ensign42

Hey all-

To start with I have used the search button already- I just want fresh oppinions and have some new questions.

I have pulled the engine in my 951. I drove it for a year or so when the head gasket went bad, clutch needed sorting out and the hoses were all getting a bit week. So here I sit with my engine out, head off, and everything so far looks okay. I am going to need to repace all the hoses (vacume and coolant), clean or replace the injectors (have yet to decide) and replace the belts etc. while I am in there. I am also having the crank feathered and cross drilled, the fly wheel lightend (about 6-8 lbs) and all the machined surfaces cleaned up and honed locally. I will be replacing all the bearings, rings and gaskets. Supposedly it is running a set of Autothority stage 2 chips, I have not looked yet. The porcelain in the head looks good. Near as I can tell the head gasket was an overheat. My past service records show my girl eats head gaskets every two years. She has about 86K and the engine has not been rebuilt. The cylinders look really good and the valves are fine. So here I am fishing for thoughts-

Question 1- Any updates I can do while I am in here? It has the acordian headers, but a one piece cross over. I have read one posting on the venturi delete, what does that do for me? Is there a way to update to the 87 and later tensioners? What about getting rid of belts all together and running chains?

Question 2- What can I do about the F'ing wiring harness? It is all brittle and cracked. I have read all the posts, but have yet to find a good source- I don't want my girl to turn into an ash pile 6 months after all this work.

Question 3- What performance mods would be best done with the engine out? I know I want to do it all, but I can't afford to buy it all at one time. I know I am going to do an A/C delete (I do have two windows and a sun roof after all), and I want to do a MAF intake (this is something that can go later due to access), I could blow my whole extras budget and put in a stand alone kit, but I don't even know how to tune such a thing (it would on the flip side wipe out most of my harness and sensor issues), Or perhaps my money would be better spent on a bigger turbo (kind of pointless on a basically stock engine I would think), What about exhausts (I am running the test pipe already).

Question 4- If I can not update the belt tensioners, what about the silly tool, anyone got one they want to get rid of? What about the cricket or other alternatives?

Question 5- my machine shop is going to pull the studs to shave the deck, Should I replace the studs- if so with who's parts (raceware oem or someone else), or reuse the oiginals?

Last- I got in touch with a guy in the UK who has the manuals on DVD rom. Is this my best bet for about $50? I don't see them often and when the hard copies are available they are way too expensive for anything but framing (IMO). I have clarks bookmarked, but still I want the real manuals. Any thoughts on best sources of literature for this beast?

Now, my plans for the car- I am not trying to sound like a puss, but it was already fast enough top end (I hit 152 MPH a couple months before it blew) and anything above 130 seems to be the same to me anyhow. Thats well over twice the legal speed limit here in MD, and about the right speed to kill me. I would like a bit more power down lower, I want an engine that will leave the line a bit faster without smoking clutches and pull out of corners hard, stop blowing head gaskets (this may be a dream), and be daily reliable (we have an 03 passat and an 06 silverado for the wet and snowy days, but in the summer I want to drive it). My budget- planning to complete this engine in about a one year time frame, so I am going to go at it slow and steady.

I would really appreciate your guys knowledge and input, and please, if you want to flame me about not using the search button- just consider it already done. Thanks in advance-

Will

Bri Bro

There was a rennlister (from 928 froum?) who made a jig for the 944 and purchased all the connectors to make new harnesses. You had to send him the harness first. Do a search.

Might want to look at the link below.
http://www.cannell.co.uk/Manuals.htm
Offical parts PDF from Porsche
http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessori...originalparts/

Make sure you get the block bores checked for tolerance. If they are worn, might want to get with Chris White for a mid-sleeve. 944 online has new water hoses,, Search for sources for ventura delete vacumm hose kits, gets rid of a lot of hoses that Porsche deleted a few years later. Never heard of anyone using chains and putting in the tensioner can be done but it isn't worth the effort.

xsboost90

www.paragon-products.com for whatever you need-

if your going to race/ DE/ go fast i would do the www.lindseyracing.com oil pan baffle kit, and maybe a crank scraper as well.

-updating tensioner- can be done not sure on specifics
-chains- no that would be worse
-harness- check with POR951TURBO im sure he has a few good ones laying around- he also has a parts car w/a 2pc crossover from what i hear

500

Unfortunately Carl of 928 Motorsports, the guy who was going to make the new DME harnesess decided not to go ahead with it after all. I was the only person who wanted to place a real order and as my harness was an S, and needed a few other connectors, he declined and has decided to just to sell connectors etc. seperately. He may change his mind though for a 951 harness. His site is http://www.928motorsports.com/

What I am going to end up doing is re-building as much of my harness as possible using the products available from Lindsey racing (such as their injector harness etc.). Going this route will still allow you to re-do the majority of the harness.

Lindsey harness modules