Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

I'm getting more gearbox whine since I've come back from a 2500 road trip to the Dolomites, it has always had a fairly noisy crown and pinion but the noise has got whinier and also I now have some chatter coming from the rear which goes quiet when I dip the clutch. I have removed the rear seats and carpet set because it is being used on track days recently so the noise was immediately noisier than when they were fitted but it has got noticeably worse during the trip away.

My gearbox code is AGP for the 944S but I was wondering what other boxes are compatible with this, will any after 1985.5 box fit or would it need to be the correct one. Obviously a few ratios could be different, mostly final drive but can I do a straight swap from another model of 944?

I was also thinking of putting some swepco 201 in it first but at £100 a US gallon, its almost half the cost of a used gearbox?

What would you guys suggest doing?

Hello Chris
Swepco will certainly reduce the noise.

Hi Chris

Swepco is available for Augment Automotive in the UK for £68 for 3.8 litres. It is very good and will quieten your box. It is VERY thick and the downside is a very stiff shift on colder mornings which will ease after a mile or so. When it heats up a bit the shift is smooth.

Any 016 variant box from a series 2 944 will bolt up. There are many types, there is a useful chart on Clark's Garage which lists all the variants, ratios, features etc. The AOR is the most expensive and rare commanding mostly 4 figures for a 2nd hand one probably needing a rebuild. This has plate LSD, hardened gears and shafts and external oil cooler.

£200 will get you a decent standard box in decent nick.

Chatter is quite common, normally attributed to the 5th gear idler. It will go as you say when the clutch is dipped. Also sometimes it will go away if you push the stick fully right or left without the clutch dipped. Chatter mostly would not necessitate a swap or rebuild and I'd imagine most 30 year old boxes will chatter to some extent.

You could also try some molyslip for a non LSD box. At £7 a tube it might be worth a go!

Stuart

Thanks guys, I was just weighting up the cost of a gallon over a used box. If I can get it cheaper its worth having a go. Although their web site is not accessible at the moment due to a security error?

The box was quiet when I first got the car but once I'd removed the rear seats and carpets I could hear the diff, which I did expect bearing in mind its location in the car. But it had definitely got more noticeably over the last week away so thought it may need a rebuild or box swap, especially with the chatter noise.

I did check the list on Clarks Garage and I think mine and the S2 is an 083 rather than a 016, are they mostly compatible after 1985.5 then, if the Swepco doesn't ease the noise?

I have a track day at Spa early next month so wanted to get it sorted one way or another before then.

Never noticed the 083 before! Lol. You can use an S2 box in a turbo and vice versa so they will all fit, probably just differing internals. Externally they are the same in terms of mounts and flanges for the driveshafts. It's quite common to fit an S2 box to a turbo for shorter gearing. (or if you can't get hold of a turbo box it gets you back on the road)

Try phoning David at Augment, I've always found him helpful. He'll probably have a chat with you about your gearbox issues as well.

Stuart

It's also worth checking all of the CV joint bolts as they can have a habit of working themselves lose which could account for some chatter.

OK thanks, I'll see how I get on with the Swepco first then start to make my mind up what to do afterwards, it seems to be mostly final drive ratios that are the difference. I eventually messaged them through their Facebook page and he then got the site working so I could order online hopefully it arrives this week.

I will have a good look around under there while I'm changing the oil.

Just to update, I got the Swepco a few weeks ago but only replaced it last week as I had a track day on Thursday, the final drive whining is still there but slightly less noticeable but the chattering noise seems to have gone, I did 900 miles to Spa and back and it seems better, I still probably need a gearbox at some point soon but this has helped.

Onto the Swepco itself,with it being cold and windy when I put it in, the spillage from the pipe I was filling it with was like spiders webs blowing in the wind, it got everywhere. The consistency was the same as engine rebuild lube, it was very similar if not the same stuff, I didn't enjoy trying to pump it in, was like treacle in the low temperatures.

It's certainly very thick and gooey! However once its in its in, it has a very long service life so you won't be doing it again anytime soon. How are you finding the shift on a cold morning? I found the first mile or so a bit of an effort, but recently I've started up the car and sat for a few mins with the clutch out in neutral, and that seems to be enough to avoid the initial heavy shifts.

Stuart

I must admit I didnt notice a stiffer shift when cold. I had driven a few times before I remembered it should have been stiffer and when I concentrated on it one cold morning it again didnt feel any different, so that was a nice surprise.

Good stuff. To be fair mine goes into 1st and reverse no bother, but I've always had a notch 1st to 2nd when cold which is more pronounced with the swepco. It's all good after a few minutes.

Stuart

The chatter is pretty much standard on that box from new.The aircooled 911's did it also and back in the day it was known as the "Porsche coffee grinder"

On the 993 I fitted single mass flywheel and the chatter is very prominent but the increase in acceleration more than compensates.
It's posible that the gearbox chatter at idle may be clutch related.

The 944 box is pretty noisy, on mine I put it down to backlash in the box echoing up the torque tube & shift assembly.
Swepco quietened it down but it was still there.