mel_t_vin

Someone correct me if I'm mistaken...rule of thumb for balance shaft belt tension is ~0.5" of deflection at longest span and ~180* of rotation at same point.

vongeiss89

So it was actually a roller on the balance shaft belt. All the rollers were brand new with the kit, but we ordered another new one from somewhere else and no more squealing!

I've been driving around all day! Working out kinks and what not! Been too busy to update, but tomorrow I'm going to polish up the car, take pics, and update the thread fully!


Also, anyone know the best place to get a power window relay?

mrgreenjeans

Slow or sticky window ?

The switches are usually the culprit and you may clean and shine up the contacts in the switch and all will be fine.
OR order a new one or get a used piece in an ebay auction.

( I have an accumulated small hoard of Porsche parts that I go to...... collected over a period since the mid 80s, so have not bought anything in a few years. Many will purchase thru Pelican or Zims or 944Online and a host of others OR go to their Porsche dealer. It's amazing how much is still available for these cars right over the Parts counter at a competitive rate, and made even sweeter with a PCA discount for being a Club Member of the greatest car club in the World ~
I have used many of these sources, but usually check with my dealer first, as he is close by and if needing it shipped, is a day away from delivery overnight.)

Best wishes with your progress

vongeiss89

Thanks! Yea it was the power window relay, which I had a horrible time trying to find info on for the early cars! I eventually found it based on someone's description of the location in a post, but there were two, and I wasn't sure which one it was so I went down to the local dealership and the parts specialist was able to tell me which one was the correct one, and I went on to my local napa, got the replacement relay, and they fired right up!

Still chasing a gremlin where the passenger side window only goes down from the driver's side, and only up from the passenger side . It might have something to do with how I put a switch back together when I accidently popped it open and the contacts fell out, been meaning to look into that, but for now it's working great!


Been having a wonderful time cruising around, really falling in love with this car!

Things left to be done: need to get the drivers seat recovered, the wheel's polished up, new tires, a good detail and a paintless dent removal.

vongeiss89

So I've put a fair amount of miles on the car since I picked it up from the shop last Thursday. It's a blast to drive! I know it's not fast, but it's exciting and engaging behind the wheel. It requires much more attention and planning ahead than modern cars, which I like. I find myself waiting and not pulling out into traffic when it's questionably close or fast, and leaving more room in between myself and the car in front me, both good things to do, especially in an older car that doesn't handle, accelerate, or brake like newer cars. I was worried I wouldn't like the power steering, and would want a manual rack, but I have to say I really like it so far (since it's working anyway lol). It has a nice weight to it, and it's very direct. The brakes have a great feel to them; the pedal is nice and firm with the stainless steel lines. Initial bite isn't the most confidence inspiring (most likely the pads), but once you get your foot into the pedal, you can feel the brakes well, and modulate the pedal easily.

Yesterday I had trouble with the sunroof, the motor is working but the lever seems to be just moving within the plastic slot on the sunroof and not moving the roof up or down really at all. I can't get it to retract fully either to take the sunroof out which is even more annoying. I'll have to investigate this more.

I also had a sun visor clip break (I know, welcome to the club) and had the visor hit me in the face while driving haha.

The joys of owning an old car lol.

I washed and waxed the car the other day but I haven't taken very many pictures yet, maybe tomorrow if it's still nice out, but here's a teaser I took with both my cars in it:

Alos

Amazing!

951Dreams

You may still have some issues needing addressed.

While they are no Dodge Viper (or Kia even), they are still a 8 second car to 60. That should be more than enough for merging into traffic quickly and safely. Unless your pulling out on a freeway or something. The road I have to use everyday (to even leave my neighborhood) is a 4 lane highway, and while it's posted 55 no one does under 60. I have to merge into that every day. While I'll say my Suburban with 255 HP and low gearing does it much quicker than the Porsche, and my 225 HP Legend does too, it's not enough that I don't feel I can pull out safely. And mine is an AUTO!! That's 9 seconds to 60.

I've owned (sporty) cars ranging from Datsun to Acura to GM F-bodies. And I've driven and autocrossed many more. Mazda Miata, Toyota MR2, Ferrari Mondial, Corvette, Cobra replicas. My 1987 944 has about the most solid breaking I've ever experienced outside a high dollar, super oversized, aftermarket (or extreme stock) setup. The pedal is SUPER firm just off rest, and the response is instant and feedback is excellent. And I know my system is neglected. Been I bet 6+ years since the fluid was last changed. Maybe longer. The only thing I could want that I don't have is anti-lock. It was an option in 87 but not standard till 88. It would be nice, but to be honest not needed except for idiot mode, most of my sports cars haven't had it, so I know how to handle breaking right at the limit and how to control locking brakes. My point is, not much has gotten better in the last 30 years over what Porsche did back then. I'm sure some high dollar "super car" class cars could do better. But I feel my Porsche is in the top 10%, bone stock. I don't think much changed from 84 to 87...

Handling.... Well, C&D ranked the 944 as the best handling Production car...what.... 10 years in a row?? If you don't feel it's about the best handling car you've driven... well.... period, something's not right.

My point is, if those things make you think "Meh, it's ok for a 30 year old car" Instead of "OH MY GOSH, this is how cars are SUPPOSED to drive" then something is off. Super cars (I'm including very high end lines here, the term "super car" doesn't mean what it used to mean since they now moved Super cars into Hyper cars) should be about the only thing that would blow you 944 away, stopping and handling wise. Acceleration... yeah... any new Kia will likely get you, till you approach 80+ mph. Then after that you'll eat their lunch. There is not much out there in the price range that can beat a 944 above 100 MPH.

mrgreenjeans has had his clocked at what.... 174 MPH??? (Corrected by MGJ, it was 172) Yeah, 944's aren't fast.... (ok, his is turbo, but still)

I'd look into your brake booster, glazed/crap rotors, or crap pads. I think I read you rebuilt your calipers? Maybe the system just needs to break in??? If you didn't rebuild them, and it sat as long as this one did... that may part of the issue.

On the handling. The bushing may be dry rotted, and the shocks may be shot. The rubber may came back to life some, or just crumble. I've found sitting for long times is worse on rubber than use. It gets hard and weird if it just sits for too long. Sitting in a cool, low humidity, garage with oil/water and whatnot not getting splashed on them from time to time seems to do something to em.

I haven't looked into mine yet, but do these cars have rubber seats in the spring perches? If so, those getting old can cause issues too.

I would say my 87 spent about 20 years of it's life being fairly well maintained. And 10 years just being driven, and only maintained if something broke, and only then if it was undrivable from what broke. And about 4-6 of those 10 years I don't think it even moved.

But your experience and mine are totally different. I'm betting on degraded components. Or you're used to some really crazy "high end" sports cars.

Or maybe I was reading your experence wrong... LOL, that's likely too!

vongeiss89

Thank you for your response, I think maybe you misunderstood my experience. I think the car is great, I love driving it. I don't think anything is broken on the car, I've had it in the air quite frequently, and have gone over quite a lot on the car already. That being said, I think I've mentioned the tires are flat spotted, so they're not very confidence inspiring, and are on the top of my list to replace. Also, as I've mentioned earlier the original Koni sport shocks have been replaced with some cheapo basic shocks, which is also on my list of things to do, and the rear shocks are pretty soft. I know when both of these are replaced, I'm sure the ride will be much better.

The car feels pretty quick for 143 bhp, don't get me wrong, but it is nowhere near as quick as my modified e46 m3. I know it's unfair to compare a 944 na to an almost 330 whp (modified) 2002 m3 but that's the car I drive on most days. Handling wise, the m3 has a very comparable 50-50 weight distribution, and is very predictable, agile and confident. Now a 951 like mrgreenjean's would definitely be a much more comparable car, but that's a totally different story.

Two things I will say I like better on the 944 is the brake pedal feel, and the steering. The e46 m3 has probably one of the better steering feels of modern cars, but the 944 is even better.

I did drive my friend's new to him 944 the other day and I was surprised it felt quicker than mine, but there's a few things going on with his car. First, it's an 85.5 2.5 n/a, but it has an aftermarket electronic ignition system, a throttle cam, and I'm wondering if it has a cam key installed as well. It has much more low end power than my car, where my car seems to come alive between 3500-5000 rpms, his seems to hit earlier and plateau. I don't like the looks or unoriginality of the electronic ignition system, but could it be the reason his feels noticeably quicker than my car? Is the hp bump that substantial? Or could all, or most of the added power I felt be from a possible cam key, or could it even just be the throttle cam he has installed?

The 944 is a great classic car because it's engaging, fun, and rewarding to drive. It has classic looks and feels, but it has enough modern tech like power steering and power brakes, to make it a drivable car, while not having any of the modern driver nannies like traction control or even ABS.

I bought an 84 2.5 na, if I wanted to try to keep up with modern sports cars I would have looked for a turbo, but I like the simplicity and nostalgia of driving this car. I love the old gauge pod style dash, with the backwards sweeping tach, I love the way the car drives, It's almost like going back in time. Extremely impressive for such an old car.

mrgreenjeans

Yes,
engaging, rewarding, nostalgic, and the simplicity of a non-nanny car.

They all lead to your last description:

extremely impressive.

Exactly how I have felt about my very first Porsche 944 bought in July of 1984. And, still own.
Which led me to add the many other normals to my group; the early '82 sport suspension car, a mixed bag of M456 Series one and two cars, the '86 Sport seat (burgundy) with color matched white FUCHS & having extremely low mileage, the sunroof delete - M404 car, the ex- PCA track car, and the Jubilee/ Celebration as well as that '89 Turbo M030 - 951.
( 172 mph ) -Correction-

Once they get in your blood, an addiction to those same qualities you listed above begins. There is NOTHING like the purity of these water cooled Porsches. They are much different from the 924 they were born of, they are much different from their brothers the 911 and 928 of the same era, and light years away from the 356, 912, and 914 which came before them. They are also a car which seems to transcend the time they were built in. I certainly love the new GT3 ( actually EVERY GT3 ) and each 911 ( except the 996 ) which followed. The Cayman and Boxster have VERY good elements about them, especially the latter built cars with a much better engine design and upgraded suspension refinements. But all of the later cars from Porsche have some form of nanny controlling the driver, rather than driver controlling the car.

And that is what is so enigmatic about the 944 series which culminated with the 968.

Simple Purity.

951Dreams

After I had wrote that whole thing, it occurred to me that I may have read your post with an odd "tone" if you know what I mean. It's the bane of the internet age. Tone is hard to detect in short blurbs on forms and such. And not knowing you personally...

So, yeah, I can see your vantage point if your DD is an M3. The NA 944 has to be a let down in the "push down with the right foot" department. In fact, the M3 falls into that "High End Sports car"* category I was referring too. Definitely in the top 10% in every category. The M3 has the handling and braking too. I would consider a 944 NA inferior to the M3 for sure. I would put the M3 on par with a M030 951. Well, in the same class at least.

I think with good, at least stock quality, shocks, you would see a vast difference. It's not always the case, but I've seen shocks make a car seem like a totally different car. And tires can do that too!

The throttle cam can make a big difference in "feel". It doesn't change anything on the dyno, but it "feels" like more power, sooner. If they also have the cam advance key, that can make a pretty noticeable difference I'd think. The 85.2 did have some cam profile tweeking as well, it's rated 5 HP higher. Spencer on here has stated it's the cam. I really doubt, without other mods, much was gained by the aftermarket ignition. From what I understand the stock Porsche one is pretty good. But being a 85.2+, with the throttle cam, ignition, and possible cam advance could all add up to something. Could also just be "one of THOSE cars". You know the one that just seems to outperform others just like it, for no know reason. Just seems everything fell perfectly together at the factory, and during break in. Kinda like that one go cart at the go cart track that will always beat all the others.

* I'm struggling with what to classify cars as anymore. But M3, 951, Corvette (non Z06 ZR1), the older GTA's or IROC's, Miata, MR2, 944, 300zx, etc due to HP and/or handling are not quite Supercars, but more than just "sports" cars. Some, like the 951 S's can knock on door of Supercar territory. Need a new class... Extreme Sport? High Performance Sport?

vongeiss89

Thank you MGJ! I always enjoy reading your posts. I suspect we have very similar feelings on sports cars, and driving. I am very much enjoying the rawness of the 944.

I wouldn't say, "let down". To be honest, I was impressed, I was expecting a little less in the "push" department. Overall I am very happy with the performance of the 944 na, and once I get new tires and shocks I'm sure I will be much more comfortable behind the wheel of this car!

Also, from what I've read it sounds like a modified 951, especially a turbo s, would be a good match for the e46 m3.

I have a feeling his car has the cam key installed, the description of the power band from a car with the cam key seems to be what I was feeling in his car. Still, I'm interested in how much power that aftermarket ignition system is worth. I hate the looks and unoriginality of the aftermarket kit, especially the mess obviously aftermarket wires/ wiring associated with it. I can be quite the purist on cars, I'm obviously open to mods but I'm a strong OEM+ believer.

With all the new categories these days, there's now "hyper cars" on top of super cars, it's become harder and harder to classify cars. The newer m3's and m4's are incredibly fast and powerful, but their size has grown to almost a GT car size and comfort. The older m3's were definitely "sports cars" but they had back seats. The e46 m3 I think is a perfect size, and the new ones are too big, thus companies like BMW coming out with smaller cars like the new M2 to replace the ever growing 3 series.

I love the size of the 944! Still getting used to backing up though, I keep thinking I'm much closer than I really am!



BTW I got pulled over for the first time in the 944 yesterday. I filled it up with shell 93 and took it for a blast up and down the parkway, you know, blowing out all the carbon getting it ready for inspection , and I got nabbed doing 82 in a 65

The trooper let me off with a warning thankfully, most likely because of my gold family member PBA card, that thing literally is my driver's license savior.

Anyway, the car passed inspection here in NJ! I was afraid it wouldn't because I've been having a high idle and the exhaust just smells a little rich. Anyway, happy motoring to come!

951Dreams

I used to live in an inspection state, but now I don't. Love not having to worry about that. None of mine would pass! Lol

Glad your getting to enjoy it finally.

While I guess the traditional definition of a sports car is two doors, and 2+2 if you have rears, I'm a little looser in my definition. I'm fine with 4 doors and seating 5. For me it's all about performance, and handling. One or both. I love the 944 for many reasons, but BMW was on my list of I didn't find one. Looked at a few. The Ms were kinda out of my price range however. But I'm glad I found my 944. Something about those curves.

Looked at Jag too, I've always kinda liked them. But if I wanted a Ford, I'd buy a Ford! Lol. But I really wanted something German this time around. And you can't get much more German sports car than Porsche. VW is nice, but iconic in a different way. And Audi has never appealed to me. Not that both don't have some nice sporty cars, I spent some time long ago with Sirocco's. But I don't think I would have fell in love with anything like I have my 944.

But an M3 might have been close.

alordofchaos

You've probably fixed the visor clip by now, but there was an old thread a while back, where someone found that one of the VW visor clips was an exact match

Here's one of the threads mentioning it
https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...isor-clip.html

also info on stainless steel ones from rennbay and paragon. Those should last a while. Great to see you enjoying your car!