fullymatted.
Back to search
Rennlist

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Add to repair workspace
Open repair workspace
Original source
26 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

Discussion summary

YOUR RESEARCHAnyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Leading reported evidence

Repair transmission is very quiet

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

That being said my now repaired transmission is very quiet...

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.
Frequently discussed work

Lubricate bearings and solve future problems

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.
Read full discussion summary

Leading evidence: 'Repair transmission is very quiet' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Lubricate bearings and solve future problems' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.

Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.

Read captured replies

1 matching discussions · 26 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Compare 4 other evidence results

Lubricate bearings and solve future problems

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Repair ($1000)

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

This is a lot less dramatic failure, and it is significantly less costly to repair ($1000).

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Repair bill, as well as potentially lead

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster

This can generate a very large repair bill, as well as potentially lead to complete failure of the gearbox itself.

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace bearing, would it be better

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.
Frequently discussed actions (10)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

Lubricate bearings and solve future problems

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Repair ($1000)

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

This is a lot less dramatic failure, and it is significantly less costly to repair ($1000).

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Repair bill, as well as potentially lead

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster

This can generate a very large repair bill, as well as potentially lead to complete failure of the gearbox itself.

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Repair transmission is very quiet

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

That being said my now repaired transmission is very quiet...

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace bearing, would it be better

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace fluid

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

As far as removing the seals, that will always be debatable...but unless you are going to change the fluid on a more frequent interval, I would leave them in place.

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace guts instead of buying the whole thing

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

The service guy gave me a wink and said he couldn't answer me when I asked if I can just replace the guts instead of buying the whole thing but he said he can only order the entire axle not just the inside parts.

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace rear tires first

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

I need to change my rear tires first, and then I can actually get a real hear for the cars driving.

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Replace whole axle

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

So I keep the top down and the radio up) but that I have to replace the whole axle!!!

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.

Test with the clutch in, wait 20 seconds

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

(When you test with the clutch in, wait 20 seconds for the input shaft to stop spinning.)

Anyone experiencing a Gearbox Whine might want to read this.
Coverage and how to read this overview

Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

26 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

  • Rennlist: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.

Generation: 20261026T161109Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Hey there everyone, I was curious to find out how many 996 street car owners have noticed a whine in their gearbox? Sometimes you might notice that this will change in pitch or volume depending on your throttle position. Well I thought that I would address what has caused this with everyone, so that you can appreciate how important it is to get this taken care of sooner rather than later. This gearbox has essentially 4 bearings inside of it that control the forces generated by the pinion and main shaft. Two of these bearings are the culprit of the whine that you might be hearing. These two bearings are quite pricey at about $480.00 each, however have a very important function. They essentially maintain the distancing of the main shaft and pinion shaft. There is one on the main and one on the pinion and they look like what is shown in picture number one. These are sealed bearings, which you might think would be a good think right? Well usually this is a good thing, however, there are instances where this can also be a bad thing. While they do a fair job of keeping particulates out of the bearing races, once debris does push itself in there, this design does an even better job of keeping it there. As this bearing continues to do its work the particulates that are trapped inside the bearing also begin to work. In a very negative way, unfortunately. Picture #2 shows the inside of one of these bearings after some of the damage has been done. As you can see the inside of the bearing is fairly pitted up. This is what is generating the whining noise that you are hearing. It is important that this be addressed sooner rather than later, as this is also generating additional heat. Heat inside this bearing is a particularly bad thing. Picture #3 shows how this bearing is actually constructed inside. You will notice that the cage that holds the ***** in place is constructed of plastic. While this is not a bad design in and of itself, it is a bit more sensitive to increased heat. Should the internals of these two bearings get too hot, the bearing will ultimately fail. This can generate a very large repair bill, as well as potentially lead to complete failure of the gearbox itself. Now don't get me wrong here, I am not trying to stir anything up or be overly sensational about this issue. I simply thought that you might actually like to see what was going on inside and make the recommendation that if you should notice this problem, it would be in your best interest to get it taken care of in a timely fashion, rather than wait for complete failure to occur. I hope that this has been at least a little educational, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions that you might have. I am always here to help. We have been building these gearboxes for quite some time, and while they are somewhat tricky they can usually be turned around in less than a week. Warmest Regards, Erik Johnson GBox Performance Transaxle [phone removed] work [phone removed] cell www.gboxweb.com

POST 2Original post

Why didn't you post this a year and a half ago before I dropped a Sh*tload on a new tranny after being told that these bearings seized on the shaft. Oh well. Hopefully this will help someone else. Any smart ideas about the front c4 differential? Being told by the stealership that the front diff is going to have problems ( I believe them, slight whine. So I keep the top down and the radio up) but that I have to replace the whole axle!!! The service guy gave me a wink and said he couldn't answer me when I asked if I can just replace the guts instead of buying the whole thing but he said he can only order the entire axle not just the inside parts. Would appricaiate any help.

POST 3Original post

Ahhh the 996 with its infamous bearing problems...LOL

POST 4Original post

Quotes source post: 7753203

Notice all of these "infamous bearings" are sealed?? Must have been a good idea on some engineer's CAD screen and on some procurement manager's BOM, but boy do they seem to be a pain to all of us "users". I think the key is to be in tune with your car, and address these items when they become apparent (like the whine Eric describes).

POST 5Original post

We should all drive around in this trusty pushrod V8 that will whine to us when it's not feeling good somewhere... On a serious note...are you talking about manual or tip?

POST 7Original post

Yep... I just found out my differential case is cracked. Another sealed unit that has failed That being said my now repaired transmission is very quiet...

POST 8Original post

Could anyone go into more detail about the symtoms?

POST 9Original post

Here is a thread about my issues https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-question.html PM me - I have a pretty good sense as to what might be whine from the pinion bearing and could meet you to do a listen.

POST 10Original post

Quotes source post: 7754193

I do not have this problem, but I wanted to make sure I know more about it if it ever comes up... I need to change my rear tires first, and then I can actually get a real hear for the cars driving. Right now my tires are making an annoying noise.

POST 11Original post

Mine porsche whines. If im in neutral and rev it up I here a whine. I was told this was normal for the 996

POST 12Original post

Quotes source post: 7754444

Clutch in or clutch out? (When you test with the clutch in, wait 20 seconds for the input shaft to stop spinning.)

POST 13Original post

Quotes source post: 7754823

With the clutch in or clutch out. It still whines. Sounds like it is coming from the engine.

POST 16Original post

Quotes source post: 7754444

I recall the transmission cases are said to be good for maybe only one time pressing out and pressing in new bearing in the transmission? Yah could be power steering like mine. It's been a little whiny since I got it 5k miles ago. Mech said he isolated the noise to the power steering so eh. If it fails then I'll replace it since it isn't loosing any or much power yet. You know some engine noises heard inside can't be heard outside much. Anyway just cross the fingers a failure doesn't spew the power steering fluid around the compartment. That would be a real bad thing for parts in there.

POST 17Original post

Quotes source post: 7755574

Yes.... that's who paid for my $11K tranny with upgrades

POST 18Original post

The symptoms described by the OP could also be caused by a worn transmission mount. This is a lot less dramatic failure, and it is significantly less costly to repair ($1000).

POST 19Original post

So what acronym are we going to use for this bearing problem? PMS? ( P inion & M ain S haft?)

POST 20Original post

You gotta be effin kidding me? I have to go out and test this thing again cuz I have noticed a whine but thought it was all engine noise, as some have told me. Supposedly My transaxle has 16k miles so I'm optimistic, but I'm not happy about this.

POST 22Original post

Quotes source post: 9400106

NO! This just isn't going to work. My wife and my car will end up being on the same cycle and I'll just have to kill myself

POST 23Original post

Quotes source post: 7755736

yeh my extended warranty paid for mine as well... Mine was a rebuilt gearbox sent from California to PA at about 4 and a half grand.

POST 24Original post

Old thread but reopening to see if there are any updates and/or solutions to the 996/986 6 speed problems? Also, when replacing the bearing, would it be better to remove the seals to allow hypoid oil to lubricate the bearings and solve future problems?

POST 25Original post

Quotes source post: 18366630

There are several DIY threads for the bearing replacement and some sources for the bearings at very reasonable costs... As far as removing the seals, that will always be debatable...but unless you are going to change the fluid on a more frequent interval, I would leave them in place. If you are going to change the fluid at a reduced mileage interval, I would remove them...

POST 26Original post

Quotes source post: 7753181

Just remove the driveshaft and front diff. Better car, no service bill.

This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.