Feels like im hitting my rev limiter at very low RPM

[Dane Brown]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum and glad to be apart of it. Just recently i drove to Willows California to pick up a 1983 944 n/a it was about a 650 mile drive there. she made it all the way back to about 200 miles from Portland OR I'm in Tacoma WA. It then started having problems. It wouldn't rev over 3000 RPM without acting like its hitting the ver limiter but in 5th gear it would go over 3000 and if i slowwwwwwly Accelerated it would go to about 4 or 5000 RPM then it would act like its hitting the rev limiter, it then would not stay at idle either. Anybody have any idea as to what is going on with my car???

Thanks-Dane

[Dantilla]

Start with basic tune-up items- Plugs, wires, dizzy, yada yada.... This is usually something simple.

Then check the injectors for proper flow and pattern. Did this car sit for a long period? If so, could be gooey gas or crudded-up injectors.

[Dantilla]

Also- If you need help, Pete Bristow at Bristow's Automotive is the "go to" guy for Porsche service in Tacoma.

Just a block off So Tac Way, about 48th and Washington, IIRC.

[Dane Brown]

The car was the guys everyday driver so it never sat. I just looked and the coolant has creamy brown gooys stuff in the resevor? can that be anything else besides what im really really hoping its not??

[matty89]

Originally Posted by Dane Brown

The car was the guys everyday driver so it never sat. I just looked and the coolant has creamy brown gooys stuff in the resevor? can that be anything else besides what im really really hoping its not??

oil coolers / headgasket welcome to the club.

[mikepellegrini]

You need to do a compression test to find out if it's the headgasket or the oil cooler.

If the compression in all the cylinders is close to the same, then it's likely the oil cooler; if three cylinders are close to the same but one is way low, that suggests a headgasket.

And welcome to the board!

You're in Tacoma?

+1 on Bristow's. They are a good shop.

[Dane Brown]

oil coolers, where are they at? I was thinking head gasket at first to. a buddys dad of mine said the milky brown stuff could be old coolant build up?? Also i was thinking maybe it coulf be the fuel pump or fuel filter? I was driving it today after hours of working on it trying to figure out what the problem was never found out what it was but it just finally started but wouldnt idle. Can it be that the fuel pump is not pumping enough PSI to push as much gas as needed? It runs great besides the no idle and if i push on the gas to much it bogs wayyyyyy down to almost dead. in the middle of idle and to much gas it runs perfect.

[Dane Brown]

The oil pressure gauge reads 4-5

[Dane Brown]

mike is it?? Im in federal way about 5 min from tacoma. you in the area?

[petrolhead611]

If it bogs down when you firewall it, coupled with oily coolant, points to head gasket, sorry.

[xsbank]

And stop driving it! That brown stuff means your oil is contaminated and you are likely screwing your entire engine.

[Dane Brown]

Why would it run sometimes but not other times?

[Dane Brown]

I ran a compression test 1-150pis 2-150psi 3-155psi 4-155psi.

I found a unit on the bracket that was on the back side of the airbox, it had a wire disconected i conected it and it runs very very smooth now. so the oil in the coolant is oil cooler?? or could it be old coolant residue?

[mikepellegrini]

I'm in north Tacoma over towards Point Defiance.

Here's the shortcut for oil cooler info from Clark's Garage: Oil Cooler General Information and Seal Replacement

It's not a terrible job. But like the other's said, you gotta stop driving it right away or potentially you'll fry your rod bearings.

[Dane Brown]

so it is oil cooler becouse the compression is all good?

[mytrplseven]

That's my bet. Your compressions are within tolerances and the oil cooler seals are a common problem. Don't drive it any more and pray you haven't fried your bearings. One way to know if you have bearing damage is unfortunately a large PITA. Pulling the oil pan, front suspension, support the engine, pull the rod bearings and look for discoloration. If they're ugly, then you'll have similar problems with the crank bearings as well. Now you're looking at a near rebuild. You can do the oil cooler seals and drive it and maybe you're lucky and it'll be ok. When you do oil changes for the next two, do an oil analysis to see if there's bearing debris in the oil. Start with this one. I hope you don't have to do more than the oil cooler.

[ArmbrusterJo]

The car was the guys everyday driver so it never sat.

[mikepellegrini]

Sometimes you'll see a white residue inside the oil filler cap - that can be from condensation. But if you have goopy chocolate milkshake inside the coolant resevoir, that's not the same at all.

With good compression like you have and absent any other signs (white smoke from the exhaust, etc), it's almost certain your oil cooler seals have blown.

You haven't said what your oil looks like. If you're lucky, the coolant is contaminated while the oil is still relatively pure (the oil's at greater pressure than the coolant, so when the seals blow, more oil gets into the coolant, rather than visa versa.).

But it's madness to keep driving the car because you're taking a big chance on completely ruining the engine if the contamination is two-way.

[Dane Brown]

The oil looks good it is still think. i use to have a peugeot 505 that blew the head gasket and that one when i pulled the dip stick it had white gooy stuff come out with it. but on this is just looks normal. but i will stop driving it tell i fix the cooler. thank you guys for all the great info i wold have never thought it was the oil cooler. well... i didnt even know there was an oil cooler haha good to know.

[89-944NA]

You may or may not get the milkshake on your dipstick from contaminated oil, best way to check the oil if you don't want to completely drain it, is to jack up the car, loosen the oil drain plug, and just remove it far enough from the hole to let the oil slowly escape. If the oil is contaminated, coolant will come out first.

Oil cooler is located on the lower right front of the engine, you'll see the oil pressure sender attached to it. The cooler is inside the square housing, coolant circulate around the oil cooler to remove heat. Pelican sells the complete oil cooler gasket kit p/n 10-0914-165-M30 $34.25