Carrera maintenance list

My '85 has now reached 90,000 miles. I've been going through the car since I bought it doing as much maintenance as I can think up, but I was wondering what your opinions were concerning creating a to-do list for a car like mine. Any category of items would be appreciated. I've already taken care of the following within the last 3,000 miles:

Rebuilt tranny
New clutch
Adjusted valves
New oil, air, and fuel filters
New O2 sensor
Changed spark plugs, rotor, and dist. cap
Changed all shifter & linkage bushings
Recharged A/C

I'm thinking I'd like to change the brake fluid next and then try to tackle a minor oil leak coming from the back of the engine that is getting quite annoying. Any other suggestions? (Warren, I'll bet you've got some great insight on this one...)

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Adam Nitti
ajnitti@mindspring.com
www.adamnitti.com
'85 911 Carrera Coupe
PCA member, Peachstate region

Even though it consistently raises the hackles of members of this board, I'll attach the link to a list Warren did for early cars, that contains some subjective judgments that some guys here will certainly disagree with, and (likely) feel the need to scoff at. Why they don't present their own lists, I'll never know.

Adapt this as you see fit to a Carrera. Obviously, they're different cars.

http://members.rennlist.com/jackolsen/Maintenance.html

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe
jackolsen@mediaone.net

Adam:
Do the head temp sensor upgrade; also replace the DME/fuel pump relay. Spark plug wires okay? Sounds like you've got everything under control.
regards,
jlex.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention: after 16 years, you should look into replacing the clutch cable. I've got a new one sitting out in the garage for my '85 that I'll put on as soon as fly fishing season ends.
jlex.

I have a list I copied from another posting a few months ago. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Kunz!

Hello
On 3,2 allways check following:
Temperaturesensor. If one pin socket throw out ( little time bomb )
TDC sensor and Rev sensor for dirt and distance to flywheel ( 0,7 - 0,8 mm ). On early flywheels check that little magnet for TDC if it come loose. ( very rare )
Check for oilleaks coming from the oilpressuresensors, vent tower or thermostat.
Check/replace Crank seals.
Fuellines ( get old and get cracks )
Check big hard ( bras looking ) vaccumline going from the throttle body sweping to the driver side vacuum assist booster. there is an very small rubberpiece tendency to crack direct into the step down.
Also an eye on the other smaller vacuumlines.
Retighting nuts from the manifoldrunner
Rubbermountet aircleanerhousing somtimes rubber crack.
Check ignitionwires and distributor. One drop engine oil into the axle.
Check cam oilfeed lines. If not suportet look very close where the thin line is soldered into the eye.
Clean all electric sockets and spray special electronic anti corosion on it. Wathch out the DME connectors have an rubbergasket. Fall out sometimes or stick on the wrong end.
On 915 tranys look very close to conector from the starterwire. Can corode away
Also the oilpressorsensor for the instrument gets sometimes the "wrong" conector. Still that with black round housing and click pin ?
Check Exhaust for cracks direct where the tube joins. ( Easy to weld )
Sometimes you will find an hole abouve the tube junction.
Check fuellines on the car. Engine sided rubber. Then joint near the trany cone and last under the frontaxle.
Check enginerubbermounts. Make an "swap" as the left side gets more force over the years.
Check all oil lines espicialy those short ones in front going into the oilcooler.
Check the TOB guding tube on the transmission. If sligtly asymetrical worn you can rotate. Check incoming shaft seal there. On 915 check trany oilcooler and leverage. If you had a bad syncro then renew.
Repack the half shafts and rotate them in opesite turn direction.
On G50 check the pressure hose and the unit for wetness.
If you have AC then check the carrier. If you have an hi milage ( 200 000 mls ) i would renew the cam feed line and the oil pressure sensors previous to failure. ( Oilines sometimes need an 40000 mls intervall ). If it gets on you later the labour will hit you.
Don´t throw away the old parts as what you have you will not need ( Whis I could say this about my backaccount ). Also it is very nice to have an date matching parts for those last wining touch at coming concurs ( When you both get retired )
Also if you had any problems, now it is time to detect it.
Grüsse

I'm assuming that some of the items are not possible to perform while the motor is in the car... like checking the TDC sensor.
There's no way to get a look at it unless everything is apart, right? Or is there some small hole you can peer through that I've yet to find?

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Dan Tolley
1987 911 Coupe
http://www.cheaterswayside.com/911/gallery.asp?sort=0&userid=294

I think some might be confused by the term "TDC sensor." The TDC sensor provides the DME with no information. It is simply a sensor that has a dead end plug mounted on the throttle body to be used for diagnostic plug-in use. It does not affect the operation of the motor whatsoever.

The reference senders/sensors mounted near the flywheel are for the DME in that they reference/send the flywheel position (which indicates TDC to the DME, I realize) and speed to the DME unit. Not only should you check the gap and cleanliness of these sensors, take a look at the wiring. When I removed mine, one was a bear to get out of the housing (had to destroy it to get it out) and both had the sheathing spilt open from too much time and heat working on the rubber. Moral: don't pull those guys out unless you have to do so. Once you disturb the bend in the wiring, the sheathing is most likely going to split. They're not cheap- over $100 each!

Dan, you are correct. Some things like the vaccuum lines going from the throttle body to the fuel pressure regulator for example, are pretty hard to see without taking off a good bit of the peripherals on top of the motor. And, of course, you can't tell what your release bearing guide tube looks like if you have the motor in the car.

Once you pull the motor on these cars, you have a MUCH better idea of where things are located and what things need checking from time to time.



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Kevin
87 Carrera