I've joined the ranks of the 914 club

[TR]

Hi
I know what some of you will say, nubie didn't know what he was buying.
I have just bought a Californian 914 built on the 9/1975. Which apparently is the most undesirable of all the 914 models. I have to first state that I'm always up for a challenge and whilst the yellow paint job doesn't do much for me I will persevere until the machine is running like a German clock. That will no doubt be inclusive of the anti smog equipment some of which appears a little worse for wear.

Anyway any help, advice or free parts would be most welcome.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

We do have a few Ozzies around, even a couple with 914s!

Yours looks to be from the 1976 model-year, which is the last model year for 914s! There weren't a whole lot of them made, so they are a little more desirable than the 75s in general. Plus they were all (I have heard of exceptions but not seen any yet) 2.0 liter models, which is always nice.

Advice: Check for rust. Then check again. And again. Some pretty serious rust likes to live around the inner mount for the right-rear suspension's trailing arm. Also along the main longitudinal member of the car behind that black rocker panel cover. And, of course, the "hell hole" in front of the battery in the engine bay.

I would also look into ditching the 75-76 exhaust for the earlier style (either the 1.7 type or the 2.0 type) for an exhaust with heat, or for a set of headers if you don't need heat or windscreen defogging. It will likely be a lot easier to get someone local to fab up headers than have them shipped from the people I know of here in the US (or Germany) that make 914 headers, but they may not be as good as those made up by people with lots of 914 experience.

If you have local shops that know and love VW 411/412s, or 72-78 Buses, they will have a leg up on the 914 engine. Because the 914 is another version of the VW Type IV.

....Welcome to the madness. These cars can be infuriating, but they are immense amounts of fun to drive!

--DD

[esses62]

Just drive it till the wheels fall off then rebuild

[TR]

Anyone got a spare Haynes 914-4 workshop manual. Also I see there are only two pages in the 914 technical forum. what gives with that?
I think I am going to need a fair bit of advice.

thanks in advance.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Lots of resources available on-site here:

Haynes: Porsche 914 Books & Technical Documentation - Page 2
Tech articles: Pelican Parts - 914 Technical Articles
Tech specs including fuses: Pelican Parts - Porsche 914 Parts Listings & Diagrams
Hose diagrams for some years/models, fuel injected only: Pelican Parts - Porsche 914 Fuel Injection Hose Diagrams
Exploded parts diagrams: Pelican Parts - Porsche 914 Parts Listings & Diagrams

--DD

[porschetub]

Originally Posted by TR

Hi
I know what some of you will say, nubie didn't know what he was buying.
I have just bought a Californian 914 built on the 9/1975. Which apparently is the most undesirable of all the 914 models. I have to first state that I'm always up for a challenge and whilst the yellow paint job doesn't do much for me I will persevere until the machine is running like a German clock. That will no doubt be inclusive of the anti smog equipment some of which appears a little worse for ware.

Anyway any help, advice or free parts would be most welcome.

Did you import the car yourself? looks very original,good door gaps .
De-smog the motor and make sure the heads on the motor are good,if not do exhaust valves and guides ,very important on the T4 motor.
This model year was a little unloved due to the fat safety (?) bumper rubbers and derated engine from memory but don't be put off because it looks like a great car.
Dave is 100% correct about rust problems but you probably know about that already,good luck with this car - I like it

[Jrboulder]

Originally Posted by porschetub

Did you import the car yourself? looks very original,good door gaps .
De-smog the motor and make sure the heads on the motor are good,if not do exhaust valves and guides ,very important on the T4 motor.
This model year was a little unloved due to the fat safety (?) bumper rubbers and derated engine from memory but don't be put off because it looks like a great car.
Dave is 100% correct about rust problems but you probably know about that already,good luck with this car - I like it

Could you elaborate on this exhaust valve issue?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

The exhaust valves run hot. In fact, the 2.0 engines had sodium-filled exhaust valves to help move heat out of the valve and into the rest of the head. The heat also means the exhaust valve guides wear somewhat more quickly, and using air cooling means it's harder to cool those areas specifically than using water.

If the valves get too hot, they can stretch or even break. Not good, as you can imagine.

The heads also like to crack on the short-radius side of the bend in the exhaust ports, and across the spark plug holes. Any time you have the heads off, check for those.

Valve seats also like to drop. Intakes more than the exhausts for some reason, but either can happen. The seat will pop out of the head, and the valve will be held open. Sometimes other parts get damaged from that.

--DD

[TR]

The car is still in LA where I propose to get it registered for the next couple of years , then bring it home to OZ.

In a week of so I'll post some more pictures. Whilst it runs and drives there are plenty of things needing attention. I never drive cars which I have not explored the entire brake system. I'll pull it all off and renew all the seals, pads and master cylinder and have the discs machined. Second I'm not familiar with all the smog reduction components on these cars but will try and get everything running as the law requires with everything in order. The car is running a higher idle than it should so there may be a air leak in the system. As I said its all new to me but I'm hopeful I can work it out. may also pull the heads and decoke the combustion chamber and do a valve grind. Quoted over 500 to recondition each head which seems a bit over the top wont know till I look inside. car does not blow any smoke though which is a good thing.

[TR]

Dave
Where do you buy tires for your 914
Tire shop said only Chines tires available.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Oh! If it's in California, a 76 must keep all of the smog parts on it (including the exhaust!) in order to pass smog and get registered. So don't go changing them out yet.

Tires are available in non-stock sizes from a variety of sources like Tire Rack, Discount Tire Direct, etc. The 205/50-15 and 195/65-15 sizes will fit (the 205s may need a little pulling of one or both rear fenders to fit) and give better road-holding. For original sizes, look into Vredestien brand tires, or check Coker Tire. The original size was 165R15 (which is equivalent to 165/80-15).

--DD

[Tobra]

Pretty sure those wheels are 5.5 inches wide, so 195-15, with either 55 or 60 aspect ratio should also fit, and give you better tire choices. Getting it to pass smog so you can register it is the responsibility of the seller

[TheCabinetmaker]

Since the car is in california, you might consider selling the rare california required exhaust system to a californian in need of getting his 914 smogged, then while in california buy a nice 2 liter SS exhaust system. the money you can get for a nice working smog exhuast system should be enough to buy you a nice SS exhaust that will last longer and perform better. i assume you dont have the same Nazi like smog authorities in your nation.
If you do this while the car is in california, then you will save on the shipping of the SS exhaust, and the smog exhaust that you will be selling, will be more sellable to a californian, since there wont be international shipping involved.

the smog exhuast is a MUST have for a californian registered car that gets smog tested, the smog exhuast is not in production and is getting to be rare. Thus it is worth a good deal of money to those that need to smog their late model 914's in the smog nazi capital of the USA.


your car will run better and cooler without the smog exhaust, simply by installig a stock early non smog exhuast, or better still a SS exhaust system if you dont want heaters, you can go even more radical, but the heater is nice, and the ss exhuast looks cool. runs cool.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I agree with the sentiment, but make sure you find out when the smog check is due on your car. It varies, but is generally every other year at the time the car's annual registration is renewed. You don't want to be left without the parts when that notice is due.

Demand may not be as high as Dave (Cabinetmaker) implies, though, because the 1976 model-year 914s are the only ones that still get tested, and there aren't that many still being registered in CA. That said, the parts are an absolute requirement to pass the test, so all of the 76es still registered here do need them.

It is worth checking what the registration says the model year of the car is. It should be on there somewhere. It is also encoded in the VIN, a 76 model will have a VIN that starts "47629..." while a 75 will start with "47529...".

--DD

[TR]

I will endeavour to buy a stainless steel exhaust system before taking the car home.

On the smog front I understand the air in Los Angeles has improved significantly since the sixties and whilst the smog tests are an irritation I do believe in clean air. I mean we do all breath it.

What is really cock eyed about California is that whist it has the strictest laws in the USA regarding emissions the authorities don't appear to be supporting either car owners or USA manufacturers by their lack of providing approval for after market catalytic converters.
As technology has improved these items are now available at very competitive prices yet are unavailable to buyers in California. This makes it impossible for people with certain cars to continue to use them after the factory parts no longer become available.
In addition who can say a Cat made in china for Porsche is the same quality as a German made original, Though, I gather that part would be legal, where as an American made aftermarket Cat can not be used as none have been approved for use in California
The result of this is that Californian cars must be being sold on to states with less stringent emissions laws which is ridiculous as California is just exporting the problem whist claiming the high moral ground on clean air.

Whilst laws in Australia are becoming increasingly more stringent in terms of emissions other aspects of motor vehicle testing appear to be far more rigorous. A car can fail for having a crack in a tail light lens, bent panels, any amount of rust, and a myriad of other issues. Motor vehicle inspectors in my town routinely patrol car parks and paste defect stickers on cars preventing the owners from even driving them home until the fault had been rectifies.
Now I'm a car man like many others but what I want to see is that my cars and every one else's at least pass minimum safety standards and in real terms that means they have good tyres, brakes steering suspension and are structurally sound as well as being acceptably clean in terms of emissions. Cost is relevant and every effort should be made to make it cheaper to keep your car clean. That means more testing of products and more certifications for aftermarket cats.

Whilst we are on pollution I could never understand how venting a crankcase into an intake system could ever have resulted in clean air when the outcome is, in effect to create carbon deposits within the head resulting in less efficiency over time and probably shortening the life of you catalytic converter. With more modern systems you can now capture the oil in the vented air and contain it.

That's my 2c rant.

[TheCabinetmaker]

The bottom line is the california smog testing program is not so much interested in reducing tail pipe emmisions as it is in getting you out of your car. the test is expensive and often un-needed. the equipment portion of the test is what has nothing to do with clean air. It is very difficult, some times near impossible to put what would be a more efficent , cleaner motor in an older car, becuase of the smog equipment laws. some older cars are so rare, that it is near impossible to get smog repair parts needed to pass the equipment portion of the test. Try getting an air injection rail for a Triumph, or the correct egr valve.

the smog test program also hits the poor the hardest, no break in the price for the poor.

I have to waste $100's each year on smog testing plus I loose valuable time watching some un=professional greasemonkey jack around my car. I have been busted for a homemade smog hose in one car, cost me $100 to repair, and the shop had the car for two days. the homemade part was perfect in function, passed smog testing excpet that the part was not OEM. It was actually made out of better material than the OEM one that had failed, the same as the one the dealer wanted too much money for.

all this hassal, yet we get some boozo each cold night burning a smokey wood fire stenching up the whole neighborhood, producing more smog in a week than my car puts out in a year.

I must mention the state requires a gas tank pressure test on my van the tank is pressurized to a level determined by law, a level that exceeds the Van makers test pressure. there have been many stories of folks developing expensive fuel leaks immediatly following this test.

But the government knows best right?

high time we end the smog test program, it has outlived it usefullness. Unfortunatly the laws will likely only get stricter, I expect them to require smog testing on older cars than from 1976. Each year the legislatures more liberal fridge proposes more draconian smog laws, increase in license fees etc...

You know many of us were promised that after a car was 30 years old it would be exempted from smog testing, the reasoning was that older cars are driven little, there are few of them, so their smog contribution is small, and the smog test is a bruden when a car gets very old as parts can be hard to replace, engines are often swapped. This wasall and good, for a while until the fringe retard representitive Sally Lieber (D) of mt. view calif introduced legislation to end the rolling 30 year exemption, and we classic car owners have been screwed ever since.

[GeorgeRud]

Aren't there restrictions on having a left hand drive car in Australia? I had heard that they need to be converted to right hand drive. Sounds $$$$$$$$.

[TR]

Cars thirty years old no restrictions, we can now keep them LH Drive

[porschetub]

Originally Posted by TR

Cars thirty years old no restrictions, we can now keep them LH Drive

Load it up with the spares you need save you importing them latter,as you well know these cars are rare in Australia.

[porschetub]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

Could you elaborate on this exhaust valve issue?

As Dave said,the one good thing about these motors is the bottom ends are very strong they will tolerate a broken valve if shut down quickly and not reving too high.
Ask me who I know,my 1.8 in the speedster had one broken vavle replaced and is still running fine,I have a 1.7 on my engine stand that suffered a similar fate,the rod /crank are straight ,the 1.7 head was damaged in the combustion chamber but could easily be welded.
I've been lucky sometimes a dropped valve is very MESSY.

To the OP I would pull the motor when it gets to Oz do a top end check,gasket reseal ,and remove the cooling system and clean all the crap out round the barrels and check your oil coolers is clean,very cheap insurance.
Remove, clean and reseal injectors will help you have a smooth running car then .
Please keep us posted.