Vargleblaarg

Joining to say hi and thanks to current and past rennlist users for a wealth of knowledge as I work on this '87 nougat brown 928 S4. My fiancé bought this car with her ex over 10 years ago and it went to her in the divorce. Sadly, it sat for a couple years before her and I met as she was unable to keep up with it. I'm in the process of brining it back for us to use as a weekend car.

The good news is that I haven't found any killers on this car yet. The crank end play is within spec (double thanks for awareness of that issue), the valvetrain show no sign of missed oil changes, it runs and idles smooth, and it just passed emissions. I had to replace a few parts to get it running again as the fuel pump was dead and one of the knock sensor wires was cut. I also had to get new tires and fix a broken speedometer.

I'm now in the process of doing the timing belt/water pump, replacing valve cover gaskets, replacing shifter bushings, and resealing the A/C with new o-rings. I still need to figure out what to do about the cracked dash and the passenger seat has some nasty tears in the leather, but overall it's not bad for 128k miles and 37 years. I've been pleasantly surprised how available most of the parts are for such a low volume car. Anyway, more to come...

928cs

Cool manual 1987 S4

Thanks for taking care of her.

Mrmerlin

That looks nice a great set of bones,
Based on your picture its time for an intake refresh,
Roger has a complete list of updated parts .
NOTE if you swapped one knock sensor and this is what it looks like after your finished,
I would hope that you will reevaluate this subject .
When doing the cam covers it is a good idea to have them grit blasted on the gasket sealing area,
so the new gasket wont leak, plus have them get a fresh coating of PC.
The intake needs fresh powder coating ,
when you remove the injectors the PC will stick to the lower O rings.
this will make the hole bigger and thus increase the chances of an intake leak.

NOTE the 4 shaft bearings should also be replaced, as the originals are carbonized.

The Air cleaner is also upside down , dont flip it at this point, as it will suck all the grit into the engine.

NOTE a rebuilt MAF and LH computer should also be part of your refurbishment.
Roger has exchange intake and cam covers that have fresh PC, as well as rebuilt MAF and LH computers.
I would also verify the clutch release arm bushing is fresh.

The dash can be removed and the cracks filled then recovered with leather or Alcantera
Olmann on RL does great leather work, he can make new dash covers, or recover yours.
Have fun with your restoration,

Vargleblaarg

Thanks Mrmerlin. Both knock sensors have been replaced. The underhood pic is rather old now as that was before the new filters, knock sensors, etc. Thankfully no vacuum leaks. I feel like someone was in here with new gaskets and vacuum lines within the last 15-20 years as I refuse to believe the originals would be in such good condition. I proactively bought new gaskets for the intake anyway.

The goal when I replaced the knock sensors was simply to see if the car actually ran. The intake was really easy to remove, so I'll pull it again after other priorities are dealt with and recoat it. The original coating is also failing on the valve covers and had totally failed on the intake manifold.

Mrmerlin

this is what a fresh PC job will look like unless you choose another color

Gary Knox

You've got a very 928 knowledgeable nearby neighbor in Rich Andrade (Mesa AZ). He is also membership chair of the 928 Owners Club - www.928OC.org He also rebuilds electronic components for the 928.
Love the color, good luck in all the work you plan to do.

Gary Knox.

RennHarry

Nice car, OP. A manual S4. That would be a sweet spot for me. Following.
Cheers

Shirah

Stan, as with this car, when does one change the aged/yellowed Cam Pads?
Do they get brittle at some point?

Mrmerlin

First NOTE the pads dont usually break or cause running issues.
HOWEVER,
I would determine that after removal of the cam covers and taking into consideration miles,
and oil change frequency plus is it an auto or 5 speed.

On one hand you could say the pads need to be swapped due to age.

But I dont usually mess with them unless the heads are coming off,
or the engine has been overheated.

NOTE the auto is a less stressed engine VS a 5 speed,
so the pads could be expected to be more worn in a 5 sp.

Shirah

Interesting.
Thanks

karl ruiter

Lovely car with a rare and beautiful interior color. Congratulations. Rubber fuel lines and power steering high pressure hose are safety issues, so I suggest replacing those or at least removing them and inspecting them very very carefully. Also have a very careful look at all the big red wires forward of the firewall. Their coverings can degrade and also cause a fire hazard.

Vargleblaarg

@Shirah I took a close look at the cam chain guides and to my eye and touch they feel good. Sadly I don't have good records for the car as we didn't get much from her ex but all signs point to regular oil changes. I think I'll follow the advice of leaving them for now as the heads don't need to come off.

@karl ruiter I actually found a leak in a low pressure PS hose to the reservoir but the high pressure hoses look fine. I'll keep an eye on them but yeah I've seen videos and pics of 928s with awful PS hoses. The fuel lines I've touched are also good, at least for several more years. They're flexible and show no signs of cracks. The only line I've had to replace is the hard line at the fuel pump. Sadly, the interior seems to have suffered the most from dry rot.

@Gary Knox Good to know. I don't pretend to know what I'm doing but I do enjoy fixing as much as I can myself. If I get into a tight spot it's nice to know there are locals who can help.

Today I took inspiration from Porken and build my own lift bars. $80 for a piece of DOM 2" .125 wall and a few bucks more for some scrap steel. A friend has a CNC plasma table and cut some brackets for me. Just welded it up and I like it. Much nicer than the old fashioned method and far cheaper than a lift. Although, I have to say I'm a fan of the Quickjack 7000TL. I was able to borrow one for about a month when I got started with the car and it's a slick piece for the home gamer who doesn't have room for a full lift.

Vargleblaarg

Had some time to work on the 928 again today. Pulled the timing belt and discovered I need cam gears. Here's hoping Roger has the aftermarket ones in stock soon...

jschiller

If Roger can't get them within your allotted time frame, you might take a look at these:

https://www.machinoprime.com/product...-928-cam-gears

Mrmerlin

NOTE with the cam covers off ,
make sure the oil block off pins in the cam journals ,all 5 of them,
have been replaced to the updated version.
you also need loctite 574 sealant to reseal the cam caps.