Miscellaneous other work on the Red Witch
 

Hello All,

Call it 'multi-tasking', or just plain scatter-brained, but I have been doing other work on the Red Witch, concurrent with the brake/wheel bearing work.

Its all part of the WYAIT syndrome. :roflmao:

I started off by swapping out the vintage Blaupunkt CD-125 head unit. It was cool in a vintage sort of way, and very much matched well with the interior of the 928. However, I am spoiled by my iPod, and the very real fact that it is a helluva reach to the head unit. Because I am tall/fat, I have the seat run quite a ways back.



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The final straw came when one of the volume buttons broke. I did some research, and was happy with the Pioneer DEH-X6800BS. It has a remote, is iPod ready, and has an external mic for bluetooth phone calls. The style doesn't clash too bad with the console, and I will adjust the coloring to match the dash lighting.



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I naively thought install would be quick and dirty. It was dirty...
It turns out the Blaupunkt had been wired in at the position of the original factory amp. The sound shop did a good job wiring it some years ago, but the soldered joints were starting to corrode. So, I ripped it all out and redid the wiring. As well, I removed the bass blockers from the speakers. I will use the tuning filters in the head unit for that. I spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday on the install. I am pleased with the outcome. I have mounted the mic on top of the driver's sun visor. In addition, I cleaned up the 'temporary' hack job I did on the wiring for the bazooka tube when I picked the Red Witch up in May. Much neater routing and much less extra wire.



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The Red Witch has never had a fuel cap flap since I have owned her. In one of my numerous parts purchases, I got a new flap and lock ring. It should have had instructions, or I should not be so dense.



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I was quite proud of myself. And then I noticed a few posts on Rennlist. Hmmm...what is wrong with this picture? Anyone...?



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Much better. Now, in all seriousness, what is the purpose of the flap? Protect the quarter panel against fuel spray/drips?





After a few false starts, I finally pulled the (+) battery cable out. Again, I naively thought it would come out quickly, as it was just held in by clamps. I didn't reckon with the clamps around and above the rear cross member. It took me some hours on a late, late Saturday night to pull the complete cable out. I ended up pulling the RMB out and removing the hanger and bracket for the driver's side resonator. That gave me enough room to get a wrench in to laboriously turn the nuts out, one flat at a time.


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Universal terminal has got to go...



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Before I run the new cable, I am going to spend some quality time with mineral spirits and a tooth brush at the starter and front cross member area. It is quite nasty. I know the oil pan gasket leaks, as I can see cork gasket squished out. It isn't horrible, so it will wait until I take the Red Witch down again in the fall for AC/PS/Ignition/Alternator wiring/Timing belt inspection/MM/OPG work. Assuming I get it back together before then from this episode. :icon501:



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As it sits right now, the starter harness is hanging down, awaiting me to start cleaning. After all is clean, I will start routing the new cable, from the battery forward. After all is set in place, I will measure then terminate the cable with a new end to go on the starter solenoid. I will get photos soon of the new cable and goodies. I went aftermarket marine cable. I have ordered new clamps and new plastic nuts to install the new cable.

Oh, and I installed a new engine to body ground cable. Old cable wasn't horrible, but I feel better with a new cable.



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To go with the new (+) battery cable, I have replumbed the battery vent tubing. I am not completely happy with the discharge yet, but I am working on it.




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Old battery vent tube.



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New battery vent tube.



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Grommet in side of battery box for tube pass through.



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Tube routing outside of the battery box.



Since the RMB was out, and looked skungy, I had it refinished. My machinist let me use his glass beading cabinet to strip it. I had a local powder coating shop shoot it semi-gloss black. They didn't have any high temp black, but I think this will be OK. Exhaust gasses should be relatively cool by they time they hit the RMB. If not, I strip it and try again.



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In my transmission fiasco thread, I posted these teaser photos:



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I replaced the plug in the external transmission cooler with a temperature sender for a VDO transmission gauge. I had to use a new Porsche aluminum crush ring, as the copper crush ring supplied with the sender would not fit.

I now have a little two gauge cluster that will go between the dash and package shelf on the passenger's side, near the console. It will have the VDO transmission temperature gauge and a VDO vacuum gauge. I went with the Vision line of VDO gauges. I will be able to see them from the driver's seat. I have preassembled and prewired the cluster for now. At some point soon I hope to install it.




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More to come...

Seth K. Pyle

Nice work there Seth

Thank you, Stan!


Seth K. Pyle

A little more progress...


The RMB to resonator pipe clamps cleaned up OK. I have scrubbed the 'sealing rings' with red scotchbrite, but they are still a little rough. I may try to blast them.



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Did not know Aeroquip was a supplier for Porsche. Either that, or the clamps came with the RMB.



For giggles, I cleaned up the old engine to body ground cable. It cleaned up surprisingly well. There is a suspicious green tint to the copper strands at the bend of the 'U'. I might try to use this cable as an additional ground somewhere.



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Seth K. Pyle

You sure are into it up to your elbows, Seth.

Yes, fuel door rubber is just so you don't scratch the paint...and if you think about it...when these cars were made most pump nozzles were pretty barbaric...with all steel handles that could cause isses. Now, most pump nozzles are all covered in rubber.

Yeah, I'll say you are definitely in need of some new motor mounts. Your oil pan is well below the crossmember. Mine was the same and after new mounts...engine sits about three quarters on an inch higher than member.

Exhaust pipes turned out very nice!

Keep up the good work.

Brian.

Looking good Seth!

Looking good. The Witch should be happy!!

The Deputy: Yeah...I don't know any better. I have never been good at moderation with my projects. :( But, I DO have fun.

Thanks for the heads-up on the gas flap, that makes sense. Barbaric...I like that.

MM project is already in planning for fall.
Thanks! The powdercoating turned out quite well. So well you can see the slight bend in the left tip. :icon501:



Thanks Chris! It is chaos now, but it will all come together.



dhallford: Thanks! I sure as hell hope so, with all the time and money I have been spending. :roflmao:


Seth K. Pyle

Here is the new (+) battery cable. I purchased 13' of 1 gauge marine battery cable, with the (+) battery terminal preinstalled and covered in heat shrink. I found www.bestboatwire.com after searching for 'marine battery cable.' Turns out, he is the same ebay vendor that several other 928 guys have bought battery cable from. Either way, the new cable and such looks very good.

I also bought a bag of cable clamps, and a bag of the plastic nuts that secure the clamps. Once the cable is installed and routed, I will crimp on the end ring terminal and cover it in adhesive heat shrink tubing.

The battery box grommet for the cable cleaned up nicely. I bought a new grommet, but am not completely happy with it. It is shallow, lacking the bellows, and the hole is larger. The new marine battery cable is loose in the hole. The original grommet is tighter, and I can always use a small zip tie to cinch it up.

Not shown are various pieces of vinyl tubing, heat shrink, etc...that I intend to put on the engine end of the cable to protect it through the routing. I may try to remove the protective covering from the engine end of the old factory cable. Not sure if that will work yet.

As an experiment, I bought a twidget for a later S4 battery terminal. PET calls it a 'distributing piece.' It is an adapter that allows the installation of 3 small ring terminals. I have to figure out something, as the Red Witch has an extra red cable that connects to the battery (+) terminal. It goes out through a grommet, then up through another grommet into the area with the ABS wiring plugs in the front of the spare tire well. Then the cable goes on to the right side of the car.
I don't know what it is, but it looks factory, and I probably need it. So...I am trying the adapter. The plastic cover will no longer fit on the battery (+) terminal, but I believe it will clear the battery compartment door. We shall see.




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My goal is to finish the installation of the new battery cable and accessories this weekend. Of course, I have said silly things like that in the past...


Seth K. Pyle

Looks good Seth -

-scott

Thank you, Scott! It is a mess, but I have a plan and am working on it. :evilgrin:


Seth K. Pyle

Keep up the good work Seth.

I need the "distributing piece".
Now I know it is available.

Thanks!

Great job Seth. I am following your work closely because I also need to replace my battery cable to the front. I am particularly interested how you are planning to route it from the back to front.

Thanks for sharing. I will be ordering that cable as well.

Yeah I like that piece as well. Very clean and neat. I never knew it existed.

Seth, do you have the part number for the "distributing piece" handy?

DrScottSmith- Hello neighbor. I'd love to try and get some of the Upstate S.C. 928'ers out to meet at the next Cars n Coffee at Michelin.

Chris,

I can get the part # tonight if Seth doesn't before.

What year is your car?

Hey Chris - I'll send a pm. Would love to get together sometime. I don't actually own a car yet - I'm in the research and learn stage right now.

-scott

Chris, post up a link if you get this together, not a bad drive from NE Georgia and I'm always up for getting together with other 928 folks!

For all who are interested, here is the PET number for the distributing piece:

92861108500



Seth K. Pyle

Will do!!

Thanks Seth!!! That's a cool little piece.

Thanks!

Bertrand Daoust: Thank you on all counts! This is my passion, and I am doing it to the best of my ability. I am no Gregg Brown or Rob Edwards, but I believe in what I am doing and am happy.



hessank: Thank you! My intent is to wrap up the battery cable and such this weekend. As for routing, I will be following the factory locations for the cable. I chose 1 gauge because it is larger than the factory 2 gauge, but not so much larger that it won't fit in the same location.

I have been very happy with my experience with www.bestboatwire.com. The prices are reasonable and the service is great. I recommend them, but that is just me.



Got you covered Chris! 928 611 085 00

Keep me in the loop for your intended CnC meet. Assuming I have the Red Witch back on her tires, I am very much interested!


Seth K. Pyle

Thanks Seth. Checked for future requirement. In stock, and reasonably priced. :-)

I'll start a new thread tomorrow on the CnC. I "think" it's the 27th, but I need to verify first.

I understand Chris. Thanks!


Seth K. Pyle

After 3 months, it is ALIVE!!!

I finally got the new battery cable routed and terminated. It was a bit of a bitch.

The 1 gauge cable was thicker than the stock 2 gauge cable, but not so thick that I could not work with it and manipulate it. That said, routing the cable over the rear suspension and such was all kinds of fun.

I used all new plastic nuts and 10 new clamps along the underside of the body. I ran short and had to reuse two of the old clamps. Turns out the new nuts are smooth on the inside. They are threaded by the studs. The stud right next to the rear brake line junction TEE was fun, as I could not get a socket and ratchet on it. I had to start the nut using only my finger and a wrench. I did have the forethought to wire brush as much of the corrosion as I could from the studs, then put a little antiseize on them.

I was unable to find any suitable vinyl tubing to put over the battery cable near the engine. I ended up using some 3/4" thick wall heat shrink tubing. It was stiff, but worked out better than I expected.

I did finally finish cleaning the starter area and cables. That involved lots of quality time with mineral spirits and a tooth brush. Worth it, because it all looks much better. I can now clearly see the oil pan gasket leaking...

I routed the new battery cable right to the lug on the solenoid. There, I measured it to the ring terminal on the lug. After stripping the insulation, I slipped the ring terminal onto the cable, then installed it onto the lug on the solenoid. Point of this was to make a match mark with a sharpie on the terminal and the cable. That would ensure I had the terminal clocked correctly when I crimped it down. I borrowed a heavy terminal crimping tool from work. To finish it off, I used a piece of the same heat shrink I placed on the cable earlier. It was heavier than that supplied with the cable.

I also came up with yet another routing for the battery vent. I think I am happy with this one, as the routing is more relaxed.

I cleaned the battery box twice with CRC spray foam Battery Cleaner and water. Once dried, I laid down a heavy coat of CRC Battery Terminal Protectant. Then, I put down a sheet of yellow Battery Mat. My intent is to keep the acid corrosion at bay. We shall see how it works...

I was able to use the Porsche distributing piece on the (+) battery terminal. It is quite convenient for attaching the other hot wire, and will be useful when I wire in the amp. I had to cut on the battery (+) terminal cover to get it to fit. I may get some thin sheet rubber to put over the edge of the distributing piece.

Initial checks looked good. 12.56VDC at the battery, 12.55VDC at the jump post. Starter pulled in cleanly and rolled the engine over with no problem. With the engine running, I saw 13.99VDC at the jump post and 13.97VDC at the battery. Instrument voltmeter read approximately 13.5VDC.
I am very pleased!

And..the neighbors LOVE open headers on a Sunday afternoon.

I did find a couple of issues. The yellow starter solenoid wire is sh*t. The insulation is brittle and the conductors are corroded inside. I pulled off the insulation, cut off three broken strands, and gave the conductors a lethal coat of DeOxit 100. It bubbled nicely. I covered the conductors in two layers of heat shrink tubing. Best I can do for now. When I replace the alternator, I will see what I can do about routing a new yellow wire.

The cable from the starter solenoid to the body of the starter is badly corroded. Looks like rust. I did not mess with it too much for fear of getting crud into the starter. I have another cleaned starter ready to go. However, due to collapsed motor mounts, I will need to remove the front anti-sway bar for clearance to remove the starter. Not quite ready to do that at this moment. In due time.



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I have more to report, will do so later...

Seth K. Pyle

While spending quality time under the Red Witch, I worked on the transmission again.

I replaced the crusty remains of the non-existent shift cable boot at the transmission. Mineral spirits, a coarse rag, and elbow grease cleaned the crud from the cable.

Fitting the tiny locking clip back into/onto the ball end of the cable was an absolute beyatch. I found no way to install it after the end was on the ball. Then, I figured out how to insert the pin into the first hole, just enough, then hold the whole thing with my finger. I kept the clip tight against the end as I installed it on the ball. Then it was just a matter of wiggling the clip to engage the other hole at the end of the ball end.

Good thing I figured out that trick, as I had to take it all back apart. The lock nut was stripped. :grr:



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Crusty old boot.



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Much better new boot.



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Horrible little clip, and the new lock nut.



While working on the shift cable, I noticed the new rubber cap on the end of the vacuum modulator was already cracking. :mad: Its only a few months old! I put a thin layer of liquid electrical tape around the circumference, then covered it in heat shrink tubing. That should hold it...



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Grrr...



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Ghetto and butch, but it works...



Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to replace the vacuum lines for the transmission modulator.
I started by dropping the exhaust and all the heat shields. Luckily, Auto Assets did this back in April, so nothing was stuck or corroded. :D
Jack stands were a plus in manipulating the exhaust coming down. I did not see a need to remove the mid pipes from the Devek test pipes.

I did learn a not so good thing. The O2 sensor was a universal replacement. Someone had rigged up a connector to plug into the stock female connector for the sensor heater. I have ordered the correct Bosch sensor and will install it.



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Ingenious, but not stock. Has to go.



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No need to break these joints.



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No rubber body grommet either...



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Correct replacement O2 sensor.



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Correct sensor heater male plug.



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New versus old.



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Not quite the same...



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With much mangling of fingers, curse words, and creative use of long needle nosed pliers, I got the rubber and plastic vacuum lines off both ends of the torque tube. Of course, after all that effort, mine were fine. The plastic was not brittle and the rubber still soft. Too bad, I had new parts and they were going in.

In the process of me tugging on the transmission end of the vacuum hose, the metal line on the torque tube got pulled back towards the transmission. Which I later found out pulled the plastic vacuum line out of the 5 or 7 way connector under the MAF. I learned to work by Braille for that one. I ended up maneuvering the rubber connector with the tip of a finger and pushing the new plastic vacuum line into it with long needle nosed pliers.
Same thing for getting the tiny rubber vacuum line started on the metal tube. Much finagling with long needle nosed pliers.
However, at the end of the day, I got it!!!



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Old fabric covered rubber vacuum hose on top, new rubber vacuum hose on bottom.



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Plastic vacuum line peeking through opening in top of bell housing.



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Old vacuum hose just removed from metal tube.



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New and old plastic vacuum line.



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Just barely see the new plastic vacuum line snaking under the CPS and down the bell housing.



More to report, will do so later...

Seth K. Pyle

Since I was working on top of the engine, I took care of some details there.

In the past, the MAF has popped out of the shoe quite easily. Dead O-rings. I had read somewhere that it is best to install the MAF O-rings dry. Which is why I was never able to get the MAF to seat properly.
Sean Ratts straightened me out, and had me coat the O-rings in Dow 111. Much better.
Typically, the boot for the MAF plug was torn. In due time, I will replace it and the plug. For now, after hitting the plug with DeOxit 5, I wrapped the boot in the same self-fusing silicone tape as I used on the ABS harnesses. Much better. I did notice the MAF wiring seems a little stiff. Best not to mess with it too much...



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...48f0f0af7c.jpg

Of course there was some oil in the shoe. Its an S3...



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0216cf02ea.jpg

Better, for now. I am afraid to see what is in the side plenums...



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...694afe4053.jpg

Big O-ring was so stiff it broke coming out.



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...173394e371.jpg



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None of the wires were broken.



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While I was in there, I examined various vacuum lines and rubber vacuum elbows. All were in surprisingly good condition. I have replacements on hand as required.

The air cleaner housing had always felt a little oily to me. So, off it came. I spend quality time with mineral spirits and rags cleaning the upper and lower housings, all four strap assemblies, and both ram tubes. Much better.
While I was at it, I replaced both the lower housing rubber isolation mounts and the air intake temperature sensor.
One of the mounts was original, one was a generic replacement installed back in April.



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Straps are cracked, but useable. I will see if 928 Intl. has any better ones.



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New isolators are shorter than the others. I shimmed them to fit.



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I wrapped up by replacing the power brake booster check valve and grommet. Due to the tight grip on the hose, I elected to remove the entire hose assembly. The old valve was a pain to get out of its grommet. It came out with a 'whoosh'. Turns out, the check valve had been holding vacuum in the booster for almost 3 months. Good valve. The new valve was a royal pain to install in the new grommet. I had to do a combination of wiggle and push. But, it went in.

I took the opportunity to clean the venturi assembly in the hose. Disassembled the venturi, verified the O-ring inside was still good. Cleaned it, all hose clamps, and all hose sections. I wanted to replace the two short sections, but I don't have any 12mm ID or 1/2" ID hose here at my shop. Will have to pick some up later.

Anyway, got it all cleaned, reassembled, and installed. Had an 'oh sh*t' moment. I was looking at PET to check the orientation of the hose clamps. It showed the venturi going in the opposite direction as was installed on my engine. I thought my way through how this venturi worked, and decided the way it was installed was correct. That, and I saw 18" of vacuum at the modulator hose when I was working on the transmission back in July.



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More to report, will do so later...

Seth K. Pyle

Well, well, well...look what I have found.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...12d9a4e365.jpg

That doesn't belong there...



https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f387ecc095.jpg



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ab2fbb00e5.jpg



When I bought the Red Witch, photos showed it having the jump post cover in place. When he picked me up Mike (buccicone) gave me the original jump post cap. When I got home from my road trip, the jump post cover was not there.

Rather than make a stink and possibly generate ill will over a relatively cheap part at the shop that repaired her, I just set about replacing it.

Turns out, The Deputy had a spare jump post cover. I ordered a new jump post cap, and all was well.

This past week, while working in the engine bay, I noticed something odd under the passenger's side ram tube and radiator hose, up against the fan shroud.
It was the missing jump post cover. It has been riding there since May 6. :roflmao:

It is in excellent condition, but I don't need it. In thanking The Deputy for giving me his spare jump post cover, I told him I would pay it forward in some fashion. So, I will now do so.

drscottsmith just bought his first 928. It is missing the jump post cover. And, he is in my neck of the woods. I am going to give the jump post cover and the original jump post cap to him as a house warming gift.

Buccicone, tell Peter that I found the missing jump post cover...:D


Seth K. Pyle

Great pictures Seth!!
I will be referencing this thread for when I finally get back to the assembly stage of my project.

Looking good! I'm ready to go for a ride.

-scott

You're documentation is fantastic (and motivational at the same time!).

NewShark: Thank you! I like to take photos for posterity, and to let me get it back together again. Good Luck with your project!


Scott, as soon as I get the Red Witch back on the road, we will totally go for a ride...


Itoolio: Thanks! I do this partially because the guys here on Rennlist like photos. Plus, in a twisted sort of way, I hope it is an inspiration to other dirt balls like myself. Rennlist is full of awesome technicians who have worked miracles:
Stan, Sean, Greg, Rob, Mark, dr bob, Bill Ball, etc...

I am not one of them. I am a blue collar dirt ball who can just barely afford to properly care and feed a 928. I do my own work, and want to show that a 928 can be maintained at home.
I want to show other prospective 928 owner's that they can do it.
Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating half-assing or taking short cuts. That has no place on a 928 and leads to frustration and shame.



Thanks!

Seth K. Pyle

Just like most other 32V 928's out there, the exhaust sampling tube was rusted through. I removed it and cut the fitting off the tube. Conventional Rennlist wisdom says to plug the port with a ball bearing.
Of course I could not find a stinkin' ball bearing in my shop...:grr:
However, I did find a suitable plug. In a box of thick 3/8" fender washers, I found a punched out center section. It was around 10mm OD, and just the right size to plug the port. Works good, last long time.



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cecb8d10b4.jpg



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Last night, I was able to install the new metal pawl in the gas cap. I acquired two semi-finished pawls from Alan. I mistakenly thought the gas cap took two pawls.

So, if anyone wants a metal pawl, PM me.

Anyway, separating the cap was easy. Why? Because someone already broke it.
After disassembling everything, I found the nylon pawl looked pretty new. I am going to say someone broke the cap while replacing the pawl.

I spent around 30 minutes with hand files and a 1/2" mill dressing the piece to correctly fit the cap. I had to narrow the body slightly, and round out the slot on top. I matched the slot to the cam on the bottom of the lock cylinder. For reference, I used the 1/2" mill in a pneumatic angle grinder. I had the pawl chucked up in a vise, and held the grinder uber steady while I worked the piece.
I also had to drill the spring hole a little deeper. The spring stuck out further on the metal pawl than the nylon one.
None of these are a dig against jpitman, the designer and fabricator of these metal pawls. I was clearly told they needed finishing work. I am VERY pleased with the metal pawl and don't mind a little hand dressing of the piece.

After cleaning everything in the heated parts washer, I reassembled everything with a healthy coat of EP0 grease. I am not sure what I will do about the broken cap. I don't know of any tape that will not end up a nasty mess in a short time. I may see if 928 Intl. has any used caps available.
We shall see...



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c690e7794.jpeg



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In a fit of inspiration, I found a place to route the vacuum line and transmission temperature gauge wire into the passenger cabin. The hole for the O2 sensor cable grommet. I carefully drilled two holes in the grommet and reamed them out with a tiny rat tail file. I have covered the vacuum line and transmission temperature gauge wire in the spiral wrap that I used on the ABS harnesses.
I have routed the wire along the transmission oil cooling lines back to where they turn to the torque tube. This is near the hole in the floor pan for the O2 sensor.
I have routed the vacuum line from an F-fitting at the power brake booster check valve along the firewall, and down to meet the transmission gauge wire at the transmission cooling lines. Both will be fully terminated when I install the exhaust and O2 sensor.



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More to report, will do so later...

Seth K. Pyle

More to report, will do so later...

Seth K. Pyle[/QUOTE]

Awesome documentation as usual Seth. I think you have set the new standard for informational how to threads. Great job. I hope to see the Red Witch back on the road soon. :-)

Thank you Chris! I appreciate it. I document as such for posterity, to help me put the damned thing back together, and in a perverse way, proof.

These photos and posts are proof that I am working on my 928 and not just talking out my a$$. If that makes any sense...

I am tantalizingly close to having the Red Witch back on the road. I am hoping to get alot done this long weekend.

Good luck refitting your heads this weekend!


Seth K. Pyle

Over my two years of research and now 7 months of 928 ownership, I have studied a considerable number of posts on the electrical system.

I have been paying attention.

I have replaced the ground strap with an upgraded Waytek piece. I have installed a new battery and ensured it is vented properly. I have just finished installing an upgraded 1 gauge battery cable. So far so good.
I have made progress cleaning grounds. I have cleaned and inspected the wires at the jump post and the 14 pin connector.

As a teaser, here is a photo of what will go in when I do the TB tension/ignition refresh/coolant hose replacement/PS hydraulic system refresh/AC rebuild bonanza in the near future:



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...fa32def68b.jpg


Upgraded 4 gauge cable to go from the starter to the alternator, then from the alternator to the jump post. Cleaned and inspected stock 115A alternator with remote voltage regulator.

I would like to just piggy back the new 4 gauge wire with the existing charge/power wires from the starter/alternator/jump post. I am not sure if that will work. I will figure it out when I get the front of the engine apart.

So far, corrosion has not been a big problem in the Red Witch's wiring harness. However, if I find the engine harness is garbage, I will cough up and order a replacement from Sean Ratts. I am impressed with his harnesses.

I have seen the experiences of others, and I want to do it right.


Seth K. Pyle

You're welcome, and thank you for the well wishes. :-)

I thought his car was well sorted out by the PO.

For the most part, yes. However, PO warned me this car had been a garage queen and would need a little sorting.

However, there is a never ending list of nit-picky things.
-battery cable corrosion
-brake caliper corrosion
-tune up and fluid change not done in years
-some deferred maintenance
-plus my own tinkering


Intake refresh was done 18 years ago. Rubber things are starting to harden.

Brakes were done 18 years ago. Calipers have corroded, brake hoses were original, and everything needed to be cleaned.

Torn boots in steering and suspension.


I take it all in stride as part of owning an old car. Besides, from what I am seeing, my purchase price of $8500 was relatively cheap, and my costs of $14,500 since then are pretty much par for the course.

I plan on driving this every day, so I want it to be right.


Seth K. Pyle

., yeah, and I thought you wanted to drive it. :corn:

Absolutely killing me...

You know I jest, you are doing a great service with your documentation for all of us that will eventually need to swim the same waters.

I know Farris.

It is killing me not being able to drive my 928. However, I want have it fixed right, at least by my standards. Hence, all this work.

I am almost there...


Seth K. Pyle

You can do both. Only fix one thing at a time and don't let the work last longer than a weekend. Then drive it and a few weeks later fix something else.

Very true. This is what has tripped me up.
Since I am in there...(insert next job to do).

I am going to try to do the ignition refresh piecemeal.


Thanks!

Seth K. Pyle

Friday morning, I removed the CE panel and wrapped it up.
At work this weekend, I did a clean and inspect, with new fuses and a few new relays.


Getting the CE panel out was a bit of a pain, mainly because I haven't done it before.
I misinterpreted the instructions from Alan, and tried to remove the actual sockets for the plugs. I quickly understood what I was doing wrong when I saw a photo of a removed CE panel. Luckily, I didn't damage anything doing that.

However, I did manage to break the top locking tab on a brown connector. :banghead: I tried to be careful, but damn if those tabs aren't brittle...
I am just going to have to hope that the lower locking bar is enough to keep it seated. I think so, because the plug was tight on the terminal spades.

Once I got all the plugs out, I figured out where the hot and ground leads were. However, I could not figure out how to disengage the bottom of the CE panel. I even went so far as to unbolt the left side lower support. That wasn't it. I then figured out that I had to lift up, then tilt out on the CE panel to disengage the plastic pins from the rubber grommets. That made sense after the fact.

On the workbench at work, I methodically removed all the fuses and relays, noting any issues along the way. I had read that a small set of slip jaw pliers are good for removing relays. I have a cute set of 5" Knipex that I thought would work just fine. After crushing the cans on a couple of '53' relays, I realized I needed a little more finesse. I ended up using a combination of gentle plier pulling and careful prying with a small flat head screw driver.

All the old fuses went into a zip loc baggie. As each relay came out, it went into a numbered baggie. As each '53' relay came out, it was marked with its socket number.

None of the fuse blades or relay terminals had any corrosion or heat damage.

I only found one issue. I found a 30A fuse that the plastic was a little deformed at one of the legs. I searched all the fuse holders rated at 30A. The plastic around the load side terminal of fuse #17 looked like it had started to get a little warm. Unfortunately, both the line and load side fuse terminals showed a little corrosion. I am going to assume from heat.

I also noticed the plastic relay socket for X relay, HVAC blower, looked it like it had started to get a little warm. I did not see any corrosion on the terminals.

I liberally sprayed all sides of the CE panel with contact cleaner, then scrubbed each and every fuse and relay terminal with a toothbrush and contact cleaner. I followed up by using most of a can of DeOxit D5 on all the fuse and relay terminals. I gave fuse #17 a hit of DeOxit D100, for good measure.

To test fuse #17, I put a new 30A fuse in the holder. I read resistance between the (+) bus at the top of the CE panel to the female spade connector on the back side of the load side of fuse #17. Reading was 0.1 ohms. I am going to call that good.

I set up a simple test rig with a 12V forklift battery, jumpers, and my Fluke to test the '53' and EZF relays. All of them tested fine. Meaning, they actuated cleanly, and had 0.2 ohms or less across the contacts of 30 to 87.
I also verified the fuse tester function of the EZF relay worked.
I paid closer attention to X relay '53' for the HVAC blower. Its terminals showed no signs of overheating, and the contacts read 0.2 ohms across them when the relay was energized.


I don't think there is any damage to the CE panel and such, though I am going to further investigate the HVAC blower motor and wiring. Something was pulling more current than it should have.

I installed five new '53' relays in the following positions:
XXV LH computer
XX fuel pump
XVIII AC condenser fan
XIV Starter
IV X-bus

There was a newer Hella brand '53' relay in the XX fuel pump socket. I installed this relay in the X HVAC blower socket. All the remaining '53' sockets were filled with their original relays. The five now spare '53' relays are going in a bag as spares to keep in the car.

I fitted all new Cooper/Busman fuses, just because I could. Only hiccup was I didn't have a new 1A fuse for fuse #26, Hatch release parking circuit. I will hunt one down.

Any metal case relay was just hosed down with contact cleaner, allowed to dry, then reinstalled in its socket. I double checked the part number on each relay with the part number listed in the chart developed by Alan, then verified I put the relay back in its correct socket. I do not want to let any magic smoke out of any of the relays from being in the wrong place.

Each of the plastic case relay was carefully popped open, inspected, then photographed. The actual contacts were checked for burning, then the whole shebang was cleaned with contact cleaner. I was out of DeOxit D5 at that point, so contact cleaner would have to suffice. Luckily, none of the relays had any corrosion or heat damage.

I will say this, I was quite surprised at the complexity of most of those relays. No wonder they are so expensive...

The CE panel is currently reassembled and wrapped in bubble wrap. When I get back on the Red Witch (and the DeOxit I ordered arrives) I have to clean all the plugs and grounds. Then, reinstall it.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cb98b58a9f.jpg

Not as intimidating as I expected, but harder to remove.



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...84c6b38ee3.jpg



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Some disassembly required.



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This is intimidating.



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1c12fc3822.jpg



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Note deformed plastic. 30A fuse #17 for HVAC blower.



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...baf448f78c.jpg

Plastic showing it started to get a little warm on the load side of fuse #17. There is a little corrosion on both the line and load side terminals.



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X relay socket for HVAC blower is a tad darker than the rest of them. However, the terminals don't have any corrosion.



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'53' relay test rig.



https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...635b5ad4bd.jpg

928.618.109.01, XV, Kick-down



https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...be1b7fc199.jpg

928.615.101.00, VII, Delay wiper



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a4633c181f.jpg

928.318.113.01, IX, Intensive wash



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...fc12dfe9ce.jpg

928.618.111.00, IXX, Headlamp wash



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...77899edf88.jpg

928.618.225.01, XXI, Interior light delay



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6611e32ec6.jpg

928.615.126.00, VI, Power windows



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1f22b4468f.jpg

928.615.203.00, XVI, EZF



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bfc876ec00.jpg

Cleaned and ready to go.




Seth K. Pyle

Sweet - looking good there!

-scott

Awesome job on the CE panel. Looks good.

Thanks, guys!
Little by little, piece by piece...


Seth K. Pyle

Seth I doubt I can teach you anything, but the consensus opinion is the old metal relays with '53' on them are prone to failure and should all be replaced. I figure you knew that.

Hi Safulop!

You would be wrong then. :D
I did not know that about the metal can '53' relays. Thanks for the heads-up!

Three more '53' relays and an EZK relay will be on order shortly.


Thanks!

Seth K. Pyle

So are you going to pull the engine to replace the the head gaskets?

Yes.
Not today, though.


Seth K. Pyle

Seth,

That EZF relay is a 53 with the [expensive] added function of a built-in fuse tester with LED on top.

My sense would move that one to the horn or other intermittent-duty/non-critical position, and put a new 53 in the critical EZF slot in the panel. If you feel the need for the fuse tester function that is. Otherwise, stick that in your retained-spares box for the car, and use a new 53 in its place.

AHA!
Thank you, dr bob. That is so simple, that I feel stupid for not thinking of it earlier.
I initially bought new '53' relays for the important functions: EZF, LH, X-bus, fuel pump, and starter.
I was slightly confused by the fuse tester relay, and put it back where I found it.

I will now get five more '53' relays on order and swap them into the CE panel.

Thanks!

Seth K. Pyle

I'd never heard that either. Good to know!

Where've you been getting your relays Seth? Any good deals out there?

Not sure about any deals, Chris.
Jeannie from 928 Specialists hooked me with with the first set of relays back in April. Haven't bought any since.
Need to start looking again.


Seth K. Pyle

Chris--

There are cheap knockoff relays in the market that purport to be suitable replacements for the Bosch 53b relays. Some may be. Meanwhile, considering the potential for stranding me on a lonely stretch of highway somewhere, I'm a fan of installing known-good relays once and avoiding unnecessary worry. I hate getting stranded by stoooopid stuff, it turns out. Our favorite vendors have identified the right Bosch replacement pieces, so I buy from them. There are undoubtedly some OK replacements from "known" brands like P&B, but I'm not ready to be the QC guinea pig for their outsourced manufacturers interested more in low cost than best quality.

Kinda like deciding if that cheap off-brand fuel pump is what you want to depend on to get you there and back. For the relays, the few bucks saved with unknown pieces just isn't worth the risk, in my opinion. For some, saving a couple dollars per relay on six or eight might be worth the risk. The critical relay-relay-relay in the fuel pump, ignition and fuel injection slots, plus the starter and x-bus positions need to be top quality. The likes of the horn and foglight relays are perhaps less critical. Perhaps.

Do It Once. Do It Right. Do It Like You Mean It. Turns out even the top-quality relays are cheap, vs the browbeating available on the side of that lonely highway, 100º, maybe raining, when the wipers or AC won't work, or the car won't run. BTDT, don't want to do it again.

Obviously you never shoveled snow. :)

Cool, thanks.

Dr. Bob, you're 100% correct. I don't want to risk getting sub-par equipment.

I may have once or more. Never been stranded in it by faulty relays though. :bigbye:

Chris, current pricing for the '53' relay through the common 928 suppliers is between $8-$12 each. Not too bad for what it is.


Try pricing a headlight relay...


Seth K. Pyle

Cool, thanks for the heads up!

Last week, when I put power back on the Red Witch, the headlights did not want to work properly.

When I turned the knob to 'headlights', the pods only raised halfway. I could hear clicking coming from the headlight relay. When I turned the knob back to 'off', the headlights briefly illuminated then went out, then the pods lowered back down.

The pods parked in the proper position.

I tried this a few more times. Then, the headlights worked as advertised. Pods raised to the full up position, then the headlights illuminated.

Several more tests showed functionality was restored.

Hmmm...searching Rennlist brought up the headlight relay several times. To my knowledge, this relay is original on the Red Witch.
So, what do I have to lose by cleaning it? Other than a really expensive relay...

I was able to gently open the crimped end of the aluminum casing. Inside, I found the circuit board with the three relays, and supporting components.



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9ec90bbcc4.jpg



Note: I got the relay labels from this Rennlist post:

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-stickers.html





https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a6f24cfd84.jpg




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ec00156d43.jpg

Uncrimped housing, showing pin numbers.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bc1d55295a.jpg

Better view of bottom pin numbers.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7162654fa5.jpg

Aluminum housing, insulating plate, and relay assembly.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...586a579805.jpg

Three relays and supporting components.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...24fd48ce75.jpg




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9597d69426.jpg




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ba4f251c3b.jpg




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c645f05ffe.jpg




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...96e61cec3f.jpg




I noticed that this set of contacts looked a little darker than the rest. I suspected that this was the motor contacts. I sprayed it with DeOxit D5, then ran many thin strips of paper through the closed contacts. Alot of carbon came out with the papers.



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...54e907b652.jpg

Contact had dark residue around it.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...91e0580ff1.jpg



As well, I cleaned both the Normally Open and Normally Closed contacts on the two relays for LOW and HIGH beams for the headlights. A surprising amount of carbon came out on the papers as well.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cdb7d0cbd4.jpg

N.O./N.C. contacts.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4f35f5b967.jpg

N.O./N.C. contacts on other relay.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...20bea856cb.jpg

DeOxit D5, used paper strips, relay assembly, and small pick used to open/close the contacts.




I was able to recrimp the aluminum housing around the back of the circuit board using a brass block and a pair of Knipex pliers. I placed the block against the opposite end of the housing. By putting one jaw of the pliers against the block, I could use the other jaw to bend the aluminum lip back over. It is ugly, but it works.



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ea30787946.jpg




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...03c8f840ac.jpg

Ugly, but secure.




The relay is back in the CE panel, but testing will have to wait until I put power back on the Red Witch again.

great pics and details thanks for sharing. I hope this works for you

Neat thread, thanks for documenting everything.

Next time you can use cardboard to clean the relay contacts too.

Thank you, gentlemen! I appreciate it. In a long ago thread on headlight relays, dr bob asked for good photos for possible reverse engineering of the headlight relay assembly. I sorta thought this might help him. :D

Plus, this shows there is not much to cleaning the contacts on the headlight relay.



That's an excellent idea, Thank You!

As a follow up to the previous posts, today, the headlights won't raise. :banghead:
They half raised the first time I tried, and now don't raise at all. The bulbs illuminate, though.
I think my next step is to R&R the headlight motor for cleaning.

Today, I finally put a little project to bed. I fitted a digital voltmeter and a dual port USB charger in the ash tray area on the Red Witch.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...600dc87df0.jpg





I don't smoke, so I have no use for an ash tray. I had never been able to get adapters to work reliably in the cigar lighter. I had been turning ideas over in my head on how to rig up a charging port in the ash tray. I had looked at ideas from other 928'ers here on Rennlist. Last year, I tripped over this on ebay:




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...443fc0aa86.png




https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marine-Grad...%257Ciid%253A1




That seemed like just what I needed.

It took me until this past week to finally get started on it.

The panel would not fit right into the ash tray housing. The cigar lighter blocked it. I removed the cigar lighter by drilling out the spot welds holding its panel in place. As well, I drilled out the rivets holding the plastic cover to the frame.
I cut and bent a piece of thin sheet metal to fit the opening of the ash tray frame. I secured it with pop rivets to the sides of the frame. Rather than cut out a large opening in the sheet metal panel, I used a 30mm knock out punch to put two holes in it. That way, the voltmeter and USB charger went through the plastic trim panel and the sheet metal panel. Stronger that way. As for fitment, I biased the voltmeter and USB chargers as far down in the frame as they would go. I figured the opened lid would obscure part of the area. I was right.
A coat of satin black paint, and the frame was done.

No photos of the fabrication process, as it was ugly...
EDIT: GO TO POST #80 FOR PHOTOS OF THE FAB PROCESS.





https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bc3568d59f.jpg

Doesn't look too bad, though there are cosmetic flaws.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ed9c6b2008.jpg

Low heads of the rivets did not have clearance issues.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3b08225bfc.jpg

3/32" rivets secure the sheet metal panel to the frame.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...59e6fce0c7.jpg

Back side showing some of my alignment notes.




I used M3 counter sunk socket head screws with washers and nylon lock nuts to secure the plastic panel to the sheet metal panel. Then installed the voltmeter and USB charger with the installed spanner nuts. I made sure the nuts were quite tight.
I used 8-32 socket head screws and nylon lock nuts to attach the lid back to the frame. I put the heads of the screws inboard for clearance to the bodies of the voltmeter and USB chargers. The nylon lock nuts and threads of the screws stuck out the sides of the lid far more than the original rivets did. I was concerned this would cause clearance issues mounting the unit back in the console. It did not.



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...55822562df.jpg

Completed backside, showing various fasteners and nylon lock nuts.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6d818615bc.jpg

Lid closed.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...608a75f365.jpg

Lid open.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d1caedf05a.jpg

Bench test of the voltmeter and USB chargers.



Because of the nuts and threads sticking out of the sides of the lid, I was not able to just drop the ash tray assembly back into the console. However, before I got happy with the Dremel, I tried coming in from the backside of the console. It was tight, but it worked! I had to roll the frame forward as I moved it in place so the lip would go over the mounting flange. The test fit looked good. Only issue was the male spade terminals at the back of the USB chargers were tight against the insulation on the floor pan. Of course the ash tray mounting flange screw holes were stripped out. I used blackened 4-40 screws with nuts on the bottoms. It took some finger dexterity to get the nuts started, but it worked.

I dealt with the tight wiring terminals by trimming the male spades down, and trimming the female spades down as well. Once the female spades were crimped on the wiring, I insulated everything with heat shrink tubing. The wiring is tight against the floor pan insulation, but I don't think it will be an issue.

On the subject of wiring, I used alot of what was already there. For the ground, I just made a Y cable that tied the grounds of the voltmeter and the USB chargers to a single male spade. That male spade got inserted into the female spade on the factory ground wire that originally connected to the ashtray frame. To power the voltmeter, I used the existing power wire for the cigar lighter. It is powered by the accessory X-bus, so it only comes on with the key in 'ACC' or 'RUN'. As for the USB charger, I ran a wire to the CE panel, and tied into unused fuse slot 22. This slot is powered by battery bus 30, so it is hot all the time. I used a spade fuse tap adapter to wire it in. For an attempt at neatness, I ran the wire down behind the CE panel then back up the front to meet up with the fuse adapter. In the future, if I pull the CE panel again, I will attach the wire to the load side of fuse slot 22 for a much neater installation.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d9828104c1.jpg

USB chargers adapter wiring is tight against the floor pan insulation, but workable.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ef3a966597.jpg

Fuse tap adapter.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1f5756a770.jpg

Fuse tap adapter in slot 22, with wiring run down for an attempt at neatness.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3d79ef1f50.jpg

Like nothing happened...




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...521c80e80c.jpg

There it is!




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...5730cb2e3e.jpg

Tough to see due to the flash, but the voltmeter is powered up.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3c0f76d130.jpg

Lousy shot with the flash off. Voltmeter reads 13.5.

That is sweet. I was hoping to take the easy way out and find a USB that would plug into the cigar lighter thing but like you, I haven't found anything that will fit. I might have to go this route.

Looks great Seth!! I'm going to make a spacer to bring mine up flush with the top of the ashtray. Either not going to close it, or I might remove the whole thing and fab a new closeout panel. We'll see. Keep up the great work and documentation.

Maybe it is suffering from Pyles?

That's cool, well done!

Since the European cigarette lighters are shallower (it is on my Passat too) so their plug-in USB ports must be shallower too so getting one from Europe might work on the 928, but this is just my theory.

Nice mod. Weird though, I have a usb charger that plugs in nicely, wife bought it and I know it was nothing fancy. I'll ask her where she got it.

Sweet mod Seth. Is there any draw on the system with the key out?

Thank you! To be honest, that never occurred to me. Very good point...




I am envious of you. I had tried several different chargers, and none of them would play nice.





Hi Nate! The voltmeter should not pull anything, since its on an accessory circuit. As for the USB chargers, the blue LED will pull some milliamps. I don't think the chargers themselves will. I am off part of this weekend, so I will check current draw of the USB chargers.

I found the photos of the fab process for the voltmeter/USB chargers mounting plate in the ash tray frame that I saved in the wrong place. :rolleyes:
Its still ugly...



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e02e52ce83.jpg

Ash tray to begin with. I had already removed the ash snubber long ago.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d83411e0bd.jpg

Luckily this pops right out.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...5035ac3e34.jpg

Back side showing cigar lighter connection and bracket for illumination bulb.




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...90a4449edb.jpg

Real estate in the console.



https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...591cabe402.jpg

Ground wire for cigar lighter and illumination bulb.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e534c72719.jpg

Ground tab, and rivet holding plastic lid to ash tray frame.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...11b6500c14.jpg

Initial fitment test of unit into ash tray. Fail.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4ec1e63273.jpg

Back side of rivet holding plastic lid to ash tray frame.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...219f79c644.jpg

Lid and frame separated.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a7ca7a1677.jpg

Cigar lighter removed from ash tray frame.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6c6583b923.jpg

Cigar lighter showing one of the drilled through spot welds in its bracket.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...867b234ea1.jpg

Poorly drilled out spot welds.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...24dc5ea078.jpg

Drilled out spot weld.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bcf708effb.jpg

Getting ready to cut metal.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b78f76312d.jpg

Test fitting 3/32" pop rivets.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...35b7ffe691.jpg

Back plate held in place by test rivets.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4f3fbbcc00.jpg

Aligning plastic panel on back plate.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a03b49ad62.jpg

Traced openings in plastic panel.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bfa0f49002.jpg

Radius of circles.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1989bf46e7.jpg

Pulled arcs to find the centers of the circles.

Nice documentation Seth. Always love your threads. Extremely informative.

This is a really slick way to modernize our cars for modern gadgets....extremely stealthy. Great creativity and execution Seth.

Thanks Chris and Jon!
I am very much making this up as I go...:p

Very nice Seth.

Could the frame and backing plate with holes be a candidate for 3D printing? Possibly making it a one piece affair?

Looking good Seth.

In case it gives you any ideas, here's what I did on mine.

​​I fabricated a replacement panel out of plexiglass where I mounted both regular size boost and AFM gauges because of the supercharger. In that panel I also mounted 2 USB charging ports - one that's powered all the time and one that's switched. I also replaced the seat belt warning circle with a covered 12v outlet so I could plug in anything else.

Neat clean and tidy

Petza, your center console is the high water mark to which I aspire. Absolutely lovely!

Thanks Chris - appreciate it.

Now back to the Red Witch as SITM isn't that far away !

As the others have said, that is a sweet set-up you have in your spyder, Pete!

I am working on the Red Witch, but she won't be ready for SITM 2018. Too much going on with her. And...I am facing complete HVAC replacement at the other house. :eek:

Thanks Seth. Hoping you'll be able to come even if it's witchless.

Last week, I tackled the headlight issue, and fixed it! And in the process, learned that I had wasted a bunch of effort. More on that later.

Back in post #63, I disassembled and cleaned the headlight relay. So, I was relatively sure it wasn't that. I focused on the headlight motor.

Removal wasn't terrible. I removed the linkage rod, then used a puller to remove the crank arm from the motor spindle shaft. Prior to that, I made match marks on the crank arm and the motor retaining plate. I wanted to be able to reposition the motor for proper alignment of the linkage rod.
The motor was a little fiddly to wiggle out of its hole, but it came. Removing the four wires was another story.
The four female spade connectors would not release for love nor money. Eventually I figured out that each female had a tiny locking tab that engaged with the male terminal. After I damaged two of them. I made careful notes of which wire went where for the connector. A Rennlister had issues with the wiring diagram for his not having terminal numbers. I checked the 1986 US lamps diagram, it has numbers and wire colors. Good to go.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...eb28a59f5b.jpg

Headlight motor and linkage.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...72cd6e8e78.jpg

Showing how the linkage rod overlaps the crank arm.




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7c802bafdc.jpg

Linkage rod and oh-so-important E-clips.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ccf6e3b298.jpg

Rubber cover for the end of the motor.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d0a9ac792b.jpg

Manual actuation knob, that hides under the rubber cover.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d785a54c0d.jpg

Crank arm with the linkage rod removed.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...d1b29ca1ad.jpg

Crank arm.




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...bca2aeb858.jpg

Crank arm removed, female splines in the hole.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...62cf179d45.jpg

Crank arm and motor retaining plate removed. Male splines on the motor spindle shaft.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4ea3303d3c.jpg

Motor free of its home.





The wiring harness for the motor did not have much slack. I found that part of the harness continued down through the front body structure. I found a white(used to be white) harness clip, and then the wiring to the radiator temperature switch. I was able to release the harness clip and pull the radiator wiring up. This gave me slack to work with the headlight motor wiring.

The headlight motor wiring and terminals were as such:This corresponds to the wiring diagram for 86 US Lamps.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...90a08589d5.jpg

Mmm...cruddy.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b91ac02a79.jpg

Not as cruddy after wiping off with a mineral spirits wetted rag. Now able to see the wire colors.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...49708baec2.jpg

Slack in motor wiring harness prevented by the rest of the wiring and this harness clip.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...74fa82d358.jpg

The rest of the harness led to the temperature switch connectors for the radiator.



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...65d1aa7e4a.jpg

Headlight motor wiring.

1 = ws/sw (ws is white, sw is black, so white wire with black tracer)
2 = br/rt (br is brown, rt is red, so brown wire with red tracer)
3 = gn/ge (gn is green, ge is yellow, so green wire with yellow tracer)
4 = rt/sw (rt is red, sw is black, so red wire with black tracer)

Also worth noting, wire 4 is the power wire to the motor. The motor grounds out through the casing. Wires 1, 2, and 3 are used for the relays to start/stop the motor, and turn on the lights.




With the motor out and on the work bench, I moved onto disassembly and cleaning.
All of the small pieces were scrubbed with mineral spirits and a tooth brush. The rubber cover for the top of the motor was cleaned inside and out with a mineral spirit soaked rag.
The rubber casing that covered the lower part of the motor and all of the gearbox was a b*tch in high heels to get off. It took much pulling, prying, and a few curse words to get off off without tearing. I did not pull it completely off as it would not clear the plug. I cleaned the casing in place with a mineral spirit soaked rag. I turned the casing inside out for the same kind of cleaning.
I wiped off the motor housing and the gearbox housing with yet another mineral spirit soaked rag. Both looked quite good. The rubber casing had done its job.

I did notice the motor looked suspiciously like the wiper motor. However, comparing photos of them, it is obvious the motors are not the same. They are made by the same company, though.



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...71f0722c39.jpg

Parts and pieces.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f9254f6159.jpg

Inside of rubber cover for the top of the motor and manual knob.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...dc373f8134.jpg

Rubber casing that covers the lower part of the motor and all of the gear box.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...fccb527616.jpg

Detail of the motor mounting, spindle shaft, and crud.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8d4be34a63.jpg

Cleaned up.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...034f17e7e9.jpg

Wiper motor.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...790a83ccfb.jpg

Hmmm...looks familiar.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1e3f470a1b.jpg

Front side of the rubber casing cleaned up.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...119ef7fe0b.jpg

Backside of the rubber casing cleaned up.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3009635b6f.jpg

Gearbox contact wiring.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8ef9f0fdda.jpg

Drive spindle side of the gearbox.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0f7afaa7ff.jpg

Thrust pin adjustment on gearbox.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...326a4853f1.jpg

Manual adjusting knob.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...51fd4e5e51.jpg

Red paint is left over from the repaint in 1998.




I was concerned at this point. The motor and gearbox looked very clean, very good. I was beginning to doubt my wisdom of removing it and taking it apart. Oh well, too late now.

I removed the cover to the gear box, and immediately noticed two things:
There was NO grease.
There was RUST on the contact wheel on the main gear.

AHA!!!

Thinking my way through it, I realized there was no grease because the main gear was fiber. It ran slow enough, and with a short enough duty cycle, that lubrication was not needed between it and the worm screw on the motor.
Thinking through the rust on the contact wheel took a bit longer. In a nutshell, what I think was happening is the main gear would turn until the copper contact hit the rust, and would break the circuit. This would stop the motor, just as if it had reached the proper cut out in the contact wheel.

I removed the main gear from the gearbox housing, careful not to lose the ball bearing used for thrust. I used a fine brass wire wheel in a dremel type tool to gently clean the corrosion from the contact wheel. Afterward I cleaned the contact wheel with mineral spirits. I noticed there was a thin, greasy feeling film on the contact wheel. For lack of a better idea, I replicated this with a super thin layer of dielectric grease. I cleaned all three copper contact points with DeOxit D5. None of the contacts showed any kind of damage, and the arms weren't bent.

I reassembled the gearbox and jigged it up in the bench vise. My intent was to build a test rig. However. I was concerned about how to wire it up. I sorta got lost in the wiring diagram. After staring at the wiring diagram and searching threads on Rennlist, I had an 'AHA' moment. All I need is +12VDC on motor plug terminal #4 and ground on the motor casing. The motor will run. Pre '87 headlight motors only run in one direction. The cut outs in the contact wheel and the combination headlight relay controls the motor motion.

First, I checked each diode for motor terminals 1 and 2. They were good, showing 0.579VDC when forward biased, and did not conduct when reverse biased.
With the motor jigged up on the bench vise, I connected +12VDC and ground from my work bench test panel to motor terminal #4 and the casing. The motor ran fine. No funny noises, no excessive current draw.

With the motor running, I checked the diodes between motor terminals 1 and 3 and 2 and 3. I saw them cycle through conducting and not conducting. This told me that the contacts were all conducting properly, and the contact wheel was clean.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...33b6a1a64d.jpg

Aha! Corrosion on contact wheel.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...2c3059cbc5.jpg

Better shot of corrosion on contact wheel.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8f7a4ba8e7.jpg

Copper contacts and arms on back side of gear case cover.




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b86ce56efb.jpg

Gearbox with main gear removed.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cda063e5cf.jpg

Fiber main gear.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...75708028e0.jpg

No unusual wear on fiber teeth.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f414f2cd21.jpg

Corrosion cleaned away.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...533b0c39f4.jpg

Diodes forward biased.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...1ef39bbf5f.jpg

Diodes reverse biased.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0bed37997c.jpg

Motor jigged up as test rig.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4e538a01af.jpg

Workbench test panel.



I was very pleased now that the motor worked as advertised. I reinstalled the rubber casing back over the gearbox and lower motor housing. That was only slightly easier than getting it off.
Note, based upon how well the motor ran, and how quiet it was, I elected NOT to further disassemble the motor itself. I recall the horror show that was the inside of the wiper motor...

I did put a note for myself on the end of the motor casing with the manual knob. I put two yellow arrows in the counter clockwise direction. I had read somewhere that you should not turn the manual knob clockwise, as this could bend the contact arms in the gearbox. Seeing how all that operates, I can understand that. In addition, I looked in the, God forbid, owner's manual. On page 90, it talks about turning the knob to the left (counter clockwise) to raise or lower the headlights. Since I have been known to easily forget things, I put the yellow arrows on as a reminder.

I did have a hiccup on reinstallation. Following an idea from Rennlist, I bought two of the locking clips for the automatic shifter cable, part number 999 166 005 02. These were to replace the simple E-clips for holding the linkage rod on. Yeah. They didn't fit. Just too small enough to not be able to be forced to fit. And its too late, as Daniel5691 gave all his cool headlight clips away already. Grrrr...back to the drawing board.



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...aa59b0cbab.jpg

Seth-don't-be-dumb arrows for the manual knob.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ba6243a2f5.jpg

Cleaned up and reassembled.




https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b295dfd55d.jpg

Ready to be reinstalled.




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...17ab3fb932.jpg

Small parts cleaned and ready. New mounting hardware as well.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a12777344a.jpg

The shifter cable clips that don't quite fit.



Prior to reinstalling the motor and linkage. I cleaned up the wiring and such with mineral spirits. The terminal boots were a little rough. I 'painted' them with liquid electrical tape, for lack of a better idea. Same thing for the boot for the radiator temperature switch. I am well aware that the terminal boots and such are readily available. However, they require the terminal to be cut off the wire to fit over it. All the terminals on my wiring are in good condition. So, I elected not to replace the boots.

I routed the radiator switch harness back down the front structure and secured it with the white clip. That took more dexterity than I expected.
I reinstalled the motor, but left the crank arm off. With power back on the Red Witch, I turned the headlights ON and then OFF from the pod switch. This way, I knew the headlight motor was stopped in the 'DOWN' position. I reinstalled the crank arm lined up with the match marks I made earlier. Then, it was just a matter of adjusting the motor up a little bit to allow the linkage arm to fit.
Then, with more than a bit of trepidation, the test run. The headlights worked! The pods cycled up smoothly and the lights came on. The lights went off and the pods cycled down smoothly.

I am more than a little pleased to get this fixed and put to bed!



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...ae2b4f22cd.jpg

Wire terminal boots 'painted' with liquid electrical tape.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c3f4b3a827.jpg

Wires back on the correct plug terminals.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a80ce5cf7e.jpg

Boots pushed back down, all is good.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e4c5c75f72.jpg





https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0357d127c7.jpg

Radiator temperature switch boot, also 'painted' with liquid electrical tape.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b4d3df3493.jpg

Terminals for the temperature switch.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e04ef1ac73.jpg

Motor and retaining plate reinstalled.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8fdc6dc370.jpg

Motor reinstalled, linkage in the UP position.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9bdb662f91.jpg

Pod up!




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...54ba219cb7.jpg

YAY!!! Lights are up and work.



Alright, for those of you still reading, full disclosure:

This was a waste of time! Thinking back over what all I had to do, and why I had to do it, I probably could have fixed the headlights by cycling the motor by hand a couple of times. The corrosion on the contact wheel was causing the relays to drop out too soon. If I had turned the knob several times, the contacts would have likely cleaned the corrosion from their paths on the contact wheel. This would have restored the proper operation of the relays and such.

So...if the headlights on your pre '87 928 are not fully raising, try turning the manual knob a few cycles. Can't hurt...

Another excellent write-up with detailed pics. Fantastic job Seth!

+1.

Keep up the good work Seth.

Thank you, gentlemen!

The last time the engine in the Red Witch ran was October 2016. I added 10 gallons of fresh 93 octane gasoline treated with Stabil 360 and SeaFoam somewhere before then. So...the Red Witch has half a tank of almost 2 year old gas. :banghead:

This has really been bugging me recently. Prior to adding the treated gas, I drained the fuel tank by pulling off the hose from the strainer to the fuel pump. That actually was a bit of a pain in the a$$.
So, in true Seth form, I overthought the entire process. And did it.


I fabricated my own version of a fuel pump jumper using a mil-spec toggle switch, a common SPST relay, and alot of wire. I didn't want to have something like 10 feet of 12 gauge wire for this, so I used a relay. I bought a bunch of relays and matching short harnesses in the past. I put spade terminals on the ends of the wires for 85, 30, and 87. Terminal 86 went out to 10 feet of 18 gauge speaker wire to the aforementioned switch. From the switch, it came back to the speaker wire, then to an alligator clip. The alligator clip was then attached to one of the grounding points above the CE panel.

I cheated and put wires 85 and 30 in the same spade terminal, to be connected to terminal 30 in the socket for the fuel pump relay in the CE panel. This way, all I have to do is connect the battery to provide power to the relay and pump. The switch provides the ground to energize the relay and provide power to the pump.
I used 10 feet of wire between the switch and relay to give me enough room to be at the fuel pump or the front of the car with the switch.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4808d39900.jpg

Fuel pump relay jumper switch, relay, and 10' of wire.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...166c530a9f.jpg

Blue (30) and white (85) crimped together in the same spade terminal to go into socket terminal 30. Yellow (87) goes to socket terminal 87. The black alligator clip comes from (86) via the switch.




https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3ee037450c.jpg

Mil-spec toggle switch and safety-close-cover I, uh...aquired, while onboard the ship. Cover closed, toggle in OFF position.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...da4faf1a6a.jpg

Cover open, toggle in OFF position.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...65344e2272.jpg

Cover open, toggle in ON position.




https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c7032c03db.jpg

Relay connected to fuel pump relay socket in CE panel, black alligator clip attached to grounding point above CE panel.



I connected a clear flexible hose to metal fuel supply line on the passenger's side inner fender. I ran the hose down to one of several empty kitty litter jugs. I held the line in place with a plastic clamp. With the switch laying on the fender cover near the nose, I was able to pump fuel and watch the level in the kitty litter jugs. Though a bit slower than I expected, this worked out quite well. The fuel did not look super hateful, but I am not trusting it.

I will admit to some relief at hearing the fuel pump quietly whirring away merrily. It is a new pump, but has not run since October of 2016.

After the fuel pump lost suction, I added two gallons of mineral spirits to the fuel tank. In my mind, the mineral spirits would help clean any skanky fuel out of the strainer, pump, check valve, filter, lines, etc...
After the fuel pump lost suction with the mineral spirits, I added a gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil. In my mind, this would help 'pickle' the strainer, fuel pump, check valve, filter, lines, etc...
I ran the pump until I saw a steady stream of red fluid in the clear hose. I pumped maybe less than a quart of it out. So, there should be at least half a gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil sitting in the bottom of the fuel tank. Since the fuel is gravity fed into the pump, the pump should be full of MMO as well. I am banking on the outlet check valve on the fuel pump to keep the filter and fuel lines full of MMO.


Was all of this blessed overkill, and possibly useless? Probably. Am I happy? Definitely.



https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e19c53f47c.jpg

Fuel pump jumper switch sitting in close reach on the fender cover.




https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...78f0d6ece1.jpg

Clear flexible hose connected to metal fuel supply line. Currently pumping out old gasoline.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...36982ea9b2.jpg

Other end of hose goes into one of several kitty litter jugs, secured with plastic clip.




https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...37a7b6522d.jpg

Two gallons of mineral spirits for cleaning, one gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil for 'pickling'.




https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3c2d1b54ad.jpg

Steady stream of red MMO in the clear hose. Time to quit pumping.



On a semi-funny side note, once I was done pumping the MMO, I checked the fuel gauge. The low fuel light works. :roflmao:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8ce73f0218.jpg

Orange 'Low Fuel' light glowing cheerfully.





This should keep the fuel system OK until I reinstall the engine and the rest of the fuel components.

I gotta say Seth, I haven't seen this much man-car love since Ford introduced the Mercury Mistress back in the 90's.

:)----> http://dai.ly/x359dd <----:)

What happened to the "Not going to miss SITM 2018" mantra? Or was that meant to be 2019?

Oh, he made SITM 2018 with bells on - just the Red Witch didn't...

Seth, as I recall the wiper motor was squealing when operated. How is it now with fresh grease?

Seth, can you pass along the bearing information. 2 of my 4 cars wiper motors are in similar condition.

Alrighty then....

Hi Kevin!

Gladly! I put a ceramic bearing in, number 6002-2RS HB-Ceramic. I got it off ebay in 2016. It works just fine.
Please go to this thread for the horror show that was my wiper motor:
NOTE: Keep reading down past the AC work to see more of the wiper motor photos and descriptions.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-the-cowl.html