I have a problem

[Warwood]

I have bought a '85.5 944, it need work and so was as is. I drove it home and when I got home I noticed that it had a coolent leak, not really surprized.

So I tracked it down and found that one of the bolts that clamp down the coolent flange to the block on the head where missing. (right above the coolent sensor) Great I think I will just replace that bolt and everything will be ok. Wrong, I can not get a bolt to grab I looked in the hole and the hole in the block does not match the one in the head.

My engine code is M44/07
The part number on the head is 944.104.303.6R

Is this the right head for my block? If not what can be done other than replacing the head? If I must replacke it and need to get another head what is the right part number?

Thanks in advance.

[AFJuvat]

??

You mean the flange where the pipe comes off the top of the head and the hose that attaches to it runs to the drivers side of the radiator?

The bolts should line up - are you sure teh flange hasn't turned at all?

That is not a correct part number for the head - are you sure it isn't 944.104.033.06 or 6R?

AFJuvat

[Warwood]

Thanks for your reply. You are correct. And that is partly why I asked the list. You see the 924, 944 & 968 Porsche Parts and Tech Reference states that my part number should be 944.104.033.06, but the Parts and Tech only covers model years 1977 thru 1988, and it does not have European numbers either.

I have included pictures since a picture is worth 1000 words; here are a couple of thousand.

[Zero10]

There are many typo's in the PET, perhaps it should be 303 in the PET?...
I've seen it several times when looking for parts for my own car, sometimes a couple numbers get transposed.

I can't think of what should belong in that hole, and it's too dark right now for me to check my car to help you out =(

[Britwrench]

That is the casting number, not the part number on the head. Only use the parts catalogs for part numbers. You need another bolt similar to the one next to the hole. You will probably have to repair the cylinder block thread so the bolt will grip. Use a Timesert and you won't need to remove the head. Bolts like that only fall out for a reason, have you checked to make sure the bolt has not broken inside? That bolt won't normally break.

[Warwood]

That is what I thought as well. When I tried to screw in a bolt, it wouldn't go in so I took a flash light and looked in the hole. The threaded hole in the block does not line up with the one in the head.
Thanks,

[Britwrench]

All of the 2.5 8V NA engines use the same head gasket so something is wrong there. Looking at the photo it appears that the head has been on there a while. So why was the previous owner selling the car for?

The bolt holes must line up, unless the head gasket has failed or someone tried to repair this before.

[Warwood]

The previous owner clamed he had to many projects. That he bought it from the 2nd owner who replaced the head after the timing belt let go. I don't know more than that.

I think I will be pulling the head. Well I have a spare head gasket laying round.

Oddly enough it runs pretty good.

[Warwood]

Ok it took me a couple of evenings to remove the head, but it is off now and look what I found?





It looks as if someone snapped off the bolt and then tried to repair it by drilling it out, then using a timecert to repair the damage. It would have worked great, if he had installed it in the right position.

So does anyone have a sugestion on how to correct this?

Thanks in advance,

[pokey]

Drill, weld, drill, tap.

[fast924S]

The block is aluminum alloy how is he going to weld it with about a special welder and some serious skills. I would just drill the hole in the head and in the block bigger and retap. Do the holes not line up, like the guy drilled the hole in the wrong spot or is it that the hole is just to big for the factory bolt to grab.

Dude if that was my P-car I would be sooo pissed that some one screwed it up even more when they tried to fix it. Go to see some of us stay calm

[fast924S]

My favorite problem to fix is when you remove the header and a stud breaks and you cant get it out, so you try to drill and retap but the HARDENED STEEL tap brakes in the hole too, so you get a puch and try to find a good center on a broken tap that you cant really get tp. Then grab the 90 degree drill head, pray to god that you dont slip and drill into the soft alloy of the block. See its easy to see why us P-car guys get crazy

[Warwood]

Pull the entire engine out and take it to a machine shop and have them do the repair.

Maybe 3 weeks and many $dollars$ later I would get my engine back.

My plan is to take my time, measure the hole and then measure an appropriate bolt and cut it off. Then screw it into the hole with Lock-tight, then to drill and tap a new hole, using the head gasket as a guide.

[ae1969]

Originally posted by pokey
Drill, weld, drill, tap.

This would be the correct way..... (assuming we follow the correct welding procedures).

but I am assuming this car is not a "pristine example" ......so you could get away with drilling the hole on the head bigger as FR mentioned........

If you look at the OEM headgaskets available (even the full metal jacket ones) they actually have a flaw.... This bolt will always corrode. You need to look closely at the headgasket and it will become apparent .........

[Warwood]

Thanks for the input Alex and FW.

I tried the insert bolt and drill theory, it did not go as good as I had hoped. See a hand drill will not cut through soft and hard metal at the same rate. So as I thought my drill was going perpendicular to the block surface, it was not.

All is not lost, there was no real damage done tonight, and the old broken stud is now out of the block. Looks like I will have to find an epoxy compound that can be drilled and tapped to fill this cavity. Once that is set and dried, it should hold a heli-coil, and I should be back in business.

And yes there will be pictures tomorrow.

[pokey]

You could tow the car to a machine shop with a 12 pack of beer on the front seat just before lunchtime...

[Warwood]

So I had to back up and punt. I got some alluminum epoxy putty from West Marine and filled the hole. I will let it cure over night and will attempt to drill and tap it out tomorrow.



Thanks

[pokey]

Well, how did it turn out? Just don't put too much torque on that bolt.

[Warwood]

I installed the heli-coil Thursday night, then cleaned the block and head and went to bed with the intent of working on yesterday after work. Well around 4:00 pm my cohorts at work forced me to go to Pike St Brewery, I hate it when that happens! So no work got done on the 944 lastnight, and considering how was doing when I got hom . . . . it is a good thing.

Ok so I plan to get on it as soon as I get off of the computer. More info to come.