lilredpo

I picked up an ’87 Automatic NA that was diagnosed with a bad damper / dampner (sp?). Although, I haven’t had it professionally looked at myself.

At idle, there is a very loud metal-on-metal, banging, tapping, clankingly horrible noise coming from below the shifter, back-end of the engine.

At revs, the noises disappear and it runs fine.

I have check several msg boards, Clark’s, Haynes and the factory manuals and can not find any info on repair, diagnosis or even exploded parts diagrams. I did find the part(s) costs between $500 and $700 new.

Any guidance in troubleshooting, disassembly and inspection would be greatly appreciated. Where do I start, what should I be looking for and are used parts an alternative?

Thanks in advance,
Ray

Bhj0887

I don't know much about auto tranny cars, but aren't they resurfacable. If they are buy a used one and get it resurfaced and do the rest yourself. Shouldn't be too hard

Shawn944

I changed mine a while back . Here are a series of e mails I wrote with to help someone else.
I just cut and pasted them . I hope this helps. Let me know if you need any more info. I should have pics somewhere on a disc. I would not recomend a used disc. It is too much work to have to do again in a year or so.


Shawn
87 944 na




Mine vibrated all the time . I tried motor mounts and that helped a little bit . If you want to check it out , just take your starter off and look inside the opening at the rubber disk . I was told that they usually last about ten years or so . The disk rots out and cracks. I found out that when they break apart the chunks of rubber fly around in the bell housing and trash the ignition sensors . I was lucky as mine are still OK . The trans isn't too bad to get out . When you remove the shifter cable look for the lock wire that holds it in place before you force it loose. The upper trans mount is held on with two allen head bolts in a horizontal position directly on top of the trans. The speed sensor is above the drivers side axle on the top of the trans . It is just a normal push on rectangular connector like on the rest of the car . Set your floor jack in about the middle , slightly towards the rear of the trans for dropping it down . The rearmost cooler line is a real pain. I didn't have a short enough wrench so I had to lower the trans about five inches before I could get the line off and finish dropping the trans. The cooler lines also need to be disconnected at the rear of the engine . You will find no room to work . I suggest buying a set of stubby metric wrenches for removing the cooler lines . So far I did not have to remove the shifter inside the car , but you do have to take the cables off the engine so the torque tube can slide back . You need to remove the exhaust from the manifold back . Make sure you disconnect the O2 sensor . On the top of the front bell housing are the ignition sensors , you need to take them out also . Make sure you mark them first because they need to go back in the original holes. Right near these sensors are two bolts , one has a 13mm head and the other a 12 mm head . They look like they go through the bell housing into the block. Don't take them out . I did and now I will have to reset the depth of the sensors . I have no idea how to do that yet , but I'm going to learn . On the front of the torque tube the damper is held on with a pinch bolt . You can get to it through the opening in the bell housing . A guy by the name of Mick just e-mailed me that my problem is the there is a clip on the end of the drive shaft that holds the damper on . I will need to remove the bell housing and torque tube as a unit and break the clip .
I hope I have helped you out . I know there isn't much information out there on how to change this thing .

Check the cooler lines on top of the torque tube. You can disconnect them up front .
It is a PITA . In order to move the torque tube the whole way back you will need to rotate it upside down.
Did you disconnect the front coupler ? Did you unbolt the flex disc from the engine ? You have to do this before you can
remove the bell housing and torque tube . The bell housing and flex disc come off in one piece . There is a small metal clip
that is on the end of the drive shaft inside the torque tube . This clip holds the flex disc to the drive shaft .You can break this off once you have the whole assembly out.


the torque tube and bell housing have to come back in one piece.
The clip holds the flex disc to the drive shaft which is pressed into the torque tube bearings
Once you remove the clip ( and not re install it ) you can re assemble the bell housing and
torque tube to the engine separately

I couldn't for the life of me disconnect the transmission cooler lines at
the engine side. So I just removed the large SS screw clamp around the
central tube and the transmission lines just stayed in place while the
central tube moved back and forth.


You adjust the sensors by gluing a .8 mm washer on the end of the sensor
which is over the starter ring gear (the hole towards the rear)...and then
install sensor pushing down and adjusting the bell housing lock screws. The
remove the sensor and the washer and reinstall. I had to remove the bracket
and sensors so I could rotate the bell housing to get it off.


You have to remove the heater temperature control valve, and I had trouble
locating where the vacuum tube connects. It connects back where the cam
cover is at the rear of the engine. A little right angle hose is there
exiting from the firewall. I reached it from underneath. It is VERY hard
to see, and luckily the plastic vacuum line slipped back in easily.


The central tube only has to be rotated 45 degrees so it could slide back.


Don't forget to install the sensor bracket before closing bell housing if
your model year demands that.

>And the large steel clamp around the central tube transmission cooler lines
(at the front of the tube) also has to be replaced. The tube moved back
easily once I disconnected that clamp - remember I did NOT have to
disconnect the transmission cooler lines at the engine because of this...HOW
DID YOU EVER DISCONNECT THOSE???

I used a crow's foot wrench to remove the lines. It was a royal pain .




Shawn
87 944 na
Automatic

Dlefko

I also finished mine about a couple of months ago. Its basically like a clutch job. Something you need to be aware of is that the auto tranny is really really fckin heavy.

I also would not reccomend buying a used damper disc, get a new one. But if just absolutely have to buy a used one, i have it.

greg rx2

ray
i just did my 1985.5 944 auto last week with the damn damper problem. the sounds you discribe is exactly what is wrong with your car. i have to tell you without the help of this site as well as the rennlist in general, a guy named joel, jim pasha, and others i emailed there is no way i could have done it.
feel free to email me as i owe the list to help the next person who has to do this pita job for help. the thing you must do first is with car on the ground try to get those speed senors out. as you can reach in easily with car on the ground rather then once it is up in the air. then the next challenge is getting the car up 20+ inchs off of the ground. i don't have a lift so floor jack and 8 inch thick solid concrete blocks jack stands and careful jacking to get the car up there. then it is learn as you go ask questions, look at the parts you must remove, see how they are attached
and take them off one by one. get a bunch of baggies as keeping every thing marked and labled is sooo important to a easy assembly. can't tell you how much you forget exactly which bolt goes where.
if i can help let me know
greg

lilredpo

Thanks everyone!! Lifting 'er up tonight. I'll post back once I have it apart and can visually inspect.

Any comments of Torque specs when reassembling?

Also, found new at Vertex for $569. Seems like the best price. Any thoughts?

thanks again,
Ray

rufrob

I am about to tackle this job as well. I am guessing from your postings that it is not impossible to do this alone with only jack stands and a hydrolic floor jack. Of course the best condition is a shop with a hoist. I am adventurous and I have one day off for the next 2 months.

lilredpo

So far not impossible, but going very slowly due to limited time.

I am about two hours from reassembly. All I need to do is take out 2 bell housing bolts and pull the driveshaft back to remove bad damper.

I have some e-mail instructions from other members if you need.

Good luck.

Ray

lilredpo

Well, it took a while, but I am finally done with replacing the dampner.

I could not have done it without the help of all of you, and Mark (MarkTurbo944) who was good enough to help turn the wrenches!!

I think I have gone through every emoticon during this process, but here's to the board: Thanks again to everyone!!

Some before and after pics.

Chris_924s

That looks worse than mine did!! and you got a better price from Vertex than I did as well, IIRC I paid 599$. FWIW you just saved over 2200$ in labor

rufrob

I did mine as well. Not as bad as I thought especially with the help of www.diane911.com who where kind enough to let me use their shop during their down time. The hard part was getting at the upper cooler line and undoing those bands on the tunnel. I got my part from German Auto Parts in upstate NY. How could you get THAT price from Vertex, they indicated $710. I guess I am so use to not negotiating. Incidentally, I have another damper for the early 924s and 944, I foolishly bought from Yahoo auction here in Japan. The sell indicated it would fit 944s, but not mine. So if anyone needs it, please contact me. After doing the damper now the car is up for sale on eBay. I lost interest, plus I am being offered an 88-928 and an 87-951 either of which I would much rather have.