Duel engine lid shocks

[Buckterrier]

Hello All,
Doing a search as I write this. But have gone through 5 pages and haven't come across anything yet.
I'm interested in anyone with experience installing duel shocks on the drivers side because of an add-on whaletail. I spoke with Jason here at PP when I purchased them. He suggested this method & said get two 10mm bolts, bushing grease, 2 body washers, & nylon nuts. Sounds cool. Well I took the shock to the hardware store and the 10mm bolts are obviously to large of a diameter for the holes in the shocks. I purchased two 6mm bolts which go through the holes but with play. I guess my question is will this 'play' effect the functionality of the shocks? Or am I missing something?
Thanks in advance

[FinallyGotOne]

nononononono. I just redid my "dual Shocks" because of the way it was mis alighning my deck lid. I had the trouble of a carrera tail on my decklid and when I pulled the hatch to lift it, it would not. So I just bought another strut and with a few longer cotter pins and rubber grommets added the 2nd shock to the driver side decklid. It worked but started noticing the decklid aligning to the body wrong. The decklid is too flimsy. I have since sold the C tail and added a lighter fiberglas 3.8RS tail, but still needed the 2nd shock. So I fabricated brackets and added them to the passenger side of the decklid. Now it works perfect and there is no twisting. There is threads on the bracket, I just started one a few days ago.

[Buckterrier]

Thanks Finally, yes i read the post. Nice work. How did you attach the 'bracket' to the firewall?
Anyone else that can chime in?

[porsche930dude]

i noticed on my car the passenger side has a firewall bracket. I dont know why they put both shocks on the driver side in the first place if there is already bracketry on both sides. I have yet to move mine over but i will

[Buckterrier]

That is odd Dude. How does the duel work? I don't suppose you have any pictures?

[scottb]

Isn't there a bolt-on kit to add dual shocks in the rear? I seem to recall a kit that costs about $50.

Seems to me that for $50, it's not worth hassling trying to fab one yourself.

[Buckterrier]

I agree Scott, but I was told PP doesn't have a 'kit' I certainly wish they did!

[rusnak]

Here's the thread for FinallyGotOne's original post, and the follow up replies. There were some very nice answers posted there, in case anyone else is considering this.

Pic of my customized passenger side decklid bracket

My $.02 is that the engine lid shock on the right side balances the left side much better. You can feel the engine lid open very squarely with a nice, solid, satisfying "thunk". The whale tail is very heavy, especially with the AC stuff and wiper on there, as on mine.

[porsche930dude]

Originally posted by Buckterrier
That is odd Dude. How does the duel work? I don't suppose you have any pictures?

I was wrong. I took a better look at it and it was just the hole in the padding for the driver side bracket. I think they put the padding on backwards or somthing. I thought i saw a bracket there but it was just some paper crap I think it would be pretty straight forward to build some brackets though. Maby when it gets warm out

[Buckterrier]

Thanks guys, I'll re-read Finally's thread. I agree... I'd rather have one on either side. But she sure is purdy with her tail!!!

[FinallyGotOne]

Its a bit of a tough project just because there is not much access back there. I removed teh back seat tops, and then pulled out the back formed piece that goes up into the rear widow area. After trying to measure as best I could I popped the smallest drill bit I could find through from the inside of the car to the back. Then from there measured a bit more.

I located a bracket that fit the size of the shock and enabled me three bolts. (left and right and a center).

I then fastened the middle of the bracket with a tapping screw to hold it in place well enough to drill a couple more holes on each side of that to put the bolts in. then just tightened the nut on the inside of the car. Making sure the bolt did not protrude too far into the seat cushion. About 1/4 inch.

From there the measurement of the other bracket was about 5 inches from the beginning of the turn of the existing bracket to the new hole in the fabricated bracket. The bracket is removed by undoing one nut and the two allen bolts. the strap I've learned is a grounding strap and should b put back on. You may have to remove the A/C evap bolt too if there is one. I just used a piece of cardboard to create a template so that I knew where best the fabbed bracket should be bolted to the existing bracket.

Afer you do all this if you have any issues with the right side not lining up, you may just have your hole drilled in the wrong spot.

This happened to me the 1st time, and i though the bracket was too long and musty be hitting something, but when I undid the shock it closed well. so I moved the hole a bit and it was perfect after that.

[Buckterrier]

Thanks for the procedure Finally.

[FinallyGotOne]

yup good luck man! pm if you have any questions

[kepperly]

The only easy way to do this is with the engine OUT.My 87 cab
has a bracket welded to the firewall that accepts a shock on each side with a spacer between the bracket.the previous owner had simply hammered one "ear" over flat with the fire wall and I had to pull the sound insulation away from the firewall to even see it. You still have to hold up the trunk lid and fish the two shocks over the top of the a/c lines. You then have to space the shocks in the area that it attachs to the hinge. The Shocks HAVE to be parallel. I don,t have a digital or I would post a photo.Mine now
work like butter.

Keith Epperly
87 slant nose turbo look carrera cabriolet

[Buckterrier]

Thanks Keith, yes that does sound best. Fortunately my engine doesn't have to come out yet! I'm going to try the duel shocks on one side for now.

[FinallyGotOne]

the dual shocks will work to hold up the decklid withthe tail, but in about two weeks you will notice at the corner of the lid where the tail light is that will not line up any more. Mounting on the passenger side will take about two hours.

[Buckterrier]

Dang, whats a woman do too? (you don't know my mechanical ability, or lack there of. Although I did replace both the front ones this weekend). I know, the Pop Warner of repairs, lol.

[rusnak]

Mark,

just take some of the weight off of the lid by either removing the tail, or propping up the engine lid with a broom handle. Then install the engine lid shocks on the lid side first, and run them straight back to the firewall. When the engine lid is being supported by the shocks, the shocks themselves will be roughly horizontal (see pictures). Mark the location on the right side of the engine firewall with either a sharpie marker or a scratch awl, then drill with a very small bit. Recheck the position, then drill out with progressively larger bits until you can put a small sheetmetal screw to hold the bracket temporarily, until you confirm everything is square and does not bind or open or close unevenly. I used pop rivets, which can be drilled out, until I was sure. Then mig weld the bracket on to the firewall after removing the airbox, air meter, and covering everything with projective blankets.

It's a very simple project, and one that is well covered in Wayne's book.

[FinallyGotOne]

there you go Rusnak. thats awesome advice. I did it revers which was more difficult, but your way is much more straight forward. So Mark needs a buddy to help out for about an hour to two or so and then the job will be done. The shocks have to be parallel, but Mark this is not one of those jobs that wont allow a bit of leeway. You can be an inch off on the firewall bracket either way and still be fine, you don't have to engineer this perfectly to make it work well. Just don't be in a big hurry, let us all know when you want to do it and some of us can be available by phone or on the peli parts site here.

[rusnak]

Way to go, Finallygotone. It's better to be helpful to each other rather than nit pick every other word for technical perfection.

Sorry for venting here, just getting tired of some of the other threads.