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Went out this morning and the battery was still dead, dead, dead. Apparently sitting in a half-disassembled car has broken its spirit. I put my backup battery on the charger and went out to meet a friend for breakfast.
I got back around 1pm, put the now-charged battery in, hooked up the wires and turned the key with the coil wire off to throw some oil around in the motor. I let it crank for a few revolutions and everything sounded right. I went up in front and nothing had come loose, no (new) puddles of fluid.
I hooked up the wire from the coil to the distributor, tried it again and...
He's not starting. I guess the most likely problem is that the distributor is out of alignment, so I'll start there. If that doesn't get it, I think I'll rent a trailer and drag it down to Pete's place.
It took a couple tries, but I got the rotor lined up correctly and the car fires and runs! There was an initial valve clatter that quieted after I let it run for a few minutes, everything else under the hood seems good so far.
I have a stumble when applying throttle gradually, and it's idling high (1,200 rpm). I still need to figure out what I'm doing with the transmission, which leaks like crazy, and I need to put the interior back together - at least, I need to get the door skin and electrics back in. But, I'm hopeful that I'm going to make Frenzy driving my 928.
Okay, so at some point the vacuum line that leads to the fitting on the right side of the pair in the middle of this picture came loose, and I don't know where it goes. This is at the base of the spider, pretty much in the center of the valley. I've looked through the vacuum routing diagrams, but I'm not getting it. A little help?
UPDATE: NVM, I figured it out: It connects to the distributor.
Last edited by Shawn Stanford; 07-22-2017 at 09:42 PM.
First, a disclaimer: I've never done timing before. I just picked up a Harbor Freight timing light today.
I had a bad stumble around 3,000 rpm. I sealed off the vacuum lines to the distributor, hooked up the timing light, started the car and let it warm up. I set the advance on the timing light to 0 and began adjusting the distributor.
I have no idea what do with the readings I saw...
After fiddling with it, the car seems happy at idle and the stumble is gone. But as far as I can tell the timing is well to the right of where it should be on the timing mark.
So, I have it set and the car seems to run better, but I have no real idea what I've set it to.
The trans took the better part of two quarts. I took a short trip around the block and the transmission shifted fine and the motor seems to be okay. After the run, the ATF is even at the correct spot on the gauge!
Now I just have to get the interior put back together and start taking some longer trips (more than 1/2 mile!) to make sure everything is okay.
Working on the interior rear quarter. Last fall I took it all out, pulled off the old leather and made a pattern. I straightened the quarter as best I could with steam and glued a cheap yoga mat on to replace the foam. I cut and sewed a new cover out of vinyl and here's the first test fit. Looks pretty good. I'm hopeful that a lot of glue and a little heat and it'll look nearly okay.
Hey, you omitted your signature on this sewing post. When sewing, perhaps it is best to forget that you're working on a "road weapon designed to destroy distance and crush time." Personally, I think it quite manly to lock and load a bobbin into place. Just don't do it when your wife is looking.
So let me get this straight: You have a hard time wrenching on it, so you broke out the sewing machine? That should be so much easier.
I've been sewing for years, I've made clothing on occasion.
Originally Posted by Adk46
Hey, you omitted your signature on this sewing post. When sewing, perhaps it is best to forget that you're working on a "road weapon designed to destroy distance and crush time." Personally, I think it quite manly to lock and load a bobbin into place. Just don't do it when your wife is looking.
Heh. That was a post from my phone. Apparently it doesn't post quite the same. Weird. Scoff all you want: That sewing machine and I have been through a lot together. It went to Iraq with me.
I'm not scoffing very seriously, since I once did a lot of sewing myself - mainly Frostline kits for backpacking stuff back in the '70s, and occasionally since. Very useful skill. I'm looking forward to seeing your new panels. Mine are medium ugly in an otherwise non-ugly interior.
I've been sewing for years, I've made clothing on occasion...
Heh. That was a post from my phone. Apparently it doesn't post quite the same. Weird. Scoff all you want: That sewing machine and I have been through a lot together. It went to Iraq with me.
I don't scoff at people skilled at operating a sewing machine. It's a lot harder than it looks.
I'm a parachute rigger. Peoples lives depend on the stuff I sew.
07-09-2017, 07:27 PM
I guess the most likely problem is that the distributor is out of alignment, so I'll start there. If that doesn't get it, I think I'll rent a trailer and drag it down to Pete's place. 
