1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Piston Failure March 2005m

1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Brake Band Piston Failure
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report with procedures covers the failure and repair by replacement of the B2 Brake
Band Piston Assembly, the maintenance undertaken whilst access was available and the
re-assembly procedure with clearance checks for a 1990 928 S4 Automatic Gear box type
A28.16/Mercedes Benz 722.3 Series Automatic Transmission.

In March 2005 the vehicle suffered a transmission failure and no forward movement was
available in any of the forward gears, however, reverse gear was still operable.

Fault Finding Diagnostic research all pointed to the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly
failure with a possibility of a B2 Brake Band failure.

To check all aspect of the diagnosis it was decided to remove the B2 Piston Assemble,
disassemble and inspect the B2 Piston, inspect the B2 Brake Band for breakage and wear
and the B2 Clutch, measure the B2 Brake Band clearance and reset if required to
Porsches recommended clearance, change the ATF, filter and oil pan gasket, whilst the
automatic transmission remained in situ within the vehicle.

The finding was that the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly suffered a catastrophic failure
that was repaired by replacement, using a new assembly with all modifications as
undertaken by Mercedes-Benz since the 1980s to prevent such failures.

The B2 Brake Band and B2 Clutch were inspected and were both in near new condition
and on installation of the new B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly the clearance of the B2
Brake Band with the existing thrust pin was measured and the clearance was at the lower
valve as specified by Porsche.

The Automatic Transmission was boxed up, tested and worked satisfactory.

In conclusion there are three aspects to these procedures contained in this report:

1. If preventative maintenance is undertaken by any 928 Porsche owner to
change out the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly, due to the reported failures
by Mercedes-Benz over many years, this can be done without removing the
oil pan, filter, valve body or lower cover and the procedure to undertake this is
covered in section 5 of the report.
2. However, if a decision is taken to also renew the B2 Brake Band Piston lip
seal as well, it is difficult to remove and replace the seal without removing the
oil filter, valve body, lower cover, intermediate plate and the B2 Brake Band
Guide. The procedures for this are covered in sections 5 through 11 of this
report. Currently the writer is designing a lip seal and bush removal puller
that should work by installing it through the B2 Piston housing aperture.
3. If the automatic transmission suffers a catastrophic failure of the B2 Brake
Band Piston Assembly, this report and procedures will assist the DIY owners
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of the 928 to accomplish the task of its replacement together with the
recommended inspection and renewal of various parts.

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Table of Contents

1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Piston Failure..................................................................... 4
1. Background............................................................................................................. 4
2. Failure ..................................................................................................................... 4
3. Diagnostics.............................................................................................................. 4
3.1 Initial checks and adjustments ........................................................................ 4
3.2 Outcome of initial checks and adjustments .................................................... 5
3.3 Further research .............................................................................................. 5
3.4 Wallys advice from the WSM....................................................................... 5
3.5 WSM group 38, page 112............................................................................... 5
3.5.1 Condition..................................................................................................... 5
3.5.2 Cause/Correction......................................................................................... 5
3.6 Outcome.......................................................................................................... 5
3.7 Articles to support outcome decision.............................................................. 6
3.7.1 GarthS/GS535i advised:.............................................................................. 6
4. Vehicle Automatic Transmission make and model ................................................ 6
4.1 A28.16 model.................................................................................................. 6
4.2 Mercedes-Benz Automatic Transmission 722.3 Series .................................. 6
5. Disassembly............................................................................................................ 7
5.1 General Instructions ........................................................................................ 7
5.2 Tools ............................................................................................................... 8
5.3 B2 Piston Removal ......................................................................................... 8
5.4 Removal B2 Cover Plate................................................................................. 9
5.5 Removal and disassembly of B2 Piston Assembly....................................... 10
5.6 Examination of B2 Piston Assembly............................................................ 11
5.7 The B2 Piston Assembly consists of:............................................................ 13
5.8 B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly Damage.................................................... 14
5.9 Description and History of Old B2 Piston Assembly................................... 15
6 Oil Pan and ATF................................................................................................... 18
6.1 Removal the filter Element ........................................................................... 19
6.2 Valve Body ................................................................................................... 19
6.4 Lower Cover ................................................................................................. 21
6.4.1 Removal of Lower Cover.......................................................................... 22
6.4.2 Removal of Lower Cover-Cover Plate and gasket ................................... 22
6.4.3 Brake Guide Removal............................................................................... 24
7 Inspection of Brake Band and Clutch Housing..................................................... 25
8 Parts requiring replacement and other parts selected for replacement ................. 25
9 Purchase of Parts................................................................................................... 25
10 Replacing B2 Brake Band Piston & Checking Clearance of B2 Brake Band .. 26
11 Cleaning and Reassembly................................................................................. 27
11.1 Reassembly ................................................................................................... 27
12 Hypothesis of Failure........................................................................................ 29
13. Legal Notice...................................................................................................... 29
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1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Piston Failure

1. Background
The vehicle is a 1990 Porsche 928 S4 Automatic and at the time of the incident it had
traveled 81,209 kilometres. The vehicle has been owned since November 1999 and at the
date of purchase it had approximately 47,000 kilometres on the odometer. In February
2005 the 80,000 kilometre service was carried out, which included camshaft timing belt
change, coolant change, engine oil and filter change, checking of all other fluid levels,
flushed and recharged the PSD, starter motor and the alternator overhauled, flex plate
checked for end loading on the engine thrust bearing, battery box cleaned and coated with
fish oil and all other items checked and serviced as per the Maintenance Schedule. All
maintenance has been carried out by the writer except for the initial timing belt change,
water pump and tensioner rollers renewal, just after the vehicle was purchased.

The Automatic Transmission was serviced in August 2003 at 71,018 kilometres.
2. Failure
On 7
th
March the automatic transmission lost forward motion from all forward gears,
however, reverse still remained operational. The vehicle was towed home and reversed
into the garage. ATF level was checked whilst car was still warm and in neutral N as
well as moving gear selector lever through all gears and again checked in N. The level
was satisfactory; sitting between the top two indicator marks. Reversed rear wheels onto
portable ramps, jacked vehicle up at the front by trolley jack under the two tow/skid
points forward until the vehicle was level. Whilst supporting the vehicle forward by jack
stands the vehicle was jacked up higher at the rear with the trolley jack and placed on
jack stands. The trolley jack was replaced with a jack stand under the rear suspension
support member and the ramps moved forward and placed under the front wheels, which
were chocked on their rear side to prevent any forward or rearward movement.

With the vehicle supported by 5 supports it was deemed safe to work under for an
extended period.
3. Diagnostics
Workshop Manuals, Technical Articles, Technical Specifications, Service Information
Technik, PET5 for clarification of locations and Porsche 928 forums were used.

3.1 Initial checks and adjustments
Whilst awaiting a reply from one board the following checks and adjustments were
carried out:
1. Checked idle speed OK within specifications (675 rpm +/- 25).
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2. Checked throttle linkage and adjusted as per WSM.
3. Adjusted Control Pressure Cable as per WSM.
4. Checked vacuum line to Pressure Modulator OK no leaks or blockages.
5. Checked drive range selector lever operation on box and verified each
indent position for each gear.
6. Checked setting of Starter Interlock Switch and Drive Range Selector
Lever with 4mm drill shank.
7. Warmed up auto transmission and checked all forward and reverse gears.

3.2 Outcome of initial checks and adjustments
Still no forward motion in any forward gear, however, reverse gear was still operable.
3.3 Further research
Wally Plumley of 928 Specialists and GarthS/GS535i responded to a request posted on a
Porsche Forum. Wally advised the Porsche Fault Finding Diagnostic advice from the
WSM and GarthS/GS535i advised links to various web sites. By using this information,
undertaking my own review of the WSMs and surfing the web a host of information
was found.

The Porsche Fault Finding Diagnostic search turned up three sets of information.
3.4 Wallys advice from the WSM
1. Brake band B2 seriously worn or broken.
2. Adjust brake band B2 by installing a longer pressure pin.
3. Replace brake band, if seriously worn or broken.
No power flow for a brief time after cranking the engine
4. Torque converter drains partially via leaky or defective lubricating ring or
valve in put shaft.
3.5 WSM group 38, page 112
3.5.1 Condition
1. Transmission slips when moving off in 1
st
or 2
nd
gear, or moving off not
possible in forward gear. Reverse gear is still good.
3.5.2 Cause/Correction
1. Service shift valve B2, replacing shift valve housing if necessary.
2. Replace brake band B2 Piston.
3. Adjust brake band B2 by installing a longer thrust pin. Replace brake band in
case of excessive wear or broken brake band.
3.6 Outcome
All advice pointed to problems with the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly.
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3.7 Articles to support outcome decision
3.7.1 GarthS/GS535i advised:
1. B2 Piston is often implicated in failure and he suggested reading the article
http://transmission.articles.mbz.org/b2/ and following the links contained within
the article.
2. B2 Piston Failure in Mercedes-Benz 722.xxx Automatic Transmissions at
http://business.baylor.edu/Richard_Easley//autofaqs/b2piston.htm.
3. A Google search located an excellent article titled AUTO TRANS DIAGNOSIS
722 SERIES relating to a 1996 Mercedes-Benz C220 at
http://transmission.articles.mbz.org/akp722.pdf , as well as various other
articles. This article directly relates to the MB 722.3 series transmissions.
4. The B2 Piston article by Richard Sexton with photographs and an update
titled: B2 Odyssey Updated.

Armed with all the above data together with information from the Porsche 928S
Automatic Transmission A28-Description of Operation manual and the WSMs Group
37 pages 1 to 179 relating to the six bolt pan 4 speed transmission and the Technical
Publications contained in the Jims CDs, CD No.1 version 2.15, it was deemed time to
proceed with the a course of action, investigate the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly.

Note: In assessing data make sure the correct model/series and serial number of the
transmission fitted to the vehicle is correctly identified.
4. Vehicle Automatic Transmission make and model
The Automatic Transmission installed is:
4.1 A28.16 model
The Porsche gearbox number on the transmission was located at the aft end of the
transmission on the intermediate casing at the junction of the transmission and the
transaxle and is: A2816 3L02446.

On checking the specification obtained from the local Porsche Centre the original
automatic transmission fitted was A2816 3L01363, so the gear box was a newer
transmission. The automatic transmissions fitted to the Porsche 928s are manufactured by
Mercedes-Benz and MBs production numbers and gear box type and serial numbers are
stamped on the horizontal surface just above the oil pan landing on the RHS of the gear
box just forward of the B2 Piston Cover, so the transmission also has a MB Serial
number for reference.
4.2 Mercedes-Benz Automatic Transmission 722.3 Series
The transmission production and serial number is:
722 270 3201 722 360 03 371586.

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It is believed the first 10 numerals are MB production numbers (This is not confirmed
however Porsche states The digits stamped on the right side of the transmission case
above the ATF sump are for production purposes only) and the last 14 numerals can be
interpreted as follows:

1. 722 is the type of transmission and designated that it is an Automatic
Transmission.
2. 3 is the Model of Transmission and in this case it is designated as a 722.3 series,
which is a 4 Speed/6Bolt/Large Case type transmission.
3. 60 designates the Type of Automobile or Version Number.
4. 371586, the last six numbers, is the Serial Number of the Transmission. There
is no explanation of what the 03 means.

This information was gathered from Mercedes-Benz Transmissions and Oil Reference
Guide found on the web.

The spare part numbers used in Porsches PET5 are Mercedes-Benz spare part numbers,
so parts are in fact identical. This statement contradicted advice received from an
independent transmission mechanic during investigations, that they were not identical.
5. Disassembly
5.1 General Instructions
Remember a safe work place and a safe attitude is extremely important when working
under a vehicle.

During any work on any automatic transmission cleanliness is paramount. Prior to
commencing work make sure all surrounding surfaces are as clean as possible, so when
the transmission is opened up, either whilst in the vehicle or removed, minimise the
ingress of foreign matter especially around the valve body, the galleries and the other
internals of the transmission.

In this instance the internal inspections and the subsequent repair was undertaken with
the transmission remaining in situ. This was very good as most foreign matter fell away
from the transmission, as the majority of the work is in the main body of the transmission
and entry if from underneath via the oil pan area, however, when removing the B2 Piston
it is located in a horizontal plan and debris can enter.

Care must also be exercised that items do not fall out of their location within the
transmission.

Adequate lighting is required and in this case a 50 watt quarts halogen work lamp, a
battery powered lantern and a torch were used.

Ensure that the work area is clean and that paper is available to spread out under the gear
box during disassembly with a quantity of lint free rags.
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5.2 Tools
The following assortment of tools were used during the work:
1. Various screwdrivers and Phillip-headed screwdrivers.
2. Circlip pliers.
3. Socket sets, , 3/8 and1/4 drives including a deep socket set.
4. Tension wrench. Two were used, one is a micrometer adjusted tension wrench
and the other is an analogue pointer gauge wrench. Preference was for the
micrometer type for ease of operation especially during incremental torquing up
of bolts and nuts as required.
5. Various hammers especially a soft headed hammer.
6. Metric Allen Keys with a ball head for ease of removing Allen headed set screws.
7. Multy Grip pliers.
8. Vernier Caliper.
9. Air Compressor and blow gun.
10. A clean work bench (a portable bench was used which was install in front or at
the back of the vehicle to hold all the tools required and provide a clean
disassembly area). Cleanliness was enhanced by the use of white butchers paper
on the working surface of the bench and the garage floor under the transmission.

In fact not many actual tools were required to complete the work.
5.3 B2 Piston Removal
1. Remove the RHS exhaust pipe section in way of the transmission to gain
unimpeded access to AT.
2. Remove heat shield located above exhaust pipe. This shield is held in place
by hexogen headed set screws.
3. Clean up vehicles under body area in way of transmission as well as
transmission in way of the B2 piston.

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5.4 Removal B2 Cover Plate

B2 Piston Assembly Cover Plate

4. The cover plate is held in position by a circlip and is held against the circlip
by the spring loaded B2 Piston.
5. Inwards axial pressure applied to cover plate and circlip removed by using a
small screwdriver. To assist in its removal the circlip was moved
circumferentially round in its recess until an end was within the gap in the
retaining flange. The tang of the screwdriver was placed under the end of the
circlip and it was worked out of it retaining grove.
6. Cover plate removed by the use of two small screwdrivers to lever the cover
plate out. During removal the plate canted and jammed several times, which
required it to be relocated square within the housing. It was not a difficult
operation.

During investigations, some owners reportedly had problems pushing the B2 Piston
Assembly Cover against the spring load and they made a small apparatus using a longish
bolt and nut, fitted a old shock absorber washer behind the nut and cut a length of copper
tube to fit between the vehicle body and the shock absorber washer with the bolt head
butting against the Cover Plate with the nut fully screwed up against the bolt inner side of
its head. This apparatus could be used in either direction. By using two open ended
spanner the nut can be turned anticlockwise, and this will push the cover against the
spring tension as required to relieve the pressure on the circlip.

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B2 Piston aperture showing black lip seal behind which is located the
plastic guide bush. The location of the thrust pin into the brake band is also
visible in the centre of the hole. Also visible is the cover O-ring seal (red)

Bush and lip seal for B2 Brake Band Piston are located at the end of the bore in the
aperture into the transmission as shown in the preceding photograph.

5.5 Removal and disassembly of B2 Piston Assembly
7. With the cover plate removed, it exposes the cover plate O-ring seal and the
B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly, both of which can be easily removed.
8. Once removed it should be examined for damage. Initially the piston
assembly looked satisfactory until a thorough strip-down and evaluation was
undertaken.
9. The strip down of the B2 Brake Band Assembly was undertaken on a clean
work bench on white paper.
10. Removed the internal piston circlip and withdrew the thrust pin thimble piece,
which came away in two pieces.
11. Removed the spring.
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12. Viewed the internals and noted pieces of metal (4 quadrants of a circular piece
of metal) laying on the inner face of the non-return valve.
13. Withdrew the piston, however, there was no piston crown and the piston
jammed a little whilst being withdrawn.
14. Removed the 4 pieces of material from on top of the non-return valve.
15. Removed the large circlip at the other end of the B2 piston assembly.
16. Removed the large spring with its retaining ring.
17. Removed non-return valve conical spring and its associated cruciform
locating washer.
5.6 Examination of B2 Piston Assembly

B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly
With a view of thimble piece and retaining circlip

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with a view of retaining washer, spring, T plastic seal ring and OD of piston cylinder
where lip seal seals

with spring retaining ring, circlip and cruciform piece holding the conical spring and
non-return valve that can be seen through centre hole

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The B2 Piston Assembly disassembled
5.7 The B2 Piston Assembly consists of:
1. Cirlip,
2. Conical spring,
3. Non return valve disc,
4. Spring and Retaining Ring,
5. B2 Piston Outer Assembly (brake band piston),
6. B2 Piston (inner piston),
7. Piston spring,
8. Thrust pin thimble piece,
9. Thrust Pin, and
10. Circlip.

This unit can be purchased as a single unit (6) as displayed in PET5 illustration 307-45
part number 107 270 003 2 for 89 model 928 S4 and onwards.

Individual parts can also be purchased such as:
1. Item 4 part number 900 906 037 00 Circlip A 42.
2. Item 5 part number 126 277 245 5 sealing ring.
3. Item 6 part number 124 270 003 2 piston brake band (this is the major assembly
item and appears not to include the B2 internal Piston, the internal spring or the
thrust pin thimble piece.
4. Item 7 part number 126 277 095 5 sealing ring (for internal piston). Note: If a
new ring is installed the ring must be installed in the correct manner with the
angled edge of the ring facing inboard in the Brake Band Piston Assembly.
(Refer to the WSM for clarification and confirmation).
5. Item 8 part number 900 042 005 01 lock ring (to retain internal piston, spring and
thimble piece).
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The thrust pin comes in four different lengths:

1. Item 9 part number 126 277 171 5 pin 47.2 mm long
2. Item (9) part number 126 277 271 5 pin 48.0 mm long

These various lengths allow for adjustment of the brake band clearance.
5.8 B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly Damage
As can be seen from the picture below the inner B2 Piston crown had fractured into four
pieces. It fractured circumferentially around the inside diameter of the piston. The
thimble piece (no part number or name given or located in PET5) had the large diameter
flange fractured off just under the flange. The inside of the cylinder liner located in the
Brake Band Piston Assembly appears to be a press fit (steel cylinder liner in this case)
showed a slight seizure mark about one third the circumference of the bore approximately
at mid length where the piston appeared to have canted and seized. The hypothesis of the
the contributing events, that led to the failure of the B2 Piston will be discussed later in
this report.

B2 Piston Assembly damage

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B2 Brake Band Piston Cover O ring, Piston Assembly Bush and lip seal
5.9 Description and History of Old B2 Piston Assembly

B2 Piston Old model Piston Assembly
appears to be cast iron

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Old B2 Piston Assembly on LHS & Modified B2Piston Assembly on RHS

The old model B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly appears to be a cast iron assembly and it
can be noted that the plastic type sealing ring is very similar to a piston ring (rectangular
cross section). It was reported that the Brake band Piston Assembly was redesigned in
the late 80s into a more robust unit and manufactured from aluminum. This seal ring was
reportedly modified by MB in the late 1993/4 into a T shaped seal ring and the cylinder
liner was modified to a plastic material replacing the steel liner. Both these modifications
were reported to have been made to reduce the instances of seizure/binding due to canting
of the outer and inner pistons and to reduce bore wear which could increase the instance
of binding.

The above modifications are explained in the Document B2 Piston Failure in Mercedes-
Benz 722.xxx Automatic Transmissions which can be found at:
http://business.baylor.edu/Richard_Easley//autofaqs/b2piston.htm
Note: There is an under score _ between Richard and Easley in the above address.

Richard recommends that any pre-1994 MB should be fitted with the new version of the
B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly with the above mentioned modifications as a
preventative maintenance precaution. No recommendations are made or inferred by this
report. The report covers what was done when the transmission was opened up for
investigation of the failure and the repairs and maintenance carried out to return the AT
to good working condition.

It will be noted from the photograph above that the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly as
removed from the vehicle had the more robust aluminum assembly, it was fitted with the
T seal ring, however, it still had the steel cylinder liner fitted for the thrust pin actuating
piston.

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It was decided to renew the B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly, as a total replacement unit,
to renew the Cover Plate O-ring seal as well as the lip seal item 7, part number 006 997
734 7, as shown in PET5 illustration number 307-55. To renew the seal it necessitated
driving the bush and seal out from the inside the transmission case.

Important Note:
PET5 illustration 307-55 shows an incorrect location of items 6 & 7, the bush (Part
Number 126 277 085 0) is installed after item 7 sealing ring (Part Number 006 997 734
7) when in fact it is the opposite as shown in the WSM Page 37-153 where the illustration
below clearly shows the bush is installed first and the sealing ring in the top of the bush
with the lip seal facing towards the B2 Piston Assembly Cover. This is because the
pressure within the B2 Piston cylinder is approximately 90psi when the B2 Brake is
applied. If this seal is installed with the lip seal toward the internals of the transmission
the ATF could bypass the lip seal and the Piston could fail to activate the B2 Brake Band,
which could cause the same failure of no forward motion in any of the forward gears.

Sketch of location of bush and lip seal facing outwards towards piston cover

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B2 Brake Band Piston Lip Seal and Bush
6 Oil Pan and ATF
The ATF was drained from the oil pan drain plug and the pan was removed by removing
the ATF reservoir and the 6 retaining bolts.

View of internals of AT with Pan and Filter Removed.
On lower LHS space between centre is the oil pipe, detent quadrant leaf spring and
Range (Gear) Selection Valve with Slide Head can be seen

On removal of the oil pan there was some debris from the failed B2 small Piston crown
laying in the bottom of the pan, however considering everything the pan was quite clean.
The ATF removed was still in very good condition as the AT was serviced in August
2003 at 71,018 kilometres, which consisted of a filter change, gasket change, and a total
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ATF change. The good condition of the oil would indicate that there was no clutch
slipping or overheating of the clutches or brakes within the transmission.
6.1 Removal the filter Element
The filter element Phillips-headed securing screws were removed and filter element
inspected. The filter element, viewed via the outlet orifice, and the wire screen viewed
from the suction orifice was relatively clean in view of the service period of
approximately 9,500 kilometres and approximately 1.5 years in service.
6.2 Valve Body

Automatic Transmission Valve Body

The next step was to remove the valve body. To insure the correct replacement of the
holding set bolts a white cardboard template was made and the holes were cut out with a
wad punch to accommodate the set bolts in their correct positions.

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Valve Body Template to hold set bolts

Prior to removing the valve body the garage floor directly under the transmission was
cleaned and white paper was laid out to catch any parts that may have fallen out. There
are numerous parts contained within the valve body interface section with the
transmission. The valve body was removed extremely carefully and thankfully no items
fell away from the transmission or sprung out from the valve body inner face.

Note: With reference to the WSM and the Auto Trans Diagnosis 722 series pdf article
mentioned above it is suggested that the position of the valves, oil injector, oil deflector,
strainers, one way check valve, temperature throttle, filler piece, locating pin etc., as
shown in the various sketches, are noted to ensure that they are all present and accounted
for and installed in the correct places and in the correct plane when reinstalled.

Once removed the valve body was placed on the prepared clean work bench covered with
white paper and then it was covered with another sheet of white paper.

As a further precaution the central vacuum cleaner was isolated as the motor and dust
catcher are located in the garage.

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6.4 Lower Cover

Lower Cover showing Controlled Pressure Control Valve Piston and Lever in the
top RHS foreground with spring loaded actuating lever, Range (Gear) Selector
Valve in the lower RHS background with its plastic slide that fits on pin of the
detent quadrant and the suction and delivery orifices from the oil filter

Again to insure the correct replacement of the holding set bolts a white cardboard
template was prepared with holes made to accommodate the set bolts in their correct
positions.

Lower cover template retaining bolt holder

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Again the dripping ATF from the transmission was wiped away, as much as possible, and
clean white paper was again laid out on the garage floor under the transmission to allow
careful scrutiny of any way ward parts during removal.
6.4.1 Removal of Lower Cover
1. Removed the leaf spring and bracket for the detent assembly quadrant.
2. Removed the Controlled Pressure Control Valve actuating lever spring.
3. Slackened off the retaining set bolts for the lower cover and as each set bolt was
removed it was placed in its respective hole in the cardboard template.
4. Lower cover was very carefully removed together with the oil pipe.
5. Removed the intermediate plate with its cover plate and the intermediate plate
gasket ensuring the Range Gear Selector Valve slide end attachment came free
from the detent lever pin.

Fortunately no parts fell out or sprung loose, however, the gasket tore as one section
stuck to the transmission casing and the other section stuck to the intermediate plate.

Note: The locating pin for the leaf spring and bracket for the detent quadrant sits into the
transmission case and there is nothing holding it in position except from suction caused
by the ATF. There is potential for this to fall out and be lost.

The lower cover and intermediate plate assembly (removed as one piece) was placed on
the workbench and covered with white paper.
6.4.2 Removal of Lower Cover-Cover Plate and gasket
1. The lower cover - cover plate was removed by undoing the Phillip-head screws.
2. The gasket was separated from the intermediate plate and lower cover.
3. The oil injector was not removed from its location in the cover plate.

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I ntermediate Plate with Lower Cover-Cover Plate (left of centre with Phillips-head
screws) and Lubricating Oil Tube (centre top)
Difficult to discern the various items as the gasket was very stained with ATF.
RHS just off centre shows the plastic oil injector

With all these parts removed a better view of the internals of the transmission was
obtained, however, to visually inspect the B2 Brake Band and the outer surface of the B2
Clutch cylinder the plastic brake band guide had to be removed.

Transmission with Valve Body, (Lower Cover & I ntermediate Plate removed) showing
Brake Guide and B2 Brake Band
The leaf spring set bolt hole and locating pin hole can be seen adjacent to the lower
transmission case edge, to the upper left of the flash reflection
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6.4.3 Brake Guide Removal
To remove the B2 Brake Guide it required the removal of the detent quadrant shaft, so as
to allow the detent quadrant to be lowered to obtain clearance.

1. Removed the Range/Gear Selection Lever from the side of the transmission.
2. Removed the starter lock out switch.
3. Removed the detent assembly Allen-headed lock set screw.
4. Slide detent shaft outboard out of transmission case with care so as not to damage
the seal.
5. Lowered detent quadrant to allow clearance for removal of brake band guide
piece.
6. Slid out B2 Brake Band Guide across the top of the detent quadrant.

B2 Brake Band Guide
Plan view

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B2 Brake Band Guide
Side elevation view
7 Inspection of Brake Band and Clutch Housing
Inspected brake band and outside diameter of clutch housing and there was no noticeable
wear to the brake band or cylinder. As a matter of fact the original machining marks on
the clutch housing OD were still visible. All appeared in excellent condition and there
was no discolourisation or burn marks on the clutch cylinder, no wear particles at the
edge of the brake band or any sign of this type of debris in the oil pan.
8 Parts requiring replacement and other parts selected for
replacement
The following parts were replaced:
1. B2 Piston Assembly Cover o-ring seal.
2. B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly.
3. B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly face seal.
4. Intermediate plate gasket.
5. Filter.
6. Oil Pan Gasket.
7. Oil Pan Drain Plug copper gasket.
8. Torque Converter copper gasket.
9 Purchase of Parts
The following parts were purchased from the Local Porsche Centre:
1. Automatic Transmission Service Kit.

The following parts were purchased from the local Mercedes Benz Dealership
2. B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly.
3. B2 Piston Assembly lip seal.
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26
4. Intermediate Plate gasket.

The purchase of the parts was an interesting undertaking. The Porsche Centre cost
quotation for a B2 Piston was nearly 50% more expensive than the MB dealer and
Porsche required one week delivery ex Germany, whereas the MB dealership offered
next day delivery.

Needless to say the MB dealership was chosen to supply the B2 Piston Assembly, its lip
seal, B2 external Cover O ring and the intermediate plate gasket, however, they did not
sell an AT Service Kit. Their quoted for the cost of an oil filter and gasket as separate
items and was close to double the price of the full Service Kit from Porsche, so the AT
Service Kit was purchased from the PC.

All the parts were picked up during one morning and reassembly commenced the same
day.

When the items were picked up from the local MB dealership, whilst checking to see
whether the new B2 Piston was the same dimensions as the failed item the forman
mechanic came to the counter and inquired what had happened. The failure details were
related as he viewed the failed B2 Piston parts. He was surprised to see this type of
failure and offered a free old B2 Piston Assembly, as he advised he had a drawer full in
his office, thereby saving the cost of a new unit. His offer was accepted for the old B2
Piston, however, the new B2 Piston Assemble was also purchased to insure that the latest
modified version, as described above was fitted (good insurance).

A fully serviceable B2 Brake Band Piston Assembly has been made up using the
removed B2 Piston and the old B2 Poston from MB. This spare has all the modifications
except for the plastic cylinder liner. This will be kept as an emergency spare.
10 Replacing B2 Brake Band Piston & Checking Clearance of
B2 Brake Band
1. Replaced the B2 piston bush in the transmission case - a hand push fit - and
installed the lip seal with the lip facing outwards. Installation was by applying
ATF to the outside diameter of the seal and driving it home using a suitable
diameter socket and hammer. A proper mandrel, as shown in the Porsche Special
Tools in the AT section of the WSM, could have been machined on the lathe, but
the socket was considered sufficient for this one-off installation.
2. B2 Piston assembly outer T seal ring coated in ATF, as well as the surface of
the outside diameter of the thrust pin cylinder liner. Installed the thrust pin into
the thimble piece and inserted the B2 Piston into the transmission case ensuring
the thrust pin engaged the Brake Band correctly.
3. Renewed the Piston Cover O-ring and coated its outside diameter with ATF.
4. Replaced the Piston Cover.
5. Replaced the external circlip.
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27
6. Applied pressure on the Brake Band support lug by a screwdriver and pushed the
B2 Piston Assembly hard up against the external Cover.
7. Measured the clearance of the Brake Band by applying pressure on the support
lug towards the B2 Piston and measured the distance between the inner surface of
the lug and outside of the semi circular section of the other side of the brake band.
Unfortunately the vernier caliper jaws were not large enough to fit into the
transmission to measure this distance, so a set of inside calipers were used to
determine the distance and then measured with the vernier calipers.
8. Applied pressure the other way on the support lug, toward the opposite side of the
transmission and again measured the distance. On subtracting one from the other
a clearance of 6 mm was ascertained using the existing thrust pin, the length of
which was 48mm long. Please refer to sketch on page 54 of the Auto Trans
Diagnosis 722 Series article, as it shows how to take this measurement. The
MB forman advised that MB usually set up the clearance to 5.5mm, but Porsche
recommend 6 to 7mm. Porsche likes to have a second or so pause between the
take up from drive to reverse and visa versa whereas MB like a shorter pause.
9. This clearance reaffirmed that the wear of the brake band and clutch cylinder
outside diameter were negligible as the clearance is the minimum recommended
by Porsche. The brake cylinder outside diameter also confirmed this as it still
showed the original machining marks and there was still plenty of thickness to the
brake band. Unfortunately no measurement of the thickness of the brake band
was taken.
11 Cleaning and Reassembly
Prior to reassembly all parts were cleaned. Porsche recommends that the parts be air
blown. This was satisfactory for parts like the B2 Piston Assembly, however when air
was applied to the valve body upper surface and oil galleries a small item was displaced.
The recovered item was a small strainer. There are 2 installed in the top of the valve
body. All air blowing was stopped as it was considered too dangerous as there are
numerous other small parts that could be easily lost.

Cleaning was confined by a full inspection of the galleries, valves, strainers and they
were considered sufficiently clean for reinstallation.

Wiped clean the intermediate plate, lower plate cover, all bolts, locating pin and all
internal parts, that had been removed.

11.1 Reassembly
1. Installed gasket onto intermediate plate.
2. Centered gasket and installed lower cover plate and tensioned up Phillips-head
screws.
3. Installed oil deflector into aperture in transmission housing.
4. Installed intermediate plate with lower cover whilst inserting oil tube into location
in transmission housing.
______________________________________________________________________________________

28
5. Inserted lower cover set bolt in correct locations and nipped up lightly into
transmission housing.
6. Install valve body into position and insert bolts in identical positions as removed.
Note: Whilst the valve body was being lifted into position a finger extended over
the gallery section on top of the valve body and dislodged a very small
rectangular shaped spring loaded non return valve. Fortunately its location was
identified and it could only fit one way into the top of the valve body. On
checking the underside of the intermediate plate its location was confirmed by the
polished rectangular area on the intermediate plate.
7. Re-engaged spring into its hole in the transmission case and attached the other
end to the actuating lever for the Controlled Pressure Control Valve Piston
ensuring spring was located in its correct orientation, as removed.
8. Replaced detent quadrant and slid actuating shaft into position, whilst ensuring
the pin on the detent lever engaged the Range Gear Selector Valve slide correctly.
9. Inserted Allen headed locking set screw into detent quadrant hub and tightened to
specified torque (8Nm).
10. Replaced Starter Motor Lockout Switch and hand tightened the 2 lock bolts.
11. Replaced Range Gear Selector Lever and tightened locking bolt and nut to correct
torque (8Nm). (Note: Specified torque applied to lock bolt nut caused the lever to
close in the lower section of lever. I believe torque setting is too high).
12. Reconnected actuating cable to Range Gear Selector Lever.
13. Adjusted Lock out switch as per WSM using a 4mm diameter drill shank through
holes in lever, switch lever and transmission casing.
14. Tensioned up Lockout Switch lock bolts to specifications (8Nm).
15. Installed the detent leaf spring and bracket ensuring engagement of locating pin in
casing and nipped up set screw after also ensuring leaf spring roller correctly
engages detent quadrant detents. Final torque for set bolts 8Nm.
16. Re tensioned set bolts by lightly tightening the RHS forward bolt and the LHS
after bolt to centrally locate the valve body.
17. Torque up valve body bolts in increments of 0.5Nm using a diagonal format until
specified torque of 8Nm was obtained. Care should be taken that no bolts strip
the threads out of the transmission housing. Note: If bolts do not appear to be
reaching the incremental increasing torque applied, STOP as the bolts may be
stripping out the aluminum thread. (Lesson learnt the hard way from engineering
experience with aluminum castings).
18. Tightened lower plate bolts again in 0.5 incremental torque setting as well as the
leaf spring to 8Nm to ensure no stripping of threads.
19. Installed filter and torque up the 3 Phillips-headed set screws to 4Nm.
20. Installed new pan gasket after lightly smearing with ATF to 8Nm again in 0.5
incremental torque setting on the micrometer torque wrench in a diagonal format
until torque setting was reached.
21. Added new ATF fluid as per WSM instructions. Note: There are a lot of threads,
in the Porsche Forums as well as in the archives of the Rennlist Forum for 928
covering adding ATF to 928s.
22. Car test driven and all appeared to work satisfactory. Take-up into reverse gear is
around 1 second and the changes in the forward gears are not as harsh as
______________________________________________________________________________________

29
previously. The modulating pressure valve may have to be adjusted to get a gear
change without any shock.
12 Hypothesis of Failure

On examination of the parts the deduction was that the thimble piece had probably
fractured first due to the binding of the small piston within the cylinder (this was
indicated by the small semicircular ridge that was evident approximately half way down
the cylinder).

The failure of the thimble piece allowed the lower section of the thimble to sit on the
inner surface of the piston crown. Whether the B2 Piston Assembly continued to operate
with this extra couple of mm clearance it is difficult to say, however, it was noted that it
was taking longer to go from reverse to drive than normal, say 2 or 3 seconds or more.
The small raised circular section on the inside of the piston crown was polished and this
suggests that the thimble piece was riding on the inner surface of the piston crown for
some time.

While the continued activation of the B2 Brake Band Piston with an operating pressure of
90psi, when changing up and down through the forward gears could have been causing
an intermittent shock load to be applied to the inner surface of the piston crown, as the
excess clearances was quickly taken up without any shock absorbing action. This
continuous shock loading was possibly sufficient to break the piston crown out of the
piston causing the total failure of the B2 Piston to operate.

The final failure possibly occasioned when the automatic transmission changed down a
gear which necessitated the activation of the B2 Brake Band whilst turning a corner.
Prior to the failure a slight slippage was detected and then complete failure of all forward
gears. Maybe at this juncture the final failure of the piston crown removed all force from
being applied by the thrust pin to apply the B2 Brake Band.

13. Legal Notice

The author accepts no legal liability or responsibility what-so-ever for the work described
within this document.

1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Piston Failure March 2005m

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1990 Porsche 928 S4 Auto B2 Brake Band Piston Failure

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