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Haven't done too much since last post. New outer window seals (PITA job, paid to have that done), installed my proper 924 wing (shorter than the 944), and a new-old steering wheel out of a 931 discovered in a junkyard in Toledo. But today, I finally installed spare door cards Vaughan gave me off his '79 (racecars don't need door cards!), and it's a dapper match made in heaven!
Compared to my makeshift cards, they match the dashboard color and the herringbone tweed pattern and color are fantastic! Up next is installing the Rennbay hatch pins (when they arrive) to go with the only944 pin seats, a new angular shift joint, and further diagnosis on my hazards that haven't worked in three years!
The last three weeks have been spent replacing the rear shift guide rod's angular joint. Something I should've done when the torque tube was nearly out and it was within easy reaching, live and learn right? Because I couldn't get the gearbox out, Vaughan and I opted to drop the rear suspension to gain further access.
After installing I can finally shift with notchy confirmation and solid confidence from 2nd through to 5th. Along with the coupler bushings and gearbox oil, this finally tightened up the shifting.
I've gotta say, the rear suspension setup in these cars is much simpler than I ever imagined, and removing and reinstalling not the worst thing to do; so long as you've got friendly and experienced help, two floor jacks, and four jack stands. Unfortunately, this did confirm my suspicion that first gear is very worn out, as it’s performance alone hasn’t changed much. At least I can address that way later down the line, and I won’t have to rebuild the entire snail shell when that time comes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Dude, that tweed & brown card is the bomb... love it.
...but why do you think first gear is worn out?
It's the best! And I thought I'd answered that a while ago....whoops! I think first gear is worn out because it's the only gear that grinds when I select it after coming to a complete stop at a red light for example. If I take my foot off the clutch pedal and sit until the light turns green, unless I select another gear or leave the clutch pedal depressed, it has frequently grinded or nibbled itself into gear. It's also occasionally popped outta first at parking lot speeds if I'm not paying attention. Having changed the gear oil and every bushing connected to the shifter and it's linkage, it's the only conclusion I could come to.
In other news, I've finally gone and gotten myself an alignment after three years of not prioritizing it! The right rear toe still needs work but the steering and wheel are straighter than ever!
If you hold the clutch in for like 10 seconds while sitting still and then try to put it into first, and it still grinds, I would think your clutch is dragging..
Mine doesn't like going into 1st while sitting still unless I let the clutch out to spin the input shaft up and stick it in before it stops after declutching again..
I try to get into 1st while still rolling to a stop so it meshes easily..
Other than that my 2nd syncro is completely toast, lol.. Really have to double-clutch rev match into it every time, both ways.. Sucks, but once I get into 2nd it's by by..
And shift bushings..
If you find a decent place to rebuild these boxes around here and maybe I'll get mine done too..
I might DIY but I have really been procrastinating it..
Originally Posted by bureau13
What's a cost-effective way to do this in the US? I would love to switch to Euro bumpers on my car, but everything I see has to be shipped from Europe.
Drill the bumper shocks and push them in... $ Free..
Spray the zits with taillight tint.. $5
If you hold the clutch in for like 10 seconds while sitting still and then try to put it into first, and it still grinds, I would think your clutch is dragging..
Mine doesn't like going into 1st while sitting still unless I let the clutch out to spin the input shaft up and stick it in before it stops after declutching again..
I try to get into 1st while still rolling to a stop so it meshes easily..
Other than that my 2nd syncro is completely toast, lol.. Really have to double-clutch rev match into it every time, both ways.. Sucks, but once I get into 2nd it's by by..
And shift bushings..
If you find a decent place to rebuild these boxes around here and maybe I'll get mine done too..
I might DIY but I have really been procrastinating it..
Drill the bumper shocks and push them in... $ Free..
Spray the zits with taillight tint.. $5
Sorry! I should've said it like this. If I push the clutch in, roll to a stop, and hold it until the I need to move again, it won't grind when I put it in first. But if I push the clutch in, pop it in neutral when coming to a stop, take my foot off the clutch and wait until the light turns green or at a stop sign, when I push the clutch back in and put it in first, it will grind (only when the everything is warmed up some). It's done this since it's been on the road.
Over the last two days, I've installed new rear rotors and readjusted the shoes (4 clicks to fully engage now), and a new fuel accumulator to replace the leaking one.
While I'm down there, the exhaust is coming back out to finally eliminate all the rattles and resonance issues, and install new rubber mounts and studs at the turbo.
I've been busy with the car in the past few months, not because I wanted to be though. The car has had an intermittent alternator light issue since I first got it running in 2018. after replacing the voltage regulator last Thursday, the car left me stranded when the alternator conked out on the way home from classes last week; a 14hr debacle to tow the car home. Never using an O'Reilly's remanufactured alternator again, I took the liberty to upgrade from a 75A to a Bosch Reman 90A unit and my electric issues can finally take a break after I figure out why my wipers are inoperative now.
I also replaced that thrust bushing/bearing on the steering column today.....That was a genuine PITA, but it did solve a lot of the steering clunks and squeaks in the cabin, but I suspect my sway bar bushings might be the final suspects. They're the only suspension components I haven't replaced at this point. New and higher wattage bulbs for the gauges as well.
Nice work!! Sometimes cheaper parts just don't last unfortunately and it really socks that the tow took so long. Glad to hear its back on the road!!
I actually went through three tows to get the car home, technically. The first tow was running late after an hour and eventually got into an accident, the second tow was an hour out so my parents and I attempted jumping the car mile after mile until we got within a mile of home and gave up. The third tow arrived promptly the next morning. If I wasn't hasty in finding a replacement (and put the money up for a proper part in the first place) could've saved myself so much grief, but I'm surprised how long it lasted the way it did.
It's been quite a while since I've updated the car's progress and thread! First, I forgot to mention I'd finally gotten a head unit and speakers installed back in August. A Kenwood unit with BT/USB/Aux capability using JBL 4x6 speakers as my only outputs for now...I laid the groundwork for an amp if I ever get one.
Second, I redid the front carpeting, using a more complete front set out of another 944 with the factory sound absorbing material on top of the material I'd used with previous carpets. This car is far more "luxury" than it's ever been since the start.
Third, I installed the Only944 LED conversion kit and the added visibility at night is greatly appreciated over the original sealed beams; though, I still need to find time to properly re-aim them.
And lastly, after a long search, I finally got a new windshield installed by Safelite for around $300 installed!! The last aesthetic blemish on the car (as far as I'm concerned) has finally been resolved and I'm beyond happy about it!
It might not be OE glass, but it's a helluva lot better than what I've had! I need to replace the driveshaft between the steering column and rack, and do a few smaller things here and there.
I've been mostly chasing and sorting out electrical issues and trying to make the car more "comfortable". But I've had some other things to address along the way. First thing being replacing the last two major air leaks I had on the engine. Unfortunately, this job had two painful routes to completion: draining the oil and dropping the turbo, exhaust and more. Or draining the coolant and pulling the water pump. The latter was the lesser of two evils and shockingly not as much a pain as I assumed. And "while I was in there", I decided to replace my weeping front main seal (I'd replaced the rear main during a clutch job a couple years ago).
Given everything I'd already removed, all that was left to do was pull the fan shroud to make clearance for an impact (Thanks Vaughan) to zap off the pulley. A thorough cleaning of the pump and surrounding areas and the new seal was pressed in and is working as it should. Reducing the total number of oil leaks down to just ONE now!
I finally decided to get the fuel mixture as close to sorted as I could, now that I've eliminated nearly every vacuum leak. The mixture had been tuned to compensate for my vacuum leaks and adjusted as I solved them. After a couple of days, I've gotten it to the point where not only is it not running nearly as rich for compensation and running very good, but the hot/warm-idle is naturally around 900-1050rpm rather than 1100-1200rpm. Cold starts have always been a sore spot and there may be a lingering issue with some CIS components but I'm happy with where its at now.
Lastly, I discovered that the cluster bulbs from some brighter 2W Audi bulbs work for the gauge cluster, and I finally put in a dome light bulb.
With all this being done, I may drive out to 944Fest next weekend. We'll see...
All of the main vacuum lines have been replaced, and the spark plug wires brand new from Kingsborne. My questionable affinity for using blue lines and wires, I now have all the power this car hasn't had in well over half my life. It's such a strong engine and finally having the car running like a dream, I've almost completely forgotten about my old '84 944. This is now objectively the best Porsche I've ever driven.
Still more to get sorted out. Need new rear shocks, getting the damned reverse lights to actually work, new door cards, an exhaust rattle, and finishing up the interior are on the list. But before that I've got one small problem.
The main turbo feed line is leaking at the o-ring mounted between the turbo and its bracket. It causes much smoke, and unfortunately requires that the turbo be dropped to replace it. I'm looking forwards to this challenge.
The previous owners failed to maintain the correct positions and destinations for the vacuum hoses. Hopefully you can tell me where you got the diagram or offer a description
05-19-2020, 09:30 PM
New Door Cards!
