I am new at this...and got some questions about my baby

[very~worn~944]

Ok...I got an 83 which has had it's run around the block about 163,000 times. Its new to me and after fixing some intial problems I have some questions...
1) The transmission area has a wine to it under acceleration that is gone when in neutral...and it sounds neat actually...hehe. I wanted to know if my tranny was gonna pop next time I drive it, or is it normal for an old car? Will it last?
2)The wheels get cleaned, then a day later there is dust all over. After a week there will be brake dust (i think) all down the side of my car. Is it cause I am trying to lap speed racer or do I have the wrong pads? I thought it might be the cross drilled disks in the front, but the stock back do it too.
3)I have a click comming from the valve area which also sounds like my volvo...is this ok? I saw some posts about dirty lifters/injectors? Is it harmful to my car?
4)My shifter feels like a wet fish. I can put it in any gear...then move the shifter left and right to the full extents..like in neutral. Although this allows for a speedy straight up shift from 2nd to 3rd...I wanna know what I need to replace.
5)My car runs normal temp. under normal/easy driving conditions, but once I get on it and push it to its limits for a while the temp heats up to the dangerzone. This seems bad to me..but once again could it be cause i am lapping speedracer?
6)I am running 225's all the way around. My car loves to get sideways. is there anyway to correct its massive oversteer? can I/should I get 245's in the rear? I am getting used to it...but spinning out in front of a cop isn't fun...trust me. (damn wet paint)
7)Does anyone elses radio smoke and catch fire under hard acceleration?
8)Are there any tricks to repairing a front end after suicidal rabbit damage?

Thank You soo much for anyones help...If you know one of my answers please speak up. I've got more problems to complain about, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone. hehe. I am loving my 944 all the same and if anyone calls it a POS then i'll...i'll set the building on fire. Thanks again for your time..
-A loving 944 owner

[AFJuvat]

Welcome to the group.

1. Some whining from the tranny is normal - I would suggest changing the tranny fluid. SWEPCO makes an excellent one.

2. It's brake dust - if the PO put racing pads on them (sounds like it), that is the problem, would suggest going back to a stock brakepad. (ATE, PAGID, etc.) WARNING: racing pads normally do not work that well until they have heated up

3. This is probably a sticking lifter - get a bottle of motor flush - run the car 15 minutes or so at idle, then change the oil - if you are really gunked up, you may want to run a 50-50 mix of oil and ATF - run that for a 15 minutes or so, and then change the oil.

4. Your shift lever/shift rod is worn - read the post about shifting improvements - there are a couple of quick fixes out there for it.

5. Drain and flush your cooling system. after you refill, make sure you bleed all of the air out. Have you verified if your cooling fan is running? The car should never go above the 3/4 mark.

6. I defer the tire question to someone who tracks their car.

7. No, you have an electrical problem - check your fuse box connections for starters - if there is nothing obviously wrong there, you will have to start tracing wires.

8. How big was the rabbit and what was damaged?

AFJuvat

[Z-man]

Welcome to Pelican!

6) (Oversteer issue) You may want to check the front stabilizer bar: if it is disconnected, or loose, that could result in the oversteer condition you speak of. I don't think going to 245's will make much of a difference. I have a 225 f / 245 r setup on my 944S2 with the thicker rear sway bar (set to medium), and I'm still experiencing lots of understeer in tight corners on the track. Also: if the front shocks are set to full soft, and the rear is really firm, that may also increase the car's tendancy to oversteer.

Hope this helps!
-Zoltan.

[overkill]

Curious? How much you pay for the car?

[very~worn~944]

Thank you very much for your guys' help. i am going to check the shifter right now. Something about it to me seems broken...but It will be great if this is it. I flushed the cooling system a while back and bleed it which helped alot, but it still creeps up there. You say as long as it it under the 3/4 it is normal? ok then. I also changed the tranny fluid which there was a little metal shavings but nothing too bad. I think it was from my fading syncros. I would not be suprised if the previous owner put racing pads on. I can get them good and hot when i want to...but the dust is a BIG cosmetic issue. If I go back to stock pads, will the breaks feel more responsive? The whole back side of my dash behind the gauges is a mess. 1/2 of the wires are stripped of there insulating, and the other half melting and bubbling. I know this isn't good, but it still moves. i had a previous problem about the gauge dimmer being able to control the temp gauge up and down, but I fixed that..hehe. The rabbit was a big'un and my speed didn't help the matter. It bent down tthe front spoiler and cracked some stuff. I am planning on replacing it anyways cause it is the worse peice on the car. I will also clean my engine with the oil stuff. Can the sticky lifter be bad for you engine? Thank you for the great suspension info, and I will check that as well today. how much would some better sway bars cost? As for the price i paid...$2500 I could have talked him down more but didn't. The paint is beautiful (except the dings in the left front fender) and the interior is pretty good. It came with brand new Perreli P4000's all around. I know it is going to need some small mechanical work like new wheel bearings...but I am up for those things. Thank you guys very much for your help and i know this is going to be a great source of help!

[Scott R]

The wiring problem could quickly become a big issue for you. Everything is wired to the central electrics box under the hood, this results in all of the wiring for most everything taking one path back into the passenger compartment. This also means that the power for your DME (computer) is also running out of the electrics box and back behind the radio area. The good news is this mess of a wiring nightmare you have is easily correctable. Due to the central location of everything you can get in there and replace the harness's with a good used set of harness's from any number of vendors.

I have an 87 951 and the PO had somehow wired the radio into the headlight relay. So unless the headlights were on the radio would not work. The other probple is that both of these were jumped into the sunroof. So the first time I had the headlights on and opened the sunroof the radio smoked and the sunroof relay melted down.

[SoCal Driver]

When was the last time the belts were replaced?

[very~worn~944]

I am not sure when the last time they were replaced. I am actually quite concerned and will be taking it in shortly. No I have so more questions.
When I drive the car..and even when it sits there running... there is a low whine in the back. I thought that It could only be the fuel pump because the clutch doesn't effect it, moving doesn't effect it' and reving it doesn't efect it. It is a low quiet "whooooooo" sound. Also when I try to start it when it is warm...It is VERY hard. 15-20 sec of cranking. I thought that this too could be the fuel pump...maybe the valve. Another issue is that is smells like gas pretty bad coming out of the torn shift boot. Sometimes while I am driving the gas gauge will quickly drop 1/4 of a tank....but no gas is EVER on the road. I took one freeway onramp and lossed almost half a tank on my gauge. When I go to fill it when the light is on...I put about 14 gallons in, to the top. So far I trust the gauge...should I? Do I have a MONDO gas leak somewhere? Thanks for your guys' help!

[Cebu]

High temp indications at high speed and drops to normal at low speed is most likely a clogged catalytic converter...bleed cooling system...check radiator for flow by safely feeling bottom and top area for comparable temperature. my 2-cents

[todwic]

I was a neophyte two years ago, and was much in the dark about all things Porsche let alone the watercooled gals. This board has been a great time saver and an even greater money saver by doing what you are doing now: asking. Now as I wipe tears from my eyes (#7, now that's too funny) I think I can help you with your cooling probs, and others.

1. Change your thermostate to a lower temp one. If yers has the original Thermostat, it's prolly bad anyway
   
2. Change yer temp sensor for the fan (the one on the radiator) to a lower temp. guy.
   
3. My '84 howls like a defiled banshee in first gear, but it's an automatic and may not be applicable to yours. I like the way it sound so I'm running it till it quits (or untill I scrape up the scratch for a new flex disc, then I'll be putting in my '86 tranny [THANK YOU SO CAL!])
   
4. have your front end jacked up about a foot when you refill the cooling system. I blow into my overflow hose to create pressure rather than running it. my car really likes it like that
   
5. They make plates to go in between your rims and your rotors to keep the brake dust gnomes off of your paint.
   
6. Your gas gauge sux. my gas gauge sux. German gas gauges suck. just trust that when they say full, they're full, when the gas light flashes and flickers, you still got gas. when the gas light stays on, you got gas. I drove off of the top of the Grand Canyon to the first open gas station with the gas light on. (over 60 miles, albiet downhill)
   
7. FIND OUT WHEN THE BELTS WERE REPLACED. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF YOU CAN'T FIND OUT HAVE IT REPLACED AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!(retensioned @ 1500 miles) I CANNOT STRESS THE IMPORTANTS ENOUGH, SO I'LL SAY IMPORTANT AGAIN: IT'S IMPORTANT!
   
8. read the above point again.
   
9. replace the check valve at your fuel pump.
   
10. there's a good thread about wheel bearings somewhere in here. find it read it, print it out and then pee on it
    
11. pee on some more things. aint that fun?
    
12. it shouldn't be that easy to get sideways, check yer suspension.
    
13. get ready to do this: you'll find it soothing.

p.s. be sure and use proper coolant or your aluminum things will get angry and quit

[very~worn~944]

I love you suggestions! I give my Porsche moush to mouth also. its the only way I can kiss it and not have the neighbors complaining. i actually gave it a big hug when i came back from my trip today. I actually have a new thermostat...but couldn't get the old bastard snap ring off. Broke me snapring pliers. (craftsman) The tranny whine is a great sound and all cars should have it. I will run that tranny till it splits open like a turkey. i think I will replace the belts...that sounds kinda like a priority. I like your idea of peeing on things...but i think i went too far cause now my backseat smells. my coolant is aluminum thingy safe. Check valve of fuel pump, burn the gas gauge...got it. I tried some but I found that and tended to make me feel better.

[todwic]

I couldn't get that bastard snap ring off, either. Here's how I did:

1. buy a pair of 90&deg needle nose pliers, the smaller the better.
   
2. dremel, grind, or file the tips so that they'll go into and stay in the holes of the snap ring.
   
3. make sure you don't take off too much, or they'll break. I'm no expert, but I would guess a 1/8 inch piece of steel isn't good to be running around in your cooling system
   
4. all you have to do is get one side of the ring out of the groove. if it all comes out, great, but it's pretty durable so if you get one side out, just pry the rest of it out.
   
5. I found a mirror on a stick to be quite handy

GL friend!

[todwic]

with water pump or without Of course they recomend you change water pump when you change the belt, but I didn't know that and didn't, and it's all cool here soooo...use yer own @%#@^%$# judgment.

[AFJuvat]

Originally posted by todwic
with water pump or without Of course they recomend you change water pump when you change the belt, but I didn't know that and didn't, and it's all cool here soooo...use yer own @%#@^%$# judgment.

Two schools of thought on that one There is the replace every 60K and the "run it till it dies".

Been a subscriber to the latter for years without incident

AFJuvat