Never remove your engine
12-15-2005, 02:41 PM
#33
Road Warrior
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Originally Posted by FlyingDog
uh oh... I'm in trouble aren't I?
don't want to spoil your kid too much now, hehehe 
besides, mine likes the Pcar - so assuming it doesn't become my coffin, he'll have something to work on (and spend his kids inheritence on, impress his GF's, and give his wife something to complain about, etc) ha! the 928 cycle of life!dont' worry H - a 928 motor R&R still seems easier than taking it apart or AT work, which require an alien w/warp drive experience IMO - so don't despair unless the trans starts leaking or the warp coils fall out!
12-16-2005, 02:50 PM
#36
Originally Posted by GlenL
Let me add that as an engineering manager I fight these battles continuously. Better to have something that works than to have the perfect result planned and part-way executed. Of course, the engineers don't all think like that and that's why I'm the boss!
12-16-2005, 02:51 PM
#37
928 Collector
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Thread Starter
Well you are in excellent bonehead company here 
... i have what i would call well above average experience as car owners go, at working on my 928's (I've worked on many of them too, let's see i've owned 10 or so?) Anyway even so, the car is SO complex that it is nearly impossible to not forget or break something. i leaned on my '85's engine the other day to pull the air filter. Guess what snapped ... that little vacuum nipple on the brake booster ... 
... so I used the nice fresh one from the recently -refreshed S4 .... which left .... a missing part .... so i ordered a new one .... but before i could receive it, I found that my new engine .... has one already hanging off a vac line 
.... 
... i have what i would call well above average experience as car owners go, at working on my 928's (I've worked on many of them too, let's see i've owned 10 or so?) Anyway even so, the car is SO complex that it is nearly impossible to not forget or break something. i leaned on my '85's engine the other day to pull the air filter. Guess what snapped ... that little vacuum nipple on the brake booster ... ... so I used the nice fresh one from the recently -refreshed S4 .... which left .... a missing part .... so i ordered a new one .... but before i could receive it, I found that my new engine .... has one already hanging off a vac line ....
12-16-2005, 04:38 PM
#38
Heinrich good thread, I have of course felt the pain, you are correct when you pull the engine out unless you're blind there is many things to change and restore. There is little credit given for this level of work or liitle appreciation of the costs. You start dropping $50 here $120 there. Especially if like me you have started to alter things.
E.g. is the thermo fans, new radiator, controller for the system. Then go and build a custom exhaust, so, so much time and money. I have also replated all the nuts and bolts. They look great but all this work seems never ending. When I have finished my custom headers I think the I will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
One last example of mods that become extremely time consuming. A retrofit of a true dual exhaust on my S2, the rear floor plan is different. I changed the battery box, but then discovered that the section under the rear seats has also been changed and all the piping running to the rea of the car has been rerouted too!
What a nightmare, it turns what is a fairly decent sized job into a very large and slow and costly one. Has anybody else ever done this particular job?
Cheers Greg
E.g. is the thermo fans, new radiator, controller for the system. Then go and build a custom exhaust, so, so much time and money. I have also replated all the nuts and bolts. They look great but all this work seems never ending. When I have finished my custom headers I think the I will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
One last example of mods that become extremely time consuming. A retrofit of a true dual exhaust on my S2, the rear floor plan is different. I changed the battery box, but then discovered that the section under the rear seats has also been changed and all the piping running to the rea of the car has been rerouted too!
What a nightmare, it turns what is a fairly decent sized job into a very large and slow and costly one. Has anybody else ever done this particular job?
Cheers Greg
12-16-2005, 05:50 PM
#39
Road Warrior
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I waited to do my exhaust beyond the xpipe till everything was installed - then I just flatbedded it to a decent muff shop to fab up the rest in 3" mandral bent stainless, added reasonators where they would fit best, tried to keep bends to a minimum... it was VERY tempting to just hammer up the rear floorpans and send a pipe out each side just in front of the rear wheel... but I chickened out due to potential noise, and keeping the stock look - all to avoid unnecessary attention from you know who. figured my driving style(or lack of) w/430hp would be enough to contend with
the battery box was a PITA to get around w/3" pipe, but it turned out amazingly well. the later cars really have a nice clean layout for duals underneath for sure. iirc, I may have a pic or two that might help a bit on my sharksite, greg - if not, I can email a rear shot to you.
I spent countless hours/beers cleaning every stinking part and powdercoated anything that looked like it would show - only to discover that after I changed my heads and intake - it was nearly all worthless except the x brace. fun, fun, fun!! then - I replaced that too w/a CF unit cause the friggin color didn't match the intake or valve covers properly. #$%&@! and then there was the new 0 mile paint job that got thrashed by the bozo that installed the big reds/S4 brake upgrades - which resulted in a court battle. I finally got tired of waiting and just repainted nearly the whole friggin car yet again just to be done w/it (alledgedly I'll be reimbursed someday). and I'll never forget the wiring messes from just sitting for 18mos and doing an R&R on the dash w/no way to test anything cause the motor and harness were all out at the time. oops, cant forget the heart attack when I realized the ECU swap wasn't such a breeze, and the time it wouldn't run long enough for a dyno run cause there was a bad harness that looked new and tested ok/but was apparently bad. so after spending more $$ than I could count trying to isolate the issue, I had to order a new harness from germany (along w/the usual 2 week delay that occured every time we noticed another part was missing, not compatible or bad). oh yeah, it's a hoot.
the up side was greg brown has the patience of a saint and the knowledge of 50 928 gurus combined- and he really "adjusted" his portion of the bill in a more than fair manner (after I turned green and passed out).
and then there is the realization that you can still change something for a few more ponies, after you think you are done. I'm looking at larger headers and TB already - and a sharktuner, because I've got sooooo much low end it'll never hook up. may as well shift some power to a place it can be used.
I can't imagine what sterling and Brendan went through if they moved in the middle of a project like this -my garage looked like a 928 chop shop. yep, they are a bugger to do right - but it's all worth it now, so don't give up!!! kinda like a divorce: u think it's a PITA that'll never end. but when it finally does - it's a brave new world and you just wonder what took you so long!!
the battery box was a PITA to get around w/3" pipe, but it turned out amazingly well. the later cars really have a nice clean layout for duals underneath for sure. iirc, I may have a pic or two that might help a bit on my sharksite, greg - if not, I can email a rear shot to you.
I spent countless hours/beers cleaning every stinking part and powdercoated anything that looked like it would show - only to discover that after I changed my heads and intake - it was nearly all worthless except the x brace. fun, fun, fun!! then - I replaced that too w/a CF unit cause the friggin color didn't match the intake or valve covers properly. #$%&@! and then there was the new 0 mile paint job that got thrashed by the bozo that installed the big reds/S4 brake upgrades - which resulted in a court battle. I finally got tired of waiting and just repainted nearly the whole friggin car yet again just to be done w/it (alledgedly I'll be reimbursed someday). and I'll never forget the wiring messes from just sitting for 18mos and doing an R&R on the dash w/no way to test anything cause the motor and harness were all out at the time. oops, cant forget the heart attack when I realized the ECU swap wasn't such a breeze, and the time it wouldn't run long enough for a dyno run cause there was a bad harness that looked new and tested ok/but was apparently bad. so after spending more $$ than I could count trying to isolate the issue, I had to order a new harness from germany (along w/the usual 2 week delay that occured every time we noticed another part was missing, not compatible or bad). oh yeah, it's a hoot.
the up side was greg brown has the patience of a saint and the knowledge of 50 928 gurus combined- and he really "adjusted" his portion of the bill in a more than fair manner (after I turned green and passed out).
and then there is the realization that you can still change something for a few more ponies, after you think you are done. I'm looking at larger headers and TB already - and a sharktuner, because I've got sooooo much low end it'll never hook up. may as well shift some power to a place it can be used.
I can't imagine what sterling and Brendan went through if they moved in the middle of a project like this -my garage looked like a 928 chop shop. yep, they are a bugger to do right - but it's all worth it now, so don't give up!!! kinda like a divorce: u think it's a PITA that'll never end. but when it finally does - it's a brave new world and you just wonder what took you so long!!
12-16-2005, 11:19 PM
#40
928 Collector
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Thread Starter
That dang exhaust does tend to get in the way, and cost SERIOUS much-needed PESOS!! all at the exact time you thought you'd finaly spent your last dime and solved the last problem 
all at the exact time you thought you'd finaly spent your last dime and solved the last problem
