Consider yourself lucky 911/912 DIYers

[christiandk]

Having done engine out work on my prior 911s and current 912 I thought that a clutch job on my nice early 928 would be a walk in the park. I am wiser now.

Probably going to regret it after I post it, but I hate my 928 right now. Talk about working in overengineered cramped spaces. Installing a rear main seal on a 911 is something you do while talking on the phone and drinking a glass of wine.

The install of the freaking seal on the 928 nearly made me blow a gasket - but luckily I only busted up my thumb.

What I am saying is that when you complain about DIY tasks on the aircooled - then remember.....there are owner crying while working on their 928.

Amen,

Christian

[BoiseShark]

Easy is too easy.

[The Deputy]

You just have to walk away...or know up front that you can only take these cars in small doses.

Sometimes I'll even know beforehand that I'm not going to finish whatever I'm doing that night, so I just go until things start going south. I wrench for a living, though, and sometimes I've had my "fill" at work, so it doesn't take long for me to be heading back to the house.

And yes...you'll now find out how many times a day you bumped that thumb and never knew about it before.

Brian.

[Awaino]

Sometimes you just have to walk away, and try again later. Don't get too burned out and frustrated. Good luck!

[5l32v4c]

I totally understand where you are coming from. I am lucky in a way that money dictates that my 928 rebuild moves slowly.

I have yet to actually drive my baby, so it had better be worth it. I guess you don't see that many on the road for good reason; people just can't be bothered with the complexity and expense.

Having said that, if my car cost me what a 911 costs, it would not be sitting in my garage.

[christiandk]

Well it is a built machine and one of the most beautiful cars ever built, imo. I guess what you guys suggest is good advise - never work on the car when tired and frustrated

[harborman]

The Boxster looks like it might be a real PIA to work on.

[Opelotus]

People say they are complex, but are they really? My friend and I have taken three early cars completely apart, and when it comes right down to it, the construction is pretty straightforward. Yes, some bits are fiddly, over-engineered and may be difficult to access at times, but I find that most maintenance on the 928 is not THAT bad. There are just extra steps along the way, and all the parts are attached with 5x as many bolts that are all twice as long as necessary But break it down into its component parts, and there isn't anything too crazy going on. Simple timing belt setup, hydraulic lifters, easy access to spark plugs, etc. Even the wiring isn't that bad! Try making sense of some of the more modern cars wiring systems...

Plus, pull the radiator and you can stand IN the engine bay and service the timing belt!

I do think that the Workshop Manual falls short in some areas. It could be much more detailed in its procedures; It tends to be vague or leave certain tasks up to your interpretation.

[Danglerb]

If you need to drive it to work on Monday morning, the 928 can be frustrating. If you would like to get it back on the road while the weather is still good, not so much. There are probably a couple dozen people on the planet that can work on the 928 quickly with good results. The rest of us need to adopt a flexible pace with frequent shifting to simpler tasks and waiting on more information etc on the harder ones.

[christiandk]

Originally Posted by harborman

The Boxster looks like it might be a real PIA to work on.

It might be but women should not be wrenching on their cars anyway.....major turnoff

...got the seal seated properly today...i hope.

[harborman]

Originally Posted by christiandk

It might be but women should not be wrenching on their cars anyway.....major turnoff

...got the seal seated properly today...i hope.

Have no idea of what you mean.

[christiandk]

1 bad Boxster joke

2 got the RMS seated flush with the casing.