Cal Brady

I'm unwittingly and slowly restoring my 1988 S4. Anybody in or near Los Angeles have an interest in doing a valve job?
Car doesn't burn oil or have smoke, just passed California emm. test but mechanic says it needs a valve job. Replaced all sensors, hoses, etc.

If so my email address
calbrady@pacbell.net

MikeN

How many miles on it??

What makes your mechanic think it needs a valve job? Not really a common thing that a 928 engine in good shape needs.......

Garth S

Just of curiousity, were you supplied any hard data, in the form of compression or leak-down tests, that would support the complexity and expense of doing a 'valve job'?? --Oh, did I mention expense?!
Be convinced prior to getting into this: your '88 may well req. valve work - if not, there are more interresting things to do, like enjoying this great 'ride'.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Cal if it passes smog , does not smoke or burn oil ........ What would a "valve job " FIX ??

Ed Taylor

JIm, Obviously
Mechanic's cash flow.

Jim bailey - 928 International

O K Ed ....November shop rent ..... ??

Cal Brady

Odo says 63K......He had to remove the intake manifold to put in a new idle stab./control valve....said he could see it "leaking" in the "hole" The idle is now set too high, around 1500 rpm in Park, 1200 in Drive....he says this is the best he can do without doing a valve job


?????????????????????????????????

Cal Brady

Funny you should mention that...that is exactly what I was wondering...

ErnestSw

BULL****!!!!
"Oil in the hole" is either oil leaking from the filler neck into the "V" of the block, or he could be talking about oil residue in the intakes from crankcase ventillation, which is perfectly normal.
If the car is idling too high it may be the accelerator linkage which could have been fooled with in an attempt to fix the idle problem. There's no idle adjustment on your car. Push forward on the linkage while the car is running and see whether the idle slows down. If it doesn't it's probably a vacuum leak.
Does the car shift harder than normal from gear to gear?
Time to find a new mechanic!

ViribusUnits

Yea bull ****.

If there is enough of a gap that you can see it, there is pretty much no way you should have passed smog. Dead cylinders can fail you easily.

Have a compression test, or leak down test proformed. This is pretty much the only way to know for sure if you need a valve job.

Good luck.

Cal Brady

Please forgive my ignorance..I know with the "brain" there is no easy way to adjust idle BUT since he "worked" on the car, we went from a scenario where the thing would stall at every red light to NOW-where the idle is sky high-1500 rpm in park and over 1150 in drive.....Is there a linkage adjustment I could fix (that he screwed up) to bring this idle down....
????????

ErnestSw

The linkage is on the driver's side of the intake. There are several tension adjustment points, but I'm not familiar with them.
Someone with experience in the area needs to chime in.

bcdavis

This sounds an awful lot like a mechanic who is used to simple engines,
and is trying to fix a vaccuum leak, or other problem, by adjusting the
idle higher, via the throttle cable.

Since it is still being a problem, and not working right,
they are trying to scare you away, by telling you that to
fix it will be an expensive valve job. That way you either
go away, and accept the crappy work, or you pay for
the "valve job", and they will take the time to figure out
more about the 928, on your dime...

So that no one else in LA gets bad service,
do you mind mentioning what shop is doing this
"questionable" work on your car?

BarryW

It is important to have a mechanic who is intimately familiar with the 928. Even a seemingly simple repair can be expensively botched up by a well meaning but inexperienced shop. Horrible nightmare stories of broken cams, timing belts and such are way too common in our little world.

V-Fib

Cal, you obviously had what we call in the medical community, a "Positive Wallet Biopsy". Find another mechanic.



Anthony Tate
79/928 Silver Metallic