Porsche-O-Phile

Have you ever heard stories about people that adopt children from broken homes to give them a better life or adopt pets that have been abused in order to do some good for them, only to have the adoptee end up mistrusting them, shy, skittish, even resentful? It's a phenomenon that comes up once in a while with such situations. Well, I'm convinced my car was abused by its PO. Why else would it do everything to balk me, trip me up, suck my patience and financial life's blood out? I only can smile and tell it in my sweetest most caring voice, "it's okay - I really do love you. All I want is to take good care of you and give you a good home, no matter what others have said and then done to you in the past. Just trust me".

I was driving home tonight and without warning - "!" (master warning light) comes on. I look at the voltmeter, yep. The bottom part is lit up red - busted alternator belt (again). *sigh* I shut off all unnecessary electrical equipment and try to keep moving to maintain cooling air flow over the engine so the electric fans won't have to kick on and drain the battery more (not as easy as it sounds in rush hour L.A. traffic) I got home easily with 12 volts solidly showing still on the gauge (I'd been on "battery only" for about 30 minutes).

I've known that I was on "borrowed time" with the crappy a/c compressor pulley / clutch on the car (you might have read my exploit with it this morning), but I figured I'd at least get a few days worth of driving out of it before I could pick one up somewhere and change it out for a proper and permanent repair. Nope. My guess is the clutch kept binding and sticking to the point where the polyrib belt (a new one mind you) just snapped. Oh well. The 951 is grounded until a permanent fix can be made.

Anyone got a 6-groove pulley or spare late Nippondenso compressor kicking around? I have a couple of offers about a week old, but I'll entertain any new ones - first reasonable offer (preferably local) gets my business. If you can get the part to me so I can fix it this weekend, even better.

Then I have to fix the wastegate (I suspect) - what joy. All the boost hype better be worth it with all this hell I'm going through. The good news is, I'm getting very efficient at working on the 951; I've gotten much quicker about it.

Eyal 951

jeff, I'll give you 800 for the car
~Eyal

josephsc

Man... so have had even one day of trouble-free driving, yet? Hang tight, you'll get her running.

Porsche-O-Phile

You know, there was a brief moment when I'd have taken it. It'll all be okay soon enough (I just keep telling myself that). It'll only make me appreciate it more after:

(1) new alternator belt
(2) new turbocharger
(3) new voltage regulator
(4) new a/c compressor clutch
(5) SECOND new alternator belt
(6) new wastegate
(7) new cycling valve
(8) new J-boot
(9) new venturi hoses

*sigh*

I just hope the big "****-eating grin" that comes from the love-o-boost makes me forget all those hours under the hood. . . It's GOT to make boost. It HAS to!

Negative on the day of "trouble free driving" unfortunately. Admittedly I was pushing my luck driving it today with the sticky compressor clutch and I knew it, so I don't really blame the car for that one entirely. I just figured it would have lasted more than 150 miles! Good learning experience though - I now know exactly how much abuse a polyrib belt can take and that the battery can actually get you pretty far in the event of an alternator malfunction.

hosrom_951

Porsche-o-phile: I got a used compressor clutch assembly, take it if you want (i got it from a dismantler a year ago or so, cleaned it but never installed it), thing is shipping to you could be a pain......... i know how you feel, went through the same experience on my 88 NA (alternator belt snapped on the highway, drove without electricity for 40mins untill it finally died with me).

Le me know if you are interested (though i know you would find them cheaper in the US).

Porsche-O-Phile

Joe, your situation is worse even than mine!

Porsche-O-Phile

Well, sure I suppose there's no harm in just finding out how much it would be to ship it. Don't go out of your way though, I suspect between the time it would take and the cost it wouldn't be practical, but I'm open to the idea. . .

Porsche-O-Phile

Is there a Pick-a-Part around SoCal for Porsche parts? Someone said there is a while back, but I didn't confirm or get a name unfortunately.

hosrom_951

If you can be patient for a few more hours when i get home, the weight is even stamped on the USPS sticker, so i can tell you what would frieght be ok?

In the meantime, check out some dismatlers (i got mine for $50 used with 3 month warranty that i never even used).

Here is a link to some dismantlers: http://www.weissach.net/Suppliers_Po...smantlers.html

Porsche-O-Phile

Thanks for the link; I'll check into a few of those. I looked at a new one at the dealer about a week ago - they wanted $350 for it (just the clutch / pulley assembly, not the whole compressor). A bit too steep IMO. Heck, a Lindsey wastegate is 1/3 of that (after core)! I'll probably stick with factory on that though, and I still have to verify that's the source of the "no boost" problems, but I'm intensely suspicious of it.

josephsc

Hey, at least we both have a fleet of Porsches to works on

BTW, I have a used belt and an unsed voltage regulator (if you still need it). It's around here somewhere in one of these piles of Porsche parts I'm sure -- I'll donate them to the cause if you want them (if I find them). Shoot me a PM if you do.

Porsche-O-Phile

Haha. There is that!

I guess the 951's unpleasant grounding gives me a chance to give some attention back to the Callaway car. I'm probably going to do the water pump this weekend; I might even just put it back together as an n/a for the time being just to drive it; I'm going to be held up for a while by money issues from the 951, so I'll just put the Callaway conversion on hold until I can get the last batch of parts. It's getting there though - the end is in sight. . . I'm still at mile #24 with that last very difficult 2.2 to go, but the end is in sight.

What's up with your 968? Any new word?

hosrom_951

Porsche-o-phile you got PM

daniel951

hopefully after everything i am done with will make me happy when i drive it. I was actually little happy when i went for a short drive and end up blowing a headgasket now sad again. But once again i am almost done installing it and HOPEFULLY NO MORE STUFF WILL HAPPEN

Porsche-O-Phile

It kind of reminds me of the early days of post-WW2 rocket development & testing (ironically also led by German engineers for the most part). There were collossal failures - stuff constantly blowing up, going off course, etc. But when it worked - it worked amazingly well and ushered in a new age. So I wish to believe it is with my 951. . .