Gearbox filler plug rounded, any ideas?

Mac996t · 23 Nov 2019

The pic above is from Porsche PET for the na cars, it shows a very similar arrangement to the pic for the gt3, I was thinking it was a detent under the plug as that is most common ,in fact the hexagon headed plugs nearby are the detents, they normally have a spring and ball. The plug you've removed does seem to be just a pin to hold lever no 9

The Pet doesn't show or list the plug, I think it comes with the casing(part 1), also there is very little about it on the net because it doesn't need to be remove to strip the box, where as the other detents do

Lever no 9 is responsible for making the lever spring back to the center if you move it side to side, and this is what you've lost which is a bad sign.

If it has moved position and did drop down when the plug was out then the only way to sort would be to take the box apart !

However it does look like the end of the lever was still there, if that's the case then why is it not working properly?

One thing I did think of is did the plug have a sealing washer under and if so is it still there? If not then maybe the plug has clamped onto the lever inside.it would be worth undoing the plug half a turn and see if the centring action comes back

It's a shame there are no pics I can find on the net to show how the pin on the plug engages into the lever, then you could tell if what you are seeing when you look down the hole is the end of the lever or not, as it's possible there is another part such as a sleeve which holds the lever, and the pin in the plug holds the sleeve, there's loads of pics of the rest of the internals , searching for the part no of the lever doesn't help either as that doesn't bring up any decent pics

It's amazing that there is so little info on this, it an easy mistake to make?!

I have found some other useful pics but my computer keeps crashing if I try and post them
Ps the plug is in the hole above the hole that lever 5 fit into

Mac996t · 23 Nov 2019

More pics

Also if the lever has dropped down then the worry is it may get caught in the cogs, it does look like theres space for it but I wouldn't want to drive it until I knew for sure

Mac

infrasilver · 23 Nov 2019

Don't do anything with your gearbox until I can upload what I have. The end of the plug is just a pivot point for the internal selector arm. Hard to explain but the reason you cant get it back in any further is because the point on the plug is now pressing on the pivot arm rather than through the hole. Nothing has fallen into the gearbox.

There is a spring pushing the pivot arm out of line so it'll need to be lined up (somehow) before you put the plug back in. There may be a chance moving the selector will put it in a better position, this will be trial and error but may save stripping the gearbox.

Grey996 · 23 Nov 2019

Thanks both, that's a massive help.

I forgot the parts dept shuts at 1 and as I got there at 10 past I wasn't able to speak to anyone so I won't be doing anything until I've got the tool and a new plug.

infrasilver · 23 Nov 2019

So looking at this working I can see the pin on the end has let the pivot arm come loose. I can't be certain how far its moved but I'm sort of hoping you have held it in place with the end of the plug and that it hasn't moved further by driving the car.

This is the end of the pin on the plug.

The spring put forward pressure on the lever arm and I'm hoping the bottom hasn't fully come out of the slot it sits in with the plugs pin?

This is what the spring sits against, unfortunately it's a plug but not threaded as far as I can see. Could this be removed to take the pressure off the lever arm and replaced with a plug of the same size?

And a video explanation of the workings.

Your next step is to determine if the lever arm is still there and can you get it with a number 1 screwdriver, just to lever it back any. This won't solve the problem but it will help knowing it hasn't gone walkies.

If it is there or there abouts my next step would be to drill a hole between the lever pivot and the mechanism, probably around 10mm and see if I can lever the arm back in to line so the plug can slide back in. IF this worked I would tap a thread in the 10mm hole and plug it with a sealed grub screw or similar.

Mac996t · 23 Nov 2019

We both posted at the same time!

I've been looking at that pic you posted looking into the hole and the more I look at it the more it looks like the bit you can see down the hole is the rear of the casting and not the lever itself.

Have you any other pics looking down the hole?

Hope I'm wrong about that

If the lever has moved hopefully it's still in roughly the correct place (maybe this is why the plug is tight )and you might be able to get it back into the right place either by fishing it back with some wire or carefully moving the cable linkage and see what happens. This may however make it fall down but because you've already driven the car I think this would already have happened if it was going too!!

Hopefully Infrasilver can post some pics which will reveal all

Mac

infrasilver · 23 Nov 2019

Typing at the same time. :thumb:

Mac996t · 23 Nov 2019

Infra could you take the plug out of yours and see if the lever stays put or springs off somewhere ?

Also is there a sealing washer under the plug?

Ps good find with that vid! Just realised you made that vid 8) 8)

infrasilver · 23 Nov 2019

Mac996t said:
Infra could you take the plug out of yours and see if the lever stays put or springs off somewhere ?

Also is there a sealing washer under the plug?

I was going to have a go today but without the correct tool I didn't want to destroy it, I did think a set of Stilton's may get it loose so could have a go at that tomorrow.

Grey996 · 23 Nov 2019

You guys are amazing, so helpful. I'm out at the moment but will have a proper read later and get my head around things.

Thanks again

deMort · 23 Nov 2019

On the one hand im glad im wrong , on the other it does seem like this will be difficult .

The other guys here are far better suited and know far more than i do to help out when it comes to gearbox faults on these .. my info is very limited im afraid as this is not something i really do at work .

I'll leave you in their very capable hands .. fingers crossed for you .

Grey996 · 23 Nov 2019

Thanks all,

When I take the plug out again would I be better in a certain gear. I'm pretty sure I was in reverse when it came out first but would I be best in neutral for less pressure on the spring? [/img]

infrasilver · 23 Nov 2019

I'd say Neutral, less pressure as you say, seems off cam more.

kurlykris · 23 Nov 2019

I reckon you will get that pivot pin back in there, would be handy to have a look down the hole first though if you have an endoscope.
Take the pin out, nice big fat ( but smaller than the pin diameter ) phillips screwdriver ( as it is round and pointed ), then wriggle the selector shaft ( part no 5 in the drawing above ) as you get the screwdriver all the way in through the hole in the selector fork and into the aluminium casting hole, then try and hold the selector shaft on the outside and try to take the pressure off the screwdriver, if you can do that then screw your new pin/bung in.

I reckon the fork can only drop down at the pivot end by a few millimetres and will be resting on the inside of the casting radius (red ) so turning the selector shaft in the direction of the green arrow should allow you to pop the pin back in after a bit of wriggling with the screwdriver :grin:

infrasilver · 24 Nov 2019

An endoscope is a good idea.

Gearbox filler plug rounded, any ideas?

Hockenheim

Hockenheim

Attachments

Moderator

Nurburgring

Moderator

Hockenheim

Moderator

Hockenheim

Moderator

Nurburgring

Monaco

Nurburgring

Moderator

Singapore

Moderator

Similar threads

Porsche Model Range

Porsche 911

Porsche Hypercars

Other Current Porsche Model

Porsche Legacy Models

Forum statistics