Advice on changing front shocks on a 1989 3.2 Carrera

[89PS911]

Hi,

I am replacing front and rear shocks on my 1989 3.2 Carrera Cabriolet. I've followed the instructions in the 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 book but am stuck on the fronts.

Top nuts are off and I have pulled the shock struts down through the body and am able to rotate the strut assemblys out of the wheel well (a la 101). Dust cap and rubber bumper are off BUT now there is a large strut cartridge cap that I need to screw off before I can pull the strut out and replace it. Unfortunately, I cannot get that cap to budge at all. I have sprayed WD-40 on the cap threads but no help.

Bentley manual for 1984-89, section 401-6 says that cap is torqued on at 87 + 14 ft lbs and that I need a strut nut wrench to remove that cap.

Several questions:

1. How should I go about removing the screw on strut cartridge cap (new ones came with the new front shocks so damage to the old caps is not a problem so long as I avoid damage to the threads on the strut assembly)?

2. Given how tight that strut cartridge cap is torqued on, am I going to be able to use the 101 Projects approach of not having to remove the whole strut assembly (i.e. Can I just rotate the strut assembly out as I have now and get the cap off?)?

3. Can I purchase the recommended strut nut wrench somewhere?

All I want to do is get that cap off so I can put the shocks in the front strut assemblys and reassemble everything!

Thanks,
Jonathan

[DRACO A5OG]

Use a pipe wrench, that is what Steve Alarcon at Johnsons Alignment used on my strut. If you don't want to mar the nut and want to stay concours get a proper spanner wrench.

When you re-torque, use your feet , and extension cheater pipe and pull like no end, it will take it and you want it tight or go back to it after couple of hundred miles. I know it is scary but that's what it takes to keep the strut from moving around and making things worse by rounding out the housing of the strut holder.

Jim

[89PS911]

Thanks Jim. Will give that a try.

Jonathan

[GH85Carrera]

If you have time you can call Bilstien and they will mail you the strut nut tool for free. At least they did a couple of years ago when I bought my new Bilstiens. I big pipe wrench is probably just as useful.

[89PS911]

Jim and Glen,

Thanks again for the advice. Front shocks are in! Pipe wrench worked like a dream. Now I move to the rear shocks. I suppose I should invest in an impact wrench to get the lower rear shock bolts off?

Then I am removing all my brake calipers to send them to pmbperformance for rebuild/restoration. New front rotors will go on (rears were done last year after PPI), as well as new front pads (should I also replace rear pads given caliper restoration even though they were put in just about 3,000 miles ago?). Also putting in stainless flexible brake lines as I do this work.

Then all I will have to do is bleed and flush the brake system once my calipers are back in 3 weeks. I bought the Motive pressure bleeder so I hope that turns out to be relatively straightforward.

Jonathan

[83_Silberpfeil]

Question on the bleed and flush of the brake system.

I imagine that if the brake lines are dirty or the fluid is very dirty, then if you flush and bleed after you install the rebuilt calipers --- wouldn't that risk getting the contaminants in the new/rebuilt calipers?

I wonder if there's a way (that's recommended to bleed/flush w/o the calipers on --- e.g. install caps or plugs at end of brake lines, then open each as it's being flushed/bled.

JC

Originally Posted by 89PS911

Jim and Glen,

Then all I will have to do is bleed and flush the brake system once my calipers are back in 3 weeks. I bought the Motive pressure bleeder so I hope that turns out to be relatively straightforward.

Jonathan