Before you do anything else, put some masking tape over that t-stat hole before something falls in there that doesn't belong. Same deal with the oil cooler passages on the block, and on the oil cooler itself. Otherwise you'll be main-lining any dust, dirt, scotch-brite fragments, bugs, bristles from brass brushes, etc., into your oiling system passages the first time you start that baby up.

As usual, there's not a problem you could have that someone else on the forum hasn't already faced. Here's a thread:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/387043-family-member-attacks-thermostat-bad-news.html

Copy and paste this into the Google search bar, I'm sure you'll find more:

thermostat+stud site:forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/

Bottom line, the stud can be replaced. I'd put a pair of vice grips or a pipe wrench on it to see if it moves, but don't risk breaking it off flush with the case. If it doesn't budge, apply some heat to the case, and try again.

GK

Thanks for the links. I did a little searching last night, but was searching thermometer instead of thermostat. I was coming up blank. I'll read the links

All the holes into the engine have been covered. They were just open for the pictures.

Fascinating thread. I sub'ed out of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge on the older Porsches, as I have been looking at several. Unfortunately things like this have spooked me enough to reconsider. :( Best of luck with this project - you are indeed a brave person. :)

Don't be scared and let stuff like this spook you. Think of it as an adventure. :D I have told people that I think the hardest part of any car project is getting the nerve to start. I don't consider myself an expert by any means and this is by far the largest car project that I have undertaken. With all the online support and printed materials, there is no project (large or small) that hasn't already been done and well documented. My wife and I have joked that up to this point, it just goes to show that we follow directions well.

I figured that there will be setbacks throughout this "adventure", but the forums are great places to work through the setbacks with people who have been there and done that. Yes, the stripped stud is a little disheartening and a scary since I have never dealt it before. That being said, I am sure I will figure it out and it won't be that big of a deal.....I hope. :)

Find a car that you like and enjoy it. If something needs fixing, there are many people who are ready to assist.

With these wonderful old girls you can either have a desire to fiddle with them or the funds to pay someone else to do so. FWIW they are incredibly hardy, I would wager 80-90% of the projects you see undertaken on this board are done more for "play" than for immediate non-operational standpoint. For most of us they are toys, not 100% required to get us to work on Monday morning.

My own example similar to this thread: I heard disturbing noises on my running relatively fine car, I tore it down to the crank and put it back together. The actual broken parts were pretty minor and at the outside reaches of the motor but truth be told it was an "aww shucks, now I have to tear the whole motor apart, lovingly handle each piece and now know what condition I've really got back there" thing.

Please don't let projects like this scare you off, maintenance is just part of old cars.

Thanks for the encouragement. The guy that does my Mercedes work is also a long time Porsche mechanic and has told me that the mid-80's are generally pretty good overall. I've got an MB ML320 as a daily, but I just hate getting stranded by a cantankerous old car when out on a car club event or day trip. The dreaded ICU failure for these old MB 107's just hit me this year. ;) I just can't seem to get the idea of a 911 out of my head.

I am by no means a 'car guy', though i did do my own maintenance and figure out repairs when I was poor and had crappy cars. I just got a 1984 Targa, which runs really well. I immediately found several tweaks that it needed, new tires, alignment, throttle adjustment, that brought it to a new level. Next will be turbo tie rods. Does it need them? No, but if it will improve the driving and I can do it, why not? Valve adjustment shortly, just did an oil change. Oh yea, did the hood shocks, and have put 30 coats of leather conditioner on the seats, mainly because I just wanted to do something to the car while I had a minute. I have a list of things I will do to the car, none of which are 'needed'.

These are fun cars, both to drive and to own. Find one that runs well and you like, and you will enjoy it. You will also find yourself tinkering in between reading these boards. This place is a great resource, and threads like this are really inspiring.

looks like a new sound pad might be in order too ;)

Actually, the sound pad is good. It was replaced about 10 years ago when the mice were supposedly evicted. They must have thought the sound pad made for good nest insulation. :eek:

Catastrophe avoided! I was able to remove the stripped stud with no issues. I'll give the details, but I don't have those pictures with me at the moment.

I am a little behind on my progress, but will give a brief update. I replaced the gasket where the breather hose attaches. This was one of the easier items to address. You will need to remove the sensor (blue circle) and the four nuts (red circles) and lift the cap off the motor.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386021863.jpg

Make sure you scrape all the old gasket material off the lid and/or the motor. Don't let anything fall into the opening. Cap removed with new gasket.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386021961.jpg

Nice and clean cap.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386021993.jpg

There is also a crush washer on the sensor. I plan on replacing this while I am at it, but forgot to order it on a prior order. I have another order in the works and will just add it to the list.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386022062.jpg

More to come when I have the latest pics on hand.

This week has not been good for Targa work. Nothing has gone wrong, but I haven't had any free time. I will get the thread up to date on where it stands at the moment.

I wanted to replace the o-ring on the oil thermostat since I think everything in this area was leaking oil. If nothing goes wrong, this is easy with the motor out. First unscrew these two nuts on the oil thermostat.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386282215.jpg

Gently pull the thermostat out and replace the o-ring.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386282263.jpg

Coat the o-ring with oil and put everything back in place.

My issue was that one of the studs stripped. Luckily, there was some thread left, so I screwed a nut onto the stud and then tightened a jam nut down on top of it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386282378.jpg

I then put my smallest 10mm wrench on the bottom nut and unscrewed it. With minimal force, the stud started to screw out. You can see the damage easily with it removed from the motor.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386282463.jpg

I'm partially done with several other items and will report back when they are finished. Once I get through the DE this weekend, I will be able to focus on the Targa again.

This was the scene in the garage last weekend with the Targa on jackstands, a motor on the ATV jack and the track car on jackstands getting prepped for the track. This isn't a scene I want to see very often. :eek:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386282852.jpg

This is terrific write-up and I must say that the pictures and details are excellent! I wish I would have taken the before/after pics as you guys have. Very well done IMO.

Your garage looks like a finished-basement man-cave with actual hobby race-cars in it - nice!

Living in a coastal area requires houses to be elevated. Our garage is the size of the footprint of our house and it does make for a great workspace. It's not as nice as most of the garages in the garage thread, but I won't complain.

Agreed, I am having garage envy. Great work.

Jmills, you're making more progress in 1 months than some guys make in 6 months. Give yourself a break on your time line!

Thanks for showing how you removed the stud with 2 nuts. The quality of your write-ups is second to none. No detail missed, and this is huge for beginners

Why did the updates stop?

Irony
 

Wow, you really ARE pushing your luck asking that! ;-)

Christmas got in the way of my work and updates. :)

There were no catastrophes that stopped work and we were able to make some good progress this past weekend once the family left. Last night I made what is hopefully my last parts order for this project.

I should be able to update the thread later today.

Ok.....time to get the thread caught up. I actually replaced the oil pressure switch a while back and forgot to post it. This is one of the easiest parts to replace. Unplug the spade connector on top of the switch, unscrew switch, replace with a new one and plug the wire back on. The pressure switch is circled and you can also see how the wire connects.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388420098.jpg

While the motor is out, I figure it would be a lot easier to replace the plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor. A valve adjustment is also on the list, but first things first. The rotor, cap and plugs are pretty straight forward.....or so it seems. I was stumped from the beginning on just getting the plug wires free from the brackets.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388420418.jpg

The brackets unscrew from the motor easy enough, but they didn't want to free themselves from the wires. A little research revealed that there is a clip on each end of the bracket and then they are just pressed together.

Take a small screw driver and gently pry the tab on each end to where it releases. A twisting motion worked for me.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388420587.jpg

Then take your screw driver and pry the two sides apart.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388420635.jpg

This is what it looks like apart.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388420665.jpg

The new distributor cap will have numbers by each connector so you will know which spark plug wire will connect where. My plugs also had numbers on them so I knew which wire went to what plug. Starting on the driver's side, the cylinder closest to the alternator is #1. #2 and #3 are also on the driver's side as you move toward the front of the car. #4 is the passenger side at the alternator and then #5 and #6 are moving forward.

I would suggest removing the wires one at a time so you will not cross any wires and you will also be able to arrange the wires on the cap itself. They fit nicely together and I don't think I could duplicate it from memory.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388421399.jpg

There are two spring loaded screws on the cap that need to be loosened to remove the cap.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1388421192.jpg