drive135mph

yes I would tend to think that if you have coolant in the exhaust port than it probably is head gasket, head or block damage.. On the upside it's free to yank the head an see what's up. I am betting on a rotted out head gasket

odonnell

If it was replaced twice then either his mechanic is a hack, or there's a block or head issue. You can always pull the head and look for a smoking gun.

Tiger03447

After you pull the head, be sure to check it for flatness...If you don't know exactly how, take it to an engine machine shop and have them put it on a surface plate or the granite block. That way you know what is right... straight from the horse..You can also have them check the spring pressures and guides if you want to go deeper into it..and spend the $$ to make it right if it needs it.

Todd951968

The PO said head gasket was changed twice but was NOT taken to a shop to check if it was flat or other damage. At this point I have it torn down to where I need to take off cam cover but need the extended hex key socket to reach down there. So I'm close to getting it off and taking it to my mechanic for him to take a look.

Arominus

I've done the job on an S and S2 now and like i said, its not my favorite job. That said its not crazy hard either. This last time i dropped my crossmember without pulling the rack off or popping the balljoints, which worked but it was also in the way sometimes. I did it in a day, mostly because i had to this time, due to only having a carport at that moment.

Hit harbor freight and pick up the engine support bar, i used it when i did the rod bearings in my S2, its absolutely required to pull the pan as you have to pull the crossmember out. Order Rod nuts when you get rod bearings, along with the oil pan gasket. The nuts are one time use. Check the oil pick up tube for cracks, if you plan to track it, get the reinforcement tab and braze it in. If you have other suspension work you want to do, it might be a good time to do it if you pull the xmember all the way. This is also the time to do motor mounts (semi solids from LR or OE).

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...bar-96524.html

Ishihara johnson has the tab for the oil tube: http://www.crank-scrapers.com/Porsche_944.html

As for the light cars, im right there with you, my s2 is a porker at 3040 right now, but its setup to haul *** while being comfy. I really miss my 924 because it was more nimble and a bit more responsive, it was setup with Konis and 86 turbo sways. I kept the 15" dials (14lbs a wheel!) and ran miata sized 205/50/15 direzzas for a summer. Thats about 6.5% smaller of a tire and that thing was a terror. I kinda want another 924 to put my 968 engine into, do a minimalist interior (lightweight carpet, no rear seat, manual buckets), do konis, turbo brakes, 86 a-arms/spindles to run said brakes...... man i gotta stop.

Arominus

HF bar in place
Crossmember down
968 lump w/o pan
My sad 135k bearings

Todd951968

Well, I got the head off tonight. My novice eyes don't see anything obvious, like a cracked cylinder wall or anything.

I did notice that a "Turbo" head gasket was used on this NA. Is that a normal upgrade or could it be what was causing the leak (wishful thinking).

I also noticed that before I started taking the head nuts off I could see nut threads (as if they weren't screwed on tight). So, maybe 2/3 of the nut threads were actually screwed onto the studs. Perhaps, the studs are too deep in the block, not allowing good torquing of the nut? Also, when removing the head and removing the nuts, it seemed as though some were slightly tighter than others.

I plan on taking the head to my mechanic next week to have him look at it.

Please, let me know your thoughts on the above. I've included some pics of the cylinder walls and piston tops.

PaulStewart

Please post pictures of both sides of the head gasket for cylinder 4.

Todd951968

Here are pics of the #4 cylinder head gasket. It still looks very good, as there weren't many miles at all since if had been put on.

There is no indication of leaking from the head gasket, no apparent cracks in the cylinder walls, etc. So I am going to back out the engine studs from their current 65mm +/- height from the block deck to the correct 71mm and bolt on the head.

My suspicion now turns to the oil cooler, which I will take off while I wait for parts to come in.

PaulStewart

Agreed, I don't see any obvious issues with the head gasket.

Todd951968

So, I pulled the oil cooler today and its a little hard to tell if the gasket or inner O-rings were bad. I'll post pics tomorrow. I also backed out the head studs to the 70-71 MM measurement from block deck to tip of stud.

I think I have the 3 piece OPV with the long spring. Is that something I should keep? Will the new alignment tool work on this?

The project has gone smoothly up til now. The biggest PITA so far has been getting to the engine # stamp so I could order the correct timing belt.

I'm at a turning point where I'll start putting it back together. I guess this will be the more difficult stage. Remembering where everything goes. I am a little anxious about setting up the timing belt. It doesn't seem like it would be difficult but the cost is high for a mistake. Once I get it running and flushed out to verify no more leaks , I will tackle the rod bearing change and probably engine mounts.

pcarfan944

Glad the car is being saved. I've driven LOTS of different cars, from vintage to exotic, but one of the more memorable experiences I have is with a low mileage 924S. These cars are very unique and lots of fun when sorted.

Todd951968

Here are pics of the oil cooler, as taken off the car. It looks like maybe the big black rubber gasket was warped and could have been the cause? Not sure. Also, maybe a little gasket deterioration along the top but not sure that would have caused the mixing.

The picture of the block shows the OPV. Is this the old 3 piece version? This part stayed inside the block when I unbolted it, along with the long spring. I think I ordered the 87+ alignment tool , will it still work or do I need an older one?

My engine # is ...43 HO 9250.

odurandina

if you even have to ask..... you sell it for whatever you can get for it

or pardd it.

Todd951968

LOL

This car is providing an educational opportunity for me more than anything, at this point. I've already learned a lot just tearing it down, getting comfortable with the car in the hope that I can do more of my own wrenching going forward and relying less on mechanics. There are obviously a few things that I don't/wouldn't know at my level so advice from fellow Rennlisters, my mechanic, and good old Youtube have been very helpful.

Barring a mistake on reassembly or if there was something critically broken that I didn't notice, I am fairly confident that I can get it running with a new head gasket, oil cooler gasket, and timing belt. At that time, I will decide if I want to take on the rod bearing task or ask my mechanic to do it. ( I plan on the former).

I'm using restraint in fixing other things that I know it needs like fuel lines, coolant hoses, brakes, etc. because I want to limit my spend until the engine work checks out.

Then Odurandina, if I turn the key and I get more mixing or the valves crash or something like that, I will likely take your advice and pard it without regret.