...but I was under the impression that one should purchase a set of the factory shop manuals prior to doing any major or extensive work on their 928. So that was one of the first big purchases I made. I was so excited when they finally arrived and when I opened the box I thought they would be full of all of this useful information that would help me out with my restoration on my '85.

That was about a month ago.

I've had several other cars and owned the corresponding factory shop manuals so I could do some work on them as well. For my old Cabrio I had a Bentley manual, and the Miata shop manual comes from Helm Inc.

The service manuals for the 928 are by far the worst service manuals I've ever seen/used/owned. For being "complete" they certainly don't seem complete. There are many little bits and pieces of info that seem to have been left out. And it's not because the manual was sent to me incomplete, it's because whoever wrote it didn't deem it necessary to include some things. I had a part go bad last week. This part was called a water pressure switch. Does anybody know what a water pressure switch does, because I certainly don't. The manual certainly didn't make any mention of it. Sadly, I doubt even a Porsche mechanic knows what this thing does. They couldn't even be bothered to put a blow-up of the cooling system in the book.

This week's complaint is that I need to remove the intake manifold so I can clean and refresh all of the seals underneath. So I turn to the shop manuals for some guidance and find there's none to be had. So it looks like I'm going to fly blind on this one as well.

Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud, and thinking of some more useful things I could have bought with the $450 I spent on these manuals.

 

I have access to a copy in my workshop, and can't clarify very well the springs thing either. I also think it's a mess, but honestly I hardly ever used WSM from other cars, so I can't compare.

Anyway, there is plenty of useful info that helps a lot, even with all defects I think its a great tool.

 

It's the black thing in the small hose that goes to the top if the radiator about 3" in front of the expansion tank.

You're right about the WSM - it wasn't written for the DiY mechanic like a haynes or bentley manual It was written for factory trained mechanics to use, hence all the "simple" stuff like how to remove the engine is reduced to a one liner - disconnect everything attaching engine to car, lift engine out!

Fortunately we now have the benefit of numerous websites detailing others experiences and shortcuts they have invented to assist us. We are probably now blessed with more info than the average Dealer mechanic ever had despite his/her training.

 

I still remember my disappointment when I checked my new Factory Workshop Manual set for info on replacing the motor mounts on my new '86 years ago - the manual doesn't even mention motor mounts...

As Jon says, the manuals aren't intended for us. Porsche did not and does not really want DIY owners working on their cars. The dealers had dozens of other books and videos that showed the info missing from the shop manual.

If you contact Jim Morehouse, and get the full set of 928 tech info CDs that he has prepared, you will have much of that info! There are booklets that describe the construction and operation of the car, booklets on testing the injection system, the HVAC system, etc. There are booklets on the changes that were made in the car each year. Enough info to keep you engrossed for weeks, and the best money that you will ever spend on your 928.

A PM (Private Message) to Jim will get his attention.

 

One thing I have noticed about the manuals is the fact they use different terms than normal human beings.. It has never ceased to amaze me how they reword the same part 3 or 4 times bepending on what the job entails doing.. I've seen the oil pressure sensor also call the pressure sending unit along with a few other things... Overall though if you have a bit of mechanic in your blood you can fill the gaps with your eyes in figuring out whtat goes where and does what...

 

Thanks to this forum, I never really felt the need to get manuals for my first 928. And when I get another one, where will I turn for information? No hesitation, right here.

This is the best car-nut community on teh intraweb for high-level technical support.

Now I might get the manuals anyway, being the kind of nutcase who reads such things for entertainment, but when it comes down to the real world of being knee-deep into a Germanically complex mechanical contraption with a wrench in my hand, I tend to trust advice from experience more than theoretical information.


And of course: installation is the reverse of removal. Lower engine into car and re-connect everything. Voila! You're done, now it's beer-thirty.

 

Wally,

I'll second that.

I just got the set of CDs from Jim the other day and I've been cruising through them since then. LOTS of great stuff. I especially like the video showing the TB/WP replacement party. ("...then you transfer this over to the new water pump. This is where the orange thing goes, not the flywheel, you know the orange thing that shows the degrees and stuff...")

I laughed, but I know I'll watch it several more times before I go in and do my own for the first time next month. It shows what to expect in the real world like stuck gears and difficult seals and how to deal with them. The WSM is informative, but this furum and Jim's CDs and the references on them show how to work on a 20 something year old car, not what it looked like when it was designed.

 

I agree with Wally about the Morehouse stuff. I have the manuals and Jim's stuff, and I use them both. Yeah it id like translating hyroglyphics (sp?) but try using a TR6 shop manual if you want to be sent on a wild goose chase........!!!!!

 

The WSM has its good and bad points. Porsche managed to fill up 9 volumes with something. I can't say I've owned another car with that much informtion in a WSM. Most of the time I've been stuck with Haynes guides. Despite the WSM shortcomings, I start there when I go to do a job. I hunt around for relevant info (that can be an adventure due to the non-linear organization of some sections), copy those pages, add pages from any of the Morehouse CD technical publications, message threads here and all of our helpful tip sites and put them in a manilla folder. Those folders have gradually filled a file cabinet drawer. If you do not include the WSM somewhere in your information base, you could be in some trouble on some jobs.

 

BTW, that pressure sensor only affects how coolant level warnings are displayed. More info is in the tech docs CD. I had posted more info in a thread on this a while back -- will do a search for it later. But don't worry, that sensor has nothing to do with how anything important works, i.e. it will not affect operation or cooling.

 

If coolant is spewing out of it, I can assure you, it will have a negative impact.

Anyway, so who is it I get these special CDs from? And what's his screen name so I can PM him?

 

JHowell, you are quite right. The factory WSM is not intended for the home mechanic and assumes that you already know a whole bunch of stuff in that it does not take you step by step thru any repair like other WSM's do. However, it is what it is. Together with this form you can do just about any repair.

 

I am going to be pulling the motor out of my 1980 AT US. After reading this thread, I think I need to get these cds. How much are they going for?

 

Just make sure you search the forums before you do anything.

When I needed to replace my driver's side mirror I checked the WSM and read that you're supposed to pry the old one off with a putty knife. That may have once been true. By the time they built my car the procedure was entirely different, but the manuals were never updated.

 

The paper WSM is nice if you want to see the detail in the photos, which scans lose. It's also nice if you get an original set, with updates, as some of the early original pages are replaced by newer info, sometimes losing the specific info for the oldest cars.

I managed to get an early original off eBay for $100, with separate uninserted updates to 86, which works perfectly for me.