Need advice - just bought a 944 that's been parked for 6 years

[Tidybuoy]

I could really use some advise from the experts on the board:

I just bought a 1989 944 (base model). I'm new to 944's but I have been a 914 owner for many years.

The car is a 1989 with 37k miles. It's been parked for 6 years in a garage with a cover on it but has not been touched the entire time.

The guy I bought it from bought it new and it had been maintained well it's entire driving life.

It currently has a dead battery.


My plan is to replace the battery, squirt a little oil into the spark plug holes and start it up. Then I was going to replace the plug wires & plugs, change oil, & radiator fluid. I'm also going to put new tires on it. If I am able to get it up and running, I am going to take it into the shop and get the timing belt(s) replaced.

If anyone has any tips - I am open to suggestions. I'm really excited about this car as it is in pretty mint condition and has really low miles on it.

Thanks in advance...............Vern

[legion]

Any of the fluids in the car may have broken down. I would change them all. (Remember these have coolant! )

I'd watch for oil leaks, but the 944 also has a water/oil heat exchanger (also called an oil cooler), so you may have oil in your coolant or coolant in your oil if the seals are bad.

The '89 has the rare 2.7 8 valve engine. They are worth some money so the car is worth reworking the right way.

I'd also watch oil seals, the distributor, fuel filter, fuel injectors, DME...it's hard to name all the potential failure points.

[Techno Duck]

Change the timing belt before you start it up.

Broken timing belt will bend a few valves.

Timing belt intervals are 30-35k miles or every 3-4 years.

[Rick V]

Drain the gas tank, and fill with some good high octaine. Also change the fuel filter. Buy an extra filter you might need it sooner than you think. Good luck and keep us posted

[christaylor]

Vern, You sound like you are doing all the right things. I'd not bother changing the belts until after it has started and run, and I'd not change the plug wires... why? Also, I'd use the existing oil to start the engine, but drain it off when the engine was warm. Also, squirt some oil into the cylinders, but remove the plugs, disconect the HT lead, turn the engine for 30 seconds, reconect, then attempt a start. Good luck, sounds like you've found a mint 'un!

[nota]

donot forget the brake fluid and also clutch lines
it sucks in water and is the major brake failure cause

[Razorback1980]

Originally posted by christaylor
I'd not bother changing the belts until after it has started and run, and I'd not change the plug wires... why?

Vern, it's your car but I agree with Techno Duck...very strongly. Don't start a car that has been sitting for six years with a belt that can and should be changed. If it breaks or slips, the repair bill will exceed 2500 dollars. Belt job is costly enough without adding valves to the process. Please don't ask how I know that because I'm not admitting to anything stupid! A car like that is worth a tow to the garage so it doesn't damage the engine. I would also want to change all fluids before I started it. I think that priming the oil pump before starting it is also an excellent idea. There are some threads on how to do that if you search for them. If you can't find them, then let me know and I will outline the procedure for you. As already mentioned, have the garage drain the fuel and run some cleaner through the system so it doesn't gum up your injectors and change the filter. After that put in a new battery, turn the key and listen to that great sound that only a Porsche engine makes...oh and try not to smile too much knowing you just bought a gem of a car. Good find and good luck.

[Rick V]

So where is the frigging pics?

[Gremlin85]

Originally posted by Rick V
So where is the frigging pics?

I agree, almost everything has been covered... where are the pics of this beauty!?!?

[Dave L]

I think everything has been covered but I just wanted to give further reinforcement that the timing belt MUST be changed before firing that engine up

[callmethewander]

Vern, i strongly disagree with chris! Do not start that car without changing the belts that have been sitting there for six years, the potential damage far outwieghs what you would be saving by not doing something that should be done anyway. If you really can't afford it now i would wait until you could before starting the engine, because you certainly wouldn't be able to fix the bent valves and possible head damage!

[drift a 944]

+1 on changing all fluids, fuel components, plugs and wires, and timing belts.

bring on z pictures.

[shikzachaser]

Mine (my wife's initially) sat for a little over 5 years covered and heated after I bought her a Jaguar. When I got it back out I had to:

(1) Change the battery, it was shot.
(2) Fuel pump was bad
(3) Tires were flat spotted
(4) Got it running (poorly) with a strong fuel smell. The fuel pressure regulator diaphram was dry rotted.
(5) Injectors were leaking, o-rings were rotted. The o-ring rebuild kits are available for a couple bucks per injector and are very easy to do. The fuel rail pops right off.
(6) The fuel that had been in the tank was evaporated. It's really easy to disconnect the hose that feeds the pump and then take the screen out of the tank. Clean it really well and stick on a new filter, also very easy.
(7) Everybody is really paranoid about the belts and it's probably justified but I ran mine for 4 years after getting it running again before I tore the car down for major work. I like it so much now I sold both of my 911s and bought an M3 to be my wife's main driver and I kept the 944.
(8) You might also want to do yourself a favor and buy a new DME relay, it is the root cause of a lot of problems.

Good luck and post pictures

Steve

[Techno Duck]

A new conti-tech timing belt is $15 and 4 hours of your time if you know what your doing.

A broken belt will bend atleast two valves and probably more than likely four total. Dont count on being the 1 in 1000 that get away with no damage.

New intake valve for a 2.5L head is $27, new exhaust valve is $36.
New intake and exhaust valve for 2.7L head (which is in question here) is $130 each. Time to take off the cylinder head, probably 5 hours if you know what your doing. Take cylinder head to machine shop to replace bent valves and valve guides, $150-200. Time to put everything back together again, probably another 4-5 hours. New timing belt, $15.

Not everyone does there own work, 10 hours * $90 an hour (Which is the average labor rate for the Porsche shops in my area). Thats $900 in labor, not including parts and machine work.

Yea, you can probably get away with starting the car and not have the belt break. But you can also get away with starting the car and instantly losing about $1g from your wallet. 2.5L heads are dime a dozen and you can probably find one with good valves for under $75. Swap that on and junk the old cylinder head. A '89 is a different story, a used 2.7L head will run you anywhere from $1000-1500. Quiet a different situation.

Its easier to maintain something than to fix something thats broken!

[Tidybuoy]

Thanks to all for the great advice - I've been on the 914 board for years and it appears that the 944 board is full of experts as well.

As for the car: I don't get to pick it up until this Friday (I won't sleep well this week). The person I'm buying it from is out of town until then.

In the meantime, I purchased just about everything I need to get started. I will do a variety of things myself but I'm going to have the shop do the Timing belt, counter balance belt and the water pump. I will just have to resist the temptation to start the car up until I can get it to the shop (next Monday).

While I'm waiting for Monday to roll around, I'm going to change the oil (I know I should do this with the engine warm - but I don't mind doing it again after the car comes back from the shop). I got all new cooling hoses and Zerex phosphate free coolant. I got new plugs and wires and a new cap and rotor (question about the rotor below). I got new alternator and power steering belt. I got H4 headlights. I got new wiper blades.

I still need to get a new battery - I was planning on getting a Bosch (anyone have comments on that).

As far as the cap & rotor - I bought Bosch but I noticed on the Pelican site that Genuine Porsche is 3 times as much. And, the Genuine P comes with a "rotor sleeve" what is that - I never heard that one before.

The only downer about this car (please don't boo). It's an automatic. I really didn't want an automatic Porsche but the price of the car is very good and the guy I'm buying it from is pretty well off and I know it's been well maintained it's entire life (except for the fact that it's been parked for 6 years). He also has a 1978 Corvette Pace Car with 3K miles on it in his collection.

Anyway, thanks for all the tips. I will post pics after this weekend when I get the car home & washed and waxed.

Tanks Vern

[Razorback1980]

The automatic will not perform as well, won't get as good of gas mileage and will run higher rpms for the same speeds. I am told it was built by Audi and is only a three speed with no overdrive. My daughter has an automatic as well but I had the manual so I know it's true about the gear ratio.

I think you are making the right decision about both changing the fluids and not starting it until the belts are changed.

Good luck with your new toy and welcome to this part of the forum.

[shikzachaser]

You may want to consider using relays on the H4s verses running them through the stock wiring. They draw quite a bit more current. I did them on mine and it's not hard at all. If you decide you want any input let me know and I will draw up the easy way to do it using the stock power wires to trigger the relays. It's also a good idea to fuse the highs and lows seperately in case you lose one due to a short, you will still have lights.

Good luck w/ the car as Tom has just said. Take advice from people like me w/ a grain of salt as we are good intentioned but sometimes overkill things.

Steve

[Razorback1980]

I agree with Steve on the suggestion of the headlights. There are kits (I think rennbay.com has one) available but when I get ready to do mine, I will do it exactly like Steve did his. What he did was better than the wiring kits I've seen.

[shikzachaser]

Standard 30Amp Bosch Relays 1 high beam, 1 low beam



30 Amp fuse attached to alternator output wire
(only one is visible, there are 2)

I am using 55 / 100 bulbs, they are definately bright

Steve

[Schumi]

I bought my car after it had sat for a while, from what I know up to about a year or so in a garage. The fuel pressure regulator diaphramme can rot, causing the car to run very rich and very poorly. It will also then squirt spits of fuel into the vacuum system. I believe it also happens to the fuel pressure damper. I had to replace both of mine. If you get the running but have a pulsing throttle and the car smells very rich, check the regulator and damper vacuum connections for fuel/fuel smell.


The automatic transmission fluid should be changed I am sure before you take it out on the road much. I am not sure of the procedures involved with the automatic, but the changing the manual's fluid is a simple process involving only two odd sized screw plugs and a turkey baster....