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Glenn's 1984 944 adventure project
Well I have just obtained my first 944. It's a 1984 and I am on a steep learning curve. I have restored other cars (mostly 60's Corvettes), but it is always fun to get something new to work on.
I enjoy posting on forums like this because it helps me keep track of what I am doing, be able to ask questions, and share with others who may be working on a similar car in the future. Plus the relationships developed over time are invaluable. That said, I honestly don't know how long I am going to have the car, because it came looking for me. I have never driven a 944 so I am both excited and nervous about what it will drive like and if I will like the experience. I got the car from a family member who had the car for about a year. For a variety of reasons, they needed to sell the car, but it had problems. Real problems. It ran but was undrivable for reasons you will see. Being between projects I decided to buy the car and have it shipped down to San Diego from Portland, Oregon. This is where the word adventure in my thread title comes from. I had never seen the car in person. All I had seen were these pictures https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9cde085ea4.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9370aa2812.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2af7e3994a.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9c4c7ccfbb.jpg The paint and body looked good, but who knows what lurked beneath it? The Carfax claimed it had been owned in Bend, Oregon and Portland, Oregon, that the mileage shown (approx 85k) made sense, and that it had not been in a major accident. Ironically, a friend of mine had just sold a car on Bring a Trailer, and it turned out the trailer picking it up was taking it to Portland. I reached out and got a sweet deal on bringing this one back. So several days later it was picked up. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c4edb90a6e.jpg Now in the past I have always braced myself for cars covered with bugs after shipping on an open trailer. I had my bottle of tar and bug remover ready. But this time is was all dust and dirt. But I am getting ahead of myself One of the reasons the car was not drivable was because it smoked. Not from the exhaust pipe, but from the engine bay. There was a leak somewhere that dripped on the exhaust manifold that produced volumes of smoke. Volumes. I live on a hill and the road up to my house and garage is too narrow for a truck and trailer to make it up. So I had to drive the car from a local parking lot about a mile to my house. My family member owner had warned me I only had a few minutes before the car would start smoking and they were not kidding. Half way home smoke started coming out from under the hood, looking like a radiator hose had burst. By the time I rolled into my driveway it was spectacular. Here is a video my wife took for your viewing pleasure. The sound is worth listening to. LOL https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...yqSKK4hoa8XWzE As a joke, whenever I get a new project, I always take a picture of myself burying my face in my hands to represent, What have I gotten my into? This time was no different. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bdfd1c9cf0.jpg More to come.... Glenn in San Diego |
Well written. Interested in following along. Good luck with it
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The discovery phase.
That is what I like to call the time when you first get a car and discover everything about the car you had no idea existed when you bought it. There was no way I was going to wait until the light of day to start the process. Especially with all that smoke billowing https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...178505b086.jpg Oddly, the source of the smoke was not obvious with the car shut down Typically what I am initially looking for during discovery is rust and evidence of past wrecks. So under the car we go. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...775537ba97.jpg The good news is there appeared to be neither However, moving to the inside yielded a shocking discovery https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cfb74b62d6.jpg As I pulled back the carpet I discovered that not only was the carpet pad wet, which I expected, but I also found an ant's nest. This is hard to see in the picture because this was before I pulled the carpet all the way back, the but there were literally thousands of ants with the white larvae scurrying around. Out came the shop vac. The dawning of a new day revealed a dirty car. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0914801913.jpg A quick look around revealed no surprises https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1a3f23be7d.jpg Everything looked good in the rear compartment. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...81f82a99c1.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...51ada26b05.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...def7192563.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f1609b7f12.jpg Time for the seats to come out https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...39e94aead7.jpg Now here is where things got quite interesting. Take a closer look at the seat belt It was NOT bolted in! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...76b0c7f13c.jpg That said, a quick vacuum showed the carpets to be in good shape https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bc36d00411.jpg However, what lay beneath them was another story, specifically on the passenger side https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9085b6342b.jpg As expected the padding was soaked from leaks that I had been warned about https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...40f1abba7a.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a4ccda83a5.jpg I didn't want to pull the carpets completely out just yet so I pulled out the wet pads to be tossed and then dried out everything left. Thankfully these were very warm days, https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9b058a6c3f.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4c7825fe7c.jpg Next came the exterior and washing off the road dirt. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0ac00797e0.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...39d59125ee.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d3a5c464fd.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...51cab994a3.jpg I think it is going to like the sunny Southern California weather. Next up....hunting for leaks.... |
Great story and look forward to reading more. I just went down this road with an 86 for my son. You starting point is in much better shape than the one we got. Subscribed.
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Looks pretty nice. The wet carpet on the passenger side is going to either be the A/C evaporator drain being clogged or disconnected, or the drains for the sunroof. The sunroof does not seal perfectly, and there are drains at each corner. If they plug up from debris, when it rains, the inside gets wet. All but the right rear can typically be unplugged by running a wire down them. There is a Tee fitting on the right rear that connects in the fuel filler drain. If you do run a wire, be very careful as replacing the tubes is apparently not easy.
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One thing that needs to be stated right up front is if, during this discovery phase, if something catastrophic is discovered, the adventure project
will come to an end and the car will be sold "as is." So there is always that tension when digging deeper that while the car looks good on the surface, something could rear its head mechanically, that would stop everything. With as much smoke this thing was putting out, that certainly was in the realm of possibility. In addition, because the car was coming into California from out of state, it had to pass the smog inspection and test before it could be titled and registered. Thus not being able to pass smog would definitely be a project breaker. Before the engine got hot I wanted to take a look at the spark plugs and do a compression test I was pleasantly surprised at what they looked like https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...983202b0b5.jpg with this being the worst one https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...49d5a28bcf.jpg Likewise, the compression test was reassuring, with all cylinders reading 155 psi or better. (my gauge may not be accurate but the readings were consistently close to each other) With that done I filled in the coolant tank with water, as it appeared low. After a couple of hours I came back to find this https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d72a98f2fd.jpg Whoa!!!!!! Now realize that the car in on a sloping driveway, so what initially appeared to be a leak on the drivers side of the car underneath the coolant reservoir was actually coming from the passenger side of the car where the drips in the picture are. Significant time was spent tracing down where the coolant was coming from From above this is the approximate location https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d7b138cebf.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b014d0d419.jpg And here it was from below https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...14e5dcf3c5.jpg But that was as close as I could get. Next up was the oil leak It obviously was hitting the exhaust manifold here https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f84b7d9e17.jpg And dripping from above https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...47b3704702.jpg However, it was not dripping while the car was not running. So I fired it up and this happened https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...05569e3e6e.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a64c6dd821.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4e5c4f74a1.jpg Apparently it was coming from between the camshaft housing and the head. Seeing the blue RTV did not inspire confidence that this was previously done correctly Now at this point I was about to meet someone who was going to significantly alter the course of this project.... |
A good friend of mine told me about a guy that specializes in Porsche 944's - Tim Comeau
It turns out his shop is just a few minutes down the road from my house - Comeau Racing Enterprises https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ab36e8e2bf.jpg As you can see from all the trophies, Tim has skills https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...475429bce3.jpg Here is the Man himself https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...71a311d707.jpg Scott and Dave also have skills as well https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...15b06cef67.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f19987b7f0.jpg So given all of this firepower so close to my house, plus people here rennlist speaking highly of their work, off it went for a PPI. In this case a POST Purchase Inspection instead of PRE Purchase Inspection. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d5d96d0657.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8dd3c88c9c.jpg There were several things I wanted by doing that. First, I wanted a high-level assessment of whether the car was even worth messing with. Was there anything that would cause Tim to say, That is scary!? The second thing was what it would take to pass smog here in California If I couldn't pass smog, there was no use doing anything else to the car. And thirdly was of course the leaks, both oil and coolant. Where were they coming from and what would it cost to fix? As mentioned above, I love this "discovery phase" but no telling what Tim and team would find. |
Up on the rack it went with Tim going to work
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...60f15785ea.jpg Dave is putting his eyes on things as well https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...788e8503b8.jpg So the good news is that from the bottom, things look pretty good https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4225c95f33.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9ce7fd6257.jpg Tim quickly noticed this was a VW shaft https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a67c00b7e0.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d9520b6326.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...13049dc27b.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3d539af7a6.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d5dc9b0515.jpg I am liking the fact that the pans look great, with Tim announcing, Nothing scary yet. However, we soon discovered where the coolant leak was coming from A cracked oil cooler housing. Bizarre. Here it is after it was removed https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...196d364a13.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0ac698e58a.jpg On the one hand this was a super helpful. On the other hand no telling what was happening in the cooling system We soon found out Thermostat was mounted improperly https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b62e2d81b1.jpg Radiator hose was full of something https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...547cd1cbfe.jpg And shockingly, the first time the system was fully pressurized this was discovered https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a13cf92927.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...70f0616613.jpg In addition, the fans and wiring were mounted improperly, as was the top of the radiator https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2335c33841.jpg There was a leak at this o ring on the water pump https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8014c3cf99.jpg And this vent bolt was clogged. Notice what it should look like on the left and the washer! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...25da7f1630.jpg Fortunately Tim had all the parts, including the oil cooler housing https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cae45d0093.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7c7b9ffd6f.jpg Distilled water was used to flush and fill the system, as I planned on draining and filling the system after I had put some miles on the car https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...28d68791c9.jpg So one of the big problems, the coolant leak, was solved. |
Glenn
Great write up and pics. Glad for your progress! Looks like you are in great hands! Keep us posted!😀
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Nice looking car and well done story and pictures..
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Great info here. I think my son's 86 needs oil cooler housing seals. Found some goo in the coolant tank, but not in the oil when I pulled the dipstick.
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Great start on a life-with-a-944 thread :)
Could the crack in the oil cooler housing come from frost? Somehow? Water expands when it freezes to ice... Here in Norway we use anti-freeze coolant. But if a previous owner used water only..? I guess the heat exhanger inside the oil housing should be broken as well if ice was the cause. |
Interesting suggestions and this is the perfect time to introduce another person who has worked on this car.
In the old Corvette world, his name is "Bubba" Bubba is used to refer to a previous owner or person (I dare not say mechanic) who has worked on the car and has done things, horrible things, in the process. Like using not only the wrong part, but items that boggle the imagination, to fix a problem. It is one thing to do that in an emergency situation, like being stranded miles from nowhere. It is quite another to use these bizarre items or techniques for a permanent solution. My wife is so used to my discovering these issues on old cars that her reply is now, "Bubba strikes again!" All this to say, in a 40-year-old car, there may have been many Bubbas who have done these dastardly things over the years. And yes, this poor 944 has as well. Thus my need to introduce Bubba now as we will see his handiwork as we continue our discovery phase. (and to be clear, my family member that I got the car from was not a Bubba) |
On the one hand, fixing the oil leak, as bad as it was, was relatively straight forward.
Off came the injectors https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...75556e9d0b.jpg Then the camshaft housing As thought, the camshaft housing gasket was the issue due to a previous Bubba installation and a new one was properly installed https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e5ba6eb0b7.jpg While the camshaft housing was off, that camshaft and lifters were inspected, given a clean bill of health, and all seals were replaced https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...fcc8e579fe.jpg Now is where things really get interesting With the timing belt and rollers exposed, the decision was made to replace with new where needed Here is a comparison between an older roller and a new - they felt totally different https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2bc28e6220.jpg As you know, getting the timing belt properly installed with the camshaft in the precise position is absolutely critical as there is a potential interference between the valves and the pistons if are done incorrectly. Tim made sure to mark their positions https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...42d05eb56c.jpg Now here is where things get bizarre and I need to jump ahead a bit After the engine was buttoned up and restarted, it was still vibrating more than expected. We wondered if the clutch was going bad The starter was pulled to see if any rubber chunks had fallen off of the clutch, but there wasn't any https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...74f695d32f.jpg Then it was back to the transaxle to grab the torque shaft to see if it rotated excessively https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0bd2b0071e.jpg It didn't. Yes the engine mounts were old, but this vibration seemed to be coming on strong above 3000 rpm. Scott opined that is sounded like the countershaft was not correctly indexed with the timing belt. Tim went and took another look. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3df2433996.jpg Yes, he had installed it properly as he had marked it during disassembly However, It turns out that Bubba had previously installed / positioned the countershaft gear 180 degrees off!!!!! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c252d9706c.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6bffd0f1c8.jpg So instead of causing the engine to run smoother, it was having just the opposite effect and making it vibrate twice as much Once installed properly it made a tremendous difference. It literally changed how the car drove! I was previously hesitant to get the engine over 3000 rpm because of the vibration Now I could play all day between 3000 and 4000 rpm which multiplied the fun factor a ton. Even the older engine mounts seemed to be functional. That was a huge win. In this picture you can also see two looming things to sort, the power steering pump and the A/C https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2bfade5e1f.jpg but that is down the road a bit, as there are more pressing issues |
What happened next was part of the steep learning curve I found myself on.
When I opened the gas cap to add gas, I heard a whoooosh. Gas vapors were exiting the gas tank. My initial response was to think this was not proper behavior by the fuel system and wondered if a vent line from the gas tank had gotten clogged. I also heard tales of check valves in the vent line malfunctioning. So it seemed appropriate to find these two bad boys They were located under a cover on the inside of the car directly below the gas tank fill. Now was the time to pull out carpet and insulation in the rear compartment and indeed Bubba had been here as he had screwed in boards to cover the space inside the rear quarter panels and covered them with questionable insulation. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...27e6d36451.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...87b100afef.jpg I really enjoy getting rid of this kind of stuff and the good news is all the metal underneath looked to be in great shape https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...67eddeb6f3.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...dc4589e6a9.jpg Here you can see both the fill, fuel, and vent lines. There is a hidden expansion tank in the c pilar area above it all https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...27b75be116.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2b76a11ab5.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7b07b63499.jpg Here is the white rollover check valve https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...85d1be0de6.jpg And here is the black "two way" valve that I needed to learn about https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...312116b214.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cc59cbe880.jpg It turns out this black valve is not a check valve like I was used to, but actually opens when the pressure in the gas tank gets to be 2 psi. So what I was all concerned about, gas vapors escaping when I opened the gas cap, was part of the fuel system design!!! While I had the valve out, I tested it and it operated correctly Interestingly, this 2 psi design pressure has proven to cause cracks in the older metal gas tanks so people either use a 0.5 psi valve from a Mitchubishi or drill out the valve with a small drill bit. A more detailed discussion of all of this can be found in this thread https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...l#post19075468 |
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