911 Workshop Manuals

[John's Porsche]

I just received the WKD-481-021 four volume set (1972-1983). The binders gray in color, rather than the red I had expected. Is anyone aware of a change in the binder color, or should this raise a red flag??

[Grady Clay]

Welcome to the Forum. Nice Christmas present. Early opening I see, Hehe. What year is your 911?

No red flag. Porsche changed the color of the binders in the mid-‘80s. These gray binders are available as a spare part (WKD.401.300). This lets you expand the number of binders and have each with less pages (less damage from turning pages.)

You can order metric paper and most printers can be set to that size. This allows you to insert edited Pelican posts into your Factory Workshop Manual.

Best,
Grady

[Dantilla]

My 911 manuals are grey. My 944 manuals are red.

Both are well worth having.

[John's Porsche]

Grady,

Thank you for the welcome and the information on the manuals. The thing I have been puzzled over is how to determine whether any supplements are required to be up-to-date? Is it safe to assume that the later published manuals were updated with previous supplements, or is that a bad assumption? If I only knew what to look for.

As far as the car itself, it's a 1976 purchased in 1977 with a few mile, but not many. Marriage, family, and career have all taken priority over the car, so it has been resting for a few years. Now that our son is several years from getting his drivers license, he has taken an interest in the car, so we're in the process of several small fix-up project, starting with a new fuel pump this summer to get it running. We thought having the manuals would be a good idea.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

[Grady Clay]

John,

I would hope any ’72-’83 manual purchased after the Carrera
Manual (’84-’89) came out would include all the updates. I’ll
bet that isn’t always the case. There probably were 911
Workshop Manuals “in the pipeline” of parts supply that
preceded the last updates. I don’t even know what the last
update was. My manual has Supplement XXXIX dated 1981
and included the wiring diagrams for 1982. I don’t have any
later. Here is a related thread.



Look at your new manual, section 9, and see what the latest
current flow diagram is. All the supplement pages have a
Roman numeral and a date, even if originally included in the
manual. Some, like indices, changed with every supplement.

There is another entire series of Factory publications known
as “Service Information” for the various model years and
types. The first was in ’69 as a typed and photocopied
pamphlet. They evolved into semi-bound booklets (same
size and 4-hole punch as the workshop manual) that covered
the changes for each new model year. Most (but not all) of
that info was subsequently included in Workshop Manual
Supplements. They didn’t get a Factory Publication Number
until 1973. This '76 911S booklet is 52 pages, today they
are 100+ page 4-color booklets.



The parts manual for your 911 is available as a free pdf download
from PCNA or as a CD (P/N 000.043.400.05) available from our
host (~$15). It is known as PET (Porsche Erstatz Teile
katalog – Porsche Replacement Parts catalog). It is desirable
to print an edited version on metric paper and include it with
your Workshop Manual. If you have a coupe, you don’t need
Targa parts; if you have a 5-speed, you don’t need Sportomatic
parts.





My son and I went kart racing – me the tow truck driver and he
the racer. Check
here.
Great fun and he got his SCCA license at 16.


Aah, cup of hot tea and a Christmas morning Porsche fix.

Best,
Grady

[Grady Clay]

Ok, who has a later Supplement than XXXIX, 1981?

I just went through Pelican joefranz Group 3 (Transmission) and the latest Supplement is XXXVIII, 1981. Almost half the pages have a Supplement number. This manual is only a few years old.

You should add the 915 transmission pages (30-01 to 30-21, 34-1 to 34-32, 35-1 to 35-17, and 39-1 to 39-32) from the ’84-‘89 Carrera manual to your ’72-’83 manual. That is all appropriate 915 stuff to keep together in one place.

Best,
Grady

Edit to add a ")"

[felix_browne]

grady - i love that sight. puts a smile on my face every time i go into my garage. my father has grey and i have red but i have yet to find a difference between the two sets. - definately a great christmas gift - aparently you are loved more than some of us... hahaha. john, can't say what to look for to see if it was propperly updated but i would allways suggest to have all the refrence material. i have always found an easier do something than the way i first found information on... fsm bently chilton wayne etc.

[John's Porsche]

Well, in looking through my set, I came up with XXXIX, so appear to be current, although the shows another supplement, simply referred to as "SUPPLEMENT", with P/N WKD48102140. Since the P/N is the highest numerically of all listed supplements, would assume it is more current than XXXIX.

Does anyone know the difference between the WKD481320 & WKD481321 manuals? I am assuming years, but can't find any info.

Yes, this was a very nice Christmas present.

Regards,
John

[jluetjen]

John; BTW, do you have the earlier set of 911 Shop manuals that cover up to the 1971 model year? If not, you'll need to get them since the manuals that you just received are essentially addendums to the earlier set, and only address the changes from 1972 on.

[Grady Clay]

John,

Does your manual have a page:
“Register for Supplements – Workshop Manual 911”?

If so, what does it show?



FYI, here are the P/Ns for some of the 911 manuals.
911 Vol I & Vol II (’65-’71) WKD.480.520
911 Vol III to Vol VI (’72-’83) WKD.481.520
930 Turbo (’75-’83) WKD.481.321
Carrera Vol I to Vol V (’84-’89) WKD.482.020
Turbo Vol I to Vol III (’84->) WKD 482.720
C4 WKD.482.520
Turbo 3.6 WKD.483.020
993 WKD.483.121
993 Turbo WKD.483.220
959 WKD.482.320 just in case

(This is from 07-09-04 PET CD, 000.043.400.05)

Best,
Grady

[porschenut]

Grady,

Is each successive manual cumulative, i.e., contains all the information from the previous versions?

As an example, Pelican lists the 993 WSM (WKD.483.121) at $900 - would that buy me everything I need, or would I have to also buy the manuals that came before it? I assume any supplements that came afterward would have to be purchased in addition....

[Grady Clay]

Dave,

The ’65-’71 and ’72-’83 are certainly cumulative. There are things in Vol. I & II that are needed for the ’72-’83 911 Vol. III to VI.

The later manuals seem more stand-alone.

That said, everything is cumulative. I would start with the Factory Workshop Manual appropriate for your 911. A printed version of the PET for your car is appropriate. I would then accumulate the technical information in both directions – earlier & later. That would include “Information Technik”, PET parts, campaigns, service bulletins and all other WSMs. The “art” of this is intelligent up-dating and back-dating. You can’t do that without information. The beauty of the 911 is so much is progressively changed and some important features can be up-dated and back-dated to your heart’s content.

The selected parts of all this make up your “Personal car specific manual”.

Best,
Grady

[randywebb]

Be nice if someone compiled all the TSBs for the early cars....

Or an answer to the question - what all applies to ya ear 197x 911?
Most would just list the original manual and the supplements, but there is a lot more as the above posts attest....

[Grady Clay]

Randy,

I’m working on that. So far I have identified 157 technical publications. The first with a publication number is “Model 73, 911T, 911E, 911S Service Information” 4516.21. The latest is “Model Year 2005, 911 Carrera/911 Carrera S; Service Information Technik Introduction” PNA.489.421.05 for the 997 and 997S. From ’81 to ’97 the P/Ns started with WKD, after ’97 they start with PNA. There is an amazing wealth of information and it should be posted here.

I’m working on a catalogue of titles and P/Ns. I don’t think PCNA knows the older stuff. I hope PCNA puts all this on-line with PET and the WSMs.

Say, since this involves emissions and safety compliance isn’t there a “Freedom of Information Act” or something compliance issue? Hehe, but seriously. Put your “legal beagle” mind on that.

Best,
Grady

[randywebb]

Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, allows you to get info from the Feds (not including Congress, the Pres. himself, or the Cts - i.e. from admin. agencies). there are a few exclusions (docs on where all our nuke missle subs are located is not gonna get answered...). And most requesters have to pay. Is there something you wnated from an agency? If so, I can help.

Most states now have similar laws.

You can't compel a private co. tho if you mean P AG. Actually, they should pay you to do this...

[Grady Clay]

Randy,

This is uncharted territory for me. Don’t manufacturers and importers have to document everything with the Department of Transportation, EPA or similar agency? While most new stuff might initially fall under “Trade Secrets” is there a time limitation? Is there some obscure DOT, EPA, etc. regulation requiring public access? Are manufacturers/importers prevented from making information not readily available? It seems to me that the $1200 and $900 price tags seriously limit the information availability.

Actually, they should pay you to do this...

I just don’t want to move to Atlanta. If PCNA can figure a way for me to stay at home….

Best,
Grady

[randywebb]

I don't know what info they may have submitted. I do know that TSBs re safety and maybe all or most are available from various services that compile them. I just go to the public library and look them up - seem to deal w/ new cars tho.

I suggest that you start with informal requests for information to DOT and EPA. I already got & posted some NHTSA info on crash data (apparently none for real 911s; tho that could be fleshed out a bit - only asked for certain years). See what you get - the next step after that is a FOIA, but note a FOIA might have to be paid for - I'd bet we could do it thru PCA or set up our own non-profit for Pcars and get the agency staff time waived... But a FOIA is rarely my opening - agency's don't like them and they are viewed as a bit confrontational. Go informal first. I can walk you thru all this stuff if you get into problems.


I don't blame you - I left the South a looong time ago...

[John's Porsche]

Grady,

Going back to your reply of 02:46 PM on 12-27, yes, I do have the "Register for Supplements - Workshop Manual 911" page.

It lists Supplement No. XXII - XXXX. Does this mean that the supplements which fall within this range of numbers are included within the manual?

Regards,
John

[Grady Clay]

Thanks Randy. I’ll give it a try.

Don’t get me wrong I like the South and Atlanta – to visit. My cousin owns our 6-generation family farm outside Atlanta and you have heard of the Grady hospital and the Grady Clay eye clinic at Emory. My dad still has an original land grant charter from King George II, ~1750s to the Claye ancestors.

I suppose I should just write PCNA a letter requesting all the technical information and see what response I get.

Best,
Grady

[randywebb]

Never a year has gone by that I haven't visited south Louisiana -- that's sorta like the South...