Dead 89' 944 Turbo - Advice Needed
09-27-2018, 12:31 AM
#1
Dead 89' 944 Turbo - Advice Needed
Hi Forum,
I've just gotten past the "sick to my stomach" feeling and I'm going to go to sleep to see what advice awaits me from you fine people when I wake up.
Here's my story:
In March of this year, I purchased an 89' Canadian 944 Turbo with the "S" package, heated sport seats and 180,000kms. This past weekend, I was heading up to meet some friend on an annual fishing trip and on my way back, a horrible thing happened. I was about 1.25 hours north of Toronto in cottage country enjoying a spirited drive home on Sunday morning when I heard a clicking noise. I was familiar with the noise as I had heard it once before while was driving in the city and filled it with 1 litre of oil and it went away with idle. This time, the ticking was getting progressively worse. Rather than leave myself stranded, I tried to make it to a gas stop/Canadian tire to get oil, I drove probably 10km to a town where there was a Canadian Tire and put in 2 litres of oil and checked it, the dipstick showed that it was at a good level. It seemed like the ticking subsided and I started to drive very slowly to see if the car would lubricate. The the unthinkable happend, a pop and the cabin filled with smoke as did the engine compartment in front of me and the car shut off. I pulled over and after a couple of minutes, turned the ignition and the car turned over but didn't start. I left it alone and called CAA. I flatbedded the car to a friend's shop that specializes in Corvettes, engine rebuilds, etc and waited 2 days for him to take a look. They tried to start it and the car won't start. We're left thinking that I blew the engine.
From the stress of the last day and a half, I have figured out the following options:
1. Take the car to GTEK, local Porsche guru and get him to assess/rebuild the engine $175/hr and I'm looking at $10k entry I've heard, all the way up to $20k if we're accounting for the "while we're in there's" that it might need.
2. Take the car north to a friend who a mechanic that works on Ferrari's 328, used to work on 944 turbos and get an engine to swap out with. They reco swapping the engine as the best option. $75/hr
3. Bring the car home and let some time pass while I look to source a new engine
4. Sell the car as is and take my lumps now.
What are your thoughts other than go back in time and don't starve the engine, fix the oil lines and other great advice if it were Sept 22nd?
Thanks...
I've just gotten past the "sick to my stomach" feeling and I'm going to go to sleep to see what advice awaits me from you fine people when I wake up.
Here's my story:
In March of this year, I purchased an 89' Canadian 944 Turbo with the "S" package, heated sport seats and 180,000kms. This past weekend, I was heading up to meet some friend on an annual fishing trip and on my way back, a horrible thing happened. I was about 1.25 hours north of Toronto in cottage country enjoying a spirited drive home on Sunday morning when I heard a clicking noise. I was familiar with the noise as I had heard it once before while was driving in the city and filled it with 1 litre of oil and it went away with idle. This time, the ticking was getting progressively worse. Rather than leave myself stranded, I tried to make it to a gas stop/Canadian tire to get oil, I drove probably 10km to a town where there was a Canadian Tire and put in 2 litres of oil and checked it, the dipstick showed that it was at a good level. It seemed like the ticking subsided and I started to drive very slowly to see if the car would lubricate. The the unthinkable happend, a pop and the cabin filled with smoke as did the engine compartment in front of me and the car shut off. I pulled over and after a couple of minutes, turned the ignition and the car turned over but didn't start. I left it alone and called CAA. I flatbedded the car to a friend's shop that specializes in Corvettes, engine rebuilds, etc and waited 2 days for him to take a look. They tried to start it and the car won't start. We're left thinking that I blew the engine.
From the stress of the last day and a half, I have figured out the following options:
1. Take the car to GTEK, local Porsche guru and get him to assess/rebuild the engine $175/hr and I'm looking at $10k entry I've heard, all the way up to $20k if we're accounting for the "while we're in there's" that it might need.
2. Take the car north to a friend who a mechanic that works on Ferrari's 328, used to work on 944 turbos and get an engine to swap out with. They reco swapping the engine as the best option. $75/hr
3. Bring the car home and let some time pass while I look to source a new engine
4. Sell the car as is and take my lumps now.
What are your thoughts other than go back in time and don't starve the engine, fix the oil lines and other great advice if it were Sept 22nd?
Thanks...
09-27-2018, 01:10 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
You need to find a local mechanic, or someone close by that habitates this forum to assist you.
I don't think the options you have presented are accurate in the sense that they are all assuming somewhat beyond the worse, and that most likely is a simpler problem that you may initially expect.
One thing that you can do is to drain the oil and examine it for metal particles or foreign objects. That would give you some sense of "blown engine" or not.
Also, check your radiator coolant. There is an issue where the oil and water can mix, although in the turbo it is somewhat unlikely.
Or you could have a blown head gasket. Or an open intake rubber duct. Or a lot of other things that can keep the engine from running without being "blown up engine!"
There are many other problems that can keep the car from running, but if you walk around through these forums, you may get some sense of what to do.
I'm surprised that your Corvette mechanic (yes, I know he's a friend) hasn't done at least very basic trouble shooting to see if it has spark, fuel, and working mechanicals.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress........
I don't think the options you have presented are accurate in the sense that they are all assuming somewhat beyond the worse, and that most likely is a simpler problem that you may initially expect.
One thing that you can do is to drain the oil and examine it for metal particles or foreign objects. That would give you some sense of "blown engine" or not.
Also, check your radiator coolant. There is an issue where the oil and water can mix, although in the turbo it is somewhat unlikely.
Or you could have a blown head gasket. Or an open intake rubber duct. Or a lot of other things that can keep the engine from running without being "blown up engine!"
There are many other problems that can keep the car from running, but if you walk around through these forums, you may get some sense of what to do.
I'm surprised that your Corvette mechanic (yes, I know he's a friend) hasn't done at least very basic trouble shooting to see if it has spark, fuel, and working mechanicals.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress........
09-27-2018, 09:16 AM
#5
The oil pressure was at 2-1 bars when the ticking started, after I put the litres, the oil was at 2-1, then I saw it dip to 0 and red light (for a moment, before bouncing back up) before the pop.
09-27-2018, 09:19 AM
#6
No compression test but the car had the following done 7,000kms ago:
timing belt
H2O pump
seals, tensioners, rollers
timing gear
fluid flush
driveshaft
Wastegate
shims
leakdown test 10,000 Kim’s ago.
timing belt
H2O pump
seals, tensioners, rollers
timing gear
fluid flush
driveshaft
Wastegate
shims
leakdown test 10,000 Kim’s ago.
09-27-2018, 09:33 AM
#7
Trending Topics
09-27-2018, 10:20 AM
#9
09-27-2018, 11:09 AM
#10
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
This may have been something less bad, maybe a seized cam and broken timing belt. Maybe now a few bent valves, but a galled cam and cam journals. That's just a head and any old Turbo head will do although your oil consumption or leak should be addressed.
Can you describe the smoke? Color? Smell?
Was there a big pool of oil under the dead car?
When you tried to start it, did it turn over normally or sound like a sewing machine?
-Joel.
Can you describe the smoke? Color? Smell?
Was there a big pool of oil under the dead car?
When you tried to start it, did it turn over normally or sound like a sewing machine?
-Joel.
09-27-2018, 12:24 PM
#11
Thanks for your thoughts. It kinda always sounds like a sewing machine compared to the 2 other V8’s in the family (RS4 and 71’Vette) but no, it turned over like 1 revolution and then when I tried again, it wouldn’t Start, so I left it.
as for the oil leak under the car, when the tow truck came after 2 hours, it was like a cantaloupe sized pool, surprisingly small. When you check the car now, there’s no oil, but it was reading 1-2 bars till the damage.
For future reference, do these cars need 1 litre of oil per 2 fill ups, 3/4, how often?
smoke was pretty whitish/black in colour and it came a went quite quickly in the cabin and under the hood. To me, it seemed like a blown line popped off, the noise was minimal when it happened, like a pop of suction, not that of a piston and the noice before was the increasingly loud clicking from the valves at the top back of the engine.
as for the oil leak under the car, when the tow truck came after 2 hours, it was like a cantaloupe sized pool, surprisingly small. When you check the car now, there’s no oil, but it was reading 1-2 bars till the damage.
For future reference, do these cars need 1 litre of oil per 2 fill ups, 3/4, how often?
smoke was pretty whitish/black in colour and it came a went quite quickly in the cabin and under the hood. To me, it seemed like a blown line popped off, the noise was minimal when it happened, like a pop of suction, not that of a piston and the noice before was the increasingly loud clicking from the valves at the top back of the engine.
10-02-2018, 10:27 AM
#12
Advanced
Thanks for your thoughts. It kinda always sounds like a sewing machine compared to the 2 other V8’s in the family (RS4 and 71’Vette) but no, it turned over like 1 revolution and then when I tried again, it wouldn’t Start, so I left it.
as for the oil leak under the car, when the tow truck came after 2 hours, it was like a cantaloupe sized pool, surprisingly small. When you check the car now, there’s no oil, but it was reading 1-2 bars till the damage.
For future reference, do these cars need 1 litre of oil per 2 fill ups, 3/4, how often?
smoke was pretty whitish/black in colour and it came a went quite quickly in the cabin and under the hood. To me, it seemed like a blown line popped off, the noise was minimal when it happened, like a pop of suction, not that of a piston and the noice before was the increasingly loud clicking from the valves at the top back of the engine.
as for the oil leak under the car, when the tow truck came after 2 hours, it was like a cantaloupe sized pool, surprisingly small. When you check the car now, there’s no oil, but it was reading 1-2 bars till the damage.
For future reference, do these cars need 1 litre of oil per 2 fill ups, 3/4, how often?
smoke was pretty whitish/black in colour and it came a went quite quickly in the cabin and under the hood. To me, it seemed like a blown line popped off, the noise was minimal when it happened, like a pop of suction, not that of a piston and the noice before was the increasingly loud clicking from the valves at the top back of the engine.
You or someone comfortable with the car need to do some basic diagnostics before deciding it needs a full engine. If it were me I'd start by pulling the air cleaner box and timing belt covers off. Anyone can do that with some basic tools and it may tell you a lot. Let us know if you need help. If the balance and timing belts look fine then try turning the engine clockwise by hand with a long ratchet on the crank pulley and see if it is seized or what. If it turns it would be worth doing a compression test. Also you need to find where the oil leaked from - it should be pretty obvious from below and may tell you what has failed.
I don't know what is normal oil consumption (I haven't driven my 951 long enough to see) but the factory service manual indicates up to 1.5L/1000km. That sounds like a lot, but consumption is different from leaks. It isn't clear from your description if your car has been burning oil or just leaking.
Good luck, don't despair yet!
10-03-2018, 01:56 PM
#14
Three Wheelin'
I'm in buffalo and would be interested in fixing it for you. I have many parts and engines. And the resources to hone alu-sil. What I don't get is the 89 s had the 1 at low oil warning light on the dash. Or maybe it doesn't work?
