Charlotte944

Save the car!

Doing head work isn't all that bad, but you need some "special" tools:

1. Long reach Allen wrenches for the valve assembly bolts.
2. Spark plug thread chaser with 18mm threads. Good for chasing O2 sensor and cam tower plug threads.
3. Belt tension tool, either a KriKit (about $20.00 at NAPA) or a 'better" German made tool from Markus Blaszak at http://www.blaszakprecision.com/
4. A good torque wrench.
5. Oil and new oil filter.
6. New coolant.
7. Head gasket kit. $82.01, try here: http://www.performancemotorcars.com/ They also have intake valves ($26.50 ), exhaust valves ($44.64 each), and valve quides ($4.14 each)

Beyond that you will need to find a good machine shop to do the head work.

I recently did a head gasket on my '87, and a while back I did the head gasket on my '84. The job is time consuming, but not impossible for a DIY mechanic.

When you take the head to the shop be sure to include the valve seals from the head gasket kit.

While you have the head off you can make sure that all of your vacuum lines, rubber hoses, and other hard to reach parts (like the idle stabilizer and heater valve) are up to snuff. This is also a very good opportunity to do some general cleaning.

HY M8NC

Hey Bart-
It was good talking to you on Sunday-and I am sorry for your mis-fortune.


If you are going to repair the car, there are a couple of options-most hit upon in this thread. eBay for a new engine-add about $100 to truck freight it to you. You can figure out how to install it, if you do a lot of work on jeeps. Let's say you buy the engine shipped for $800 (pretty good)-make sure you put new belts, hoses, plugs, etc. on this engine. a weekend and probably $1200 (after extras)-you're back in business.

Same with a head from a lister-or salvage. I think you can figure it out. E-mail me your address, and I'll burn you a copy of my factory shop manuals on CD. You can probably do this as well-there is nothing magical, or mysterious about these engines. Guys on the list will help as well.

My last thought is this. If you repair the car, where are you? Let's say you bought your car for $3,500-and need to put another $1,500 in it, or could sell it now for $2,000. You can:
A) Sell the car, and learn a lesson for $1,500
B) Repair the car, and sell it for about what you paid for it-lose $1,000-$1,500
C) Repair the car, and keep it-and by your own admission hate the fact that it's an automatic-but hey it's still in nice shape-and should now run well.

I'm going to make the assumption that you don't know much of the history of this car. I know it has some little nagging problems, are there other major ones on the horizon? If it was me-and I already didn't like the auto, every little (or big) problem would make me not like the car that much more. By then, I'd have so much invested in it that it would really hurt to sell it.

I know you are doing some major soul searching-just thought I'd try and finish our conversation of yesterday. Good luck-

Bryans951

Hey Bart,

I live in Alabaster. I also have the shop manuals that I can burn for you. I've never done major engine work on a Porsche (yet), but if I can be of any help, let me know.

bart1

I am waiting for some labor estimates from a couple places. Anybody know what fair prices are in the southeast? How much per hour is good? I might:

- Have them put in a new engine
- Have them put on a new head
- Repair the current head with me supplying new parts (about $600-650 from Paragon)

-Bart

billybones

Not sure of your year, But this is the story I have of an automatic I was looking at in near the same situation. He had put it up for sale at a gas station. First test drive the belt let go. I noticed it moved to the back of the station. I stopped and asked the situation and was told the above. He wanted 1500 for it. I passed on it. the only thing wrong outside the belt and head was the head light motor. It was an 83. I watched it for about a year and a half sit there. The auto turned off everyone that looked at it. I offered him 350 for it about 6 months ago.. He said no he decided to get it fixed. then sell it... Fforward to 2 weeks ago. Head fixed and all. back up for sale.. next test drive flex disc disentegrated... Now it sits there with a more expensive repair needed.. Not sure if the time sitting with no movment did in the disc or not.. But the main problem was that an auto is not very desireable in the market.. This is in detroit though.. Most automatics don't go for very much around here.. He could not move it with the bad belt and head for 1500... I would part it out if you have a place to do it.. This is the place to come to fix it yourself.. and then sell it. IF the one I talked about is still sitting there next spring I will offer him another 350 and try and turnit in to a track or hybrid car. just for fun... Good luck on what ever you decide.

bart1

Okay, BTT.

I am going to fix the car. I will decide them whether to keep or sell. I called Jason at Paragon. Look over my parts list and see what else I need to do.

• Intake and exhaust valves (should I buy 2 each or 4 each?)
• Head seal kit
• Front seal kit
• Belts and rollers
• Water pump (I have heard of upgrading to turbo and it is slightly less, is that just a bolt on?)
• Should I buy head bolts, tensioner, what else??

Peckster

You haven't done any engine work before, but you're going to learn on a Porsche?

OK

iloveporsches

That's what I did.

Peckster

What did you do to it?

bart1

I will be working with one of two guys experienced with motor work. I have sucessfully rebuilt transfer cases and set ring & pinions and will be armed with the factory service manual.

-Bart

Mike B

Me too!

Techno Duck

I pretty much learned alot on my own from working on the Porsche also. I started rebuilding a Mustang when i was about 17, but only was doing body and interior/electrical work. I didnt really start on the engine until after i had gotten my 924S. Im pretty lucky i guess, i have my dad who is in my opinion the ulitmate backyard mechanic, he owns a garage with a full selection of Snap-On tools, and employs a mechanic that is absolutley amazing and a nice guy to boot. I have since done the front end service (water pump, belts, seals, all that good stuff), and many other things. I picked up alot of tricks from just helping out around the garage and assisting. I wouldnt consider myself a master of Porsche engineering, but i learned alot of universal things that helped in other cars i have helped work on.

User 41221

For what its worth, I got a rebuilt head that was ready to bolt on for my '84 two years ago from Ian Riley at 944Online.com for $350, and all I had to do was send him back my old valves. It was a hell of a deal, and my car was back on the road with a fresh head for $500.

You might try him as well.

No financial interest, blah blah blah...

Regards,

marky522

Your parts list is exactly what my parts list was, i took a gamble with two of each valve and it worked out to be exact, my theory when orderng was if i had extra i had to pay shipping back, but if i was short they were small enough i could have them expessed the next day cheaper. All this job requires is a lot of common sence. On the cam tower bolts, i tried using my allen wrench that fit on my ratchet but it wouldnt fit in the hole, so i pulled out my normal allen wrenches, make sure not to use ball tip, you will spin the tip off, i used a normal allen wrench with the 90 degree bend slid the closed end of a big wrench over one end of the allen wrench for some added leverage add gradually added pressure, i have found you strip a lot less bolts if you do gradual pressure rather than reefing on it all at once, you do need to put a pretty good amount of force on the allen wrench, i bet i had 50 degrees of twist on the allen wrench before they let loose, and when they let loose they let loose. I learned that wrapping a rag around the joint where the allen wrench and the wrench come together really helps i had a couple dep cuts from the bolts letting go. Also make sure you gently tap the allen wrench into the allen head to fully seat it.

This is just some ofthe stuff i got out of doing this myself,

My .02

Mark

Dmitry S.

I learned on Porsche's too. Parents got me a non-running 924 as a gift ($350) and i put in another 700 and sold the car for 2200.