944 help?

"catkam623 misses his 944" (catkam623)
04/26/2014 at 23:18 • Filed to: None

Hey oppo I recently got the timing belt and water pump replaced on my 944 however, ever since then theirs been a squealing noise whenever I turn the car on it gets worse when you press down on the throttle but mot of the time will disappear after you put it in gear and release the clutch. At first I thought the belt was only tight and that with time it would loosen up and stop squealing however it has only gotten worse. It now seems to be messing with the transmission because after just starting up before the car has warmed up it will randomly seem to lose power for a second like it's slipped into neutral or something before regaining power. It's quite disconcerting also of the car has been driven for a while the sound will not repeat when turning back on if only a little time has passed. So any ideas what it could be, how to fix it, and whether it could cause permanent damage?

DISCUSSION (34)

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:20

spray WD-40 on the belt and see if that helps.

catkam623 misses his 944 > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
04/26/2014 at 23:23

Aren't you not supposed to use wd40 on rubber since it dries out the rubber?

Bad Idea Hat > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:23

Any chattering noises as well?

catkam623 misses his 944 > Bad Idea Hat
04/26/2014 at 23:23

define chattering?

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:24

Worth trying.

Bad Idea Hat > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:24

Like a rapid little clink of metal.

catkam623 misses his 944 > Bad Idea Hat
04/26/2014 at 23:25

mm maybe the screeching is pretty loud so it's kinda difficult to hear over it

catkam623 misses his 944 > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
04/26/2014 at 23:26

Thank you much appreciated I'll try that tomorrow morning any idea what could be causing it though?

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:26

Maybe the belt is to tight.

Bad Idea Hat > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:27

Nevermind, I glossed over the part where it goes away when you put it into gear.

DasWauto > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:29

DO NOT SPRAY WD40 ON THE TIMING BELT!

I can't emphasize that enough. You could cause the belt to slip and grenade your engine in the process.

catkam623 misses his 944 > Bad Idea Hat
04/26/2014 at 23:30

Not completely and not always so please continue anyway

DasWauto > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:30

Difficult to diagnose over the internet but it could be clutch related. Throwout bearing perhaps. Is the sound worse when you're pressing down the clutch?

Bad Idea Hat > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:30

My "clutch problems" alarm was going off in my head.

edit - Was, because it doesn't seem like that really. I'd feel like that would be more consistent.

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:30

thanks I was a bit worried about it slipping

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:31

I might be able to make a video if that would help?

DasWauto > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:33

It might.

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:35

Here I'll go make a video would a throw out bearing warrant a clutch replacement

Mattbob > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:36

sounds like a loose belt IMO. Putting it in gear causes a load on the engine slowing it down allowing the belt to grip and stop squealing. Check the serpentine belt. But I don't have any Porsche experience.

catkam623 misses his 944 > Mattbob
04/26/2014 at 23:38

much appreciated the serpentine belt could have well been tampered with

DasWauto > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:38

It wouldn't warrant it necessarily but if the clutch is getting worn it might not hurt to replace it because the transmission would come out to change the throwout bearing anyway. If the throwout bearing has gone bad I think it should be louder with the clutch pressed in, is that the case?

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:41

I can't particularly tell video is about to be uploaded so you should be able to judge for yourself

DasWauto > Mattbob
04/26/2014 at 23:42

Definitely possible. Especially since everything would have taken off of the front of the engine to change the timing belt, they may not have set the tension on the serpentine belt correctly when it was put back together.

samssun > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:42

You can buy belt dressing spray which will quiet the squeak if it's due to things like oil or grime. If it's coming from bad tension, obviously that won't fix it and you'll need to adjust the tensioner.

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:50

Well the video is being kinjad but it doesn't seen to be getting louder when the clutch is engaged

DasWauto > catkam623 misses his 944
04/26/2014 at 23:55

I may have been overzealous in thinking it was clutch related then. Serpentine belt sounds like the likely culprit. If the belt itself looks to be in good shape (not frayed, no cords showing), check the tensioner or have it checked. They may not have set it correctly when they reassembled after changing the timing belt and water pump. Should be an easy fix in this case.

catkam623 misses his 944 > DasWauto
04/26/2014 at 23:58

Much appreciated belt was in good shape last I saw it was good but ill double check

SteyrTMP > catkam623 misses his 944
04/27/2014 at 00:44

Did you check the tensioner pulley(s)? AC clutch (if applicable)? I know my Seven squeals a little when it starts; I think the tensioner pulley is taking a shit, as the alternator is the only thing being driven by the belt on this car... and the alternator is pretty new.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > catkam623 misses his 944
04/27/2014 at 01:44

Immediate thought...

Clutch throw-out bearing.

When the clutch is out, and the engine crankshaft is spinning differently than the torque tube shaft and transaxle input shaft toward the back of the car, then the throw out bearing is spinning against itself (outside bearing race is at engine speed, inside bearing race is at torque tube/transaxle speed)

If that throw out bearing is going out, it will make noise then.

When the clutch is engaged, it locks the engine crankshaft and the torque tube/transaxle input shaft together at the same speed, and the throw-out bearing is at the same relative speed and not spinning against itself, but rather all together the same as the rest of the driveline.

If the car is losing driveline power intermittently, that could be a worn and slipping clutch, not locking the driveline together as strongly as it should.

Plan on a clutch replacement, and maybe consider torque tube bearings and any other driveline service, unless you *KNOW* the clutch as just been replaced, and just the bearing is bad... no use tearing into the driveline on that car without putting it together completely properly, so not having to do it over again.

catkam623 misses his 944 > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
04/27/2014 at 09:41

much appreciated but shouldn't it reappear when I press the clutch down?

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > catkam623 misses his 944
04/28/2014 at 12:11

It would depend on the speed difference (and duration of the clutch throw-out to generate heat in the bearing) between the crankshaft, and the transaxle input shaft. On the roll, that speed difference would be less, and likely very short duration, than when the car is standing still while running, and the transaxle and torque tube shaft and clutch disc are not rotating at all, while the crankshaft, flywheel, and pressure plate are turning at engine speed.

It could be belt noise otherwise, but usually belt noise wouldn't just cease with the clutch action, but would perhaps decrease with the belt warming up, or the engine speeding up when the car is underway.

Were the belt tensioners checked and at least the timing belt tensioners replaced with the timing belt service? Belt tensioners not keeping enough tension on the timing or accessory belts, or having their bearings squeal, could be an issue, too.

catkam623 misses his 944 > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
04/28/2014 at 12:37

You're correct actually it doesn't just stop with clutch action it's when it's actually moving releasing the clutch into gear moves the car which is the source of my poor understanding.

Noblesse Oblige ZERO > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
04/29/2014 at 23:51

You're never suppose to put wd40 on a belt... It's a lubricant.. it causes it to slip more and burn the belt...

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Noblesse Oblige ZERO
04/30/2014 at 07:42

All I know is we put it on my dad's buick's belt and it has been fine since.