I used a second i2c scanner and found this result:
TIME DEC HEX 50 100 200 250 400 500 800 [KHz]
93535 8 0x8 . . . . . . .
93537 9 0x9 . . . . . . .
93539 10 0xA . . . . . . .
93542 11 0xB . . . . . . .
93544 12 0xC . . . . . . .
93546 13 0xD . . . . . . .
93549 14 0xE . . . . . . .
93551 15 0xF . . . . . . .
93554 16 0x10 . . . . . . .
93556 17 0x11 . . . . . . .
93559 18 0x12 . . . . . . .
93561 19 0x13 . . . . . . .
93564 20 0x14 . . . . . . .
93566 21 0x15 . . . . . . .
93570 22 0x16 . . . . . . .
93572 23 0x17 . . . . . . .
93575 24 0x18 . . . . . . .
93577 25 0x19 . . . . . . .
93580 26 0x1A . . . . . . .
93582 27 0x1B . . . . . . .
93584 28 0x1C . . . . . . .
93587 29 0x1D . . . . . . .
93589 30 0x1E . . . . . . .
93592 31 0x1F . . . . . . .
93594 32 0x20 . . . . . . .
93597 33 0x21 . . . . . . .
93599 34 0x22 . . . . . . .
93602 35 0x23 . . . . . . .
93604 36 0x24 . . . . . . .
93607 37 0x25 . . . . . . .
93609 38 0x26 . . . . . . .
93613 39 0x27 . . . . . . .
93615 40 0x28 . . . . . . .
93618 41 0x29 . . . . . . .
93620 42 0x2A . . . . . . .
93623 43 0x2B . . . . . . .
93625 44 0x2C . . . . . . .
93628 45 0x2D . . . . . . .
93630 46 0x2E . . . . . . .
93633 47 0x2F . . . . . . .
93635 48 0x30 . . . . . . .
93638 49 0x31 . . . . . . .
93640 50 0x32 . . . . . . .
93643 51 0x33 . . . . . . .
93645 52 0x34 . . . . . . .
93648 53 0x35 . . . . . . .
93650 54 0x36 . . . . . . .
93654 55 0x37 . . . . . . .
93656 56 0x38 . . . . . . .
93659 57 0x39 . . . . . . .
93661 58 0x3A . . . . . . .
93664 59 0x3B . . . . . . .
93666 60 0x3C . . . . . . .
93669 61 0x3D . . . . . . .
93671 62 0x3E . . . . . . .
93674 63 0x3F . . . . . . .
93676 64 0x40 . . . . . . .
93679 65 0x41 . . . . . . .
93681 66 0x42 . . . . . . .
93684 67 0x43 . . . . . . .
93686 68 0x44 . . . . . . .
93689 69 0x45 . . . . . . .
93691 70 0x46 . . . . . . .
93694 71 0x47 . . . . . . .
93697 72 0x48 V V V V V V V
93700 73 0x49 . . . . . . .
93702 74 0x4A . . . . . . .
93705 75 0x4B . . . . . . .
93707 76 0x4C . . . . . . .
93710 77 0x4D . . . . . . .
93712 78 0x4E . . . . . . .
93714 79 0x4F . . . . . . .
93717 80 0x50 . . . . . . .
93719 81 0x51 . . . . . . .
93722 82 0x52 . . . . . . .
93724 83 0x53 . . . . . . .
93727 84 0x54 . . . . . . .
93729 85 0x55 . . . . . . .
93732 86 0x56 . . . . . . .
93734 87 0x57 . . . . . . .
93737 88 0x58 . . . . . . .
93740 89 0x59 . . . . . . .
93743 90 0x5A . . . . . . .
93745 91 0x5B . . . . . . .
93748 92 0x5C . . . . . . .
93750 93 0x5D . . . . . . .
93753 94 0x5E . . . . . . .
93755 95 0x5F . . . . . . .
93758 96 0x60 . . . . . . .
93760 97 0x61 . . . . . . .
93763 98 0x62 . . . . . . .
93765 99 0x63 . . . . . . .
93768 100 0x64 . . . . . . .
93770 101 0x65 . . . . . . .
93773 102 0x66 . . . . . . .
93776 103 0x67 . . . . . . .
93778 104 0x68 . . . . . . V
93782 105 0x69 . . . . . . .
93784 106 0x6A . . . . . . .
93787 107 0x6B . . . . . . .
93789 108 0x6C . . . . . . .
93792 109 0x6D . . . . . . .
93795 110 0x6E . . . . . . .
93797 111 0x6F . . . . . . .
93800 112 0x70 . . . . . . .
93802 113 0x71 . . . . . . .
93805 114 0x72 . . . . . . .
93807 115 0x73 . . . . . . .
93810 116 0x74 . . . . . . .
93813 117 0x75 . . . . . . .
93815 118 0x76 . . . . . . .
93818 119 0x77 . . . . . . .
2 devices found in 292 milliseconds.
the 0x68 should be the ds3231. Does that mean the i2c wire happened to be wrong the low speed rather than 800kHz and 800kHz happened to be unsupported by the current wire lib so it didn't work?
The other module (tmp117) works fine along these wires.