[gogo911]

Thanks to DR and VASteve for lending me some of the tools to do the clutch job on my 84 944. Here's where things stand:

I've dropped the transaxle, moved the torque tube back as far as it will go (it bangs into the unibody transaxle mounting brace) and now the bellhousing is not wanting to come out--mainly because the top of it is being pinched in the narrows of the torque tube tunnel entrance off of the engine. I'll try to jack up the front of the engine to drop the rear to see if I get a few millimeters of room to get the top of the bellhousing off. If that doesn't work, then I'll take all of the torque tunnel braces out so I can twist the transaxle rear bell housing around to work it around the transaxle mounting brace.

Overall: this is a bitc* of a job--especially while rolling around on your back. Speed sensors and three of the four bellhousing bolts were royal pains in the a$$. If I were to do it all over again, I would drop the engine and tackle it from the front. I would also tackle replacing various seals while the motor is out. This is the big lesson learned here.

I'll get back into it this weekend and hopefully, I'll git her dun!

[VaSteve]

I don't know if removing the engine makes the job any less hatefull. I think a good percentage of beat down 944s hit ebay or craigslist when they need a new clutch. it's expensive or a pita no matter how you look at it. good on ya for the attemot. keep us posted.

[Andy Clements]

I can't remember how much of an issue this was when I helped with John's clutch because we had to completely remove the torque tube (along with rear suspension) for replacement along the way. You SHOULD be able to get the bell housing freed without pulling the torque tube, even though it is obviously a PITA. It may take wiggling and/or rotating the housing to just the right position to get it to drop out. Make sure that you don't have any of the starter cables or slave cylinder lines still hanging in the area that could limit movement of the housing.

Good luck.

[Trak Ratt]

I'm surprised... I've always found working on '44s to be easy and enjoyable I'm even looking forward to working on the 931... again

[jerome951]

If I remember correctly (and it's been ~7 years since I did this) rotating the torque tube and sliding farther back yielded additional clearance. Here is a snippet from Clark's Garage containing the things you need to be certain are disconnected before the bellhousing will come free:
Remove the fuel filter.
Remove the transaxle carrier.
Disconnect the clutch slave cylinder from the clutch housing and hang out of the way.
Support the engine underneath the oil pan with a jack and a block of wood. The block of wood protects the oil pan from damage.
Remove the 4 bolts that attach the torque tube to the clutch housing.
Remove the shift lever and shift lever base plate from the torque tube.
Slide the torque tube towards the rear of the car. It will be necessary to rotate the torque tube 180° to allow the triangular tabs on the torque tube to clear the torsion bar tube.
Remove the clutch release lever retaining bolt from the clutch housing (just above the opening in the clutch housing for the starter).
Thread the long 8 mm thread bolt into the end of the release lever pivot shaft. Remove the release lever pivot shaft by holding the 8 mm bolt with a pair of pliers and tapping the pliers with a hammer or prying with a screwdriver.
Remove the 4 clutch housing retaining bolts (2 at the top of the housing - 2 at the bottom)
Remove the clutch housing and release lever.

[Jase007]

Post some pics ... I'd be curooius to see and we could archive them for all the 44 owner's here. Who knows ... I might some day be crazy enough to get one of these new-er fangdangled FEWCs ...

[VaSteve]

Russelll, how's it going?

Jase, I spefically didn't take photos when I did mine. Don't want the memories!!

[Jase007]

Russell:

Ignore Steve.

Jase, I spefically didn't take photos when I did mine. Don't want the memories!!

selfish.

[gogo911]

Update #2: I got the bell housing off finally last weekend. I jacked up the front of the engine under the power steering pump adjustment bolt. Jacking it up at the front lowered the rear of the engine enough to squeeze out the bell housing. It was a pain but it came out. You have to be careful not to pinch the two brake lines feeding the rear brakes as they run along the top of the torque tube tunnel inlet--which is where the top of the bell housing needs to squeeze through to come off. I also had to drop the safety clamps beneath the torque tube to drop the front of the tube to get enough clearance as I could never get the rear bell housing to clear the unibody brace.

My next job was removing the clutch which came off readily. The alignment tool I borrowed from Steve was the wrong size. Project was on hold for another week. I ordered the alignment tool, pilot bearing and rear main seal and flywheel bolts from 944Online on Monday. Parts arrived yesterday (Saturday--944Online forgot to ship it earlier in the week so they overnighted it for Sat. delivery for free). Party with Friends yesterday plus working till 1 meant no work on the project. Today, a bit fried (got home at 2 a.m. last night) but it is time to git her dun. The new alignment tool fits both old and new clutches so we are good to go. I need to figure out how to get the rear main seal off. I didn't pull the flywheel yet, but am about to do so. Pilot bearing is out--used a mini slide hammer with a bolt on it--placed the bolt head behind the back of the bearing--it worked like a charm.

Any words of wisdom on getting the rear main seal out while the engine is still in the car? Clark's Garage and elsewhere have zip to add to this effort.

Oh, the wife said she'll take pictures... so we'll start taking some pics and post accordingly. We'll take pics of what's left of the old clutch, too--it's orginal with 98k miles on it. There'll be many lessons learned here as well. I can't wait to get the old 944 back on the street. The next project will be getting the A.C. working again, but first things first.

Let me know if you have any insight into how best to remove the rear main seal. In the meantime, I am heading out to the garage....

[VaSteve]

Sorry the tool didn't fit...same one I used (I think). What part didn't fit?

Look at the 101 Projects book for how to remove RMS. I used the same technique and pounded it in with a block of wood.