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Well, first off: Welcome to the asylum. You definitely qualify for admission.
With a few possible pitfalls, you probably have a solid foundation. There is a ton of work ahead of you, but none of it is all that hard. Anything you get stuck on can be resolved here. The big investment is going to be time.
A couple suggestions:
If you want air, find a gas driven compressor. That way you don't have to worry about the electricity. Trying to go gas engine > generator > electric compressor isn't usually the best idea, at least not for any reasonable amount of air.
Use the 110 in the storage unit to run a small fridge. Stock it with beer. That will attract local 928 owners. Set a hard and fast rule: "No work, NO BEER!"
I think your list is reasonable. Depending on your attention span/OCD level, you could do stuff in parallel. For example, start tearing down the motor. Do that for a day or so, then move to removing the wiring harness.
It has the advantage of not getting 'stuck' on one task and keeping it 'new and different'. It does have disadvantages, getting lost or confused is the worst.
Some would suggest picking one task, getting it all the way done and then moving on.
Well said Mr. Fish...well said...or well written...or whatever
Originally Posted by soontobered84
+1 on creating a list and posting what you need. A lot of the things that you will need to replace are things that are typically not sold or slow to sell things from dismantled cars. A lot of owners have parts stashes set aside with parts that have intrinsic value but are seldom replaced and taking up storage space.
Yes Sir Mr. Red, my thoughts exactly. I need the parts manual to identify everything that is damaged and also what is missing. Remember, some stuff just melted away LOL. Also, I heard a legend of a 928 graveyard up near Mt. Airy, MD., which is about 70 miles from me. I wish I could make Hershey this weekend, but work got in the way.
Originally Posted by paalw
Cred! You are one brave soul! Looking forward to updates.
Thank you, Sir. Stand by.
Originally Posted by FredR
Opening up the motor to get to the bottom of what you need to do is a no brainer- you never know you just might be pleasantly surprised- look on the bright side until such time as you know otherwise. Similarly, the quicker you can get the crispy fried critters out of the vehicle the sooner you will feel better about what you have taken on. Create a list of what you need and post it- most listers are very motivated to see an example saved and you may well find yourself flooded with offers of parts to help you recover such is the spirit of this fine organ.
Thank you, Fred. I am ready to dismantle but want to identify the parts first. Do the Morehouse CD's still exist? I need diagrams and labeling.
Originally Posted by Wisconsin Joe
Well, first off: Welcome to the asylum. You definitely qualify for admission.
With a few possible pitfalls, you probably have a solid foundation. There is a ton of work ahead of you, but none of it is all that hard. Anything you get stuck on can be resolved here. The big investment is going to be time.
A couple suggestions:
If you want air, find a gas driven compressor. That way you don't have to worry about the electricity. Trying to go gas engine > generator > electric compressor isn't usually the best idea, at least not for any reasonable amount of air.
Use the 110 in the storage unit to run a small fridge. Stock it with beer. That will attract local 928 owners. Set a hard and fast rule: "No work, NO BEER!"
I think your list is reasonable. Depending on your attention span/OCD level, you could do stuff in parallel. For example, start tearing down the motor. Do that for a day or so, then move to removing the wiring harness.
It has the advantage of not getting 'stuck' on one task and keeping it 'new and different'. It does have disadvantages, getting lost or confused is the worst.
Some would suggest picking one task, getting it all the way done and then moving on.
Your car, your project, your choice.
Good luck.
Originally Posted by skpyle
What he said!
That is some excellent advice.
Thanks Joe and Seth. I completely agree. Compressor will be the Sears 27 gallon gas powered one. (Its on sale!) Beer for the fridge? You don't even have to mention that! Only its a cooler with ice right now.
I am going with a two pronged pincher move with Smokin Joe. Gets the heads removed and off to the machine shop, then remove the crispy critters. Remove the burned paint with stiff bristle brush. Paint and reapply seam sealer (or whatever that stuff is).
For the group: I watched a factory video on YouTube about removing the heads and it stated I needed 3 special tools. Are these available from the big three? Or do I even need them? According to Mark Anderson's post from 2010 about head gasket removal, I need a breaker bar for the head bolts. Said his 1/2" Impact would even budge them.
So, in order: Gas compressor, manuals, special tools (maybe), breakerbar. Fridge will come much later. And wheelbarrow full of money
I know you guys love photos, so here is one of the motor getting steam cleaned and the result. Take care and much Aloha, Rick
One thing you might consider doing with the engine is to get hold of an endoscope and take a look into the state of the bores- you never know you might just be lucky and they are in perfect condition. If you see no signs of corrosion problems and the motor turns ok try a leakdown test albeit such should be done with a warm motor but even cold it may be a useful performance indicator.
Needless to say given the motor is out now is as good a time as any to take a look deep inside the motor isn case there has been some incident related degradation.
I wanted to update you on the state of JoJo (current name until I can find one that fits). I have removed the front wiring harness. I chose to disassemble instead of just cutting wires so I have a sequence to put things back together; Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. Overall, the car has come apart fairly well. I found a few interesting bits: A giant wasps' nest underneath the passenger fender, a poorly installed radar detector behind the nose, and an aftermarket alarm system made in Hong Kong; All of which were removed.
The plan has always been to disassemble/repair/reassemble. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the task of taking the car apart. I decided that the engine bay must be repaired. And that required stripping off all the parts and grinding down the damaged factory seam sealer/fire retardant/road noise reducer. BTW, if anyone knows what that stuff is made of, please let me know because trying to get that off is like trying to scrape 10-year-old gum off a New York sidewalk. It will not come off. Which, in reality, is probably why so much of the car survived. When I removed the passenger side fender, three bolts to the rear of the underside were covered in that stuff. I thought, "wow, that dude must have emptied his gun on the underside of this thing" because I had to heat gun/scrape/wire brush the area just to get the bolts exposed. Easily a 1/2" thick.
As you can tell from the photo, here is part of the damage from the fire department where they opened the hood with an ax. I will pound out the sheet metal and drill out the hood latch. Not sure if I will re-install the rivets in place or nut/bolt job; time will tell.
Take a look at these A-arms and let me know if they need replacing. The shocks were fairly new and the driver's side is toast, but I am unsure if I should replace both.
I have ordered the Hazet socket and if it arrives by Friday, then engine disassembly will begin this weekend. I have crossed my fingers the motor is still good. If not, then I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Something that did not help is the Army has determined I need to work on Saturdays for the next two months.
I make it to the car every day after 1600. The manager of the storage complex walks by just about every day, "just checking the grounds". She told me, "you know when I said you bring your car here I didn't know you were going to dismantle the thing". I told her I was just changing the fluids LOL. She told me technically she was not supposed to let me do car work, so we compromised and formed a timeline. I said the car would move under its own power by mid-July and she said OK.
Now I have a Gas Monkey/Overhaulin'/American Hot Rod type scenario of 'will he finish in time'? I can hear Mike Rowe's voice in my head as I work: Will Rick get the car done in time? And is the motor any good? And if so, can he order the parts in time to put the car back together? Find out...on the next episode of Porsche's American Hot Rod... At least I don't have a douche bag, Dwayne, following me around getting in my business.
Statements from passersby as I work: Is that a Toyota Supra? How much does it cost? Um, so, are you like a mechanic or what? And finally the #1 question - What is it?
Done- Lights in shop, breaker bar, 32-gallon air compressor, removed fender, nose, wiring harness.
Next- Engine, suspension, HVAC, and most likely torque tube if I get a set of lift bars.
For some reason I can't figure out how to add pictures, and then write about them underneath. I also want to respond to what other folks have written with text and pictures, but can't seem to figure that out either? WTH?
Seth you weren't kidding man. I have a budget now!
Originally Posted by jetson8859
I would add motor mounts to the list since engine is out along with looking at power steering rack and boots.
Yup, agree. The MM's look pretty good. I have to get the car up higher to pull the rack.
Originally Posted by Daniel5691
Hello ! Good luck with your 928 !
Thought I'd pass this along to you, may come in handy....
Thanks Daniel. Can I go ahead and contact Randy V then??? I need the help for sure. (See response to Seth)
Originally Posted by FredR
Opening up the motor to get to the bottom of what you need to do is a no brainer- you never know you just might be pleasantly surprised- look on the bright side until such time as you know otherwise. Create a list of what you need and post it.
Thanks Fred, the motor should come apart this weekend. As for the list, I am getting there
Originally Posted by Wisconsin Joe
A couple suggestions:
If you want air, find a gas driven compressor.
run a small fridge. Stock it with beer.
start tearing down the motor. Do that for a day or so, then move to removing the wiring harness. Good luck.
Thanks Joe. Couldn't get the gas compressor because it was $1K. Beer is always in the ice chest, and yes, I am working in parallel.
this one should be fun, after your done I have a 1989 928 GT that you could take on.
Thanks Stan. I will take you up on that, but I better get this one done first
Originally Posted by FredR
One thing you might consider doing with the engine is to get hold of an endoscope and take a look into the state of the bores
Originally Posted by FredR
I see Darth Vader came with the car [He was fire damaged as well wasn't he?].
Hmmm, Darth? I kinda like that That has potential. As for the endoscope, you are correct. I probably should have brought that when i looked at the car to purchase. As for now, I am yanking the heads. Car as 150K miles on it now, which is nothing for a 30 year old car. If all goes well with the bores, should I have the valves ground? My dad always said it helped a high mileage motor.
Here are the 3 videos I have been watching to prep for the motor teardown.
You are making good progress man. I'm working Friday-Sun 12 hrs each but can stop by at about 1900 if you are still into it. Look at the paperwork I gave you. Torque tube was done by Memphis motor Werk. There was absolutely no issues with it prior to fire. I also did motor mounts a couple of years ago. Got the from Roger. Receipt should be in documents. I'm curious to see inside the motor. Oil & coolant changed regularly. Royal purple fully synthetic used. Might be some debris from removing charred bits could have fallen in. Text me tomorrow if you'll be around at 1900.
I would definitely recommend new motor mounts given the drastic "heat cycling."
The personnel at Ft Belvoir auto skills shop were pretty accustomed to seeing a blue 928S on their lift, though its been a while now. There are a number of enthusiasts in the vicinity, if you get to a task that requires some additional hands send a shout out. If you are getting it moving by July, driving it to sharktoberfest should be no problem at all.
;-)