Need Callaway turbo kit installation manual (for my 944S Automatic)

[Pzeravla]

Hi there. I'm new and have a '88 944S automatic. Anyway, it was nicely given to be by my grandfather who was into German cars. Its very nice with only 90,000 miles.

Anyway from what I read the "S" package bumps up the power from the basic 944, but mine seems really slow. My friend with a new Civic DX can leave it in the dust! Not on handling of course but in a strait line.

So I bought a Callaway 944 turbo kit from craigslist from a guy who totalled his '85 Calaway 944. I got the kit with manifolds, turbo, computer, everything I need). He also threw in the Gotti wheels (kind of ugly but nice and wide) and a bigger rear wing, and some upgraded strutss and drilled brake disks. The front was too smashed to get the front spoiler. But I got all this for $850!

It didn't come with the installation manual for the turbo kit...does anyone have instructions for the kit laying around? Thanks for any help.

Thanks Pablo

[legion]

A Callaway turbo kit won't work on a 944S. It will only work on a base model 944. They are pretty rare anyways. (Only like 8 made?)

[Pzeravla]

Why won't it work with the S engine? I thought it was the same engine with a little more power. Everything looks like it will bolt right up. Will the other stuff work on my car? What else can I do to my car to make more power?

[Pzeravla]

Maybe I should get the engine from the callaway car too...he only wants $500 for the whole thing!

[Gremlin85]

Yea, looks like its not going to work, so i'll take it off your hands

J/K Thats not bad for the engine. How many miles on everything?

[legion]

The S engine is 16 valve. The "base" engine is 8 valve.

The S engine has 3-bolt flanges on the exhaust side. The base engine has 2-bolt flanges.

The S cylinder head is wider than the base head.

The S has a different diameter exhaust than the base 944.

[marksport]

Do you have the pics of the kit and how it was installed?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There is not an "installation manual" for the Callaway "kit". For what it's worth, it isn't really a "kit" either - it's a collection of the parts Reeves Callaway designed, built and installed in order to modify the early 944s prior to the release of the 951 in 1985 (Europe) and 1986 (USA). My early '85 is the recipient of such a collection of parts.

First off, in order to do the conversion properly, you'll need to make some decisions. If you want authenticity, yank the engine. The Callaway conversions (there were 32) had steel liners inserted into the block in order to accept lower compression 8.0:1 pistons. You can do the same. FWIW my Callaway car is getting steel Darton sleeves and JE pistons - not exactly what Reeves Callaway did, but true to his design intent. It's also worth noting that the 104mm bore sleeves and pistons are the same price as the 100mm bores. Guess which ones I'm going with. . .

Anyway, since we DO now live in a world where there are alusil-compatible, lower-compression pistons available (this was not the case in 1985), you can opt to go that route too. You can measure your cylinder bores, determine your tolerance group and source a set of 951 pistons and conn. rods for a lot cheaper than the sleeving route. Or simply buy a 951 short block. Your choice. Or you can opt to leave your higher compression 944 n/a pistons in place, but you do so at your own peril.

You also have to consider the oil and supply to/from the IHI-6B turbo. The Callaway cars used a supply line off the side of the oil filter mounting assembly and returned directly to the pan (you'll need to drop your oil pan and replace with the one with the return oil bung on it, which hopefully was included as part of your "kit"). I would also recommend using an external oil cooler (Mocal makes a good one) if you're sticking with the IHI-6B, since it is not a water-jacketed turbo. An after-oiler wouldn't be a bad idea either. Or you can upgrade the turbo - all are options. I'll spare you the details of my setup here. Point is, you need to think this stuff through. The original Callaway conversions used the supply/return path I mentioned.

Some slight modification of the lower valence is required to accommodate the Callaway intercooler - you can probably figure that out.

The "fifth injector" setup used on the manifold by Callaway is certainly one way to go in order to prevent running lean. This was done on the original cars by means of the Callaway "microfueler controller", which took a signal from the DME and controlled the firing rate/duration of the fifth injector in response to fuel demands calculated by the DME. Fairly crude by today's standards (remember, this was conceived in 1984) but it worked. If your "kit" included the original Callaway Microfueler Controller and you opt to go a different route (like simply using four larger Siemens or Delphi injectors, commonly available today for the 951), let me know - I'd like to buy it from you (I'd like to have one for sake of authenticity - my "kit" didn't come with one, the previous owner employed a different technique).

There are a number of injector controllers or standalone EMSs you can source in order to regulate the fueling - or you can use the original controller if you have it - or you can use a 951 DME and harness. Your call. Depends on what you want. If you want maximum reliability and safety, I'd look at a standalone EMS driving larger injectors and use the "fifth injector" port on the Callaway manifold for something more fun (like water injection or NOS. . . ). No comment on what my fifth injector port is being used for, 'cause I don't want to get flamed.

Anyway, another thing to consider is the wastegate. The early, 1980s-era wastegate provided by Callaway is robust, but it's also 20 years old. It likely could use a bit of help controlling boost. As such, I recommend use of an aftermarket boost controller, although if you're looking for a purely authentic setup you're going to have to rebuild and tune the original system as best you can. That said, it will never be as good as a modern wastegate with an electronic controller. Your call. The Callaway cars ran 15 psi boost standard and were able to build it by about 2,800 RPM.

If you really want to overthink things (as I'm prone to doing), you can consider modifictions or redesign to the "log manifold" that Reeves Callaway used on the exhaust side. It is a great setup for clearance purposes and low-end power, but it flows terribly at higher RPMs. I've actually been toying with ideas to replace it with better flowing pipes and a collector, wastegate, turbo and dump pipe located in about the same area it is in the Callaway setup, although there are naturally clearance issues. If you're handy with a welder and want to talk, let me know. I can send you some CAD files with my initial concepts on them. But I digress. . . Back to exhaust. The Callaway manifold is good, solid and built like a tank. The downside is it's also heavy, doesn't flow particularly well at high RPMs and looks kind of ugly. Your call on a solution - easiest thing to do is simply use it (that's what I'm doing for now, although as I mentioned, it's also affording me an opportunity to play engineer and attempt to develop an improved version). In any case, please upgrade your stock n/a exhaust valves to either 951 sodium-filled ones or some other type of high-heat composition. You'll torch them pretty quickly under boost if you don't.

Other items to consider include the transmission (Callaway did not have the stronger 951 transmissions available to him at the time of this conversion, so the original n/a transmission was retained, which can be problematic if you don't drive it very carefully & smoothly). If you happen to have a rubber-centered clutch plate, replace it. It'll soon fail under the extra torque as well (upgrading to the spring-centered Sachs type is actually a Porsche Technical Service Bulletin item anyway). Larger brakes are a decent idea, although the stock n/a brakes are quite good and Callaway did not see the reason to upgrade them as part of the original conversions - just something else to think about. Ignition is another item - if you're using a standalone EMS, you can adjust it accordingly to help prevent knocking under boost load. Otherwise I'd recommend something like a MSD variable ignition setup that retards ignition timing by a set amount as boost level increases to ward off detonation (if you run high-grade fuels and tune well, you shouldn't have to retard too much, if at all - this is just a safety item).

Here is a good link to a Callaway conversion done by a guy on Rennlist a few years ago - I've found it useful. I also have collected (over the past few years) copies of the original sales materials Reeves Callaway used in the 1980s (I can probably scan them in and forward to you if you're interested) and a bunch of articles about these conversions. Two guys you also might want to talk to over on Rennlist (both have Callaway 944s - Charlie944 and AznDragon. There are others I know of too, but they're the most up-to-speed on their conversions that I know of. I have a list someplace showing the last known locations of about 15 of the original 32 conversions too. Congrats on being able to find one!

Here's the link I mentioned:
http://members.rennlist.com/tholyoak/callaway.html

Many, many, many, MANY other resources available online. I strongly suggest researching like crazy first and wrenching much, much later - but that's just me. . .

[The Chris]

Wow, I never even knew about this. Great replies guys

[Porsche-O-Phile]

If you don't want the Callaway parts, let me know. I'll take 'em.

And legion is 100% correct - the 944S and 944 heads are completely different. If you were really motivated you could probably fab something up to adapt the Callaway parts to the 944S 16V head (wouldn't that be something!) but honestly it'd be sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul - the 16V head is for high-end flow and the Callaway manifold is for low-end power. I suspect you'd end up with a setup that was sort of mediocre across-the-board.

[svandamme]

don't ruin a 944S , if you must turbo, sell the S and get a regular to bugger up with this "kit"...

[Pzeravla]

I can't sell the 944S since it was a gift and my grandfather would be hurt since he bought it new. Will the base 944 engine bolt up to the automatic transmission of a 944S?

The callaway car is a 5 speed but I don't know how much he wants for that. Did callaway upgrade the transmission at all? If I converted it to a 5-speed I would have to learn stick shift which I'd like to do...I'm 17 so dont hate me for only driving autos. The callaway car only has 50,000 miles but has been sitting for 15+ years. He planned to fix it but never got around to it.

Thanks for all the advice and yes I will do a lot of research before diving in. My only mechanic experience is this year's auto shop class in high school and this is a project I want to do in next year's advanced class.

[svandamme]

if it were my grandpa's, i'de think modding it like this would rate just as bad as selling it...

yeah, i'm sure it's bolt-on... it's just the later S2's and sorts that had different clutch setups and what not... wether the automatic tranny will like a turbo is another story

[Pzeravla]

Is the "S" a rare model? Seems to be a slow car, or maybe its just the automatic slowing it down. My grandpa says its always been pretty slow but speed is not what the car is about. He is OK with me working on the engine and modifying it...he doesn't like the big calaway rear wing I want to put on it though.

[svandamme]

it's not a slow car at all
190 hp, but it's 16v , needs revs
which requires a proper gear box i guess, not an auto

i find it odd to find that anybody got an S with an auto in the firstplace
S = sport , auto= not sport
it's like ordering a new Carrera GT , and then asking the factory to install lead weight coz you think the sudden acceleration makes you dizzy

that alone makes it ultra rare

don't have absolute numbers, but i'm sure they are the exception
just have gross numbers per model
944 type 1 : 51000
944 type 2 : 73000
944 S :12700
944S2 : 11300
944 turbo :15781
944 turbo s :9326

so rare, not really , but rarer then the regular 944's, definately
my S pulls strong, and even now holds up rather well compared to new cars... top speed indicated 250/kmh without feeling like you're about to take off, feels solid

[Pzeravla]

Yeah, it really doesn't feel like 190hp. Grandpa bought the automatic because of a bad left knee.

Also in my searching here I found out that timing belts can brake on the base 944 like on Hondas and ruin your engine...does the 944S have a belt too? I think the cams in mine are driven by chains. I looked through the records and grandpa said he never replaced a belt.

[svandamme]

timing belt like all 944's
but also a camshaft chain and a tensioner

if either fails, it's gonna cost ya
if it's not done recently, or status unknown
don't drive till checked

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Callaway did not do any modifications to the transmissions that I'm aware of. The stronger transmissions with the hardened R&P only appeared later on the 951, which sort of made the Callaway conversions of the 944 a moot point, since it was simpler/easier/cheaper for a 944 buyer to simply go down to the Porsche dealership and buy a 951 with the turbo already on it, stronger transmission, bigger brakes, etc. than to buy a 944 and then spend several thousand dollars (1980s dollars - a lot of $$$) to upgrade the stuff anyway.

Callaway also did four similar conversions to 928s. I know where one is.

The thought of a 944S with automatic is a bit weird. The thought of a Callaway 944 with an automatic is VERY weird. I wouldn't go there.

In the grand scheme of things, it's easier to just get a 951. Really. The technology is far better and more refined than the Callaway stuff but I've been a long-time admirer of Reeves' work and his willingness to push the envelope. I look at the Callaway 944s as a piece of automotive history - far more so than a run-of-the-mill 951 is. The biggest advantage is that the early cars are lighter and the Callaway system spools up a LOT quicker than the 951 ever could, due to the turbo placement.

The 951 is perhaps a bit more logical as a choice; the Callaway has a certain distinctiveness that sets it apart - that's why I love them so much. . .

[Pzeravla]

Thanks for your advice Jeff and the history of the callaway cars was interesting.

I bet if I offered the guy $800 for the entire engine and 5-speed he'd take it. The ad was a couple months ago but I bet he still has it. How hard would it be to convert my S to a 5 speed? I've got an entire year of auto shop class to do it.

>>The thought of a 944S with automatic is a bit weird. The thought of a Callaway 944 with an automatic is VERY weird. I wouldn't go there.

So what would you do with a sweet 944S that you can't sell but want more power from? The car is *really* nice and the interior still smells new! The automatic wouldn't handle the turbo power? I heard that most new 911 Turbos are sold with automatics these days.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Pzeravla

So what would you do with a sweet 944S that you can't sell but want more power from? The car is *really* nice and the interior still smells new! The automatic wouldn't handle the turbo power? I heard that most new 911 Turbos are sold with automatics these days.

it's worth it's money for somebody who wants a rare Porsche for concours

maybe not right now, but i'm sure as time goes by it will be a very rare specimen if it stays all original...

new turbo's most as automatic, doubt it
and even then, it's Tiptronic and it's designed for the power unlike a 944 automatic which is from a time when turbo's were not that common, even the regular tranny's in those days had to be beefed up for turbo torque