mjensen

I want to remove the steering lock in the column in my 86 951. Has anyone done this and if so how much work does it take?

Legoland951

Many times. It takes a decent amount of work if you are taking the whole assembly apart. It will require the removal of at least your steering wheel and instrument cluster if you are good and lucky. If not, you will have to remove your dash just to get to the "headless" bolts.

mjensen

Is there a diagram available or any web info on the actual "how-to" part?

Matt Marks

Don't need to remove the instrument panel to do it. He'res how i did it (sorry, not pics)

Remove the black plastic trim pieces that are under the dash - the ones that the headlight switch comes throguh, and on the other side where the AC control unit is secured. To do the "door" side trim, you will need to open the door as there is a screw that holds holds the end of the trim needs to be undone from the "side" of the dash.

Pull the steerign wheel off - as this will give you more room

If you look under the dash - just behind the piece where the wiper stalks, etc are located, you'll see a grey metal assembly with what looks like the ends of two bolts pointing down at you. these are the bolts that attach the ignitiion housing to the steering column. They need to be removed using either an "easy-out" or a left hand drill bit. They're not torqued very tight, so if you can get any bite with the easy out they come out very easily.

Remember to get the titanium bits for drillign the small starting holes, as this is not the place to break a bit. Alternatively, I've seem people break the bolts with a chisel and sledge - but that is sort of medieval.

Once you remove the two bolts, you'll be able to push straight in on the ignitiion switch so that it goes behind the dash. after that, it's just fishing the wires through until it hangs down. Pull the plug connector off of the back of the switch (I did this while it was still behind the dash - made it easier to fish), and the whole assemply is ready for cutting the lock.

Once it's off - turn the key in the tumbler so that the little lock pin extends, and then take an angle grinder or dremel and just cut the thing off. don't worry if you nick the housing a little - there's nothing functional in the area.

Assemply is the reverse of removal - just be careful to be gentle with the wires as you put everyting back - they're old an not that flexible. Remember to get some long-ish 8mm bolts (maybe 40mm?) and some washers to get everything back together.

Building a 44 cup car? ;-)

Matt Marks

FWIW - you may want to pull the seat out to get some more room - but I was successful with just undoing the bolts on the seat and sliding it back.

mjensen

I will work on this project this week between waiting for parts. My 86 951 is in the middle of a big build, f class PCA/NASA supercup/GTS in the midwest. I have the bottom end back together, new clutch, cv's, waiting for my head and turbo, Ledas, and Kirk full cage, etc. As I am building this car I have been "restoring" components, so I have been visiting my local powdercoater...

Legoland951

How did you get a straight shot to those bolts from under the dash? Did you have to cut the bottom of the dash?

Porsche-O-Phile

Anyone make a push-button starter? I think that'd be hella cool to install. . . You could have a key to engage electrical power (have it still function as just a switch) with the button start. I'd actually love to have the key on the center console and the pushbutton starter where the existing key mechanism is. Project I've been mulling over for a while in my mind - don't know if I'll ever have the time to actually do it though. . .

xsboost90

ive always wanted to put the ignition where the headlight switch is- like a 911. Just to mess people up.

Mike Buck

There are two holes in the lower part of the dash. To actually drill out the bolts you don't have to remove anything. It helps to remove the wiper stalks and such to give your hands room when pulling out the ignition/lock.

I had Matt's instructions when I tried to do mine. In theory, it will work, but I gave up and just had my cage builder do it while the car was in for other modifications anyway. Hour or two labor for him and no aggrivation for me.

PoP,
turns out my ignition switch didn't like being tampered with and started acting up at the track event. Removed the whole thing and replaced with toggle start and seperate power swtiches for the windows/lights/etc.. Pretty easy to wire up if you know electronics. Luckily someone at the track knew what they were doing to help me

M758

My 944 spec car has a push starter.

I put it in years ago after my ignition swith failed.



From left to right. Ignition switch with key in place.
Black button is push starter

First silver toggle is DME power
Next two switches are the cooling fans
Round switch is fresh air blower
last switch is key on power

I used to have all the key on power in one switch, but changed that due to a weird no shut off problem I had. They used to be wired in to the ignition switch, but now they are actually switched at the battery.

So the start proceedure is turn on main power switch, Then DME power, and then push the starter switch to kick over the starter motor.

Turning off the DME switch kills the engine, but keep the power on. Turning off the main power kills both.

Robby

I'm curious... why would one want to remove the steering lock? Is there an advantage here- does it save any weight? Are there any drawbacks to removing it- maybe for a street car???

thanks

testarossa_td

Picts of this whole process would be great!

cjeckert

curiouse too why you'd want to remove it, thinking about it must be nice not to have one to be able to push the car around without the key in the ignition

M758

It is required for many race cars as part of the safety rules.

Reasoning is as follows.

If you are on the track and need to shut down the motor due fire or other emergency you turn off the key. Well turn too far and steering wheel lock engages and your steering is fixed. Bad idea on a race track.

So defeat the steering wheel lock and you shut the car down and still steerwhile coasting. On my car my ignition key swith no longer turns the engine on or off so I can shut the car down and still steer all I need to.

Yes the same thing could happen on the street, but things happen more slowly on the street and more likely going straight. I would bother to pull the lock on street car, but it can be smart for track cars.