grenadiers

If anyone needs a nice parts car, or just drive the car, I'm selling my '88 924S. Located in Prescott, AZ, built to 944 Spec requirements. 3500 bucks.
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/5727047401.html

2mAn

Sucks about what happened with your motor. Im currently trying to sell my 944S motor. I can remove parts to get it to a "long block" and am willing to ship. Of course you are on the other side of the country and my ONE ad here has disappeared...

CrookedRacer

Thanks!

I have a replacement motor... and it's already installed, although I have yet to get the last 1/2" of the driveshaft to engage the pilot bearing.

That's where I am at the moment...

2mAn

Oh bummer! Keep at it, Im sure taking a moment to get away from the car will allow you to knock it out the next time you are back working on the car

CrookedRacer

Tonight I came home, worked on it, wiggled, lifted, lowered, jacked the transaxle to level it, and so on.

It just wouldn't go.

Then I dropped the engine, examined the driveshaft, which was true and round. No marring. I could slip a pilot bearing on and off of it easily. There is even a generous chamfer on the end.

I eyeballed the clutch spline and the pilot bearing was looking back out at me... From dead center.

So I tried again, but I think the three centering guide pins that go just inside the torque tube were the hold up.

I put it together close enough that the tt bolts could grab the bell housing. I evenly turned the four of them, and without any notable resistance, they sucked the two together!

Aaaaa le leu ia!!!!!

2mAn

Thats great news!! Congrats

CrookedRacer

The engine is now in the car. It spins freely with just a socket wrench on the crank pulley. And now all I have to do is:

Reattach ignition
install the entire the intake & vacuum system
weld my headers back together & install
install alternator
install starter
install clutch actuator
install p/s pump
install radiator and new hoses
install fuel rail
tidy all wires
reinstall lower control arms
reinstall sway bar
reattach steering tie rods

and... i dunno... remember to put oil and coolant in.

CrookedRacer

It RUNS!

Over the weekend I got a lot done - the suspension, starter, alternator, p/s, clutch, rad, and a bunch of wiring.

I got stuck on one connector halfway down the cylinder head that I couldn't find a mate for... but I'm pretty sure it was the A/C compressor signaling connector. And since this car has ac delete, this plug remains on its own.

On Monday I came home early and put the intake back on, added oil (a lot of it), ps fluid, distilled water in the cooling system, and tried to start it.

It wouldn't fire.

I moped and sulked and felt bad for a while, but I remembered that the flywheel sensors have the same connector. When I disconnected them, I figured they must be keyed so they can't be plugged in incorrectly. They're not. They can totally be swapped, and I guess they were, because when I swapped them again, the car started up.

I still have to purge the cooling system and drive it around a bit. And get an alignment, which I'll do tomorrow if all goes well.

I'm overjoyed that the engine runs, and I'm thankful for this here forum as well.

Stay tuned for reports from the track!

ddombrowski

Awesome news. Congrats. Always a relief when a new engine catches and idles for the first time.

CrookedRacer

Alas, all is not going well.

The alternator might not be doing its job anymore. Or, The battery is dead from all the starting and not much continuous running.

I'm pretty sure I purged a lot of air, but maybe not enough to open the thermostat and really get the water circulating.

The tach bounces. The temp gauge bounces. The oil pressure gauge bounces. And then all three behave. And then they don't again.

I drove it around the block, and the engine oil light and the big ! Light came on. I parked it and walked home, I was so disgusted.

In any case, I can't drive it any distance with confidence yet. Too many things wrong.

I might rent a trailer and tow it to intersport in McLean va, since I had an appt for an alignment there anyway. Maybe Charlie can figure out all the things I did wrong.

Just ugh.

mel_t_vin

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Measure the voltage drop across the terminals. A functional, but drained, battery will read 11-ish...and prevent the starter from engaging. Anything significantly less than 10v points to a dead cell/failed battery.

If you think your alternator has seen better days, let me know...still have the one from that '86 951 organ donor.

The ! light can come on for several reasons [e.g. e-brake up?, low brake fluid?]. And, if not mistaken, the oil light can flicker/come on if the sump is low. Is your oil light on solid/permanently? Have you checked the oil level on the dip stick...at the full line?

CrookedRacer

Well, I'm glad I brought it in to Charlie. He found the missing ground immediately, and tightened the others up too. Now everything seems to be working normally.

The power steering was leaking quite a bit on my brief test ride the night before...
If the power steering continues to be a problem at the track, I'll just disconnect it and go manual.

He's going to do his alignment on the car, which I'm very excited about. I was relying on the previous owner's alignment settings and marks, but at this point I think it deserves the Intersport treatment. I can't wait to see how it feels on track.

So I'll pick up the car on Friday on my way to the track. I would have preferred to have some time with it ahead of the weekend, but I'm just glad to have something to drive.

I feel really proud of having brought this car 95% of the way back to life, and although I might have eventually found the loose grounds and fixed everything myself, sometimes it's just more effective (and less worrisome) to have a pro look at it. And from all accounts, Charlie knows 944's like the back of his hand.

Thanks to everyone here for your help and suggestions. Who else will be at VIR this weekend?

CrookedRacer

...I guess I should have put "reconnect all electrical grounds" on that list.

mel_t_vin

Bell housing ground(s)?

CrookedRacer

Yup. Stuff hides back there.