mmm951

Man, this car is fun to drive! First day I had it out on the street I am already approached by a few hondas with the singing fart cans. I atleast had the chance to hardwire a valentine one so I will have some sort of protection while I "explore" the potential of this car.

The car seems to be a little loose at higher speeds, so I think I may need some new bushings. Also, when I am turning (e.g. out of a driveway) I can hear a slight knocking sound. I would think that the knocking sound could be a control arm. I have not had a chance to look. What are the usual symptoms of a failed control arm?

Idle. What are some of the most common symptoms for a rough idle on the 951. I think the plugs, rotor, cap, wires were all replaced around 18,000 miles ago. Is it about time to change these again, or should they last a little longer?

Also, for you guys that have the plate wheels. How do you get rid of the whitish stain from the wheel? Is there a certain polish that must be used on the wheels. If so, please let me know. I will get take some pics of the car tomorrow and post them.

Thanks for any suggestions and responses in advance,

Michel

CanyonBlaster

Congrats.! Cool!

Sorry, I'm not much help on those questions

dime1622

your plugs, rotor, and cap should be fine. its probably your idle stabilizer that's bad, as they tend to go bad on these cars.

your knocking sound, i assume, is coming from the front. if so, id guess strut mounts or your ball joint

enjoy the car!

onewhippedpuppy

Nice, congrats. Post some of your own pics when you get the chance. You're lucky you jumped on that car, I was about to!

Mike Buck

Vasoline

. . . not kidding. Those wheels are anodized, not polished.

NZ951

Hmmm sounds like the PO liked those wheels a little too much. As a general principle I always distance myself from whitish stains.

krutschman1

Are you sure your not suspecting a rough idle, when really it's a bad motor mount (maybe both)??? These cars love motor mounts! Kary

ldt1

Well, I flew out to san francisco to pick up the 951 I bought on ebay. The car looked great, but ran a little rough, backfiring and trying to stall out on acceleration. It was 7pm and getting dark so I made a quick decision and did the deal, then immediately headed for san diego where a friend lives, and a fellow rennlister had recommended a mechanic in poway california. I made it down to san diego with no breakdowns as the car did ok at fwy speeds. the mechanic had a shop full of bentleys and ferraris and quickly diagnosed a vacuum leak which he fixed within 10 minutes of me arriving. I left the car with him for a timing belt change and general tuneup and inspection, and flew home to texas. I am not sure whether I will fly out and drive it back or have it shipped, which this guy also volunteered to help with. I have a newfound respect for the camaraderie and fellowship among rennlist members. I was 1500 miles from home with an ailing 951 and this guy who had never laid eyes on me was there for me in a big way. I am pumped about getting the car home and generally had a great trip and adventure. thanks to all the listers that replied to my inquiries about buying the car and where to have it serviced in the san diego area.

cruise98

Michel:

Congratulations on the new car! Another boosthead joins the ranks. Just wait until you get used to it and want even more!

Clunks in the front end need immediate investigation to avoid destroying a control arm or experiencing a complete failure. There are several potential clunk culprits, but the ball joints are very common failures and can be dangerous. They only way to know for sure is to get in on stands and shake and pry until you find it. Check the sway bar bushings, control arm mounts (front and rear), ball joints, wheel bearings, strut mounts, and spindle to ball joint connection, and even the struts can be guilty.

The rough idle needs some further description. The idle stabilizer valve adjusts the amount of air that bypasses the throttle plate at idle to maintain a constant engine speed due to cycling on/off of the A/C and electrical loads. When the a/c compressor engages, the idle will drop, adjust and then smooth out. Same thing when the fans go on and off. If nothing starts or stops, the idle should be silky smooth. If you have vibrations or rough running beyond this behavior, the motor mounts are probably bad, or a plug/wire is shot. I would change the plugs with the miles that are on them. But that is just me.

How many miles on it and did you get records with it as well? How old are all of the belts, hoses, fluids and filters?

ldt1

sorry to intrude on this thread, pushed wrong button, ooooops.

mmm951

Mike Buck,
The vaseline did the trick! Thanks for the info.

Kary,
I have not had a chance to look at the mount. That is on my list of things to do in the next few days. Thanks


Keith & dime1622,

When the car is first started up it runs pretty rough. After I drive it around for a while, it tends to idle a little smoother, but it is still rough compared to what I think it should be. When I am running through the gears, it seems to run pretty smooth. So, this leads me to belive that it could be idle control/stabilizer. I will go ahead and replace the plugs to see if that helps any. What plugs are the best to use? I have searched the archives and seem more confused than when I started.

I am going to get the car up on stands and check for the popping sound. I have a feeling it is a ball joint or a control arm problem. It is just a gut feeling.

Thanks,

Michel

Renn 951

Congrats, Michel, I look forward to seeing the car soon!

I washed my car tonight to get rid of two days of track grime (and Cicada parts!) accumulated at Summit Point over the weekend. I noticed a bit of a whiteish film on one of the two pie plate wheels I had just purchase for track use. I'll have to try Mike Buck's vaseline trick -- that's one I never heard before!

mmm951

Man, the vaseline worked great on the wheels. I am not sure how long it will last - it only took a few minutes to apply it and buff it off. So, having to apply it again in the near future is no big deal.

Michel

Mike Buck

I wish I could take credit for the vaseline trick, but I can't. Saw it mentioned on another board a year or two ago, but didn't believe it till I tried it. Definitely works.

Michel,
When you get the car sorted you'll have to come join the Potomac 951 guys and myself at a DE. These cars are a blast . . . when running right!

cruise98

Use Bosch WR7DC (copper), or the silver equivalent spark plugs.

Sounds like you may need mounts, but these cars are big four cylinders, so they will never idle like a straight or opposed six.