Have you been overwhelmed by mechanical duties?
 

I'm feeling it a bit overwhelmed by the needs of variety of vehicles, especially a '63 Studebaker, but also some niggles on the 928 I seem to be falling behind on. I'm doing my social distancing in the garage to catch up. Winter is useful for this - it must be hell for those who drive year-round.

Another form of the question is "How many needy vehicles can you own without falling behind?"

I'm inspired to ask after reading in Nicole's thread the misadventures of those whose sole remaining car of interest is the very reliable Porsche 928. I suspect there are more tales of woe to share on this subject...

Hi Curt,
I definitely get overwhelmed by mechanical problems. I usually walk away for a while, do more research, and eventually formulate a strategy. So far I have not had to abandon a car because I could not formulate a plan to salvage a problem. I don't have a professional mechanic to bail me out, and if I did, I would feel more confident. BTW the old Studebakers are some of my favorite cars.
Good luck,
Dave

Sometimes divine guidance is needed:


For me, it's (slightly) less than one. For a 928 that hasn't had a stem to stern overhaul, and I mean with the dash, console, and entire interior out along with the glass, there are little things that go wrong that will keep you busy pretty much forever. Items like random shorts, burned out bulbs, malfunctioning non-essential parts, etc Fixing them is time consuming and not fixing them affects enjoyment of the car almost as much as mechanical problems.

For example, in my beautiful rust free car, the engine, torque tube, transmission, suspension, steering, air conditioning, wheels, tires, and brakes have been updated and are in new - or better - condition. But i am chasing a minor dash light short, there's a small leak in the right rear quarter, the headliner and A piller liners are warped, the paint is imperfect, the dash has a crack, and the light colored carpet is a little dingy. There are probably other issues but you get the idea.

My ambition is to get everything that is broken buttoned up this year, my 4th year owning the car. However, each of the above jobs is a full day or more. This is also the first year for a full fluid maintenance, another full day. But last year was the the best driving so far - so much quieter, powerful, reliable even for very long rides, and fun. I expect the journey to continue and not to end, ever.

i had so many oldtimers.... and believe me Curt , a 928 is a joy to work on. Especially rust free … everything demounts as it should be and remounts easy. Marvelous !

Where do you find a old timer car you can change the clutch without box or engine out ? i wonder....

It's indeed not a 911 , but it's a GREAT car !

PS on topic... all old cars need maintenance … same in time needed. Most are sold with… problems. If you are not a good mechanic yourself or "rich" … stay away from them. ;)

No it never happens.

I live in this state constantly, tbh. And I really only have 2 "old" cars, the 928 and an '82 931. My "daily" is a truck with 180K miles though, which needs its share of attention, and I'm trying to get my daughter's BMW 325i back on the road, and it never ends. Honestly the 928 has been the most reliable of the bunch over the last couple years.

The reality is I enjoy fixing my cars, but don't want impossible challenges. There is a fine line between a good challenge and just too much. It is a moving boundary as well. I think Sam Spade said "I don't mind a certain amount of trouble..."
Good luck,
Dave

I tend to get caught up, and sort of hate, having to figure out outside resources. Example: I'm in the middle of a power steering system refresh (not the rack, but most everything else) and I'm trying to follow what seems like some solid advice to get the high pressure line redone at a local hydraulic line place. I could just buy a new part, yes, but there are improvements which people report (swivel fittings, certain parts removed) that also seem like solid advice to get done, if possible. Now, removing that high pressure line seems like a bit of a pain (the retainer clip) but I don't mind that. Finding a local place, though, that's killing me.

I guess if anything, having things to work on that I can take care of is restful and feels like accomplishment. Having to figure out certain aspects relevant to the work seems like a PITA sometimes. Dealing with self-imposed deadlines (It's nearly spring!) makes me stronger (I hope). Getting these cars to be just how I like them, that's priceless.

+928

Working on a body-off resto on Son#3's VW Bug, brake overhaul on Son#1's 944S, also care and feeding of an old MR2, and then it seems my neglected 928 always falls to the bottom of the list. Not complaining, enjoy working with the boys, but seems like I never make progress on the 928 due to this.

Volvo 850 R wagon needs valve stem seals, NA cams installed, good cut and polish, some paintwork.....84 Scirocco needs to be run and then eventually engine re-done (both are sitting in my mom's garage). The track car needs to have the interior cleaned/painted, fuse panel put back in (that one is at the shop), the 89GT needs rear wheel bearings (since 2015 lol), and replacement blower motor. Of the three motorcycles, the Duc needs new tires mounted, and the BMW PD and Kawi ZX-11 need to be ridden. Hardest part is keeping all of these moving. Storage is a killer of vehicles.....

Tom, I still have the Sir Tools press for the bearings, just a few/several hours south of you. Drive the GT down, bearings installed here, drive it back. Or... I was looking at the HF ad that shows their "equivalent" of a Pelican rolling case that might survive shipping. Need to look harder at that. The one it came in originally is pretty trashed from poor packaging and shipping by prior users. Alaska has a cheap-seats right now between SEA and RDM if you want to just come get it.

Storage is a killer... Out of sight and out of mind. Emphasis on "out of mind". With five road cars in the personal fleet, and single, I could keep three in 'perfect' condition while the other two were tied up in 'project' status. Plus a couple race cars and support stuff. Now not single, down to three road cars, all three in 'perfect' condition, the rest gone. If I just had one more space, I would add a [insert any or many of long list...] to the fleet.

Thanks, I ended up buying the Sir Tools look-a-like tool set a while back. It's purely a matter of putting aside the time to do it. With all the work-at-home and self-quarantining happening, I might just find the time in the next month..we'll see.

I'm behind right now.

Have a 997 on the lift with the rear torn apart to find a vacuum leak that's behind the alternator, which is behind the belt assembly for the aftermarket supercharger, and to get that off, I have to lower the motor on the mounts a bit, but to do that I have to access those bolts from under the car which means I have to remove most of the exhaust, but to remove the exhaust I have to take off the rear bumper. I'm 2 days in and haven't gotten then alternator out yet. And while it's all apart, doing a bunch of other stuff like new timing chain tensioners (A/C Compressor has to come off too for the Bank 2 one), new transmission mount inserts, new variocam solenoids, and might do the AOS and coolant tank replacement depending on how they look once I'm in there.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7b7ce757bc.jpg

While this is going on, I've had to fix a bunch of stuff with my daughter's new to us BMW X5 - fuel system purge valve, camshaft position sensor, crankshaft position sensor, rear carpet getting wet when it rains (reseal the inner door panels), and it needs a full mechatronic transmission service as the pan is leaking and the shifting is a little rougher than if like (haven't gotten to that yet).

I just finished rebuilding the top end of my son's Honda CRF100F dirt bike and installing a big bore kit after it threw the timing chain (running great BTW).

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f9f8487b89.jpg

Just finished doing a bunch of aesthetic and upgrades on my CRF250X bike too.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e0f1c76814.jpg


Truck needs new front rotors, 928 needs new plugs and ignition wires (plastic ends are cracked), a pod pull for a new foil, new ignition switch to fix the interior lights not working after the car is started (work in accessory position before starting), but it runs and drives so lower on the list.

Nothing has been washed or waxed in months.

Looking forward to my 30 day company travel ban so I can get caught up on a bunch of stuff.

So, yea, behind.

Behind, but NOT overwhelmed, apparently!
Good luck,
Dave

It never ends...
Me: 1986.5 928, 1999 Explorer, 1984 S-10, 1966 C-10, mowing fleet, mini-bike
Her: 2002 Mustang, 2008 Equinox, 1991 S-10

There is always something that needs a piece of me.

My cars include an 86 928S, 87 944S, 2000 Insight, and a 2001 Prius. The Prius is the newest car.....

Sometimes I do hit overload: The 944S had the wiper motor fail right as the Insight blew its head gasket, water pump, radiator, thermostat, basically everything that touched water. So we were down to the 928 and the Insight. Now the insight is back, the 944S is under repair and things are more normal.

It happens in waves.

I feel better! Thanks. I can report the January surprise project is largely complete - a rusty and abused John Deere 6x4 Gator from ca. 1985. My excavator's display went dark last month, but I only had to cycle a fuse out and in to bring it back, which I did for no apparent reason - other things on the same circuit were working fine. The Unimog stuttered and quit on me last month - gelled diesel fuel probably, but the first attempts to clear it out didn't work. New fuel filters and thorough priming brought it back just in time for a snow storm. My wife hit a deer in her Smartcar in December - could have been worse - required only a new headlight module and a few plastic bits. The Saab needs fluid for the tonneau thing - have no idea where it goes, though. The 911 needs new heater cables. The Bugeye is perfect! I've had to blow out moisture in a spark plug well of the F-150 - a mysterious but common issue. The Studebaker project can be resumed now - cutting out the rusty floor, re-assembling the engine, etc. I'd like to get it rolling on its own power, out of the garage, and perhaps abandoned somewhere out of sight. There will be smoke.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e510d1f706.jpg

Overall, not too bad, except I'm lazy, or poorly disciplined, or manic-depressive. Wait - the 928! New brake lines, new PS hoses, front ride height, HVAC controls refresh. Maybe get the seats re-stuffed. I probably should acquire a rebuilt LH.

Time for my nap right now, though.

Currently overwhelmed on my 81. I've decided I need to split the block and replace the main bearings along with having the block decked on the 5.0.

Putting the 2 halves back together is worrisome only because of the sealant being a bit finicky and all the 1 time use hardware involved if I mess it up.

But every other job isn't bad on the 89 or my A3, they both always seem to work just fine.

Although the 89 had a bunch of failures (alt, power steering lines, belts, intake hoses and gaskets, ignition amps) almost as soon as I bought my A3.... I think it knows.

It is a terrible feeling as it just eats away at you the entire time the jobs just aren't done. The 81 has been on hiatus for over a year now. One piece at a time...

It's a continuous effort not having to chew more than I thought I bit off. It's easy to understand how some seem to easily justify leasing a new something every couple years. Gets them to church and the pool hall. Get a couple lease-included services done each year, and then a new one before it even needs tires. Car problems are for people who can least afford to have car problems. So long as I can call it "therapy" I'm huge money ahead.

Meanwhile, we are all just gluttons for punishment. More than a few of the "I used to have a 928" folks in Los Angeles owned them for a year or maybe two before getting something else. Maybe they knew something. For how many is the 928 the most reliable car in the garage?

I know the problem. The 928 has rarely been that troublesome, at least not mine, although working on other peoples' 928s overwhelmed me enough that I refuse to do it unless the owner shares in the misery. No amount of money could tempt me to work on someone else's 928 alone again. After spending days tracking down a parasitic draw that ended up being a short in a wire buried in the B-pillar and having to do a motor mount job twice because after I finished the first time I spotted one of the mount plates lying on the ground, neither of which I could justifiably charge for my actual labor hours, I decided being a mechanic was not something I should pursue.

But then I got a Ducati. The owners motto is "Ducati. Making mechanics out of riders since 1946". It's been downhill since then. Still waiting for parts from Italy.

I'm with Bill on working on other folks' cars. Happy to guide and instruct, hand tools in and out, do some cleaning, etc. Generally, it seemed like I'd do something on my own car, then offer a "clinic" for local owners to do the same service or repair. There have been some 'challenges' but generally that's worked for me. I did hold the tools myself for a while, figured out that I hated customers, so went back to school. It turned out to be a good investment. I still have the tools.


Bill, the Duc is a special beast, a work of engineering art. Parts can be a challenge.

I feel like I'm getting buried with things needed on my 87, but that's mainly because I have been working on other peoples 928's more than my 928. And my Golf R's brake pad warning light came on in October, parts are still sitting on the shelf. Plus the family hauler.

Now that almost every ski hill has closed down my weekends are suddenly wide open for wrenching. We just came back from Mont Tremblant after our vacation was cut short by the closures. :(

So in order of importance:
1: Do brakes on the Golf cause they must be close to metal on metal.
2: Get back to work on my friends 86.5 - Next up is a full intake re-fresh, oil pan gasket and whatever else I find in the process.
3: On my 87 I need to replace the timing chain tensioner pads, install the oil galley pins, install an 88 + FPR and GB fuel line to the fuel cooler (to replace my early 87 FPR and small hose), remove the PKT and install a rebuilt stock tensioner, re-place one cam gear with good used gear and re-coat both gears with moly coating, service brakes (likely time for new rotors and pads), have hi-flow cats welded into H-pipe, purchase tires for the new 18" Panamera 10 spoke wheels, re-charge the AC with R12 and a new dryer.
4: Then the family van needs a new hood since it's rusting, I figure since grey Honda Odyssey's are everywhere I should be able to find clean hood at a wrecker.

Hey Curt, your a Saab guy too. Check out this video. What he has to say about working on his Saabs starting at the 55 second mark applies to all of us who feel overwhelmed at times. It's great advice. The rest of the video is a good watch also.

Huh ... 1.5 hours every evening, then stop. Discipline!

Sounds like work, inappropriate for a retired person. Ain't happening. Like my father used to say - "I don't have a schedule. I'm retired."

=================

The Saab developed a horrible clank some time ago. The clank had the same pitch as a 17mm or 19mm wrench, I estimated. Did someone leave one in the car somewhere? When I finally found the culprit - a short piece of busted spring - I dropped it on the floor and found it matched the pitch of an 18mm wrench quite closely. I don't have perfect pitch generally, but apparently I do for wrenches. For those interested in the physics of sound, this is a good example of the difference between pitch and frequency - we somehow discern a clear pitch despite a sound coming from a complex set of vibration modes.

I go through waves of enthusiasm as I'm sure many others do. The guiding theme though has been to only start projects I know I can finish. There's a plan before anything starts, and that plan is the key to managing the risk of not completing. I could easily fall down Seth's rabbit hole and never come out, and I know it. If I dig into something that might take more than a month of winter or a week of summer, there's a risk of distraction, maybe forgetting where something went, etc. Good news on the 928 for me anyway is that there have been no extended project demands. I've done some extended things on it, but made sure I had pretty much all the pieces and knowledge lined up before a bolt was touched. I can't remember half the stuff I've forgotten, and that's a fatal curse to have unless I'm meticulous about taking pictures and sorting things on the way out.


In other news, a few Saab's have habitated in my garage over the years. A couple 900 Turbos, plus a 99 sedan that I bought for a GF to use. She left me and thought the car was hers. Nope, you drove in in that car over there, best take your own car with you I think. The 900's were perhaps the most reliable and lowest cost-per-mile 'interesting' cars I've owned. Certainly better in both categories than the 'interesting' GF it turned out.

Well said, Sir. Yup... but I wish I could always follow that guiding theme.

Unless it's a major project, I get a little uptight when any of my cars aren't roadworthy and waiting to get fixed. Stuff also seems to take longer that I expect... due to waiting for parts, spending a lot of time cleaning while things are apart, or worse, work gets in the way. It took me over 2 months to do a front suspension refresh and swap the springs on my GT. I must say, though, that area it looks better that it did new. I even did a touch-up respray of the wheel wells.

My issue now is getting my '84 GTI ready to sell. I've been at it for over a year. I have this problem that I want everything to be working correctly before I sell. It's not the resale as much as it is my reputation, I guess. I even have another car waiting behind it to work on ('93 Corrado), but the agreement with my wife was that I sell the GTI before I start working on the Corrado. I even have the pile of new Corrado parts ready... and it's been in my mom's garage for 18 mos waiting for me to get my sh-t together and sell the GTI.

Anybody interested in a nice '84 GTI?

Growing up in the Northeast, we were a Saab family too. Here's the list of which ones we owned.
'79 900 3 Door (my sister's first car)
'83 900 Turbo 3 Door (parents first one)
86 900 Turbo 3 Door (parents second one)
87 900 Turbo (Brother's after college graduation)
87 900 Turbo (Sisters after college graduation)
90 900 Turbo SPG (mine after college graduation)
94 9000 Turbo Aero (parents)
at one point in time, we owned the 86, both 87s, the 90, and the 9000 Aero

I sold the SPG to my Father back in 2002 and he loved driving it. It has a bunch of upgrades that you can't source any more, like a overboost box from what used to be SPG9 or Gruppe 9, a Nology PowerCore Ignition with HotWires, K&N Intake, 9000 Aero wheels custom finished in the lower body grey with polished lips, interior gauge package, etc.

I think it has about 250,000 miles on it. Sadly, my Dad passed this last Thanksgiving and when I get some time, I'll be checking it out, cleaning it up, and listing it for sale. If anyone here is interested or knows of a Saab fan that would be interested, let me know. I don't have the space or the time to keep it myself with the other Porsches. It's red with the grey lower body panels and dark grey interior. '90 was the first year for the Driver's side airbag and anti-lock brakes.

I got so tied up in a growing list of other mechanical tasks, including one very dirty and dusty, I decided to put a cover on the 928. The closing of schools due to COVID-19 is allowing me to get caught up. This has been my running list:
1. PLANNED replace all seals and gaskets in a Kawasaki FC540 engine in a 1997 John Deere garden tractor.
2. UNEXPECTED: Broke a spoke (again) on my Specialized Turbo's rear wheel. Replaced the spoke and trued the wheel
3. PLANNED: replaced very rough bearings in mower deck pulleys.
4. UNEXPECTED: Garbage disposal failed and leaked!! Replaced disposal - and for the first time in my life I was glad I had dropped ceiling tiles in the basement - replaced two water damaged tiles.
5. UNEXPECTED: For a few years I have been looking for a used Harman Accentra pellet insert for the basement fireplace. New they cost almost $5k. Found one and bought it with 32 bags of pellets for a very good price. From the outside it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. Once I got it home and in the garage (with lots of help) and took it apart it looked more like it had never been cleaned. Huge time sucker...but it looks new again. Tested it last weekend...everything works!
6. UNEXPECTED: Drove 928 on a nice day....discovered a small coolant leak puddle....still need to find the source.
7. UNEXPECTED: Chevy Volt went into a low power mode, but no get service light came on. Found a discussion online about odd behaviors resolving after doing a reboot (Power down the car, close the doors, and lock it with the key fob. Wait 20 minutes, start the car. ) It worked!!
8. UNEXPECTED: During the Kawasaki engine job I discovered why my tractor is so loud. The weld where the exhaust pipe is attached to the muffler is cracked the full circumference...creating almost a straight pipe situation. Watched a few YouTube videos and thought I had a pretty good sense of how the welding would go. Wrong. It looks like I welded with pahoehoe lava.
9. DONE! With school likely out for the remainder of the year I turned all my attention over the weekend to finishing the tractor. Started right up and mowed great...and it's quieter. Mowed the lawn...in March!!!
10: Now I can turn my attention to the 928 coolant leak and new high pressure power steering hose. Fingers crossed Camp928 doesn't need to be cancelled (the health of Nancy and Curt...and others in the most vulnerable demographic, comes first).

I’ve been maintaining vehicles for 45 years. First 35 years was necessity, daily drivers needed back on the road ASAP, then kid cars also needed ASAP.
Like many, lots of Saab’s (3 900’s, six or seven 9000’s, 1 9-3, 3 9-5’s).
Discipline and necessity meant not allowing one project to run into two or three or five. Fix what’s broke, nothing more.
Now, retired and doing hobby repair work on a couple of 928’s, I follow the same rule. Most repairs that overwhelm are the ones that grow. People just keep taking things apart until overwhelmed.
I own these cars to drive.

I think he said "each night" not "every night" meaning when you are wrenching do it in moderation. I don't know about you but I tend to get into things super deep and work for 8 hours straight at a time a few days in a row and at the end of it I'm blown out and demotivated and tend not to get back on the project for another month. Small bites help me stay focused.

Yup. A 928, 944 and Cayenne Turbo are almost guaranteed to need something all of the time. It can get overwhelming. OTOH, I have yet to have two of the three down at the same time.

Currently waiting to get the 'summer cars' out (928 & 944 sit all winter) so I can get the primary cat & flex pipe off the Cayenne. Flex pipe has started to leak. I will need another car to drive when I take it apart. It also needs a couple other things.

Typically, I do a 'winter project' on the 928 every year. The 944 has gotten the heated spot a couple times for bigger jobs. It usually goes something like:

November: Put it away, drain the oil, leave it alone for a month.
December: I should get going on it, winter won't last forever.
January: Disassembly, cleaning, evaluation, call Roger.
February: Work on it a couple days a week, no hurry.
March: Days are getting longer, snow is melting, SPRING IS COMING!!! FINISH IT!!! Work on it just about every day.
April: Finish up and get it out.