Oshin11

Sorry to throw your name in the topic Ed but you seem like a very handy wrench. I wish I knew someone around Glendale in California that I could call up and ask questions. As it turns out someone that was interested in my car decided not to buy it so I am stuck in a confused state as to what to do. On one hand I would love to keep the car, get a civic as a daily driver and tackle 4 project on my car that I really want to do. On another hand I am tempted to sell the car and get a 993 as a daily driver. I am still young and wouldn't mind wrenching on my 87 911 so that eventually when I DO get a 40K+ USD 993 I will feel comfortable wrenching on it. My family was never really handy so I would have to buy all the tools to start doing the work. What do you guys think? Keep the 911 and wrench on it or sell it and get a 993 and keep having a pro work on my car all the time? I really don't want to be mechanically impared all my life . 4 projects that I want to get underway are 1. changing a brake rotor 2. changing out 5 hoses that are leaky 3. upgrade to turbo tie rods and 4. put in a stock 911 DME chip I just got. I tried jacking up the car today with the jack my parents had around for their car but it didn't go so well. I put newspapers between the jack and the engine sump just as I had read in "101 Projects" but as I cranked up the car I heard a few subtle sqeaky noises. I don't know if thats common but it made me think twice. Also, the jack is a 2 ton jack but it started getting really hard cranking it up after a while, never got the wheels off the ground. Then engine sump IS the best place to jack up the rear right? Oh man this is getting too long. Basically I am looking to see if people think its a good idea for someone who hasn't wrenched much on cars to start taking on projects like this. I want to start small so that in a year or two I could possibly do a rebuild myself just like Ed Hughes is doing. Also any advice on what tools to get? I wish I knew someone around here that wouldn't mind hitting up Sears with me haha. And last but not least am I in WAY over my head? I mean I haven't even paid the car off yet, not even close. Thanks for all the help guys I love your advice and I always appreciate it.

Daniel Dudley

Oshin, I would imagine that there are more 911s in California than anywhere else in the world. If you can't find some people here or on Pelican, try joining the PCA or Owners club. I see the California 928ers holding repair parties all the time, and if you check over on the 928 forum, you will see that about a million 928ers were there when Ed dropped his 911 engine. It really doesn't sound like you want to sell your car. Good luck on that. Try to meet some 911 owners in the flesh. That would be a good starting point.

The projects you have described are not too difficult. It sounds like you need a better jack and some good jackstands however. From the way you describe things, I think that hanging around and watching others would be a good place for you to start. Or get a how things work book and try to picture the basic functions of brakes, engines etc. Undoing nuts and bolts and bolting things back on is not too hard. Having a car slip off a jack is very dangerous. Some people take the time to learn, and others concentrate on making money so they can pay experts. Don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with.

killingmoon65

Oshin,
Sounds like you have a real desire to learn about your car and how to fix it and that's a great start. Just take your time. One thing I was forced to learn while working on these cars in PATIENCE.
I would like to help you but I won't be moving back to LA until the fall.
I guess you to decide, like Daniel said, do you want to learn about the car and have the satisfaction of fixing it yourself,, or do you want to make the money to pay someone to fix it for you when the need arises. I'm not yet ready to purchase a 911. Maybe by the end of the year. But there are so many great tech guys out there that would be willing to share their knowledge. Check out the SoCal Porsche clubs and go to one of their 'beer nights'. Do this before you decide to sell the 911. I went to my first one inn Detroit last week. What a great bunch of guys and all very very knowledgable and all love to talk shop and help other Pcar owners.
Whatever you decide, I wish you the best. But it sounds like, either way you win- you get to drive one of these wonderful automobiles!

g-50cab

Plenty of folks in California - My advice would be to watch threads here and on pelican - monitor the engine rebuild threads on pelican - when someone is getting ready to do a drop -or anything for that matter - offer to help. I know I could have used a second set of hands when I put my engine back in.

Ed Hughes

Aww shucks.....

I'm always learning and reading, so there's no secret here, or special ability. Truthfully, the internet support system we have here and on Pelican is great. In 5 years, I've learned a lot from experiences, and made some mistakes along the way-we all have. Talk to me in 3 months, after I hopefully will have completed a successful rebuild, and we'll see the score at that time!!

A good basic Sears tool set is a good start. They have those "mechanics sets" from under $100, to the $1000's. Get a midrange set with several tool groupings, and you've got a good start for the projects you have listed. You'll keep adding tools 'til the day you die, it's safe to say. I know I am always adding stuff.

The other thing to do, is have a get-together to do one of your projects on a Saturday morning, or something like that. You get your parts together for the project at hand, and supply coffee and donuts. In your area, you're bound to get some knowledgable folks show up to help out. Then you'll see that it isn't really that hard, if you take the time to learn up front, and have a little help to get you started.

Amber Gramps

oshin,

just do as Ed did, post the day of the build and poeple will show up to help. don't be afraid of your repairs. remember that 1,000's of brake jobs are done everyday by guys that never got a high school education. brakes are simple. you take off the wheel, undo a couple bolts on the rotor, drop the pads, pull a pin on the spindle, back off the nut, reassemble in reverse. that's it. I was doing it in junior high on my mother's monte carlo. the tie rods are not THAT MUCH different. (I don't think you really have to do that job, I think that ppi of yours was a little over the top.) the chip is as simple as your 9'th grade electronics class where you built clocks on a bread board using 555 chips. (am I that old) what was the other thing you wanted to do? oh ya, buy a civic, that's easy too.
if you parked yourself and your car at performance products right over there on the 405 on a saturday, you would have more helpers than you would know what to do with.

gotta go,

douglas

'88 911 cab ven blue met

p.s. there are more porsches than starbucks, if they can fix coffee, you can fix a porsche.

theiceman

The trick is start small until you gather the experience and confidence you need to go further. Also the 101 projects book is a great start is it tells you the level of competance you need to get started. Keep in mind the unexpected will always go wrong, don't strt your project on your daily driver on the weekend needing it Monday morning for work on a project you are unfamiliar with.
Actually whe I saw your list of what needed doing to your car i thought it was realatively minore stuff. But i do understand it is not minor to those without experience. Always wrench with someone with more experience until you get a feel for it.
I was just reading a thread on the 944 forum where a guy ( turns out he was very young ) ripped the head off his 944 only to realize he was way in over his head. Now he has a dead car and is looking for someone to come to his house to fix it for him.

I think brakes and the turbo tie rods are relatively easy. Keep in mind races have to be pressed into your rotors ( at least mine on my sc are ) so you will need a machine shop or press to help you with this if you have never done it.

Oshin11

I know for a fact that the tie rods DO need to be changed, they were messed up in a tow that was done before I bought the car, and now I think is the time to replace them. I have the 101 projects book, I just need a decent jack. My jack was not able to get the car off the ground and I was getting scared of the creeking. However, I am positive that I was jacking it from the correct spot, the midline ridge of the engine case. Hearing the noises makes me paranoid that the mounting bolts are not solid or something and that I may be harming the car, but it probably just is paranoia.

Edward

Hey Oshin,

There is Werks II and TRE Motorsports within a stone's throw of Glendale ...Galen and Dave (respectively) both run superb shops that will treat you well and make your car right, whatever the problem. That said, there are also lots of us SoCal folks that could lend you a hand with advice and/or wrenching. Seriously, put out a call and someone's going to help (even me ). This Rennlist community is easily one of the friendliest/helpful e-communites I have ever had the priviledge of being a part of. Ask, sir, and you will receive

Oh, and if you're looking for a reason to sell yer car to get a 993, you're not going to get my sympathy from this crowd

Edward

Oshin11

Haha I don't think I will sell the car for a while, atleast until I have myself wiped the grime and carbon from the crankcase and see my engine as it was meant to be, shiny and clean I can't wait until I have enough experience to do a rebuild myself. I was almost a little sad to see that my car passed a compression check with flying colors Well not really =P

theiceman

meant to be shiney and clean ?

I thought they were meant to be stinky, dripping oil and sounding like a bag of hammers..!!

Oshin11

I really want to get mine to stop drooling oil 5 Hoses need to be replaced thats going to be a little tougher than just upgrading to turbo tire rods. I just got back from Sears and they had "mechanic" sets ranging from a 263 set piece at 147 USD to a 540 piece set at 1299 USD. It was a little odd to see that a 283 piece set was 350 USD whereas the 263 piece set was only 147 USD. I guess those 20 extra pieces are expensive? Also the 483 piece set was 450 USD whereas the 540 piece set was 1299 USD. They must differ in some way, different tools. Anyways this was a craftsman set, and I am thinking about just going with the 263 piece set for 147 USD since I am just a newbie. Any suggestions? Should I invest more? Also I took a look at floor jacks and the craftsman ones did not impress me. They cost almost 200 USD and only have a capacity of 2 tons. That is the major issue with me, its that the jack only has 15 inches of lift. The jack I have at home from pep boys has a 2 ton capacity and lifts over 20 inches. I think the floor jacks from pelican seem more appealing. How much lift do I really need?

Amber Gramps

oshin, go to home depot for the good tools, and harbor freight for the jack stands and the crawlers. good. cheep. basic stuff. get'n a good shop lite, rags and the like are all discount import stuff that can be had for half the sears price. heck, you come over to my house and the tools are on me. we have a 911sc, boxter, 914/6, 996, and my 911 and a mistery slant nose we see all with in my block. one of us will have done the job you are doing.

douglas

Chuck Jones

Oshin: You sound l lot like I did/do when I started out. The main thing you'll find you need is CONFIDENCE...there's so much you can do, but you really just need someone around to tell you "that's right...you're doing it correctly, or how about doing it this way". The biggest thing to overcome when working on your car is a fear of doing it wrong...of messing something up....or not putting it back together right. All that equates to "can't".

Edward was right...you need to go hang out with some folks who are doing mods, or adjusting valves, or changing out exhaust manifolds....you need to just roll up your sleeves and get a bit dirty with some of the guys and switch from a "can't do" to a "can do" mentality. You are going to find that you run into the same issue whether you choose to sell your 911 and buy a 993....you are still going to have periodic maintenance issues...brakes or valves or timing, or the inevitable oil leaks;...and you'll need to address those tasks. I don't see how selling your car is going to make any difference in the way you will need to approach ongoing maintenance issues. Build up your confidence with what you've got, and make the 911 a head turner; then move into the 993 if you still feel the desire.

theiceman

firstly I think you can not go wrong with craftsman tools. They can be pricey but they are good. I usually pick up tools as they go on sale, usually they go 50% off now and then and then you can slowly add to your collection. I have a craftsman air compressor, and air tools and I have to tell you that it is the cats' *** man !!! totally cool...
anyway ... floor jacks .. for me the issue is warranty and lift. look for one with good warranty, more expensive ones don't necesarilly have one with a better warranty. I bought a michelin Jack for 1bout 100.00 CAD with a 21" lift, rated at 2.5 ton. It was all I needed along with a couple of jack stands ( more on this later) I got it for Christmas last year, this christmas on my break I was jacking up the car and oil came spewing out of the thing ( just like my 911 ). I took it back to the store and I had 1 day left on my warranty and I would have been screwed. further research indicated all the ones I looked at were the same. I ended up buyng a cheap 2 ton jac , warrantied for the same year for 24.00 CAD from a discount parts store, and it jacks up my car fine. I always put a block of wood on the sump plate ( I have a 1" hole drilled in it to fit over the drain plug ) and then put the jack under block of wood. This lifts plenty high enough . Then I slip my jack stands under the torsion bar covers in the rear. NEVER use a jack to hold your car up ALWAYS use jack stands. sometimes you can buy a set which includes jackstands and a jack. This is definitely the way to go. my 24.00 jack ( 15") lifts plenty high enough for quick jobs and is nice even as a secondary jack. My 21" jack was nice but it was big and bulky to move around. Kind of glad I took it back.

if you are going to jack from the side , get a jack pad, do not use that death trap jack in your car. and even then be carfull as the jackpad will change geometry as the car rises. This I use when I am just washing the wheels or something. I use it rarely.

One common mistake rookie mechanics make is impatience. If you don't have the right tool go get it . using the wrong tool usually ends in tears ..
you can damage the tool , yourself, and even worse , your car ... you will heal , your car wont..

here is what I use the most ...

metric socket set 3/8ths drive. 6 point sockets if you can get them, most people like 12 point as you have more " angles of attack" but I like 6 as there is less chance of stripping.
definitely get a set of ratchet wrenches. these things are fantastic and i have never used my old ones since getting these . again metric. I have actually found it handy to have 2 sets of wrenches, two 13mm wrenches for example, failing that you can use a 13mm socket and a wrench for example.

a nice 1/2 inch drive socket set will come in handy as you get into the bigger stuff. suspension for example. but you can get that as you need it.

torque wrenches of course, I use my 3/8s more than I use my 1/2 inch but both are handy. While not absolutely necesary for peripheral work, a real must for engine work etc. Most people think a torque wrench is used to make sure you get it tight enough , it is actually used to stop you overtightening, most guys think tighter is better but that can sometimes cause huge headaches as you strip stuff or snap studs.

PB blaster and patience is your friend. just spray and pray... actually that is true, if you can , spray stuff down before bed , the next day spray some more and you are set. Remember this is your hobby, there is no real rush to do anything.
I once had to do my brake lines, and did not have the right flare tool, the connections were a mess with rust and I sprayed them every day until the weekend and worked it in with an old toothbrush. by the time I bought the tool ( patince remember ! ) the connections looked like brand new and it all came apart no problem .

old towels and rags are great for car work . All my relatives give me their old towels, great for draping every where when I am working on my car.

That should get you started. Then you start using those tools. When I got my 911 I took the heater blower off first , cleaned it up put it back on , then I took off the blower again so I could clean underneath it, then I took the ductwork off, then I decided to remove the wires, while in their i popped on a new cap and rotor, put it all back , next week I took the belt off, took the air cover off and cleaned up nside.... you get the idea, little steps until it baecame second nature. once all the stuff was off I could see all these ratty old vacuum lines, ordered them and replaced them and off I went , and I always put shiney new hardware on .

You will be a master wrencher before you know it ....

And rememeber, if you get stuck , get on here and ask people, as a group we must have thousands of pictures and exaplanations to help you out.


ice