Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi all,

Does anybody have any idea what the labour only costs would be to have a replacement Torque Tube fitted to a 944 S2 by a good independant?

I think you would be looking at around 6 or 7 hrs. Good idea to check the fuel lines as the torsion bar has to be dropped, also worth checking the clutch.

Rich

Thanks Rich.

Cheers.

Al.

Just out of interest, has somebody told you it needs replacing or have you decided yourself? i.e. what is the reason?

Any competent mechanic can do it, it doesn't have to be a 'specialist'. My mechanic changed my S2 clutch in 8 hours - which is a lot less than the book says. He also pointed out that if the torque tube had been designed with a flange at the gearbox end it would be so much easier to work on, save loads of time and therefore loads of money...... which we all like.

Like the 968! you can change the clutch without dropping the gbox and pulling tt back.

Rich

N/A clutch is around 7-8 hours even the early turbo which is a pig is 10. When the "competent mechanic kills the flywheel sensor or doesn't use new driveshaft bolts both of which are 944 specific then life will get much more expensive. Not saying a competent mech can't do it, but it isn't straight forward. When I had my Alfa 75 which is a similar transaxle design & a local garage did a clutch change for the car sales place I bought it from they caused hundreds of pounds of damage.

Fancy an Alfa 75 needing a clutch change - I thought they rotted away well before the clutch wore out

75s don't rot! And the reason mine needed a clutch change because another idiot mechanic changed the rear pads & screwed the adjustment up, so they locked on & killed the clutch.
In my driving history I've had 2 cars that I'd happily have again and a late 75 LE is number 1! The other is a Mk2 Granada Estate 2.8, but the Alfa is deffo number 1.

Hi John,

No, I've decided myself. Yesterday I drove out of my driveway, changed up to 2nd and x/*\!! no drive. Having got it towed back to the house had a look to see what was wrong. Through the hatch in the transaxle bellhousing, with the engine off naturally, I found that I could turn the propshaft by hand. Started the engine and the shaft sort of turned intermittently with metallic noises coming from the torque tube (used my stethoscope) but was obviously not connected i.e. not at engine revs. Previously no clutch slip, shunting or any other symptoms of anything wrong with the clutch with or without the pedal depressed.

Al.

You were in gear when you tried this?

Rich

Sounds to me like clutch failure, don't run it you trash the flywheel sensor & flywheel.

x2 the clutch, the torque tube is a solid piece of metal joining the engine and gearbox in a tube held by bearings, so its highly unlikely its failure would give the symptons you desribe.

Actually, the torque tube itself is what connects the engine to the gearbox. It's the propshaft, which runs in four bearings inside the tube, that I suspect to have sheared. It is manifesting symptoms which are very similar in sound and feel to those experienced recently when a driveshaft on my Griffith 500 sheared at the inner circlip groove next to the outer CV joint.

MIne acted a bit like this when the clutch went.If its the original clutch in there it has a rubber cushion drive which shears and you lose all drive to the torque tube.The sound would transmit uop the torque tube very easily , and it sounds like a bag of bolts!!However you have to remove /drop the gearbox to get to the torque tube and/or the clutch , so either way once you ( or your garage ) start the job all will be revealed.