Alan

Here are a few pics of the tap - now its smaller...

Alan

Randy V

This is a fantastic example of the 928 community coming together to solve a common problem.

Keep it up lads!

dr bob

Alan--

Could you add me to the list for no earlier than mid-January or so? I have some Dremel work to do to get the broken Allen out of the bolt before I drill and need the tap. No hurry....

Anybody else in the L.A. basin need theirs done too? The lift brings all the work up to handy eye-level range, much easier than trying to grind and drill while laying on the ground. Do the pre-work here at your convenience, then the tap for clean-up when it gets here.

Thanks Alan for coordinating this program!

Alan

Dr Bob - send me PM detrails and I will put you on the end of the list - unless many others deferr it will be well after Jan. Seem it usually takes between 3-4 weeks to turn this around on average, best case so far is ~2 weeks per user.

Great idea to set up a local use session - highly encouraged! - gets more cars done, likely better expertise/tools for most and costs less for everyone.

I'd prefer not to set up a local "pass around" only because it takes longer and I lose track of where it is and when to expect it back.

Alan

dr bob

PM Sent.

For those in the L.A. basin who may want help with their stuck tow-eye plugs, all the other tools (drills, Dremel, etc. are here, except the tap for final clean-up.

I spent a couple hours on mine last evening, mostly on removing the broken-off Allen impact driver that was twisted off in the aluminum plug end. It's a LOT easier with the car up at a handy height, so I can work sitting in the bar chair with plenty of light. I drilled a series of 1/8" holes through the aluminum around the broken end of the Allen bit, then cleaned te remaining webbing until the end of the bit was free enough to extract with needle-nose Vise-Grips. Then left-hand bits up to 1/2", hoping the plug would come out. But no luck. Next is a large screw extractor as a last faint hope for pulling the aluminum plug intact. I don't have big expectations since the aluminum will expand in the hole with the pressure from the extractor. Next step then is a 5/8" drill, then try to pull as much aluminum out as possible in advance of using the tap to do a final cleaning and straightening of the threads.

fraggle

I drilled and drilled then whacked it with a chisel. Took forever.

Alan

Updated List is now: (if you are on this list I have your details no action needed to stay there).

If you want to be added to this list please PM me your contact info: name, email, address, phone.

1 CraigL (St. Louis) -> $50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 2/7/12 -> Delivered 2/10/2012 -> Craig $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
- 1a byrdman454 (St. Louis) Sent Back 2/21/12, Rcvd 2/23/12
2 AO (Nr. Detroit) - >$50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 2/26/12 Rcvd 3/24/12, Andrew $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
3 Whitesands (Florida Panhandle) >$50 Rcvd - Tap sent 3/26/12, Rcvd 4/06/12 Ivan $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
4 90 S-4 (OC - California) $50 Rcvd - Tap sent 4/7/12, Delivered 4/9/12, Joe $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
- 4a Rob Edwards (Irvine CA) Sent Back 4/11/12, Rcvd 4/13/12
5 jthwan22 (Central NJ) $50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 4/13/12, Delivered 4/16/12, Rcvd 4/23/12 James $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
6 Donald (Houston Area) $50 Rcvd, Re-Sent 10/23/12 - Repair done! Rcvd 11/19/12 Donald $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
7 fraggle (Northern VA) $50 Rcvd... Tap Sent 11/20/12 Delivered 11/23/12 Rcvd 12/17/12 Michael $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
8 auzivision (Indianapolis) $50 Rcvd, Tap sent 12/20/12
9 M928 (Niagara County NY)
10 shadowknight (Clearwater FL)
11 Ed Scherer (Nr Kansas City)
12 Stromius (Bellevue WA)
13 Dr Bob (Glendale, CA)

Dr Bob has been added - he will be co-ordinating a "group fix it session" in the LA area - contact him to get updates as we get closer - probably in about 3 months time...

Gary & Ed have agreed to let Mark go ahead of them because he has a pressing need to use this - the list now reflects this change... thanks guys!

To the rest of you on the list - if you can do the same and set up a local "group fix it session" - we can publicise it here in advance... the only thing we can't do until much closer is tie down the exact date...

Goal here is to get cars fixed - thats all...

The more we can do, in the same time, at the least cost to all - the better...

Not sure if you need this ? - go out & see if you can remove your front towing eye bung - don't wait till you need it in an emergency...!

Please take pictures & make notes on results & techniques - & post back here...

Alan

jthwan22

see post 97 on how I remove broken allen key and stuck tow plug

TheoJ

big drill, some sanding with the dremel, steel toothpick and a lot of patience.... done this a few times now. Never liked the job

Any good ideas on how to close it so that water does not enter again? It seems to be open on the rear side too and I think a pool of water on that side made the Aluminum plug corrode that badly.

regards
Theo

jpitman2

There is a large rubber plug around that does the job nicely - like a large black baby's dummy/comforter. Do a search, maybe back early in this thread. IIRC somebody in Oz found one in a ship chandler.
jp 83 Euro S AT 54k

Alan

It's the stock GTS rubber bung (pacifier/dummy) - Roger sells them - they are quite cheap!

Alan

Alan

Updated List is now: (if you are on this list I have your details no action needed to stay there).

If you want to be added to this list please PM me your contact info: name, email, address, phone.

1 CraigL (St. Louis) -> $50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 2/7/12 -> Delivered 2/10/2012 -> Craig $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
- 1a byrdman454 (St. Louis) Sent Back 2/21/12, Rcvd 2/23/12
2 AO (Nr. Detroit) - >$50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 2/26/12 Rcvd 3/24/12, Andrew $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
3 Whitesands (Florida Panhandle) >$50 Rcvd - Tap sent 3/26/12, Rcvd 4/06/12 Ivan $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
4 90 S-4 (OC - California) $50 Rcvd - Tap sent 4/7/12, Delivered 4/9/12, Joe $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
- 4a Rob Edwards (Irvine CA) Sent Back 4/11/12, Rcvd 4/13/12
5 jthwan22 (Central NJ) $50 Rcvd - Tap Sent 4/13/12, Delivered 4/16/12, Rcvd 4/23/12 James $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
6 Donald (Houston Area) $50 Rcvd, Re-Sent 10/23/12 - Repair done! Rcvd 11/19/12 Donald $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal.
7 fraggle (Northern VA) $50 Rcvd... Tap Sent 11/20/12 Delivered 11/23/12 Rcvd 12/17/12 Michael $32.20 (gross) refunded to your Paypal
8 auzivision (Indianapolis) $50 Rcvd, Tap sent 12/20/12
9 M928 (Niagara County NY)
10 shadowknight (Clearwater FL)
11 Ed Scherer (Nr Kansas City)
12 Stromius (Bellevue WA)
13 Dr Bob (Glendale, CA)
14 Ammonman (Springdale, AR)

To the rest of you on the list - if you can set up a local "group fix it session" - we can publicize it here in advance... the only thing we can't do until much closer is tie down the exact date...

Goal here is to get cars fixed - that's all...

The more we can do, in the same time, at the least cost to all - the better...

Not sure if you need this ? - go out & see if you can remove your front towing eye bung - don't wait till you need it in an emergency...!

Please take pictures & make notes on results & techniques - & post back here...

Alan

auzivision

Success... I'll post some pictures later.

Anyone else in Indy want to borrow before I ship back?

dr bob

Looks like folks are hanging on on to the tool for 3-4 weeks each. That means it should be in Glendale (Los Angeles area) sometime in April or so. It's not too soon to get pre-work done on your car here if you have a plug that's frozen in the eye socket. I'll plan and announce a final clean-out schedule as we get closer to actually having the tap. It's my intention to just do final thread cleaning on all the cars in one session, so we can accelerate the return of the tool to the next user. If you'd like to participate in this clinic, contact me by PM well in advance so we can get your drilling done and the car prep'd in advance of the final thread cleaning clinic.

-----

A few weeks ago, I posted about the fuel pump relay failure and getting stranded at the end of the driveway. Some local folks have been here, and know that the end of the driveway is 1500 feet from the garage, and includes some interesting elevation changes. I hadn't given much thought to ever needing to tow the car. With the front socket unavailable, we ended up towing it backwards up the hill and then down to the garage. Not a fatal problem, but it was immediately a front-burner concern. Many of us keep our cars in always-ready condition, but that doesn't mean you'll never need to tow the car yourself or have it flat-bedded when something like this happens. Food for thought?

jpitman2

I had to flat bed mine home once - fuel pump failure , jammed on a foreign body- and I did not enjoy it at all. Its worst with an S and their front spoiler IMHO. Mine suffered somewhat, but I found somebody who could repair that type of plastic, and since I got it back to spec ride height, it hasnt met any more obstacles, touch wood.
jp 83 Euro S AT 54k