Fronkenstein

So I had to take Inga out today. The weather is flawless - not too hot and not too cold and low humidity for NE near the shore. One on the shore and another in the hills. Here are a couple of videos of the rides.



Proof of a happy life

Fronkenstein

Fronkenstein

So I am not closing this thread as the story is far from over. Lots of electrics and cosmetic work to do over the winter.

However, I am starting my 944 project next week and thought that if you enjoyed this psychedelic trip you might enjoy the next one found here at "Project 944"...

Watch me struggle as I try to push the envelope bringing a 944 NA to over the 157 HP mark for less that $100K. Not possible you say? Watch me

Seriously I am going to attempt to make Igor move a bit faster without spending $20K on the engine alone. As it is I already have $2000 in rods, pistons and head studs. It won't take long to get to $5K with machine and balancing.

Wish me luck and watch for another 928 acquisition in the not so distant future

Fronkenstein

The Deputy

Good luck, Peter.

Hope your next endeavor goes smoother. Enjoyed your latest videos. And, now that I have a manual trans car...I imagine your foot work on repairing one will come in handy someday.

Is the get together in NH kind of scraped?

Brian.

Fronkenstein

I hope its not scrapped. Just because I have to be in Utah doesn't mean the rest of you guys/gals can't do the Larz.

But I definitely want to do an Oct/Nov Route 100 or 1A trip

Fronkenstein

Fronkenstein

Hey need some clutch help again. So I installed new discs and adjusted it just like the nice and exhaustive doc someone out of on the list, just can't recall the name.

Anyway I used a feeler gauge to make sure each disc had the same gap from center disc. Did this by pushing both discs against the clutch plate, measured the gap and split the measurement. Then I made two feeler gauges and put them in place thereby song the discs equidistant.

I have a nice lower bell housing cover that makes it very easy to make the changes and the test it out while making the adjustments.

However I feel drag. If I engage the clutch almost to the floor and slowly release it I feel an initial drag and engine RPM starts to fall but but not stall. Then I can continue to release the clutch what I consider a considerable amount before stall speed is met.

Other symptoms include grumpy shifting until tranny is really warm and shudder as the second grab is engaging.

To me this seems like a maladjusted clutch but before I crawl under there again I was hoping for some opinions from folks who have been there, done that and wrote the book

My bell housing

Petza914

When Carl did my supercharger install, we also upgraded the clutch and intermediate plate to the pinned type (I think from an '83) instead of the normal '79 concentric one, along with a SPEC full-disc clutch setup. Carl said the OEM setup was "the weakest clutch they ever had in a 928 and not up to the task of handling the HP & torque of the SC upgrade".

With by my original 5-speed and the new Z06 6-speed I have the same sensation you have when releasing the clutch. If on the floor, feels completely disengaged, as it should, but once I let it out a little bit, you can feel it start to catch and it will actually move the car forward in that position, which I obviously don't keep it in for very long, but there is still quite a bit of pedal travel left before you get to the real engagement point. The disc in this Spec clutch is a little "grabby" compared to those in all of my other cars, but with the torque available from the motor, I've learned (was actually taught by Carl) to let it out much faster than I normally would once I get to that initial grabby position. If I continue to let it out slowly, it will actually make the driveline hop - this setup does not like to spin the pressure plate against the flywheel with very light pressure - either disengaged or let out quickly.

I know that it's installed correctly since it was done by Carl twice - once with the original 5-speed and then again with the 6-speed and he knows what it should feel like since he uses this clutch pack frequently.

Maybe that helps to ease your mind a bit about the "dragging" feel once off the floor. I'm sure others will chime in with hwo theirs behave as well.

Fronkenstein

Thanks much! You explained to a "T" what I am experiencing. While this engine certainly doesn't have the power your engine does, it's no slouch. So I am glad to hear I am experiencing "normal" behavior

Car feels like a solid 340HP or better. She loves 3000 RPM and higher. The higher the RPM the better the shift. If I am in 4th at 3200 RPM on the highway and punch it, it launches like no other unmodified engine under 5.4L I have ever owned with zero slippage.

Thanks again.

Fronkenstein

The Deputy

Both of you described my 78 to a "T". I've only driven my 78 a limited amount of times, but l do pull it out of the garage quite often...and the clutch feels exactly the same as described.

At first I thought it was maybe just me, since I hadn't driven a manual in quite some time. The clutch never slipped or made shifting difficult, it just didn't seem right (especially when my memory compared it to my 944). The clutch was going to be one of the first things I checked once it got on stands for the winter. However, now I'm not so sure I will find anything wrong. Well, besides the noisy throwout bearing.

Brian.

Fronkenstein

My throwout bearing is brand new and a sounds awful. My old one, the snap ring can me lose and left me in the middle of a very busy intersection at rush hour. When I got home I was floored at the terrible design I was staring at. The entire disengaged weight of the pressure plate is held in place by a single flimsy snap ring. I am not against using a snap ring but jeez make the collar a little thicker and make the ring groove deeper and wider for a considerably thicker snap ring. And I list love the OEM version where the collar an inner bearing race are one solid piece making it completely unserviceable.

I had taken my clutch out - again, thinking the noise guaranteed that it must be bad. When I got it out I cracked the bearing open to see what the failure mode was. There was nothing wrong - nothing!

I ruined a perfectly sound albeit a little dry, $280 OEM bearing for no good reason. So I now inject all of my driveline bearings with Porsche high pressure grease using a veterinarian syringe. Works like a charm.

I don't understand why Porsche couldn't get this multi disc clutch right. Mack trucks have been using a similar setup for many many years. Yes the RPM requirements aren't there, but they work flawlessly.

Fronkenstein

Fronkenstein

Hey how does one know when they are experiencing the top end oil collection issue? What are the symptoms?

When I open the ports on the cam towers I see oil dragging around the cam.

Thanks,

Fronkenstein

Fronkenstein

Ok for those of you with early transaxles

DO NOT USE this



DO USE this



The SwepCo is just too heavy. After 40 minutes with the Redline D4 (synthetic) my baby was shifting like a champ. No more grumpy shifts and it even downshifts into 1st without a fight. D4 is a replacement fluid for earlier cars with transmissions and transaxles that call for Dextron III etc., auto transmission fluid.

I am sure SwepCo is great for Borg Warner equipped cars, but it's no good for these early transaxles.

That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Fronkenstein

swepco



redline d4

Fronkenstein

Here I was at the last local car flea market of the year. I think I was the only guy with Porsche parts at New England Dragway

Yes all of this came out of my X5

Fronkenstein

Here are the mods I made to the lower bell housing cover:

Fronkenstein

Does anyone have a good source for the correct clutch discs for a 1978?

Thanks,

Fronkenstein

Fronkenstein

Had to rebuild the fuel distributor again. Don't use octane booster of any kind. She's running awesome again. Check out the AFR readout on both banks:

https://goo.gl/photos/s3Baw2GWCaKXnagu8