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OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

Thanks bcblase!

edredas · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 861 Location: Charlotte, NC

The way I think the window works is that it helps you find TDC faster than trying to get under the car and hunt for a small notch... but the small notch is what you should set the timing by... not the window.

{EDIT}

Paul is referring to the window that shows the notch on the flywheel that I'm talking about... Clarks garage is speaking of another window on the rear bellhousing..
_________________
'84 944 -White, Brown interior
'84 944 -Red, Automatic
'86 944 -Garnet, Fully loaded, Koni suspension
'87 924S -Red, 300hp 951 swap
'87 924S -Red, Project Car
'88 924S -Red, Daily Driver

Slam · Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:15 am Post subject:

If the oil cooler appears cockeyed then you're probably right - it's been done. But rather than leave it alone you'll want to fix it properly, I'd think. It'll be much easier to get at once the head's off (I'm guessing you're heading down that road).

The rod bearings can be changed with the engine in the car but that's a different can of worms entirely. It's not hard, though.

I feel your pain. Nothing sucks more than trying to love a car that's been unloved for a long, long time.
_________________
'84 944 - kid blew motor
'83 944 - resting comfortably. For 12 years
'87 944 - sideswiped by trucker
'80 924 - gone
'78 924 - gone
'77 924 - rusting comfortably

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

Thanks guys.

I got under the hood very briefly today and I'm wondering if it isn't better to find TDC with the window on the cam gear cover (behind the distributor)?

When you go by the flywheel, you have a 50% chance of having to turn the engine over again to get the cam in the right spot, right?

So why not just do it from the cam in the first place?

bcblase · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Winchester, VA

I think you have it backwards - you have a 50% chance if you use the cam gear cover. If you use the flywheel, you will be 100% (Assuming you can find the mark).

Take the spark plug out of cylinder #1 and carefully insert a clean, long, small, dowel rod. Turn the crank and when the dowel is at the highest point, you will be very near TDC. Check the marks on the cam gear and the flywheel to verify. I used this method the first time - so I had three ways to verify I was at TDC.

BC
_________________
1987 Porsche 924S - track toy
1986 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v - autocross
2007 F-150 5.4L Lariat Supercrew - tow beast
1994 Volvo 850 Race Wagon - 24 Hours of Lemons Car
2001 BMW 325xi - daily driver

edredas · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 861 Location: Charlotte, NC

I think this can be so confusing on these cars because they get so far off time that when the cam is at TDC, the timing marks on the crank are nowhere to be found... leaving people puzzled.

However, when the cam is at TDC, the engine is always at TDC.

So, set your car to TDC according to the cam. When you pull the belt off later, you can gently;(by hand) rotate the crank back into time. You'll want to rotate the crank not the cam! The cam can only move alittle more than 10 degrees before causing valve damage, while the crank can turn about 45 degrees, (in each direction when on time).... so as long as your moving it back to line up the notches, you're fine.
_________________
'84 944 -White, Brown interior
'84 944 -Red, Automatic
'86 944 -Garnet, Fully loaded, Koni suspension
'87 924S -Red, 300hp 951 swap
'87 924S -Red, Project Car
'88 924S -Red, Daily Driver

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

edredas · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 861 Location: Charlotte, NC

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

OK I got it. When the cam sprocket mark was dead on, the flywheel mark was a bit off. There was some slack in the timing belt--I don't think it had been tensioned properly cos there was rubber buildup ALL OVER the inside of the timing cover.

Anyway got the cam housing off and am working on the head. I've decided to go the route of keeping the headers on the head for removal. Those header studs and nuts just scare me.

so it's six bolts at the exhaust flanges. I got five of them out. The rear bolt of the rear flange is being a little stubborn. I think I need to break down and get a wobble extension set.

Oh, three of the freaking lifters fell out when I lifted the cam housing. Unfortunately it's impossible to tell which slots they came out of.

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

For the first five bolts, I put a wrench on the bolt head (top side) and a socket on the nut. Four came off fine, and one bolt snapped (equally good result cos the bolts need to bre replaced anyway).

For this last one, the curvature of the exhaust downpipe makes it all but impossible to fit a socket to the nut, and still be able to get an extension on it. So, I've wedged a nice wrench on the nut and am trying to turn the bolt from above.

This is the set-up I was using.

The circle shows where the shaft was up against two of the exhaust flanges (the extension goes down between head and headers). Rust stains now encircle the extension in two spots. I only just noticed that when I uploaded the pic.

Pretty ghetto, I know. I'll have to pick up some more tools tomorrow. YAY! MORE TOOLS!

Slam · Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 3:34 am Post subject:

Fun stuff. I found it easier to remove the exhaust manifold nuts at the head and then pry the manifold away from the head while taking the head off. YMMV.

You'll find your tool collection grows every time you work on the car. Kind of a nice consolation.

Have fun!
_________________
'84 944 - kid blew motor
'83 944 - resting comfortably. For 12 years
'87 944 - sideswiped by trucker
'80 924 - gone
'78 924 - gone
'77 924 - rusting comfortably

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

Got the head off. Felt SOO GOOD! headers came out, no problem. Worst part was getting the coolant neck past the wiring harness for (what looks like) the cold start injector. Also got the oil cooler off. If you haven't gotten to it with everything out of the way (I already had the PS pump out of the way), you haven't lived!

So anyway the head gasket looks pretty effed. Good, I guess. There is some corrosion in the coolant passages, which you can see in the pics (yep, I have pics).

I'll have to find a machine shop to do whatever it is that machine shops do to heads, once I get the headers off. Been soaking those bolts for several days now. Sometimes PB Blaster, sometimes homebrew ATF and acetone. Still scared of the ones I can't get sockets on.

So I got the OPRV out. The piston seems scuffed on one side. I haven't gone back over the stuff I read about yet but I assume it's three piece kind--it has the tightening nut/bolt, a long spring, and the piston. I snapped a pic but the focus is off on my cell phone camera. I'm guessing this has something to do with a slight misalignment.

Anyway I got the cooler housing and cooler out. The o-rings are orange. I forget, is that good or bad? Aren't the new ones green?

Also, the housing/OPRV valve gasketing is all one piece. So that's a sign that it was done before I think. There was a rubber cup that was kind of eaten away that cushioned the side of the radiator near the block side I think. I already forget.

Now for the big news: the housing cracked! I really can't think of how. It sure wasn't leaking before, and I didn't drop it or hit it. I guess I loosened the screws in a weird order or something cos it's got a huge crack in it!

Looks like I have some parts to order!

OfficeLinebacker · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Washington, DC area

I think I've decided to give up. Today I took apart the BS belt and the rollers to check how they're rolling. They're rolling find but at least one of the seals is bad. There is a faint drip of fluid coming down from behind the upper BS sprocket.

I realize I've been taking this stupid thing apart for weeks now and I'm going to have to sink in SO much more money, time, and research into it that I need to move on and invest my energy in stuff that's really going to make a difference in my life.

So I guess there's a nice parts car sitting in Maryland for the taking. If I don't get an offer on here I know the junkyard will give me at least a few hundred dollars.

gohim · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 4459 Location: Rialto, CA

At this point, you can accept a few hundred bucks for the remains, OR look for a used engine to drop into the car in place of your damaged one.

$400-$500 for a good used engine (make sure you get a later engine with the one piece OPRV, maybe you can find one with a new clutch as well), $600-$800 for FOES parts, and $500 for clutch parts (nobody reuses old clutch parts when it's such a hassle to change the clutch, and with the engine out already it's a snap).

To fix the engine you already have, you're looking at $300-$400 for a new OPRV. $50-75 for a used oil cooler housing, $150 for a headgasket set, and $600-$800 for FOES parts.

Much of the expense you would incur to repair your existing engine was known before you started taking the car apart. Maybe you should have considered selling it whole, before turning it into parts. All 2.5L engined Porsches have the same service problems. If you abandon this car now, any 2.5L Porsche engine car you buy to replace it will have the same maintenance challenges. If you don't have the time to fix it now, maybe you should consider getting a daily driver, and turn the repair of the 924S into a long term project. If you don't want to deal with maintenance challenges, maybe you would be better off with a Chevy, Ford, Honda, or Toyota (I'd say VW, but they have some maintenance challenges).