Pelican Parts Forums - Project update #5

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Project update #5 - engine is out!

Ongoing with the track car project, myself and a friend pulled the engine out of the '87 924S yesterday. I had everything already prepped for removal to the point where all we had to do with unbolt the torque tube and the 4 bolts that hold the crossmember to the chassis. We hoisted the engine down to the ground and then used the hoist on the car to raise it up enough to pull the engine out the front. The front suspension is off the car but the rear was on the ground on tires. We actually were able to pick the front of the car up by the front bumper shocks and roll it around as the transaxle behind the rear tires acted as a coutnerbalance. The force needed to be exerted on the front was only about 300 lbs to lift and roll around the car.

So with the engine out begins the expensive part. I broke the distributor rotor on the front metalwork while lowering the engine down. Doh. I could not get the clutch housing of the engine because of the stuck and rusty clutch pivot pin. I had to take off the 9 flywheel bolts. After doing so I learned it has the original rubber centered clutch. NOT what I was hoping for. It looks brand new however. I have never seen one that wasn't cashed out.

It is currently suspended by the lift in the garage while I am awaiting 4 metric bolts to bolt it to the engine stand. The ones that bolt the clutch housing on are either too long or too short to use over.

2 problems I have encountered-

1) the power steering pump pulley that is attached to the crank. I took the P.S.P. and it's belt off and afterwards later I noticed the pulley on the crank is loose. Actually it spins. I can spin it and wiggle it without moving the crank. How it it mounted? All I see in the crank bolt. Is a keyway sheared off in there? This is strange to me.

2) The alternator/cam belt gear that is bolted to the crank has play in it. If you try to spin the motor backwards there is backlash. IE I can turn the alternator pulley/cam gear about 30 degrees before it engages the crank and spins the crank. about 30 degrees of 'backlash'. I take it this is not normal. Any ideas on what causes this?

I think I have a PS pump out in the garage, not sure.

Do you still want that bellhousing? If not I'm going to throw it away.

Alternator should spin freely. Voltage regulator arms could be shot, take it out and check.

it's not the pump or alternator that are spinning free- it's their respective pulleys on the crank. The drive pulleys.

I didn't know you have an extra bellhousing. I don't one right now as far as I know. Except mine's clutch pin is stuck in it. If it doesn't come out somehow maybe. I won't be up in your area for a while though.

Not sure what you mean then. They are both driven off the main cam, right?

I'll keep the belhousing set aside for you. I also have a shaft and most likely another fork somewhere too you can have if yours are really hosed up.

It sounds like you have a couple of problems here.
First, the P.S. pulley is held only by compression pressure from the crank bolt! If the oil-pump drive sleeve is worn, the spacer washer is missing, or the wrong main bolt washer is used, the pulley will spin as you have described! The second issue, sounds like the woodruff key on the crank is severely worn, allowing the play in the main cam pulley. If you need some more detailed pics, I can take some and email them to you, I am in the process of making mpg videos of the timing belt procedure for my website. It would be no problem at all to snap some pics on Tuesday for you!

Nick

OK, I used an impact and took off the crank bolt. It came off easily. I see the power steering pulley is just held tight by a big washer. The washer looked really worn and not flat. Replacing it with a new, thick washer should fix that problem.

The woodruff key on the crank is very very worn. Freaked me out. Basically what happened here is that washer wore down, the bolt wasn't torqued down evry tight or something, and allowed some play in the assembly which, over time, caused the key to wear down. Replacing hte crank really isn't an option for me here....

And on to other strange things-

I bought this car being told the headgasket was bad and believing this because of the milkshake oil. I removed the head and - voilla - a perfect head gasket. Looks OEM, but it is perfect, no tears or bad spots were coolant could get into the oil passages.

So the only other spot I could think of would be the oil cooler. I took it off the block and looked at it but don't know how to tell if the seals are bad or not.

The oil pan was sludge-tastic. Like those penzoil comemrcials. Only it wasn't black sludge. Milkshake sludge.

Other than that I am pleased to say the lifters, the head, the valve guides, the cylider walls, the pistons, and everything else looks wonderful with no scoring or other out of the ordinary marks.

I'll get pictures up when I get home to a faster internet connection.

Ooh ok, now I know what you mean.

If I remember right that washer is pretty thick too.

Is there a replacement for the oil-water cooler that deletes it and changes it into an external connection for an oil-air intercooler? This oil cooler crap looks rediculous. Theres like 20 seals/gaskets/o-rings in this thing.

also- anyone know of a good chemical to remove old gaskets? The cam tower gasket is on the head like stink. I'm using a plastic scraper as to not hurt the surface but it's not doing much.

And- DIY gasket maker like the stuff they sell at autozone- theres this new instant gasket stuff I forget the name - works or doesn't work? Thinks like the rear cam cover seal would be prime location for insta-gasket it looks.

There are only 2 O-Rings and a main gasket for the oil cooler. Very simple to do. You can get the oil cooler, housing and lines from a 951 and use those.

For the rear of the cam tower, it's known to leak. Since your doing a top end rebuild, get the top end gasket kit, comes with new oil cooler seals as well as the rear cam tower gasket. it's cork and a new one does wonders. No need for anything other then that.

Check the balance shaft rear seals though, they usually do leak and the only way to do them is with the covers off.

What color are the oil cooler seals? The new ones are all green one-piece design. And green O-rings.

Older ones are orange or red I believe.