Just got my 1st 914 ... need help please

[shorty10]

hey, just got my 1st 914 its a 73' 1.7 navy blue metallic
I just drove it tonight for the first time, I drove it home and after parking it in the driveway it kinda hurt to get out of it . Can't wait to run errands tomorrow.
It's not perfect though

1st the reverse grinds abit and the 1st gear grinds a little bit more (almost every time I go into 1st)
"I'm guessing Its the 901 fix that I need to do

2nd when ever I drive over bumps or cracks in the road the steering wheel shakes violently I'm guessing its the tie-rod's

3rd it idels hard for the first 5 min of starting the car after 5 min it's fine also if you leave it idel for a while it will sometimes stall
its not the auxiliry air regulator the previous owner fixed that after that he brought it to a mechanic and he said the fuel ingection needs to be tweaked the FI box with the knobs? (not sure if its knobs but i know you can click to the left or right)

4th and the brake light is blinking has been since the master cylinder was replaced i heard thar theres a master button to reset it all where is it....

5th the gas light it always on does it have anything to do with the master button

so can I do any of this myself and are there and guides ?(for thr FI tweaking or tierods) plus how much would it be to fix each of these

the help would be nice since I'm 20 and I really dont know a whole lot about the 914
thanks to all that can helpme on this

[sean_V8_914]

1 check clutch adjustment , it might still be engaged causing grinding. or try heel-toe
2 is it lowered? I cant tell. hows teh alignment?
3 AAR formed lebow hose? (on the input side) spray some carb cleaner near the junctions of these hoses. If idle canges or speeds up, theres your idle wrecking leak
buy a book if you dont have one. I highly recomend learning to work on your own ride. We love these little 30 yr old marvels but they are 30 and will break. the work is well worth the reward of driving a balanced mid engined marvel with such low polar moment. snappy i say, she's mighty snappy!
Oh...and dont forget to memorize Brad's D-Jet web site http://members.rennlist.com/pbanders/

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

4th--The brake warning light reset button is on the side of the master cylinder itself. I recommend putting the front of the car up on jack stands, then removing the "gravel pan" or steering rack cover. It's only four bolts. The master cylinder will be obvious--the button will not be. The button is on the switch, which is on the side of the MC. The button is covered by a rubber cover. Just press it and that should reset the switch. Once you know where it is, you can just reach in from the side and press it. (E.g., after bleeding the brakes.)

Remember that a second switch also controls the light. That is the switch under the handbrake handle. If that is not pressed, the light will also blink.

5th--The low gas light is not tied to the brake warning system. It has its own wire that goes to the fuel level sender. If you really do have more than a gallon or two of fuel in the tank (look inside), then the wire has shorted to ground somewhere or the sender itself is faulty.

--DD

[nyum96]

#1- grind in reverse = clutch or clutch adjustment.. If everything checks out ok, grind in first, clutch adjustment or first gear synchro. I just completed last week. Good times!

#2- If lowered= bump-steer kit. Could also deal with steering wheel couplings, bearings, etc,etc.

#3- Do what the other guy said...

#4- I dont know about the "master reset button"

#5- Take the fuel sender out and clean it.. While you're at it, clean the tank... then seal it. You'll thank me later...

I got my 914 when I was 23.. I'm twenty five now. Do it all yourself. It's easy.
PM me, I'll give you a good head start on your new headache.... Also post more information on your car..

Keep it FI!

Barry

[shorty10]

more in fo? well the guy i bought it from gave me a folder about a inch high filled with recpts around 8 to 10,000 worth of parts & labor fixed on the car besides the paint and new german vinal (drool) some things on the receipts? master cil nder and ignition kit and engine rebuild so its pretty good besides the problems im having in (post: new 914 need help) where in Ga i used to live in roswell

[D7N7MASTER]

Install a weltmeister reverse lock-out kit. It will do wonders for gear selection. Replace your ball joints now - before it's too late. I broken ball joint can ruin your whole day, or worse... The adjustment on the F.I. computer only has an effect on idle rpm's/richness. Have the F.I. set-up by a pro or you will chase your tail throwing money at F.I. components that may not be faulty. Put the car a a pitch black garage. Open the engine lid. Start the car. Look carefully for any arcing/sparking. If you find arcing/sparking, temp. fix it with elec. tape & ty-wraps. Then buy / install a new harness. Teeners are now at least in their mid-twenties. Wiring doesn't typically last that long. There is a member on this board that rebuilds wiring harnesses. He does excellent work. I have had zero F.I. problems since replacing the F.I. harness.
Good Luck & Enjoy your new ride.

[Acox914]

doesnt the weltmeister lock out kit effectively make reverse inaccesible? i use reverse occasionally in my daily driver- seems necessary to me.

[Acox914]

Jeff bowlsby makes harnesses

[D7N7MASTER]

"doesnt the weltmeister lock out kit effectively make reverse inaccesible?" No. It just installes big 'ol springs that keep you from "inadventantly" clipping reverse when you are shifting into second.

[robphelan]

I installed the lockout kit a few months ago. it was a little difficult to squish those springs enough to fit - had to cheat and snipped off a bit of the spring...

With some other adjustments, I never hit Rev/1st accidentally anymore.

[shorty10]

yeah my shifter is sloppy i keep on going into 4th when i mean to go into 2nd and when i down shift 3 to 2nd i somtimes hit reverse so i guess i need new bushings the lock out springs and do i really need the reverse plate?

[sean_V8_914]

make sure the bushing in the tranny pod is solid. sometimes teh hole it goes into gets wobbled out and even the new bushing will not help. I used JB weld to fix mine. I have seen other people tighten up the hole by using zip ties

[jkeyzer]

Which hole do they tighten up with zip ties?

[sean_V8_914]

Hey! Don't get fresh with me boy.
the hole in the shifter pod on a side shift tranny. the hole that holds the bushing for the shift rod at the tranny it's self

[Potter]

"Strunk and White" folks, "Strunk and White" (back me up, Miles)

[shorty10]

Take the fuel sender out ?

[M. Hendrix]

-sung to the tune of "Sex Machine"-

Strunk and White! HAh! Uhhh... Kisssss. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


M

[Kevin Powers]

fill you shopping cart here with the following. the fire wall bushing, the smaller bushing that the rear rod runs though at the trans, and the ball cup bushing at the trans. the last item is part #25 on p.89 in your haynes manual. if you install the h.d. springs in the shifter replace part#'s 15 and 17 on the same page. inspect the coupler where the two rods meet. it's much more effective and saves alot of time to just renew these items rather than ordering one at a time. try redbeards method of adjusting the shifter. when you go to put the fire wall bushing in, put it in a glass of water and microwave it for a minute. they go in much easier when they are warm and plyable.

kevin

[shorty10]

sweeeet