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The steering rack, motor mounts, and oil pan gasket are finally getting replaced. Two sizes of breaker/ cheater bars are your friends here.

Yesterday, I leisurely worked for about five hours getting the steering rack off.

Today, I worked for about four hours getting the cross member off after staring at it for about ten minutes wondering if it REALLY had to come off. Luckily, I only had to Dremel one tiny bolt holding the smaller harness to the top of the cross member. I think I may weld threaded gussets onto the cross member and cut it into thirds like Carl Fausett's. I would at least be able to look forward to something if I am ever in there again.

My heat shields are toast. Can I run without them, or would the motor mounts get too hot? I may try to source large diameter firesleeve to slip over the mounts...

I have disassembled so much, but I am only a third of the way through this job. I love my 928 most of the time, but I hate it with a passion as soon as the jack stands go underneath. I can't wait to button everything back up and banish that part of the car back to red hot header hell.

Jadz928

You must find oneness with the process. You will respect the car more when it gives back to you.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Then congratulate yourself for digging in and doing it yourself.

Mrmerlin

get a hold of a used set of heat shields otherwise you will be doing this job again
928INTL has them

Bertrand Daoust

+1.
All the time that you will spend on your car will make you understand how they are build and make you realise that it is a "super car".
The 928 was and still is a very unique car. Like all exotic cars.

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You guys are like the Dr. Phils of 928 ownership.

rdisney

Everybody loves a rose. Will you be thankful for the thorns?

17prospective buyer

It's not a Chevy, Mustang, etc.

Its addictive working on 928s, oh and you'll get very familiar with taking 3 things out to get to one, which will then lead you into more "well its removed, mi'as well R&R it while im in here" jobs.

SQLGuy

I think the next support group meeting is at the Wichita Hyatt bar Thursday evening...

Good luck with the project - meaning, hopefully you'll find no broken mounting tabs or badly frozen bolts. It's worthwhile, and I expect you'll be very happy and proud of the results once it's done.

BTW, did you actually remove the rack, or was that just to get it free of the crossmember? From what I remember, it doesn't have to be removed, though things are probably easier with it out of the way.

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The rack has had a pretty bad leak I have dealt with since I first got the car. I bought it sight unseen off eBay. Definitely not smart to do, but at least, in my hands, it's one more 928 still on the road. They claimed it had a rebuilt transmission, ect... It was all a lie. I think the motor has over 200,000 miles on it. The odometer has been stopped since ~99k. I know I have put another 50k miles on the car minimum. The previous owner told me it may have between 120k and 140k. The world may never know. I'll dig into the odometer one day.

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Before curing.



After curing.



I'll try to remember to take some pictures before I coat them while they are wired to the racks when I do the cross member. Old ovens are awesome. The parts wouldn't all fit in my furnace at once.

Bertrand Daoust

Cool!

Yes old ovens are nice.
I did my calipers in the home ovens.. While the wife was away... She never noticed anything...
But won't do it again... I think.

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That is so funny. You know she would say it would leave fumes, make the food taste bad, ect..., but it's really a clean process.

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Here is the firesleeve I used to protect my motor mounts instead of reusing the rusted out heat shields.

I bought 4.5" and 5" inside diameter, but I could have went with a smaller diameter, because the firesleeve acts like a Chinese finger trap. When you push the ends together, it increases diameter exponentially, but you may have to buy a longer length. I got a foot of each. It helps to have extra air space for insulation anyway.

It is coated with vermiculite from the factory. It can withstand 1500F continuously and 2000F intermittently.

I coated it with silicone dip, from the same company, that I thinned with xylene. The silicone stops liquids from wicking into the fibers, and it helps with abrasion resistance.

I got the firesleeve from AB Thermal Technologies. Expect a three to four week lead time.

Before coating with silicone:


After coating:


Here you can see the two individual sleeves layered.




On the crossmember:


DIY three piece crossmember:

the flyin' scotsman

and we all attended to listen as Roger, Jim et al read from the WSM and joined in the 928 lovefest

The worse job I can imagine is parting her out due to unforseen accident........what you're doing is a labour of love and from the pics you're doing a mighty fine job.

another 928 being loved

depami

Very cool. Those parts look awsome!

By the before and after oven shots, I assume that is powder coat. What are you using? Show us your set up.

Good job and keep the pictures coming.