yaskota

84 L 4.7 US

ok... I've combed the forum and just want to be sure...

I'm installing a new green wire.

Questions:
1) When attaching to distributor, does the distributor need to be removed? Or can the mounting bolt be loosened, distributor rotated, cap removed, and install completed (i.e. a partial removal)?

Also- do I need to follow TDC steps outlined in WSM (28-6) before both full or "partial" removal?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


Note: before installation, old green wire was found to be falling apart, but car would start and idle unsteadily between 700-1k sputtering for roughly 2 1/2 minutes before stalling. I'm in the process of troubleshooting that behavior.

LT Texan

I installed mine with the distributor out. But that was because it was already out. Don't recall thinking it needed to be out.

GlenL

No, the distributor doesn't need to be loosened or removed.

When you install it, use zip-ties to bind it to the top of the wiring harness bundle and away from the engine block and other metal parts.

yardpro

good looking car.

i may get flamed for this, but i really the pre s4 cars with the s4 wing...

I like the front end of the s3 the best.

my ideal would be an s3 with the rear bumper/ights of the s4... and a blown gts motor....lol

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

You will need to loosen and rotate the distributor, to access the fastening bolts. There is a plastic part that needs removal to install the new part.
Dave

yaskota

[1984 928 S, 4.7 L L-Jet, etc. that did start before this...]

Following up after finally getting a little time after finishing my midterms....


First of all- thank you all for the help. I really appreciate it and it did actually help. Here's what happened...

• Loosened mounting bolt to rotate distributor; in doing so I could only expose the first bracket (for green wire) screw and not the second.
• Realized one spark plug wire and a vacuum tube to the diaphragm looking thing on the distributor were inhibiting further rotation, so I popped them off (note: one, and only one, plug wire was removed).
• Connector at the spark plug was loose, and actually popped off, so I pressed it back on.
• Still not able to rotate, so I removed mounting bolt and gently rotated distributor (approx 1 inch cw) until 2nd mounting screw was visible. Also had to loosen nearest spring loaded distributor cap screw (?) to facilitate removal of green wire & bracket but did not lift cap and actually had one hand on it while completing the job until I could tighten cap screw again.
• Removed bracket & green wire, installed new one (with the black not-needed attachment that comes w/wire removed), re-attached bracket, re-seated spring-loaded screw, zip tied green wire in same spots as previous install, re-attached vacuum hose and plug wire on distributor, reinserted mounting bolt and rotated distributor back to it's original position and finished tightening bolt.

All done right? Um... no...

Switched battery cutoff back into on position and (yes, I sure did) tried to start car. Result: click, whir whir, and a ratcheting sound that- to me- sounds like the starter "turning" (if that's indeed what it does- obviously I am not a wrench!). Of course, it does not start.

Battery is awesome. I, however, have my moments...

In addition, I noticed a single tube directly below the area where I was working that was poking up (towards sky) but is not attached to anything.

So, gentlemen (& ladies, I presume)- once you're done laughing (it's totally ok!), I'd love to know just what I have- or may have- f'd up.

Yes, I have the manual downloads so I will look at them (after coffee Sunday morning) to see what they say, but I'm guessing I'll have to do some adjusting (timing?), involving at least a few steps in the WSM.

The worst part of this? I don't have any beer! (But I do have a little Maker's ;-)

PS: I will post pictures in the morning too.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

You know I did this "simple" job a few months ago. You cannot get to the two bolts holding the green wire without rotating the distributor. I did this by removing the dist. cap and rotating the body. Worse case is you may have lifted the distributor and jumped the gear to a new position on the cam shaft drive gear. If you can rotate the engine until the crankshaft marker is at TDC, the dist. rotor should point at a notch in the distributor in the direction of the number one plug.
On the other hand, if the car has been sitting for a while, maybe you just need to crank it a little longer to build fuel pressure.
It is frustrating, but you will get it. BTW I just looked at my 84 to see what black tube could be there. Is it possible the coil wire got disconnected and is hanging down?
Good luck,
Dave

Fogey1

"click, whir whir, and a ratcheting sound" sounds like a low battery to me.

This is a decent article on how starters work, with some pix:
http://www.2carpros.com/articles/how...solenoid-works

To me, the "click" would be the bendix being levered forward to try to engage it with the toothed ring on the flywheel. The "whir, whir and ratcheting" is the demonstration that the battery didn't have enough power to lever the bendix all the way into that engagement, but that the bendix had moved far enough to allow the starter to spin, making the bendix gear chatter against the toothed ring.

You can verify whether I'm right or wrong by trying it with the hood open and seeing if the engine rotates while these noises occur.

If it were me, I'd charge the battery.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

I think Will has the best idea. It wouldn't hurt to charge the battery for a few hours.
Good luck,
Dave

yaskota

Catching up- I'm in Hawaii and even though it's after 1PM, it's still- technical- morning...

I really don't think it's the battery as car started just fine before doing this work (brand new Interstate and I have a cutoff switch that I use anytime I'm in the car and not doing any electrical work). However, I do have a good charger (that I'm also using for my MC battery at the moment). So I won't rule the battery out just yet, but I would be quite surprised.

I have reviewed the WSM for distributor installation/removal and adjusting timing if necessary. I have reason to believe, too, that the unknown tube is actually the retard vacuum connection for the vacuum unit. Very easy for me to have missed that and according to p. 28-24 it's in just the right spot.

That said, thanks again to you both and here I go!


Also- Yardpro. thank you & I look the looks- front & rear- of this particular MY with the S4 wing quite a bit myself. Eleonore performed quite well when I was bringing her home- but yes, I have dreams (only dreams, at the moment) of putting on a SC from 928 Motorsports. I've got plenty to do before that happens though...

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Vacuum advance tube disconnected will not prevent starting. Sorry

yaskota

I guessed that, but I still don't know where this goes (tube near center of image). Only one nipple on distributor vacuum thing...

yaskota

More pictures... Next up is pulling out WSM to see how (I.e. Physically as turning gear in image is not happening... yet.). I did, however spot a hose that needs replacing. I forget what it's called but it's a vacuum hose that connects to DS of plenum. (Replacement hoses & plug wires already ordered and en route...)

yaskota

Short version: Not done yet...

Longer version:

Well, I'm still trying to find a "better way" to rotate the cam sprocket(s) (cw) to get #1 TDC. I should probably add that after experiencing a spinal cord injury last March, I've only been walking (w/forearm crutches) since Thanksgiving. Plus, when removing two hoses so I could get better access to the cam sprocket covers, I happened to spill just enough coolant to prevent me from getting anything even resembling traction with my feet- which I still don't have 100% control of to begin with. So... putting enough oompf into turning the sprocket is, well, interesting. I did get the marker moved closer to being inline- from the 7 o'clock to maybe 9 o'clock- but it's not there yet. But it will be.

Sure enough neighbor (I bought car from) happened by and asked "Do you have it in neutral?" _I_ do not know if that mattered, but Eleonore is in neutral now! He also suggested rotating the (blank) sprocket/gear (largest one) instead. (Hmmm...if I can reach it without face planting, I'll certainly give it a try!)

So... a little bit of reading for me- especially since the page I really want out of the WSM (24-122) is missing out of the digital copy I have downloaded. So... gonna look into that on Monday, too.

Gotta say though, even though I haven't really done any serious engine work since high school- some 20+ years ago- this has actually been kinda fun. And it's also helping me make sure I have the proper tools- you know, like a 3/8" drive socket set and a 1/2" torque wrench. (Ooops.) Still, I'm enjoying this.

And thanks again for the help y'all. And Will- that write-up was actually pretty interesting- makes me want to get the Bosche manual I've seen on the Big 3-ish.

Out of pure curiosity for the "where does this go?" hose, I'm going to post it as my random 928 picture - but will try to track it down in the PET (PET?) and WSM too. And also that vacuum tube that attaches to the plenum between 7 & 8.

Good night y'all and enjoy your week! And - if your 928 is currently driveable, please put a few miles on for me.


-tom

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Hi,
Looks like you have taken a few things apart. First of all, to rotate the engine to TDC, put car in neutral, and with a 27 mm socket and 1/2" bar turn the crank pulley nut, inside the accessory belt pulley stack, in the clockwise direction facing the car. You should see marks on the orange harmonic balancer and when you see marks like 1/0, T/C, 1/0, 2/0. When you get the pointer above the marks pointing at T/C, you can set your distributor rotor to the notch marking number one, and drop the distributor back in the cam tower. Then you can hand turn the crank pulley a few times to see it coming back to the notch when the T?C mark comes up. Ultimately, whenyou have the car back together and running you will need a timing light to set the timing for best running, starting, etc.
Good luck,
Dave
PS I still cannot make out the tube in question.