bureau13

I have had Roger's Volvo mounts, silicone pan gasket and steering rack boots/bushings sitting in a box for almost six months now. My mounts are pretty clearly shot, but most of the idle vibration I originally noticed was cleaned up by new injectors. Also, I had planned on doing it on my friend's lift, but (a) there hasn't been time, and (b) I think that job might be asking a bit much to take over someone's lift. It's not like two guys who have never done that job are guaranteed to finish it in an afternoon (more likely NOT to finish it).

So...given that I have the parts, and assuming one of the two Porsche specialists down here who I know have worked on these cars will do the job with my parts...what should I expect to pay?

This solution is clearly not ideal, and I'm not convinced it's the way to go yet....I'd be missing a lot of learning opportunities, and the chance to find/fix some WYAIT stuff, of which I'm sure there are plenty. Still...short of buying a scissor lift (the only kind that will fit in my garage) I'm not sure how else to tackle it. I'm not doing this on jack stands...

jeff spahn

Get your car up here in Dubuque and I'll do it for $100 and you will help. Bring the engine holder cradle in
Dwayne's write-up. I gave mine away.

soontobered84

That's mighty nice of you, Jeff

Speedtoys

That'll be 6-10hrs of someones day..depending...more if this is all new to them.

dr bob

Many many 928 MM/OPG jobs have been done on jackstands on the garage floor. I wouldn't put 'not having a lift' on the list of insurmountable obsticulations for the job. It's just not as fun.

After helping/watching/learning once with a car on a lift, I went home and put my car on stands in my garage and just started doing the job. I didn't do all the precleaning and seriously regretted that when I got into it. Except for the mess though, nothing was really tough. It just seems like a lot of work. I did the final assembly starting the second day in a few hours, after 8 hours or so of casual disassembly and cleaning the first day. Sump was back on by the end of the first day, but the crossmember and suspension were still on the floor or dangling.

Meanwhile... Teams of experts in Texas gang up on the job on a lift and knock everything out faster than you can believe. It's like a symphony watching everyone working on all the things at the same time.

dr bob

Or road-trip it to Iowa while the roads are still open. No hurricanes in the Midwest right now, so it's a great time to take a fall-colors tour north and a little west.

ALKada

In 8 hrs, we changed motor mounts and re welded a body mount point on one car, flushed and replaced a trans filter and pan gasket on another and then did my steering rack bushings. There were four of us, one lift and it was like a Porsche assembly line....

docmirror

The "A" answer. Well, it depends. How much ancillary work do you want done while the main job is going on? Most people clean like crazy once it's up in the air. Since we are amateurs at this stuff, it doesn't matter how much **** retentive time we spend on the little things. So, if you pay a semi-qualified indie shop to do the mounts, OPG, rack bushings and boots I can say it's gonna be about 12-15 hours of flag time. Figure $75/hour shop rates and you're looking at a cool grand or better. Don't forget oil, filter, and rack fluid change.

The "B" answer. I'm pretty sure if you brings steaks, beer, fresh fish and beer, (did I mention beer?) up to the DFW area, and ask real nice, either Rog or Brad will have a day or two open on the rack and we can knock it out while telling lies about our wives. You will be required to bbq, and keep the beer flowing though. Pretty sure you'll find something else to spend money on while you are in the mecca of 928s, but Rog will help you out with that. Then, you can drive home in high speed comfort, a thousand richer, but steak and beer poorer. I advise a first wknd in the month so that you can attend the festive 928 bkfst. If I had a lift, you would be most welcome to use it, but alas, I need to loan out the materials that (sigh) I don't own. However, I did rebuild the lift at Rog's house, so - I kind of think of it as partly mine.

Choose wisely.

bureau13

I love Doc's B answer, and Jeff's Iowa road trip proposal. But...I'm all the way down in the tip of freakin' Florida. I don't always regret this location...right now is one of those times. Seriously, I dream of taking a road trip like that...but I don't see how I could swing it. It would certainly have to be summer, when at least one of the kids heads off to the grandparents...

(starts checking calendar and doing math...)

dr bob

Summer in most places is pretty sweaty and miserable for big projects. Do it now, while it's on your mind. Go to Third Coast, divert north a bit on the way. Steaks and beer from Costco, and they have those in Texas I noticed.

bureau13

Ack....I probably could swing the vacation time in a pinch, but not sure what to do with my kids. Plus...that would be WAY longer than any trip this car has been on...it's running well but still a little scary.

Regarding those steaks though...I could throw my new toy (sous vide cooker) in the back. Did a pretty mean ribeye a couple weeks ago...

docmirror

As I get older(not really wiser), things that once were important seem to fade. You never hear someone at the end of their life exclaim; 'gee, I wish I had more money in the bank'. Money can be made, time can't. But - if that's the way it is, then that's the way it is. Family obligations come first, and I've been through that too.

Start calling around, find a place that will pay attention to your specific needs, and get some numbers. Brad's garage is AC so it could be done in summer, but that's not really suitable time. If I had a trip planned to S FL I'd offer to knock it out on a wknd, but the only trips I have planned are Cayman for diving this month, and some skiing in CO starting Nov. Oh well...

Crumpler

Bureau, I was thinking on this.
Finding a local Porsche guy to do it might be moot anyway. They might balk at putting on the Volvo mounts, and leaving off the bottom plates for room... you would have to be in our 928 inner circle to really know that this is the new preferred "standard of care" procedure. I don't know, I'm basing this on the situation in STL where my choices are dealer service or boutique Porsche shops: both of which I wouldn't trust as much as myself to work on a 928, and both of which would likely defer if I gave them Volvo parts to put on the car...

You may have a go to guy that you trust, however.
I would still assume four figures for labor if you farm it out.

I can tell you that with lift bars and 6 ton floor jacks I had plenty of room to work, when I did mine.

Fogey1

Nothing but a few $$$ and your manly pride. bwa ha ha

C'mon, you know you want to do it. If you have a friend with a lift, just be up front about wanting two days on it.

If you do it on stands and lift bars, ala Crumpler, think of the bonding with your kids and their little arms and fingers.

bureau13

Ha ha, you're not wrong about that pride thing. Even though I haven't anything huge (timing belt/water pump is next, probably, and will be the biggest thing I've done to date) I've enjoyed telling people I am doing all the work.

Gulf Performance has been recommended as a local Porsche-specific shop for 928 work by a couple of the (few) 928 folks on RL that are in South Florida. At the least, I should call them and ask. I too wondered about that Volvo mount issue though. If they're not familiar with their use, I'm not sure I would want them doing the work even if they were willing to do so.

My garage is pretty cramped, on the sides. My driveway is too inclined for liftbars or four stands, but the garage floor is level enough. So that's an option too, if I get brave.