How many hours would it take you to assemble a 928 engine?
#32
Drifting
"The RULE of NINETIEs and NINEs": 90% of the work takes 90% of the time--- the Next 9% also takes 90% of the time--- the remaining 1% takes as much time as the first 99% LOL The best answer is: It takes as long as it takes, because you only want to do it once.
#34
I was thinking what sort of a question is being asked? Why does it matter how long it takes to do this? It just needs to be done correctly. And, why hurry? Is someone shopping around for the lowest price? I do see this often...I get calls how much to media blast this, I saw I get 4 hours @ 150 hr for that, they then bitch, I then tell them to shop around for the Plastic Media Blasters...wait, there is only One, nearest other guy is in Dallas, and he's my friend.
I concur, dive in yourself and learn! I had too many questions that the only way to be answered was to dive in myself, which I did by unbuilding this 928 by removing the Body off the driveline, in the opposite manner Porsche did when they built the car. Yes, my learning curve was and remains steep, but, the value in this; priceless.
I concur, dive in yourself and learn! I had too many questions that the only way to be answered was to dive in myself, which I did by unbuilding this 928 by removing the Body off the driveline, in the opposite manner Porsche did when they built the car. Yes, my learning curve was and remains steep, but, the value in this; priceless.
#35
Rennlist Member
This is not a game for someone who wants to pinch pennies.
928's, and being a gearhead in general, are expensive. You want to play, you got to pay...
928's, and being a gearhead in general, are expensive. You want to play, you got to pay...
#36
Thanks so much for the comments.
Lots of very interesting insights here, and proof positive of the varying goals/priorities/interests of the "average" 928 owner.
This was really intended as a purely technical question, perhaps asked in a too-imprecise manner.
Dan
Lots of very interesting insights here, and proof positive of the varying goals/priorities/interests of the "average" 928 owner.
This was really intended as a purely technical question, perhaps asked in a too-imprecise manner.
Dan
Last edited by Daniel5691; 04-02-2017 at 01:46 AM.
#37
Rennlist Member
During the re-build he asked me how I'd learned to work on cars, I told him it was a matter of necessity, I just couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it for me, so I bought some manuals and some tools, and I worked my way through it. That was replacing the suspension on a 1971 914 1.7L I got from a guy for $1500. I sure wish I still had that car!
I called her my "flexy flyer", she was the fastest little darlin' on the road back then and I regularly smoked other cars up and down CA State 9 and hwy 1 for a couple years before I accidentally shifted from 4th into 3rd (instead of 5th) while I was racing a TR7 up CA 1 one day, dumped the clutch and sucked a valve. End of engine.
It's how we learn. I don't think he really got that. He ended up selling the Audi and buying a new Subaru. God help him with that
#38
Rennlist Member
I spent nearly a year doing a top end (intake) refresh on the 928. How many hours? Hard to say. It was a "voyage of discovery" finding out what did and didn't need to be replaced. I had a mouse nest of some years in my air intake. These things are difficult to predict.
Not really an easy question to answer accurately.
Last edited by Otto Mechanic; 04-02-2017 at 04:43 AM.
#39
Rennlist Member
Most amateur hacks like myself take forever to do things the first time we attempt them and no matter how careful we are invariably we end up doing something stupid that requires rework or worse if we do not spot the **** up. Most things we do are probably first time attempts and I tend to be very careful [i.e. take a long time] the first time I do a job. Even when I revisit a specific activity invariably something takes longer than expected with problematic activities surfacing that were no issue the first time around.
Professionals have to do it right first time or swallow the cost if they do not. I have one 928 that I work on occasionally by choice and often by need. Our profesional bretheren will invariably be working on several at any given time and they cannot afford to have favourites. If I had to earn a living doing what they do I would starve or be very hungry.
Thus if a top pro says it takes him x hours to do a job I work on the premise that it will take me xN hours to do the same where N is a whole number [probably 2 or 3] and I can live with that. Occasionally I have a need to do something quickly and then I motor- I have had the inlet manifold off, done the job and back in about 4 hours without any glitsches and that in 40C heat one summer day but it nigh on killed me due to dehydration.
The upside of all this is a much better appreciation of what professional mechanics/engineers really do. I find it a stretch to sustain enthusiasm for one 928 never mind a garage full 24/7 year in year out. They do this and then come on here and graciously give the rest of us advice as to how to go about it- pretty special folks as I am concerned and I trust everyone playing along at home appreciates that!
Rgds
Fred
Professionals have to do it right first time or swallow the cost if they do not. I have one 928 that I work on occasionally by choice and often by need. Our profesional bretheren will invariably be working on several at any given time and they cannot afford to have favourites. If I had to earn a living doing what they do I would starve or be very hungry.
Thus if a top pro says it takes him x hours to do a job I work on the premise that it will take me xN hours to do the same where N is a whole number [probably 2 or 3] and I can live with that. Occasionally I have a need to do something quickly and then I motor- I have had the inlet manifold off, done the job and back in about 4 hours without any glitsches and that in 40C heat one summer day but it nigh on killed me due to dehydration.
The upside of all this is a much better appreciation of what professional mechanics/engineers really do. I find it a stretch to sustain enthusiasm for one 928 never mind a garage full 24/7 year in year out. They do this and then come on here and graciously give the rest of us advice as to how to go about it- pretty special folks as I am concerned and I trust everyone playing along at home appreciates that!
Rgds
Fred
#40
Rennlist Member
That's the problem with estimates like this, what context are they in? Everything I do on my car is usually the first time. OK, I've replaced a few brake pads before. I don't usually read manuals for that more than once for a car I've never worked on and nowadays I pretty much skim them.
But re-building an engine? I can expect to do it at least twice if I'm lucky and I'll need to include one or two tear downs in that, so I'd call your 2 to 3x factor conservative. Porsche use all sorts of special tools and lubes, which just makes things even more interesting.
#41
Rennlist Member
Scott,
I rather suspect you meant my numbers are optimistic as in the number should be 4 or whatever?
Ineptness has no bounds- I have a perception of my level and in amateur terms I like to think I am on "the better side" of average.
Big fan of the F14- an amazing machine. I have often wondered how the Navy felt about the decision to retire it from active service and replace it with the F18 in an air superiority role.
I rather suspect you meant my numbers are optimistic as in the number should be 4 or whatever?
Ineptness has no bounds- I have a perception of my level and in amateur terms I like to think I am on "the better side" of average.
Big fan of the F14- an amazing machine. I have often wondered how the Navy felt about the decision to retire it from active service and replace it with the F18 in an air superiority role.
#42
Rennlist Member
Well, I might guess my friend wasn't personally all that happy about it since it more or less ended his career as a military pilot, but I have to admit the F-14 predated me, I grew up around the F-18s. I took high altitude flight and ejection seat at NAS Lemore back in the 80's and it was mostly with F-18 pilots. I love the look of those planes but never flew on one. I almost had a chance to go up in a T-38 while I was with NASA but my friend lost his ticket to ride and it never happened. Those Hornets are scary critters but I like all of them. I've always wanted a T-38 of my very own though (well, maybe shared with a few close friends). If I had a choice between a T-38 and a 918, you can bet I'd be in the T-38. Now that's an expensive hobby...
#43
An update, one year later.
The gentleman who had agreed to reassemble my engine very unfortunately suffered a stroke, and was out of commission for several months.
He only returned to his shop a few weeks ago.
He is swamped, behind all schedules, and I fear that I am near the bottom of his list.
I am going to stop by and visit him this weekend if possible.
(Currently it has "taken" 9,490 hours in the "engine assembly" process, to answer my own question...)
Unless some magic happens, I'll be bringing lots of shiny engine parts home, yet again.
I rebuilt a Chevy 350 about 30 years ago. I have a good torque wrench, lots of time, and careful hands. I do not have further engine assembly experience, and I certainly do not know the any of the nuances of 928 engine assembly.
I worry that I will trash this engine with some stupid oversight or mistake.
I am ready to sell this sad little heap and go get a Prius.
I feel as if this delayed and side-tracked journey is reaching a long-overdue but inevitable dead end.
The gentleman who had agreed to reassemble my engine very unfortunately suffered a stroke, and was out of commission for several months.
He only returned to his shop a few weeks ago.
He is swamped, behind all schedules, and I fear that I am near the bottom of his list.
I am going to stop by and visit him this weekend if possible.
(Currently it has "taken" 9,490 hours in the "engine assembly" process, to answer my own question...)
Unless some magic happens, I'll be bringing lots of shiny engine parts home, yet again.
I rebuilt a Chevy 350 about 30 years ago. I have a good torque wrench, lots of time, and careful hands. I do not have further engine assembly experience, and I certainly do not know the any of the nuances of 928 engine assembly.
I worry that I will trash this engine with some stupid oversight or mistake.
I am ready to sell this sad little heap and go get a Prius.
I feel as if this delayed and side-tracked journey is reaching a long-overdue but inevitable dead end.
#44
Rennlist
Basic Site Sponsor
Basic Site Sponsor
Then you end up with all that confusion about which battery cable goes where.....
Assemble that thing....there's plenty of people, with lots of experience, here to help.
Assemble that thing....there's plenty of people, with lots of experience, here to help.
__________________
greg brown
714 879 9072
GregBBRD@aol.com
Semi-retired, as of Feb 1, 2023.
The days of free technical advice are over.
Free consultations will no longer be available.
Will still be in the shop, isolated and exclusively working on project cars, developmental work and products, engines and transmissions.
Have fun with your 928's people!
greg brown
714 879 9072
GregBBRD@aol.com
Semi-retired, as of Feb 1, 2023.
The days of free technical advice are over.
Free consultations will no longer be available.
Will still be in the shop, isolated and exclusively working on project cars, developmental work and products, engines and transmissions.
Have fun with your 928's people!
#45
Rennlist Member
Read the manual. Carefully. Read posts on Rennlist. Just as carefully. Its all nuts and bolts and clearances. You can do it. Just take your time and be thorough. I am doing all that right now, albeit very slowly.