964, NOT just another engine build with oil leaks

[Flat6pac]

Still looking the leak. Clean doesnt make it any easier, well clean is subjective.
Got it pressure washed and warmed up. There is oil going forward when warmed up and there is connections galore on the thermostat.
I placed card board under the thermostat looking the leak, tomorrow will tell..living in hope.
Bruce

[911 tweaks]

Great pics & approach to this all Bruce...

I believe you know what the leak source(s) are...?? Many of those connections look rusted & still caked w/ crud...

Great idea w/ the cardboard underneath...I expect many sources of leaks as you probably do too...

Thx for sharing & posting the pics of the work...almost done... :-)

Bob

[Flat6pac]

Well, I found time to project removing the thermostat. Got it off and cleaned up, some time in the varsole, most of the road dirt off,resealed the threaded couplings, removed the small broken support, I ll look to getting it back on tomorrow.
Thanks for checking out the progress.
Bruce

[Flat6pac]

I got a hold of the proper hoses, I had to research the difference in the 2 types of thermostats. One has the inlet welded and facing the rear at about a 45 degree angle, the other style has an inlet dropping right into the thermostat almost straight from the tank..
I got everything locked up tonight and started the car through a heat cycle, placed the card board hoping I got it all sealed.
So far, knock on wood, no leaks.

Bruce

[911 tweaks]

very nice...v e r y n i c e ... :-)

I bet no more leaks Bruce...

[Alan Goettel]

Are the oil line/thermostat connections brass to brass? Did you have to use heat to get the break the fittings loose? I remember on my 3.2 it was a ball buster to get them apart.

Lookin good. Thank you for all your efforts to post your jobs. I'm on my second 3.6 rebuild, and my C4 has 201,500 miles, so.... The 964 books get you most of the way there, threads like yours really help fill the gaps.

[Flat6pac]

Well, Just looking for the end of the oil leaks. I still had wet oil on the thermostat and paper the next morning.
Bringine it up to temp to see the exact leak and I tried to tighten the 36mm drop down line and I got oil all over so I had to shut the engine down.
I got a rehosed hose and stripped out the old split one out..what a challenge, undoing all the work I had previously done.

Bruce

[911 tweaks]

Great find there Bruce...!! I guess you did not remove the oil tank when you were doing all of this work...?? Oh well...you caught it now...
I was leaning twds 1 little pin hole below the oil level in the oil tank, but the tanks don't realy see pressure so why the oil all over the place...that cracked line will make the mess for sure...

Can't wait to hear the engine report after you run the car...

Keep up the great posts & info you are sharing with us all...

Bob

[MConn]

Thanks for the tip on the injectors. I just got my injectors back from MR Injector - fast turnaround, new o-rings, filter, and pintle caps, with a report for $16 per injector. I was about to spend $5 for just o-rings. Now I KNOW that my injectors are good.

[Flat6pac]

Well, yesterday, after getting everything to settle into its place, tightened and clamped I started up the car. I brought it to temperature then shut it down.
18 hours after shutting it down..leaks gone.
Bruce

[911 tweaks]

AWESOME...!! GREAT JOB...

When do we get the test drive report...?? :-)

[Flat6pac]

I finally got the new J clips in so I could get the Cat sheet metal on as I had to burn the old bolts off when taking the engine apart.
Next stop will be to paint and getting the drivers door repaired and the cars dings removed and then painted.
Bruce

[Flat6pac]

It has been the Holiday Season, back home, John in NC trans is back in and shifting well. Before I left the house for the Christmas weekend I warmed up the C2 and moved it forward in the garage.
Week later, I checked under the car before loading it on the trailer to go to paint.
No drips on the stained floor...
Bruce

[RideSober]

This is my car, and I followed the advice here on Pelican, contacted Bruce about the car, and consistent with his proposal to reapir the car for me, took the car to Bruce Abbott the end of August, 2011.

I have paid Bruce $7500.00 for a rebuild and some very minor body work, and so far it seems I really have nothing to show for my investment in time and money. Of note, I also purchased late style low mileage pistons and cylinders, and coordinated and paid for all machine shop work as well as P/C reconditoning from Ollies Porsche Engineering myself. I also paid for the Hargett valve covers and all new hardware and gaskets, I paid for and coordinated the distributer belt replacement, and I paid for all tune up parts, plugs, caps, rotors. All told I have well over $3000.00 invested in just those parts and services, relieving Bruce from all cost and time in coordinating for any of those parts or services. The point being Bruce certainly put some parts and labor time into my car for sure, but he has been more than fairly compensated for his time and investment cost.

Sadly, the car is still in Bruce's care after almost 7 months.

Last Saturday after being told the car was ready and driving 250 miles (500 round trip), and then renting a uhaul car trailer to tow it home, I found that Bruce was planning to give me back a half finished project, that was ticking loudly, backfiring, stalling, and would not even run for 300 yards. The sunroof seal was not even replaced as agreed, neither of the door locks (which I was told were worked on for a full month causing the delay) even worked, at all. I wasted 9 hours driving, $114.00 on a car trailer rental, and $170.00 on fuel, and then almost lost my temper before realizing I should just leave and cool off on the long drive home.

Now I can no longer tolerate stalling and excuses for why the work is not done, particularly since I was asked for full payment over a month ago, and against my better judgement provided the balance of payment as soon as it was requested.

I'm still in disbelief I was asked for full payment when the car was no where near complete. It just shows what has sadly become more apparent with time, the motivation for this job seems to have been far more about money than delivering anything remotely resembling quality service. I would say that the quality control needs improvement, but that might suggest there was actually some consideration of the concept of quality control, in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

As discussed with Bruce today, after countless messages and numerous phone calls with very little in the way of responsiveness, in one week if I don't have my car returned to me at my home as agreed, with total and complete satisfaction as I was repeatedly promised, a new game will begin.

Rather than continue to play a game of stalling, shoddy half finished work, and endless excuses, if necesssary we will start a new game in the General District Court. I have been told the law is very clear in this area and there should be little doubt we should easily prevail in court. If we must go to court to get this matter resolved, believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure, but it will only be because I have been left no other choice.

I do not wish to hurt Bruce or his family, but at this point it seems very likely I may have no other altnernative but to pursue a legal compliant to protect my considerable investments.

Bruce still has some time to make good on his contractual agreement, but time is no longer our friend in this matter.

[911Freak]

Wow, just wow...

[Flieger]

I thought Flat6pac is Bruce Anderson, not Bruce Abbott.

[CaptainCalf]

Ridesober, for $7500 I wouldn't drop your engine. Flat6pac seems to have done you a favor at that cost level and if you have issues I think you're going about it the wrong way. Honey will get you more flies then vinager...

[RideSober]

Capt Calf, thanks for the advice, but I think I have already received some pretty good counsel, and I think I can probably manage this just fine on my own thank you.

Favors like this I am very certain I can live without!

It was advice here on Pelican that suggested I take the car to Bruce in the first place, and I already know how following that sound advice turned out...

My point for posting here is not to get such sage wisdom as I should recognize this aggravation for being a favor in disguise, but to potentially warn others to avoid the possibility of the aggravation I continue to endure.

[lindy 911]

I'm having no luck finding a post by you looking for advice for a re-builder. Can you provide that so we can connect the dots?

[CaptainCalf]

Originally Posted by RideSober

Capt Calf, thanks for the advice, but I think I have already received some pretty good counsel, and I think I can probably manage this just fine on my own thank you.

Favors like this I am very certain I can live without!

It was advice here on Pelican that suggested I take the car to Bruce in the first place, and I already know how following that sound advice turned out...

My point for posting here is not to get such sage wisdom as I should recognize this aggravation for being a favor in disguise, but to potentially warn others to avoid the possibility of the aggravation I continue to endure.

Glad to see you came to your senses and modified this post

However, I still must call BS on the original post cuz it seems very misleading...You said,
"All told I have well over $3000.00 invested in just those parts and services, relieving Bruce from all cost and time in coordinating for any of those parts or services".

So instead of $7500, what we're talking about here is a payment of $7500-$3000 or $4500 for a rebuild/reseal and body work. Again, I wouldn't check you oil for that. I think you know you wont find anybody else with Bruce's knowledge willing to do this kinda work for that price. Therefore, IMHO you should show Bruce some respect and work with him w/o all this public retaliation.