The Torque Tube Restoration Thread (4200/GS/Spyder)

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Great job, what was the cost for the torque tube rebuild?

It was around £650

I highly reccomend taking the tube to them rather than using courriers. As the pallet logistics companies are in total chaos with the Brexdemic. Mine took an age to be delivered to them then got lost on the way back... I think it is because it is an odd shaped item as well... It's not worth the grief

They are up near Ross on Wye.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
It was around £650

I highly reccomend taking the tube to them rather than using courriers. As the pallet logistics companies are in total chaos with the Brexdemic. Mine took an age to be delivered to them then got lost on the way back... I think it is because it is an odd shaped item as well... It's not worth the grief

They are up near Ross on Wye.

Stick it in the boot ;)

C
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,651
Bummer...!
What was the crown/pinion backlash like on your car..?
Mine bugs me - a chance to get it dialed in....;)
 
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boomerang

Member
Messages
412
Good work, but I’m stil sceptical.
The tubes I have seen, all had more or less noisy bearings.
Even a 10k kms tube, was not quiet.
In my opinion, the bearings suffer from wobbly sections in the shaft, not the other way around.
These shafts are stressed by torque and tend to bow under load.
If you check run out between sections, you can clearly see the problem.
Its a design flaw in my opinion.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Good work, but I’m stil sceptical.
The tubes I have seen, all had more or less noisy bearings.
Even a 10k kms tube, was not quiet.
In my opinion, the bearings suffer from wobbly sections in the shaft, not the other way around.
These shafts are stressed by torque and tend to bow under load.
If you check run out between sections, you can clearly see the problem.
Its a design flaw in my opinion.

Can you clarify exactly what you are sceptical about?
 

oaros

Junior Member
Messages
54
Sorry to hear that, hopefully you will look back on it one day with relief.

Seems all the transaxle ones have their peculiarities and need checking regularly. Now why did I end up with two of them? The 928 flex plate check has an Italian friend.
 

boomerang

Member
Messages
412
Sceptical about new bearings being the solution.
If they are noisy, of course new bearings will help.
But the real culprit, is bent shaft sections, stressing out those new bearings again.
(And those bent sections causing vibrations at certain shaft rpm)
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Sceptical about new bearings being the solution.
If they are noisy, of course new bearings will help.
But the real culprit, is bent shaft sections, stressing out those new bearings again.
(And those bent sections causing vibrations at certain shaft rpm)

The rebuild specialist put the shaft on engineering V blocks to check how straight it is.

If the shaft has been buckled they will heat it and press it so that it is straight.

While the rattle is annoying the main issue is that it was a matter of time until the run out on the end of the shaft started to ruin the gearbox
 
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FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Sorry to hear that, hopefully you will look back on it one day with relief.

Seems all the transaxle ones have their peculiarities and need checking regularly. Now why did I end up with two of them? The 928 flex plate check has an Italian friend.

No worries, it's all part of the fun of owning an aging, complex and relatively high strung performance car

I plan to keep the car for a long time so a major overhaul would have always been needed at some point, perhaps again in the distant future. At least most of the parts are currently available at the factory for the gearbox rebuild
 
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digitaladam

New Member
Messages
24
This has been a helpful (and a bit concerning) thread. I picked up an 05 Coupe GT (6 MT) a few weeks ago.

Particularly at high RPMs in 2nd gear I feel quite a bit of vibration. Feels like it's under the car, somewhere mid of the car to the rear wheels.

Is that likely something to do with this? Should it be addressed or is it common/normal?

Thanks
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
This has been a helpful (and a bit concerning) thread. I picked up an 05 Coupe GT (6 MT) a few weeks ago.

Particularly at high RPMs in 2nd gear I feel quite a bit of vibration. Feels like it's under the car, somewhere mid of the car to the rear wheels.

Is that likely something to do with this? Should it be addressed or is it common/normal?

Thanks

What sort of mileage?

It is common and yes it should be addressed.

You need someone to get it on a lift and put some revs through the drive train while someone listens

I don't mean to cause alarm, the intention is to help and provide a solution. The guys over on ML in the US got a torque tube rebuild specialist sorted over 10 years ago.

These cars can take a lot of abuse and keep going even while rattling a lot - the only pontial is what I have discussed above
 
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digitaladam

New Member
Messages
24
Thank you, I'm around 60k km.
Going to a reputable mechanic on Friday for something else, will get their thoughts on local options.

Thanks!
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I got an update today

The gearbox has heen pulled and dismantled as expected the gearbox input shaft bearing is knackered and there is a massive amount of play on the splined shaft shown in the image below (photo from previous post of a F360 box). A new bearing has been ordered from the factory along with two more that might as well be replaced while they have it in bits which I totally agree with.

index.php


Prior to dismantling the car my specialist did a stress test on the car by repeatedly opening and closing the clutch under idle and the tube started making an audible rumbling sound seperate to the gearbox issue. Upon dismantling the drivetrain the restored torque tube has also developed some play in the shaft which was not there upon delivery of the tube. Augment have kindly agreed to dismantle and inspect the TT. The theory is the gearbox issue put pressure on the bush/bearing assembly which is extremely fiddly by design and something has slipped.

We will know more once I drop it off and the drive shaft is pressed out - maybe a month depending on how soon I can drop the TT off to them.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,113
We have more than one Research and Development department on this forum which is Great and people taking on more and more in-depth technical repairs.
Love this forum for exactly that.