How the hell do they do that in the factory

Vereeken · 10-29-2006, 11:50 AM

Slightly off-topic but very 911.

I have been refurbishing my SC over the last years and was often struck by the complexity of some of the tasks, to the point that I would like to see how they did that in the factory...

These are my prize-winners (911 SC Coupe):

- Headliner replacement!
- Rear window defroster wires!
- The bolt of the front fenders closest to the doors (duh)

Feel free to add

Michel

jkarolyi · 10-29-2006, 01:36 PM

I still say the post where they put all the newbies at the Porsche factory is this:

Front hood strut installer.

If they can survive in that post, they are tough enough to be Porsche employees.

fastpat · 10-29-2006, 01:45 PM

Special tools is the main difference, that and doing the task often enough to get good at it.

Dantilla · 10-29-2006, 01:55 PM

The engineers make it relatively easy on a partially completed car.

I replaced the starter on an old chevy truck a while back. Another three inches of cable would have saved me about half the time. but I'm sure the guy at the factory had no complaints hooking it up before the cab was attached to the chassis.

jwetering · jwetering's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jkarolyi
I still say the post where they put all the newbies at the Porsche factory is this:

Front hood strut installer.

If they can survive in that post, they are tough enough to be Porsche employees.

Too funny! I actually GAVE UP this job after a couple thousand tries. I have to hold the hood up with my head now.

Turns out there's a trick. I haven't tried it yet, but you tie a piece of thread through the holed in the pin, then pass the thread through the mounting bracet. Pulll on the thread to draw the pin through the bracket. Voila.

Man I hurt my hand trying to bull that thing together!

Rouxzy · 10-29-2006, 05:53 PM

The easiest and best way to change the front hood strut is to not change it out. Just purchase the front hood ultimate strut from Seine Systems and be done with it forever.
Tom

real550A · real550A's Garage

It's not that bad of a job if you remove the lid from the car first.

Adam Reed · 10-29-2006, 06:07 PM

Piece of wood about 10 inches long, 1x1 square, thrown in the trunk. Put it under the left hinge when you open the hood. Works just as well as the Ultimate Strut! I even painted mine Koni orange. VERY high-tech, very lightweight in the tradition of the old racers!

And what the heck is so hard about installation of the headliner, other than needing all the windows out? I've done it on a 356B and several times in 34 years on my '66, and it takes maybe 4 hours. Not at all an unpleasant job on a sunny Saturday.

Adam912.out.

Brian 162 · 10-29-2006, 06:43 PM

Hood struts were easy. I've replaced them twice. On the other hand the rear window defroster wiring in the seal looks like a nightmare.

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

Have you ever tried to pull or run the wires through the tunnel going to the back of the car? I do not see how in the world this task was ever accomplished. That is truelly fitting a square peg in a round hole for 4 1/2 feet!

RichMink76 · 10-29-2006, 07:02 PM

Putting the fuel door lock back on. That damn thing took me roughly two hours.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

Front dust bearing cap - I swear the first time it was welded on. Every time I take it off now I chuckle a little bit to myself!

JP911 · JP911's Garage

Everything having to do with the targa roof. I think black magic is required to make the everything fit right.

theiceman · 10-29-2006, 07:42 PM

how about the shifter linkage bar in the tunnel. I am sure they threw the thing down and said " build me a 911 around this boys "

pbflyz · 10-29-2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jwetering
Too funny! I actually GAVE UP this job after a couple thousand tries. I have to hold the hood up with my head now.

Turns out there's a trick. I haven't tried it yet, but you tie a piece of thread through the holed in the pin, then pass the thread through the mounting bracet. Pulll on the thread to draw the pin through the bracket. Voila.

Man I hurt my hand trying to bull that thing together!

When I decided to replace my front hood struts recently, I recalled that I had done the job about a dozen years ago with no problems. This time, when I took the old ones off, I found that I had never replaced the retaining clip on the driver side. Hell, it worked fine for 12 years so I just stuck the new one back in the same way.

Hugh R · 10-29-2006, 10:26 PM

They use very, very strong guys who are six inches tall!

GothingNC · 10-30-2006, 04:50 AM

Gee,

I though putting the fan belt on while holding the shims in place was hard

mb911 · mb911's Garage

driver side knee pad nuts

304065 · 10-30-2006, 07:42 AM

Affixing the retaining nuts to the back of the gauges on an SWB. I think the reason the trunk floor was flat was to allow an apprentice or gastarbeiter to lay down in the fetal position for about half an hour to put them on. A chain mail glove would help.

This is no doubt the reason why they went to thicker rubber gaskets with the LWB cars.

bkreigsr · 04:00 AM

my personal favorite...
unfastening and refastening the six 10mm nuts that hold the air diverter to the back of the alternator, under the shroud, behind the fan, and the housing, with the wires going thru the center hole. now there's a handful while the engine is in the car.
Bill K