Zu_langsam

So I just bought an 86 944 turbo. I like the car but I am trying to sort out some issues. Ahmet has been a huge help but I thought that I would throw a couple problems out to the board and see what you guys think. I have/ had a pretty bad engine vibration. We re-timed the balance shafts today which were both a tooth or two off, and the vibration is better. It is still there though, now at different RPMs. You can feel it through the shifter and seat. I think that the problem is from bad motor mounts but I am just not used to such a fast vibration. Anyone experience this with bad motor mounts? Other than that, my high beams do not work, I think that the orfice to my waste gate controller is causing me to run way too much boost, or my waste gate itself is not opening. Sunroof works right when it feels like it. Etc Etc.

TonyG

Are you sure you timed the balance shafts correctly?

High beams could be the relay or the steering stalk (the high beam switch).


TonyG

Ahmet

I'm positive I timed the balance shafts correctly. If we can get the car on a lift, I will double check (that the marks are at the correct spongs/the woodroff key is holding the pulley at the right position). The vibration certainly seems to me like the motor mounts. Infact I would say the car needs motor mounts regardless of the vibration (the engine feels like it's rubbing on the subframe at times). However freshenning up the ignition system and doing other misc. maintenance stuff won't hurt. That stuff looks really old in there, we should also pull the cap off to see what kind of shape that's in, ditto for plugs.

I think the headlight problem is his stalk, as they do come on when you pull the switch. The headlights on the 944 aren't wired in with relays anyway.

The boost issue, check this out. My car has guru software and running 17ish psi, w/an open exhaust (from infront of the cat back, w/a 3 inch straight through muffler). I also have a "hot air" intake that I think does more harm than good. But regardless, his car only has a cat back, and the autothority chips (w/the orfice in the banjo bolt). I think that he might have a leak between the banjo bolt, the cycling valve and the wastegate. Boost response is quite comparable between the two of us, and ultimate power is also very, very similar and I feel that it shouldn't be considering the above. My car also has a mbc, and the cycling valve has been removed. We will try to hook up a boost gauge in short order, and see how much boost we're dealing with. I have been told, and suspect that he may be pushing 20+psi in the higher gears, currently. Also, he's got one of the "special" boost gauges that can go a bit past 2 bars. That makes the two of them along w/Luke!
Ahmet

dmoffitt

my guess is he's hitting 23-24psi from either a stuck wastegate, rotten line, or similar (don't ask me how i know this).

IceShark

Ahmet is right about the headlights, they don't have relays. I've never figured out why Porsche did that crazy design. Anyway, I would suspect the stalk switch if neither high beam will light up. Especially if a prior owner was running overwatted, like 100 watt, high beams. All that current was flowing through the switch and may have fried it or carbon coated the contacts so bad that they don't work anymore.

The other common failure point is the headlight wiring fracturing in the section that flexes when the headlight buckets go up and down. But it would be unusual to lose both high beams at the same time as well as not having one of the low beams fracturing too, or losing the ground and then nothing works.

Zu_langsam

As for the high beams... They work if you pull the stalk but if you push the stalk in the headlights go out completely and the dash lights, parking lights stay on (the fog lights go out too, as they are suposed to)

cpt_koolbeenz

Clean the stalk contacts... Fixed my problem. You would have to drill out the rivits in the stalk and replace them with very flat head screws. I have some pics if you want.

ewainwright

Vibration issue, if everything is correct, is the motor mounts. Been there done that. Any boost higher than 19 psi would require racing fuel or toluene in order not to blow her up. Get gauges (boost & vacuum and air/fuel). I'd strongly suggest a Saturday afternoon replacing vacuum lines and visiting the wastegate.

Peckster

Many people get one of the balance shafts out by 180 degrees.
Motor mount vibration is most evident at low rpm or idle.

Zu_langsam

I will try cleaning the stalk contacts, thanks. As for the vibration, I ordered some mounts today and I will put them in on monday. I am getting frustrated with the car already, but I knew what I was getting myself into and I love the car so I am going to stick it out. I decided to park it today after my fuel rail started leaking and I found more loose bolts (presumably from this vibration). Hopefully monday after mounts are installed I will feel better about driving it. I found that the wastegate was disconnected, I re-attached the line. I also took out the orfice from the banjo bolt. When I get the car back together on monday I will see if the wastegate is opening. Ahmet and I got the sunroof functioning properly and the brakes bled so for now i am just waiting to see what breaks next (: