Drive Train Upgrade, S to S4: Project Thread Blog

[Jadz928]

Well done, Landseer. Long time is right!

[Landseer]

More to come.

Need to document the front Eibach install.

And finish ABS

And make sure brakes are all working right --- hoping all pistons are moving freely.
(normally I rebuild S calipers before install, but these S4 brakes are complex and kits have questionable availability)

And do a real good summary.

No more driving until Eibachs arrive + alignment.

Proving that the 155K mile G28-10 box shifts essentially like new helps my psyche on this project.
Time to savor that.

[MPDano]

Originally Posted by Landseer

Drove a little bit last night.
Well, major success overall.
Its been a long time since "Chewy" could accomodate a 3-2 or 2-1 downshift.

Suspension is going to settle pretty high. Driving around neighborhood with bolts loose. Will show pictures.

A set of used Eibach springs is on the way which can be swapped-in if necessary.




Great question, that will be a winter project.
Am inclinded to swap-in the full ABS car harness.
But I think the sensors could be spliced into the original harness instead.
The brain has been swapped but is not plugged up.
I've got to map the wires, pin outs and especially fuse box connections yet.
Will document that. I want to fix it.

No Pic? Never happened

[dtw]

Originally Posted by Landseer

More to come.
And make sure brakes are all working right --- hoping all pistons are moving freely.
(normally I rebuild S calipers before install, but these S4 brakes are complex and kits have questionable availability)

When I started the S4 brake conversion (I did the same as you - entire front suspension transplant), I had emailed Roger and put caliper rebuild kits, fresh hardware, and anti-squeal pads on the order. When the quote came back, I almost had a heart attack. The Porsche tax is high on these. I did order the anti-squeal pads as mine were dust and I despise squealy brakes.

Instead, I carefully examined each caliper. The dust boots were intact, the pad wear was perfectly even, and the donor car was a low mile example. Roger suggested it may be possible to order seals and dust boots directly from Brembo to avoid the Porsche tax, but I haven't checked into that yet as my calipers have plenty of miles left before needing a rebuild.

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by Landseer

More to come.

Need to document the front Eibach install.

And finish ABS

And make sure brakes are all working right --- hoping all pistons are moving freely.
(normally I rebuild S calipers before install, but these S4 brakes are complex and kits have questionable availability)

And do a real good summary.

No more driving until Eibachs arrive + alignment.

Proving that the 155K mile G28-10 box shifts essentially like new helps my psyche on this project.
Time to savor that.

Regarding the G28-10 transaxle, that's great news, guaranteed fun once done.. I'd like to do that conversion, my car has every shread of docs from new and the entire clutch assembly was replaced in 1985 (it's an '83) due to hard shifting at 9000 miles. Then the trans was removed by the dealer at 15k miles to remedy hard shifts between 2nd and 3rd. The dealer replaced the synchros. Now i have 65k miles with somewhat hard shifts, worse when cold. I'd love to own a Porsche that snicks into gear without major concentration.

[Landseer]

Car needs to come back into garage.

Needs its ride height tweaked a tad.

Can you say "Eibach"?

Fronts are much shorter in length, but within the scope of the adjuster nuts.
Right now, with the stock springs and Bilsteins, the adjuster nuts are bottomed out.
Winding them to compress the springs will lift the car further, hence the need for these new springs.
The Bilsteins really add lift, kind of like air shocks that you can't get the air out of.

Many thanks to Chuck in TX for selling them reasonably.
And Jim Doerr for calling me on the phone the minute they hit rennlist for sale.

[medipedicman]

Chris, did you say that you would not suggest removing the rear end and transmission as one unit? I am trying to formulate a plan of attack for the 79.

[Landseer]

Chain trans up to the sway bar.
Drop cross member ( with springs and shocks if you are not replacing them)
Remove trans and TT together as unit.
We can speak about it if you want.

[medipedicman]

Thanks man, pm sent

[Landseer]

Here's an intermediate picture from the last time Jim and I had Chewy's transmission out, back in Virginia, summer of 2010 I think.
Key here is getting car high enough so the shocks clear gas tank.
If you intend to remove shocks from carrier, I'd suggest doing it while carrier is still mounted to car for stability.
But if you do that, put the lower mounting pins without shocks/springs, back through the suspension so it doesn't flop around.
The reason we had to remove the trans that time was it had gotten stuck in between gears during a minor collision (can happen).


Trans is still up in there, chained up.


While we are at it, here's a contrast of (earlier) transaxles --- showing without vs with LSD. LSD is on right.

[Landseer]

Back on track ( its a blog, blogs have ramble )

Eichbach swapped in, replacing the 3 green stripe original, right side.


Didn't separate any the ball joints or steering tie rod from spindle.
Left spindle, rotor, caliper intact.
Used a trans jack to hold it up.

Took loose the lower ball joint mount from the lower control arm (removed camber / caster eccentrics)
Removed lower control arm.

Spring and shock could be then be removed as a unit.
Spring compressors used to swap springs.

During reassembly, removed the rubber S air guide from beneath control arm.
Used jack to load the a-arms, then tightened the mounting bolts for lower arm.

Probably something you guys could do in your sleep.
I had to think thru it.






Trans Jack lifting under lug nuts. Chain used to keep jack from kicking out.




Lower arm removed



Lower arm



This side installed. Will loosen lowers and retorque later, to promote settling, when car is on ground.

[Fixer]

I don't think any of us could do what you're accomplishing in our sleep. Suspension work is difficult. If you lived close Landseer i'd help you paint it when you're done. That you could do half asleep with a little help.

[Pete R]

Originally Posted by Landseer

This side installed. Will loosen lowers and retorque later, to promote settling, when car is on ground.

The Eibach's settle really quick. Mine settle in a few hundred feet as opposed to the stock ones which took forever

[Danglerb]

I am super twitchy with suspension work, no chains, no hoping this or that does what I expect, just pure paranoia.

[Landseer]

That's a good point.
Doesn't matter how solid it sits on 4 hefty jackstands.
Add a jack --- it can get dynamic and dangerous.

In the pics above, the weight carried by the transmission jack is limited to the weight of the free pivoting rotor/spindle/caliper.
I could hold it up by hand, but ran out of hands to remove the spring and shock combo.


But when I loaded the suspension with the yellow jack, the front right was off the jackstand and the left was fixing to follow.
None of that was really necessary, I just lazy trying to see where the spring height was going to end up, and it honestly didn't answer that.

Be safe.

[Danglerb]

I think I used a wire coat hanger fed up through one of the three bolts for the shock tower mount.

[Landseer]

Car is on the ground. Its looking much better. Haven't driven it to settle the rest of the way.
Right now I can get two fingers between bottom of fender lip and top of tire on driver's side, a tad more on passenger side.


I flipped the Bilstein adjuster nuts upside down to gain about 10 mm of downward adjustment of nut, and they are bottomed right now.
Rounded extended sleeve is pointing down, wide part of nut is up contacting the sleeve perch.
WSM shows opposite. Spring perch seats well either way.

Is it everybody's understanding is that winding the nuts upwards will raise the car?



It should settle a bit more, though word is the eibachs settle less.
Originally it was 4+ fingers, lots of space.

Am curious if it will settle further and how far.

[Landseer]

Picture.
Fender looks a bit higher off tire than I expected it would.
On wife's car, stock, the fender is just at or below the tire

[AirtekHVAC]

Sits a tad high, but looks good.....

[Landseer]

Here we are.
Drove for a while, settled a bit.
Got one finger in, and that was tight.
Will measure and adjust ride height, then hire-out an alignment.
Next will be rejuevenation of antilock brakes.
Gotta clean, repack, reboot and reinstall the correct rear axles (86.5).
Maybe someday I'll save enough for a set of carrera III wheels.






Red one sits a bit lower, but it has worn shocks and softest version of springs.
That one is the next patient.
Gets red koni, plus needs to have a full electrical polish job, and a TB.
Wife has put 35k miles on it since 2008 rescue.