Engine Roasted?

[Arlen]

Tow guys says, "what's wrong"

I say, "Catastrophic Engine Failure"

Which is how it looks to the 914 fresh fish. Got in the car, turn the ignition, the first turn of the starter sounds like normal, but then the tone changes, and the engine never catches.

Try again, same thing. Try it another 3-4 times, untill I hear the engine pick up--jumps up to 3000RPM (I was flooring it per the hanes maual "start up solutions", take off the gas--car dops to 800, I give it gas, engine gurgles like its struggling, low RPMs, dies. Try again, get low gurlging, chugging, RPM doesn't even register the engine is running--then "Perlunk!" I hear..

SH[bleeep]T!

Turn off everything, look below the car--gas is leaking all over the ground from above the exhuast tubing, along the engine case it seems, I can't get under far enough to see where it coming from.

Tow guys guess that the fuel line came uplugged and that was what I heard--but about five minutes before he said "Porsche is an Italian car, right?"....

Any ideas?

[Joe Ricard]

Depends on what the "perlunk" really was. I would pull the plugs and rotate the engine by hand. (one wheel on ground fifth gear and rotate wheel in air.

Then spin engine with starter. If she rolls over all is not lost.
Then figure out what was askew in the fuel delivery, spark, air.
Keep us posted

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Unplug the green points wire from the distributor when you remove the plugs. That will keep sparks from occurring--you don't want them when you are cranking the motor with the plugs out, and possibly with fuel in the chambers.

All I can tell you is to start looking and see if there is anything obvious. Fuel dripping out is generally a Bad Thing...

--DD

[vwzorm58]

A little info about your setup would help with the diagnosis.

Are you running L-jet FI (1.8 motor), D-jet FI (1.7 or 2.0 motor), dual Webers, dual Dellartos, single Weber progressive, other?

Was the car running prior to this mishap? And if so, how recently?

Give us a little more info and someone is bound to be able to point you in the right direction. Lots of gas coming out of the engine compartment is dangerous, but seldom a major failure.

[Arlen]

75 chassis with a 74 D-jet 2.0. We removed the anti-smog charcoal filter--bought the engine from a guy in Utah who had rebuilt the engine.

The car always ran good, started up, and I was running errands around town when it happened--last errand completed I get back into the car and it won't start.

Tried to start it again today still leaks gas heavily, and I can't get under the car far enough to see where from--snow still on the ground, waiting for it to stop falling before I jack it up.

It ran good, poof turn over at all (no gas to cylinders, its all over the ground?).

[SummerSledSix]

The noises you described when the engine was struggling sound familiar, I've got 'em when the fuel pressure in the rails was too low. In my case it was due to running out of gas (duh). In your case, maybe one of the fuel fittings came loose from your reinstall (BTDT). Is your fuel filter or pump in the back by any chance? Was the "clunk" possibly one of these things dropping on the engine tin, or was it a more authoritative clunk? Busted engines usually don't p*** gas all over the place unless something severed a fuel line, but you woulda probably seen that go by on its way out of the engine well... Good luck!