danspach

Hi all!

Sold my ‘86 turbo 10 years ago and - like everyone in the same situation - regretted it.

Really glad to be back. 1988, white on white/burgundy which has been sitting for - well - a WHILE.

Engine turns and none of the wheels are seized and – amazingly - it's dry inside but she’ll need a good look and a lot of wrenching, refinishing and replacement. It seems largely complete.

It's an airbag car but without an airbag wheel - not really sure how I want to handle that. Have a beautiful Momo wheel and not sure how I feel about the airbag systems of this age but that's a fun question.

More immediately, I'm totally overwhelmed with where to start - but I’m completely smitten.

Thinking:

Drain the fuel tank (new strainer, pump, filter, etc)
New Fuel lines in the engine bay - of course
Belts 'n seals (basically anything on the front of the engine while it’s apart)
Basic tune up: fluids, plugs, wires, sensors – (coolant, crank and ref)

Clutch pedal is frozen solid – won’t go up or down. Need to address that.

Fire it up and see where we are.

Comments, corrections and general guidance welcome!

- Dave

Gage

Engine out is the only sensible way to approach a turbo like this.

danspach

Damn. I was afraid someone would say something like this. I mean, thank you - this is exactly what I was asking for but...

My original assumption when I saw the car (in the weeds) was that the engine was blown so had planned on having no other choice but when I found out it was not blown and turns, wanted to get it running first.

Engine out for better access to all parts or just given the age and general "dustiness" of everything that it's the "right" way to do it?

How far down would you strip the engine? It was parked because it lost spark but 2 years prior to that had a reconditioned head put on it after a t-belt failure.

Thanks again!

Dave

333pg333

It would be tempting to pull the whole thing apart and refresh everything. Pull the engine out. Pull it down. Get all the dirty parts vapour blasted. Rebuild with all new seals, gaskets and belts. Then you know you have done it right. Not sure on paint and interior. Perhaps it's salvageable. Do all the rubber bushings too. Decide if you want to leave it stock. Harness is probably pretty shot. A lot more people are going to standalones with new harnesses nowadays. Hopefully you bought it for a song. Good luck.

danspach

I’ll definitely be doing everything you’ve mentioned above but wasn’t sure if I should try and get it going to make sure there isn’t anything major wrong with the engine first but this kinda answers my question.

Seems like by the time I do the refreshing I’ve mentioned above I’m better off tearing it all down and do it right from the start.

I’ll need to replace some interior bits as they’re dried, cracked and curled beyond repair but the paint will be saved. I took my Guards Red car from chalky pink to deep glossy red and have no doubt I can do the same with the Alpine white.

My end goal is to make it mechanically sound but keep it as original as “practical”. The ratty nose panel kinda annoys me but may stay preserved as It’s part of the car.

That doesn’t preclude a modern DME and other updated bits but those are questions for down the road.

Thanks again for the input. It definitely helps manage expectations and the mindset.

Sreten has had me dreaming about a vapor honing cabinet since the first video I saw those results. Unbelievable.

Gage

Sorry, not meant to be scary, It's been many years and cars for me to get to this place of embracing an engine out necessity.
Yes, access and efficiency are the big reasons, especially (like 10x) with a turbo. Making it pretty is optional.
Go down to the short block minimally. This allows assessment of the bore condition. At that point I typically pull one piston to check ring end gap and decide if new rings or bore conditioning are required. Crank can stay in place depending on the rod bearing condition and if the crankshaft axial clearance is okay.

944M3

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...have-pics.html

I was in the same situation. The link above is my post. Includes pictures of what you might find.

in my opinion and experience, pulling the engine is the way to go.

danspach

Thanks Gage. Really appreciate the clarity.

Pretty clear based on the unanimous responses what I’ll be doing. 😂

I’ve been looking for a good reason to buy a hoist and stand. (Looks like I’ll also be looking for the Tolerances booklet!)

This will be fun. I’m working through a timing belt and front end resto in my 2003 Audi S6 but this will be my first engine pull.

Gage

Welcome back to the turbo vortex btw

danspach

I was in the same situation. The link above is my post. Includes pictures of what you might find.

in my opinion and experience, pulling the engine is the way to go.[/QUOTE]

thanks for the note and the link to your thread. Very cool story. Coming from a similar angle. I’ve wrenched on my e30 M3, 16v GTI, 996 turbo and C5 S5 but this will be my first engine pull. You yanked yours out the top, right?

I’ve seen both approaches but haven’t decided which might be best for my setup.

Do you still have her?

danspach

Thanks! It is really great to be back. I’m stoked to do the research and the process.

Vortex is the right word!

944M3

thanks for the note and the link to your thread. Very cool story. Coming from a similar angle. I’ve wrenched on my e30 M3, 16v GTI, 996 turbo and C5 S5 but this will be my first engine pull. You yanked yours out the top, right?

I’ve seen both approaches but haven’t decided which might be best for my setup.

Do you still have her?[/QUOTE]

You will find folks recommending pulling from the top and some dropping. Since that original post, I’ve pulled the engine again after spinning a bearing on track and pulled the engine on my NA for an engine reseal. All three times I used the hoist to pull from top. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a hassle any way you do it but I didn’t feel like dealing with the suspension. Maybe one day I’ll try dropping it. Whatever you do, remove the radiator and radiator fans. Remove the belts, alternator, AC compressor, basically as much as you can from the front of the engine. Will give you a lot more room to clear the driveshaft and not have to drop the transmission.

Yes, I still have it. Currently it’s up on stands to refresh all the rear bushings. A somewhat miserable job but I’m enjoying the challenge. It’s fun grabbing a beer and playing some tunes while wrenching. Waiting in the last bushing to arrive and I can start putting it back together. I’m terrified of the torsion bar re-indexing job lol

Shameless plug, I have a complete S2 engine for sale. In case you have the 3.0 turbo itch lol

944M3

Btw I will add, I’ve been driving it for a few years before I decided to do the rear suspension refresh. The appreciating value of these cars helped me justify the cost and effort. (Bushings aren’t cheap). Hoping to feel a big improvement in ride quality.

Turbodan

welcome back. I just got my white turbo back on the road as well.
your car looks great. I like the white seats (first time seeing in 951).
glad it didn't get more rust sitting in a field.
looking forward to follow.
parts are getting hard to find.
good luck!

danspach

Hey Danny,

Saw your thread! Fire is a huge bummer - especially given the cause - but glad you've persevered and gotten her back on the road. Looks amazing.

To me, the fact that this car happened to be white was cosmic proof that it was meant to be. (At least that's what I keep telling myself.)

I know you've done some pretty extensive work. Are there parts off the top of your head that you were surprised were tough to track down? I know I'm in for a few surprises as I've been out of the game for a decade.