Big Dave

Other than motor mounts, new oilpan gasket, head gaskets and cam cover gaskets, what stuff should be done when the engine is out? I'm trying to make a list of things that I'll regret not doing after it goes back in (it's not even out yet, I'm just trying to make a list).

shaaark89

if the pan is off, look at the rod bearings and mains. rod bearings would be relatively easy to replace, mains not so easy.

docmirror

Jeez, engine out, heads off? Do the bearings, rings and rod bushings. R&R the valves and call it a new engine.... I thought we were on a 'how little' to do it right trend.

bergstsm

Replace the rod nuts??
Front main seal.
Intake gaskets - after you powder coat that bad boy.

Mebbe the hoses underneath the coolant overflow tank. Cant get to them otherwise, unless you are a contortionist. Wanna know why? Cuz if they leak, they might flow down through the car onto the brake caliper like it does on mine. Very safe! <lol>

BTW, a shiny new engine hoist is $179 at Harbor Freight in Flint. Run that one by the wife unit.

Big Dave

We still are on a "how little" to do it right trend. I know my oil pan gasket was leaking, and I know my motor mounts were sagging. So it would be stupid not to replace those. If the cam covers and heads come off, those gaskets need to be replaced. The engine performed very well before all of this, so I doubt I'll go as deep as replacing rings or bearings unless it's cheap (yeah right).

The air pump will be coming off for good. It was already disconnected due to the cat bypass, and its belt was eliminated. I already know the steering rack is fine. No fluid leaks there at all, and the tie rods were replaced in the Spring. The boots are new, and the old ones had very little moisture inside them.

If the hood is coming off to pull the engine, I guess I'll have the space to pull and clean the HVAC blower....a freebie. Once the engine is detailed, I have to replace the crumbling hood liner. Purists be damned...I'll go with the foil-like cheaper alternative if the OEM liner is much more expensive.

rob rossitto

OEM hood liner at 928 SP was not much/maybe around $100 or so, it's an OEM stick on, getting the old one off is the bugger...ck out http://www.autohausaz.com/index.html ... free shipping, no tax, lots of misc stuff...crappy cust svc compared to big 3, but good savings if you are internet savvy...hoses, clamps, gaskets - get the set it's cheaper than individually...bearings, but ya know, fresh rings are not too hard to get to at that point, and once the crank is out...

as jim b. warned once (and I laughed, but no more), "it's a slippery slope"... mine started out as a "re-seal", morphed into a stroker...good news is if you start now, it might be done in time for your kids when they are ready to drive...just make'em help out, and really put their backs into it - they can hold the motor or car up while you wrench it...maybe even get jobs and help pay for it...call it a "family" project...don't let their whining get to you, it's just a ploy for mom to save'em...

Garth S

Dave,
Before that engine stand arrives and the intake is sent out for powder coating, I hope there remains a finite chance that no valves are bent. That you will soon determine ....
Even before that, have you any more thoughts and observations on why and how this has happened? The pivot bolt is distorted, but is this a primary cause, or a casuality of something else that went wrong?
Too many questions come to mind, but a few are - is the pump bolt hole cross threaded, are the pump boss shoulders at right angles to the hole, does the new pivot bolt thread in correctly all by itself, in what shape are the carrier arm bushings , was the correct carrier arm installed ( have seen the wrong one in), did the old pivot bolt start to seperate at the shoulder, is the tensioner roller OK, etc., etc. ??? ...
Anyway, you get the point - before doing as little as replacing the belt to be on the road again all the way to replacing heads prior to motoring on - why did this happen? Perhaps knowing this will keep 'it' from happening again.. The actual cause may simply be a bolt failure - and remain as uncomplicated as that, but I can't help but be curious it there is anything else of value to learn.
In the weeks/months preceeding this, the TB had been retensioned 2-3 times, presumably using the 'Kempf' tool: Any recollection of how much the tensioner adjuster bolt was turned at these times? Depends on the belt manufacturer, but often, 1/4 turn will bring a belt back to 'tension' : with a thread pitch of 1.25 -1.5mm IIRC, it would take 2-3 turns to account for the aparent bend in the pivot bolt. Also, with the amount of belt shavings - even in the air filter - the belt was likely chewing away for some time, the 'teeth' being the pump pulley and the crank gear guide plates.
Now that the patient is clean, perhaps some additional indication of the failure mode will have caught your eagle eye ...

TroppoShark

Dave,

I'm so pleased to see that you're getting on top of the 'bugs' that have plagued you in the last few days. (Wasn't it Einstein who said 'out of every catastrophe comes opportunity'...?)

May your slogan continue to be "kills bugs fast"

And may you keep steering from "bugs kill fast"...

May the BWAAAAAHHHHHH be with you...

Phill

Big Dave

I briefly discussed the tensioner bolt with 928 International when I ordered the new one. Tom told me that over-torque-ing the bolt can cause it to bend. The threaded portion still screws in cleanly.

Shane

Well hell as long as your doing all that might as well go over to Dozmans' and grab his twin screw and bolt her onto yours!

Bill Coleman

Dave,

About the RX-8... why not just get winter tires for it? That's what you did with your 928 after all, isn't it? How can driving an RX-8 in the winter be any worse than driving a 928?

I'm maybe looking for a new winter car myself. As much as I love my Audi S4, I can't afford any big repair bills for the next couple years (after all, that's what the 928 is for). So I'm shopping for something with AWD and preferable with maintenance included.

My first choice is a new A4 - my wife has a '01 A4 Avant sport that we both love. If you can find a 2004 model they've got a $329/mo lease right now.

Another one I'm thinking of is a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT - 250hp AWD just like my S4, though I don't know how similar they are beyond that. They had a $299/mo lease deal but it may have expired yesterday. I'm also considering a low end Imprezza RS ($185/mo!) but while that might make a decent winter commuter that may be about all it's good for.

Another one I'm interested in is the new Volvo S4 - rave reviews and decent leases on the low end, although once you get into the 2.4t w/AWD I don't know how affordable they would be.

I was actually thinking about a BMW X3 - the Ann Arbor dealership was advertising them for $269/mo but when I called they said they were all out of that model (surprise!) but then they ran the same ad again this past Sunday. Bait and switch???

For me it's going to come down to what I can get for my S4. If I don't get a good trade-in offer I may try selling it myself (anyone want a good but not perfect S4 for $20k?) or just keep driving my old but reliable 1991 Honda Accord - maybe with a new set of snow tires this winter...

Big Dave

Exactly what I was thinking. I've left a message for the sales guy asking him if they're willing to swap all-season tires on there if they want the sale. After all, they should be selling cars with tires suitable for Michigan. We'll see what he's got to say.

Imo000

Leaseing a vehicle is a waste of money. Just buy it and enjoy it! The quailty of new wehicles now days is so high that major repairs don't happen till well over 100K miles.

Big Dave

I disagree. The lease I'm considering is for 2 years. The payments to lease will be 1/2 or less than what I'd pay to buy the car. Plus, in 2 years I expect my 928 will be road-worthy (or replaced with another 928), so I can drop the car off and select something else or nothing at all.

My dad sold cars for 20 years. We discussed this topic numerous times. Whether leasing is better than buying depends on the goals of the buyer and the specific terms of the deal. In this case, my goals point toward leasing, and the deal terms (assuming they haven't gotten worse now that September has arrived) are fantastic.

Bill Coleman

Imo -

In general I agree with you, but it depends on the lease. You have to look at the sum of the down payment, the lease payments, and the residual and compare it to the cost of buying it. In the case of the A4 lease it's pretty much a wash - depending on how you work the numbers of course.