas) that the three ears would lock into the drive hub and be quieter if not silent. Could it be the bearing on the input shaft of the trans-axle? Is the noise from the front or the rear?

[OYAHHH]

I am the guy with the 968 in the video. I've already tried to post once and my post never showed up. This is a test.

[OYAHHH]

Okay,

"Looks like quick reply doesn't necessarily work for a new user?"

Noise is coming from the front of the car.

I feel pretty sure it is the plate close to or attached to the flywheel of the car that has the problem.

Someone has questioned whether the problem is with a flex plate or with a rubber damper.

Per that, well if you look at Pelican Parts replacement part (944-116-065-04-OEM) it is referred to as a flex disc.

See:

Pelican Parts - Product Information: 944-116-065-04-OEM

If you look at the Porsche Parts manual E_968_KATALOG.pdf (page 78, piece 20) the same part is referred to as a damper.

Disregarding the name issue, it's really not that important, the question really becomes, "Just exactly how many miles will the car go in limp home mode?"

I have a few repair options, but most are 50 to 100 miles away, at best. I would rather drive it to a repair facility rather than have to find a flatbed.

Will the car make it 100 miles of easy driving?

[OYAHHH]

Okay,

My posting to PP BBS is erratic at best. When I spend a lot of time writing a note the BBS says I will be moderated (is anybody home if moderation is required?).

So, the source of the noise has been confirmed, it is coming from the front of the car.

I feel pretty sure it is the plate close to or attached to the flywheel of the car that has the problem.

Someone has questioned whether the problem is with a flex plate or with a rubber damper.

Per that, well if you look at Pelican Parts replacement part (944-116-065-04-OEM) it is referred to as a flex disc.

If you look at the Porsche Parts manual E_968_KATALOG.pdf (page 78, piece 20) the same part is referred to as a damper.

Disregarding the name issue, it's really not that important, the question really becomes, "Just exactly how many miles will the car go in limp home mode?"

I have a few repair options, but most are 50 to 100 miles away, at best. I would rather drive it to a repair facility rather than have to find a flatbed.

Will the car make it 100 miles of easy driving?

[djnolan]

What happens when the flex plat went on mine is a lot of shredded rubber got lodged in the bell housing and even damaged the crank sensors and bracket.

I wouldn't want to be liable for advising one way or the other on your question about driving it 100 miles. But if it is making a racket it is partly due to the loose rubber pieces as the flex disk continues to disintegrate. It might help the car to go a little further to remove the starter and remove some of the shredded rubber and this might also minimize damage to other items such as the crank sensors.

But again drive at your own risk this seems like a lot of miles...

[OYAHHH]

Okay,

Sounds like a 100 miles could be pretty risky. I will take it under advisement.

[djnolan]

Plan on about 10 hrs labor and $800 for the part plus any other damaged parts. Flatbed costs might be a very small part of the total costs. However if it still drives you might give it a shot...

[wrench1]

I picked up three photos last week from an earlier post on this site from October. Gentleman had the same noise/knocking that you have. He found the C-clip retainer on the damper/flex plate had come off and the damper was making contact with the flywheel. Anyway of looking at it, it's a lot of work to pull the trans-axle to find the problem. I hope yours is a simpler fix than this one.

[OYAHHH]

Okay,

Starter motor was pulled and there are chunks of rubber in the bell housing.

Waiting for an "estimate" right now.

[jeffrsmith]

Originally Posted by OYAHHH

Okay,

Starter motor was pulled and there are chunks of rubber in the bell housing.

Waiting for an "estimate" right now.

Get out your checkbook - it won't be cheap! Cost of the damper is upwards of $1200, and the labor is pretty much the same as a clutch replacement. While it is torn down far enough to do the damper you might want to have them do the rear main seal.

[wrench1]

Well, at least you found the problem. Before you purchase a rubber flex plate have you thought about replacing it with a pressure plate and a standard clutch disk?

944 Online Forum - The Porsche 944 Forum For The 944 Enthusiast.

[OYAHHH]

I have been considering it. Biggest problem is a lack of SOLID information.

There are those out there that allude to Porsche putting in a rubber damper to avoid damage to the tranny. Which, on the surface, seems to have some credence.

It sure would be nice to do the job a lot cheaper.

But, I haven't seen any person out there saying "I made this modification on my car and I've been driving the car for ##,### miles since without any problems."

Anyone following this thread who has done the modification with great success?

Only driving the car 10,000 miles and then having to do a tranny rebuild is not success in my book BTW.