Alex89

Hello friends, I’m new to the forum and just bought my first Porsche and first project car – a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo. The previous owner bought it in 2008, put in Koni yellows and did some general maintenance, and then passed away leaving it sitting in his garage for the next 10 years. It last ran about 5-8 years ago. Mileage is 178K, service records are unfortunately lacking, and the rear hatch window got smashed in storage recently. These factors helped get me a very fair deal. Rather than gambling with the timing belt and old fluids, I have not tried to start the car. I’ll bring it home on a U-Haul auto transport trailer next weekend.

Here is my rough plan of items to replace:

• Timing belt kit including rollers (I’ll buy the ArnnWorx tension gauge and flywheel lock)
• Water pump (update to new style if not already done)
• Thermostats (both)
• Fuel lines (Lart)
• Front engine seals
• Replace all oils & fluids
• Fuel & air filters
• Spark plugs + other ignition parts as needed
• Replace rear hatch window (probably just swap the whole hatch from a junk yard if possible)
• Battery
• Tires

Without the tires I’m already close to $2000 in parts & tools. Porsches are expensive! I’m getting nervous what other issues I’ll find trying to get it running, but my goal here is to have a fun project car to tinker with when I'm in the mood, so I think I'll be fine.



I would appreciate any thoughts or feedback. Thanks!

NS_Carguy

NIce find.
The car looks like it is in good condition . the stuff you are doing is just maintenance stuff . and you can do it all in stages . do the engine stuff 1st ,then see if you can get it started . that will minimize your investment if there is something catastrophically wrong .
what does the interior look like ?

Alex89

Thanks! Yeah I think I'm going to start with the belts / water pump / front seals. Try to get it running then do the gas lines, tires, etc.

The interior is pretty good I'd say - black leather. Everything seems complete except missing floor mats and the steering wheel isn't original. But I do love whatever the newer one is. Typical cracked dash, updated stereo (circa 2008). There is one small rip in the driver's seat and lots of wrinkles but pretty good for 32 years old.




The glass in the hatch got smashed a couple months ago so that's a mess, but it was factored into the sale price so here we are. A local wrecker has a 944 in stock so I was hopeful but the rear hatch was already gone. I'll keep looking for one locally, meanwhile I'll just focus on getting the engine running.



Another option is the hatch off a 924 - I've heard it is the same hatch minus the 944 spoiler and someone's got one locally for $100. Can anyone confirm that it will fit and/or know if its possible to transplant the 944 spoiler onto a 924 hatch? It might look kinda different without it but I'd prefer to keep things as original as possible.

87944turbo

If you're interested, I have several of those parts and tools that I was going to be offering up for sale. I tried to send you a PM, but doesn't look like I can. Maybe your post count isn't high enough yet?

Looks like a fun project!

Oh and I would absolutely do the fuel lines before your first start!

Alex89

I would absolutely be interested to see whatever you've got for sale. I can't seem to send PMs either so you're probably right about my post count. Maybe try sending me an email if that's allowable? My throwaway email is: alex [period] s5611 [at-sign] gmail / com (Not sure of all the rennlist rules yet so my apologies if this is no bueno). I'll plan on editing this post later to delete.

Noted on the fuel lines. That's just one I'll have to suck up, they're visibly cracking already. Thanks.

87944turbo

Cool, I just sent you a test email, and it doesn't look like it was bounced back.

Alex89

So quick update, I was able to source a replacement hatch over the weekend and Ben (87944turbo) is hooking me up with a good deal on a few of the parts/tools I need. Plan is to pick up the car next Saturday and I'm still planning the DIY move with a U-Haul trailer. This thread has been helpful.

Got the hatch before I got the car, so I'm committed now! The seller was another 944 enthusiast who just installed a lexan hatch on his 951 so this was in nice shape. Apparently the wiper motor is working, but the original rear wiper on the car was deleted so I'll have to source a new arm and blade if I want to restore it. I don't really care but it might be necessary to pass the Ontario safety inspection so we'll see.

tifosiman

I would just swap in the plug from the broken glass and call it done. Since the car was a rear wiper delete it would be keeping with how it was delivered.

Alex89

Saturday was a big day. First off I found a local tow company who agreed to tow the car for only slightly more than I would pay to do it myself via U-Haul, so I booked him. Long story short, he finally admitted he wasn't coming after I'd been waiting with the seller for over 2 hours. U-Haul was closed at that point but fortunately I found another company who could help me out, so we got the 951 home in one piece.

Seeing daylight for the first time in years:


Loading the flatbed. I can't believe how good the BBS rims looked in the sunlight; I wasn't really a fan of them until this moment.


Arriving at my house. I had taped a tarp over the window hole which didn't stay in place but that's okay.


Tucked into its new home for the next while. The metalworking machines are leftover from a previous hobby obsession. I'm sure they'll be handy making parts and tools for the 951.


I've already spent a couple hours vacuuming up the broken glass and installing the "new" hatch. The old hatch was actually in better condition (except the glass obviously), so I'm going to try to transplant the original spoiler and seals over from the old frame if possible.


I also took a look at the options sticker and good news - the car was ordered with the LSD option. That was a nice bonus to discover while picking glass shards out of my hand.

So that's where I'm at - the project has officially begun. Next step is to start pulling the engine bay apart and get a look at the timing belt system. I've noticed a lot of repairs and upgrades that were done right before the car was parked (suspension, ball joints, A/C system, possibly injectors which makes me wonder about the turbo...) so I wouldn't be surprised if that included the timing belt kit. My plan now is to disassemble until I can open the timing cover and inspect the rollers + water pump. If they look new and shiny I think I'll leave them and just install a new timing belt and balance belt. Not sure about the front seals either. If I have any doubts I'll just replace everything, but if they look good it would save me about $500 in parts which could be well spent on other areas of the car. As always, any and all feedback is welcome.

Alex89

So a quick update on my 951 - work is progressing. I did end up swapping the original spoiler and trim on to the new hatch, which wasn't a big deal. I also found that the timing belt and water pump looked pretty rough and old so it is all being replaced.

I ordered the deluxe front seals kit and a new water pump from Zims and I was very happy with their customer service. To press the new seals into place I made a die on my lathe inspired by a youtube video by Van Svenson. Mine basically consists of an aluminum tube with an inside diameter that fits over the shaft and inner seal collar, with an outside diameter just smaller than the seal. That allows the seals to be seated all the way (slightly below the surrounding casting). I was going to use my vice to press them in but found I had better control with a light hammer, just tapping around the die in circles. I turned one end a bit smaller to fit the balance shaft seals, with the bigger end sized for the main oil pump / crank seal.

Making the die on my lathe:


How the die lined up with the balance shaft seals:


For the main crank / oil pump seal I used the crank pulley bolt to press the seal in. I made the die by eye from a scrap piece of aluminum and at this point discovered it was too short to seat the main seal all the way. I had to add some washers under the crank bolt to get it done (not pictured) but overall I was happy with this approach.


Next step is installing the new water pump from Zims. I inquired about their new pumps vs the rebuilt ones they are known for and Aaron felt they were equivalent in quality. Being in Canada I wouldn't save any money on the rebuilt one after returning the core. I actually originally ordered a cheaper Uro brand water pump from RockAuto, but discovered loose aluminum cuttings rattling around inside it from manufacturing and overall it just seemed very cheaply made. Lesson learned, and fortunately RockAuto accepted it as a warranty return. The new Zims pump looks 100x better.

I started a separate thread on installing the turbo thermostat. Long story short, the Pelican Parts tutorial shows it being installed incorrectly. The spring should point out of the pump.

The car is also getting all new coolant hoses, new thermostats (both were stuck open), ignition cap/rotor/wires/spark plugs, fuel lines & filter, oils/fluids, and whatever else I discover when I try to start it. Vacuum lines will probably need attention. I'm already over budget but that shouldn't be a surprise. Overall I'm really enjoying the process and working on the car has been more fun than expected

87944turbo

Great to see your update! I was thinking about your project just the other day and getting ready to send you an email, nice to see how things are progressing. Also, great call on getting new parts for the front of your motor. In the end you will be so much happier that you did this now and did it the right way. You are definitely on the right path!

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Motor mounts are fluid filled and a common failure point. Replacing them really transforms the car. If you think about the whole long driveline from the front of the engine to the back of the transmission is one big long sold part, it is obvious how important it is to support it well. just my .02, nice project!

Swenny

I wouldn't go by the "shiny and new" look. You've spent the time and money on a lot already so what's a couple of more bucks? Having had a belt failure myself , I would spend the cash.

Shiny and new

Alex89

Thanks Ben, work on the car is slow at times but its a hobby so family has to come first. I'm enjoying the process and just taking my time on it. Any updates on your LS swap? I couldn't find a build thread but I'd be very curious to see what is involved.

I don't know for sure but it looks like the motor mounts were done by the previous owner. I have no records but there are a few parts of the car that look newer & cleaner than parts surrounding them, including the mounts. I won't know how good the mounts are until I have the car on the road but I'm hoping to avoid doing them. It looks like the oil pan was resealed too, probably at the same time.

I noticed these aluminum rails along both sides of the oil pan that don't look stock. I don't see them in PET. Seems like they are adding extra clamping to the oil pan? Anyone know what they are or why they would be added?


With the covers off it was clear that the belts / rollers / water pump were old, its all getting replaced including new seals. I'm just waiting on a new thermostat before I reassemble the front of the engine. It has been tempting to just replace everything I see but this is a 180K mile car and I still haven't run the engine. I really want to hear it run and make sure I know for sure that the engine has good compression, transmission shifts okay, clutch is good, etc before I pour any more money into it.

Speaking of pouring out money, I pulled the intake manifold last night and had my first look at the turbo. I can feel noticeable shaft play but it spins freely and I don't see any evidence of rubbing. I measured 0.4mm radial play (max spec is 0.42mm) and 0.7mm end play (max spec is 0.16mm). These were measured on the compressor side but the repair manual references the turbine side; I doubt that makes much difference in my case. The end play being so high is concerning, so realistically I should plan for the turbo to be rebuilt or upgraded sometime soon. My plan right now is to ignore it and get the car driving, then determine if that's my biggest issue or not. Obviously I don't want to grenade the engine but with no rubbing I think I'm safe to at least try it. Thoughts are welcome as always.

Swenny

"I noticed these aluminum rails along both sides of the oil pan that don't look stock".

Oil pan reinforcement rails?