Picking up '86 944 on Monday - quick basic questions

[RWPrice]

On Monday, I'm driving from Asheville to Roanoke VA to pick up an '86 944. Car is in very nice cosmetic shape, not red, maybe Kalahari beige or similar color name. 117,000 miles. Car has only had about 5,000 miles in 7 years with current owner. No service records prior to his ownership and nothing in CarFax. Current owner has had reqular oil changes and significant service at a local and respected foreign car shop, including clutch, cooling system (hoses, coolant, thermostat, and radiator). Has not done belts or water pump, so we don't know whether done 10,000 or 50,000 miles ago.

We're trailering back to NC. I have arranged to have belts, rollers, water pump, etc done by a local shop (in the interest of time). Before that I'll do basics like an oil change, trans oil change, brake bleed, etc. as well as a good inspection.

My questions are simple. Most of the boards and resources seem to have varying ideas of what oil to use, filter, and what transmission/diff oil to use.

I have had a Cayman and now have a 981 Boxster. I use LubriMoly 5w40 and Mahle filters, but the those are different animals.

My reading indicates that a 20w50 or 15w50 is what is needed. Also not a lot of discussion about filters or trans lube. For the short term, I'm planning to go the easy route and use Mobil 15w50 since it's readily available unless there is a better option. I'm very open to suggestions. As to filter, is there some consensus as to better or worse. I've used Wix for many of my cars wiht spin-on filters, but cost differences are not significant. I normally follow a 5k or annual oil change interval.

Any other suggestions are welcomed. I do my own research, but have not found any definitive info on basic maintenance for these cars. So help is appreciated. I just want to get a solid maintenance baseline.

Thanks.

[Jfrahm]

Make A DME relay jumper wire to have on-hand:
DME Relay Information and Testing

I currently use Mahle or Purolator filters. I'm also a fan of the truck oils for older cars, commonly Rotella 5w40 and 15w40 in my case. I am not tracking the cars and do not feel that 50 weight is needed, I suppose for hot oil pressure under heavy loads on hot days.
Your rod bearings might be getting worn so maybe 50 weight is better for you, assuming no cold-weather starting.

[Gianni at Pelican Parts]

Welcome to the Pelican Forums! I recommend bookmarking the "How To" Tech Articles we have for the 944 chassis. These guides are great to have in your arsenal as you start diving into your new-to-you 944.

[TheSecondChris]

Nice looking car! Check out Edredas on Youtube for his awesome 944 technical videos. I'm using 20w50 in summer and then 15w50 for winter driving in Connecticut. I think the last filter I bought was Hengst. Nice that you'll have a new clutch, that's a big repair.

[TibetanT]

First and foremost, "Welcome to Porsche 944 ownership" !!

These are great cars for touring.

Here in the Inland Northwest, we get very hot (these days) during Summer months so I use Mobil 15W50 synthetic for oil changes every 3 thousand miles (old school), and I change to Mobil 10W40 synthetic for Winter months (little to no driving) just in case.
As far as transmission oil, I always use RedLine 90W...but, other 90W brands are just as good.
Everything else is Porsche brand or Mahle for replacement parts.

If you car came with records, read them all so you have a good idea of what comes next.

Clarks-Garage website is perfect for maintenance information, as well as the Porsche Factory manuals.
www.clarks-garage.com
Very nice looking 944. Good luck and see you at Porsche Parade...one of these days.

[Rasta Monsta]

Liquimoly 5w40. There's no need to put gramps's 20w50 from the dino days, robs power and mileage for no benefit.

[RWPrice]

Picked up car in VA yesterday and trailered back to western NC. On inspection, the car had a few more flaws than I anticipated. The engine shakes at idle (about 700 rpm) and smooths out about 1000. May be motor mounts.

No leaks that I can see. The most recent service receipt had a comment that the belts were getting noticeably worn and should be replaced soon. This is scheduled to be done by my local mechanic, who has done these before. I won't be driving car any amount until this is done.

At speed, the car is quiet and stable. No suspension noise and good tire balance. Have not inspected brakes but it's on the agenda. Shop replaced front brake hoses at their last flush.

Rear hatch latches are sticky. The electric hatch release clicks but does not work. A bit of detective work in order here.

I have Wix oil and air filters waiting, as well as Redline 90 gear lube and Mobil 1 15w50.

A few more bodywork flaws, but all tiny, no rust at all, some cracked weather seals (e.g. door handles), but nothing bad. I won't be winning an concours with it but will have a bit of fun.

Paid $7500. With the work planned, I'll have under 10k for a decentl-looking and running 944. At current prices, that's very reasonable.

[944fan2018]

Originally Posted by RWPrice

Picked up car in VA yesterday and trailered back to western NC. On inspection, the car had a few more flaws than I anticipated. The engine shakes at idle (about 700 rpm) and smooths out about 1000. May be motor mounts.

No leaks that I can see. The most recent service receipt had a comment that the belts were getting noticeably worn and should be replaced soon. This is scheduled to be done by my local mechanic, who has done these before. I won't be driving car any amount until this is done.

At speed, the car is quiet and stable. No suspension noise and good tire balance. Have not inspected brakes but it's on the agenda. Shop replaced front brake hoses at their last flush.

Rear hatch latches are sticky. The electric hatch release clicks but does not work. A bit of detective work in order here.

I have Wix oil and air filters waiting, as well as Redline 90 gear lube and Mobil 1 15w50.

A few more bodywork flaws, but all tiny, no rust at all, some cracked weather seals (e.g. door handles), but nothing bad. I won't be winning an concours with it but will have a bit of fun.

Paid $7500. With the work planned, I'll have under 10k for a decentl-looking and running 944. At current prices, that's very reasonable.

If you replace the motor mounts, use only Porsche motor mounts, because they’re the only kind that are fluid filled. Any other motor mounts will be cheap because they aren’t fluid filled and thus wear out faster.

[TheSecondChris]

Congrats on the purchase and I like that color. When I got my car it had the same idle shake you describe and needed new mounts; the previous owner even gave me a set of Meyle mounts that he didn't get around to installing and that did the trick. If you're going to replace your mounts, look into the discussion about the durability of the various aftermarket mounts vs the expensive Genuine Porsche mounts.

There is a small cable connecting the electric hatch release motor to the latch. On my car the end of the cable was broken. You might be able to repair the cable or source a used one for cheap, but I think I got a brand new one for around $30.

[Jfrahm]

I've been running Meyle mounts for several years w/o problems. Got them from FCP Euro so they are warrantied, not that saving the cost of the mounts would soothe me if I had to replace them.

[Fast Freddy 944]

Originally Posted by RWPrice

On Monday, I'm driving from Asheville to Roanoke VA to pick up an '86 944. Car is in very nice cosmetic shape, not red, maybe Kalahari beige or similar color name. 117,000 miles. Car has only had about 5,000 miles in 7 years with current owner. No service records prior to his ownership and nothing in CarFax. Current owner has had reqular oil changes and significant service at a local and respected foreign car shop, including clutch, cooling system (hoses, coolant, thermostat, and radiator). Has not done belts or water pump, so we don't know whether done 10,000 or 50,000 miles ago.

We're trailering back to NC. I have arranged to have belts, rollers, water pump, etc done by a local shop (in the interest of time). Before that I'll do basics like an oil change, trans oil change, brake bleed, etc. as well as a good inspection.

My questions are simple. Most of the boards and resources seem to have varying ideas of what oil to use, filter, and what transmission/diff oil to use.

I have had a Cayman and now have a 981 Boxster. I use LubriMoly 5w40 and Mahle filters, but the those are different animals.

My reading indicates that a 20w50 or 15w50 is what is needed. Also not a lot of discussion about filters or trans lube. For the short term, I'm planning to go the easy route and use Mobil 15w50 since it's readily available unless there is a better option. I'm very open to suggestions. As to filter, is there some consensus as to better or worse. I've used Wix for many of my cars wiht spin-on filters, but cost differences are not significant. I normally follow a 5k or annual oil change interval.

Any other suggestions are welcomed. I do my own research, but have not found any definitive info on basic maintenance for these cars. So help is appreciated. I just want to get a solid maintenance baseline.

Thanks.

Nice Score Bubba! I dig the phone dial rims on your ride. I use 20W-50 for my ride, and bosch oil filters for the oil change. You might want to do a clutch wear check, check the fluid in the transaxle, check CV axels, breaks, wiring, master cylinder, water pump, alternator as a bonus. Good luck, Nice score, catch y'all later!

[walfreyydo]

Congrats on the car, looks like a pristine example!

What type of oil to use is a hotly debated topic. I use Valvoline 20W50 VR1 based on the zinc content and the oil viscosity temperature range. Its good to review that 5W-40 oil has a viscosity that is very low with a temperature range good between -25C to 35C (-13F to 95F). That said, I personally would not run 5W-40 because I drive in temps that could be above 95F. What oil viscosity you run depends on what climate you live in and the driving conditions the car will see. By and large, you want to run the thinnest oil for your driving climate to avoid bearing wear at startup.

The reason people run 20W-50 is because it has a good performance in warmer temps which is when most of us drive. Per the owners manual:

Overall, modern cars run thinner oil due to advances in engine design. In my opinion, that should not be used as a guide for older engines manufactured 30+ years ago.

[RWPrice]

Picked up the car on Monday. Since then I've had a steady week of meetings and other activities. Will provide more detail as time goes on.

Initial impression...the car was not as nice as represented. Overall, it has decent cosmetics with a few scratches and one undisclosed spot on hood, all easily fixable. Interior is nice with some finish rub on leather, but a bit or redye and conditioner will fix that.

The latest repair record from this year had a note that the belts were showing wear and should be replaced in the near future. That is in the plan within the next two weeks. The engine runs a bit rough at idle but smooths out quickly. I'll have a look at the motor mounts.

The car drives smoothly and is very stable and lively, brakes well, and does not show any signs of distress. The clutch was replaced within the past 4k miles so that's not an issue.

I dumped a bottle of Techron in the fuel tank and have changed the (dirty) air filter. Mobile 1 15w50 and a Wix filter are sitting on the work bench for the weekend as well as gear oil.

All the electrics seem to work fine except for cruise control (as usual) , the digital clock (also normal), and the electric hatch release. I'll track that one down. The hatch is also sticky to open on the right side. I need to find a how-to on assessing and adjusting the latches.

I'm going to wait on any exterior cosmetics. The car's a 15-footer right now and that's OK. Interior has more cracks in dash that were disclosed and the top of the steering wheel is fairly worn. A dark brown lace on cover will fix the wheel for the short term, and I'll work on something for the dash.

Even though the car had some issues that I did not anticipate, I went ahead with the purchase since I should be able to come out with a nice driving car that looks decent for under $10k and learn a lot in the process.

Just thought folks might appreciate an update.

[JSny]

Congrats! Sounds like you have a good plan. I am about 2 months ahead you, so I have just been thought most of what you stated.
1. Check the hatch switch fuse. If blown, check the switch. Very simple to open it and bend the contact back to prevent the closed switch position.
2. Lots of information on the hatch adjustment. I didn’t spend a dime to fix mine. A. Adjust the hatch latch location. B. Adjust the hatch latch rod coming out of the motor- you can shorten and lengthen it by twisting the rod. Both takes some trail and error,
but very satisfying in the end. I almost want to find a reason to pop the hatch open

[jjeffries]

RWP, I have most of the Cruise Control components; they came to me in a parts stash. Let me know if you’d be interested in them.

John … in Conn.

[RWPrice]

Thanks for the suggestions JSny and jjeffries. I'll dig into the hatch fairly soon. Cruse control may wait awhile till I figure it out. I'll be piddling with a lot of details until I can get the belts/water pump done.

[RWPrice]

While I'm waiting to get belts and water pump done, I'm tackling smaller jobs.

1) one of the adjustable hatch rods turned out to be bent and stripped. It broke in trying too remove it. Some VERY careful drilling and thread chasing with a tap had it clean again: a new part arrives tomorrow.

2) I've ordered a plastic dash cover (Coverlat) in brown to hide the cracks. This will be a driver, not a restoration, so this should be good.

3) My driver's seat has worn finish, mainly in the bolster but the leather is in good shape. There is a 1 1/2 inch split in the seatbact, not a seam. I'd like to repair that and then treat and redye the seats. I know about Leatherique,but does anyone have other suggestions?

4) I'm still dealing with engine vibration at idle when cold. Smooths out at about 1100 rpm. I've replaced air filter, cleaned throttle body added fresh gas with a bottle of Techron, and plan to clean MAF today. Would appreciate any next steps.

[Fast Freddy 944]

Good luck. Get ready to scratch your head.