JohnJ's 87 924S Rehabilitation

[jjeffries]

The gas tank is in and the evaporative fume recapture hoses are replaced, although the latter was not done exactly per factory.

The tank didn't come out of the car easily, rather like a stubborn molar at the dentist, being located in close quarters and making graunching noises as it yielded. Therefore, I suppose it was somewhat naiive to expect it to go back in with relative ease.

Aircraft-spec foam kindly provided by fellow New Englander pfarrah. Thanks Patrick.

This morning I invested half an hour to stretch my decidely non-limber self prior to heading down to the garage, with the proverbial fresh set of eyes and a desire to not be impeded by something that on the face of it, looks so simple. I removed the tank from where I'd left it yesterday and gave it and its destination a good look over.

One thing did stand out, a bent corner of the tank's joining flange with some paint chipped off as a witness mark.

Feeling optimistic and atypically elastic, I thought to myself, "There it is ... the smoking gun ... this should be easy now." Well, pride go-eth before the fall and no, straightening that bent flange with a hammer and dolly did not yield an easy reinstallation. What did apparently work was, I suppose, a more iterative approach to pushing and prodding it into place, working out where in the Up and Forward directions it was hanging up, and using lengths of 2X4 as levers and fulcrums to apply further coercion. It did not end in any sort of satisfying falling into place, but I had a similar (<1/4") gap between it and the leading face of the spare tire well, and the straps' fit looked right. The location of the sending unit within the hole in the trunk floor was better so I called it done.

While waiting for the tank, I'd been working out how to replace the evaporative vapor collection/routing hoses; two of them look like they'd be regular sections of braided metric fuel line but annoyingly are not. Take the hose that goes from the rearmost (clear plastic) of the two one-way valves by the fuel filler, to connect with a metal pipe, just behind the left rear wheelwell, which heads off up front to inlet manifold vacuum. This hose looks like 5mm ID hose, BUT at the end that fits onto the one-way valve, it's mouth is 10mm ID. AND...it looks like you if you could find it new, it'll set you back about $60. Since this hose will be carrying vapors - agreed, not to be toyed with - but not liquids, I modified some 5mm ID hose with a small section of 10mm fitted (more like, tightly shoved) on its end, with some RTV to seal/glue it, and wrapped in cloth tape and zip ties to keep it all together and, hopefully, adequately fume-proof.

The original hose holds this shape by itself; the replacement is being held into the U-shape by my finger.

I did the same for another hose which goes from the aluminum filler neck to the little plastic evap tank mounted above it in the C-Pillar, which also had different diameter ends (and is NLA).

The last one I re-jiggered was the connector between the two one way valves, a 5" long 7mm ID molded U-shaped hose; the molding is to allow for the 90 degree elbows at each end in a compact amount of space. I used regular 7mm braided hose but had to use more length to allow for a gentle enough curve to preclude kinking.

Photos of this area not oriented properly.

This in turn meant I needed to re-route it and reposition the two one way valves a little. I hope it still fits underneath the glued-and-screwed black steel cover, and it would not pass Pebble Beach scrutiny, BUT all the hoses are fresh and everything seems tight (a smoke machine test might be wise, thinking as I write...)

You may also observe that while I used some original Norma hose clamps, I also deployed a couple of American, non-rolled edge NAPA items. Yes, I did. They were on hand and they fit. (Some folks find these too declasse.)

You wouldn't know it by looking, but I had every bit of four or five hours in these vent hoses. But that's why I took on this project: to have something satisfying to do.

John

[jjeffries]

While I was in cloth-braided hose mode, I pulled the charcoal canister from its dwelling within the LF fenderwell to replace the hose running to it from the vacuum management gear just behind the left strut top.

I also refilled the transaxle with Kendall 80/90W. 915's like this dino oil and I'd bought a case from a local distributor, so easier to get this done while the unit is on the bench. With the gas tank and the torque tube in, I suppose the next job for me is to install the transaxle.

Best regards to all, John

[jjeffries]

Ever feel like a complete and utter fool? Yesterday, I did. There are real mechanics and there are rank amateurs. "Hello group, my name is John and I am a rank amateur."

The job: reinstalling the transaxle. The old tranny jack adapter my son found a couple of years ago worked great; having control of pitch back to front and left to right made the positioning of the unit rather delightful and almost made me feel ... smug?

I did forget to put the black plastic tube in place but, reading that some folks leave them out entirely, I followed a Rennlist suggestion to simply cut a slit from one end of the tube to the other in order to compress it radially, therewith allowing the retaining bumps at each end fit through each ends' hole yet still snap in place. Seems to me that keeping road dirt out of that chamber betwixt TT and transaxle must be a sound idea.

So what did I eff-up? I could not get the shift rod to engage with the couple of the transaxle. Oh, how I fought it! The geometry was clearly wrong, but everything looked right. I should have told myself, there and then, to walk away and get more information. Perhaps three hours of grunting and head-scratching later, I did get up off the floor (have been lying on my back and pondering the situation), wised-up and used google images to look at "944 shift linkage" (more 944 pics than those of 924S) and ... D'UH! I had the delrin shift arm bushing upside down.

How stupid!

This picture shows how NOT to install your on-gearbox shift linkage; the transverse element of the cream colored Delrin connector should be on TOP, the longitudinal element BELOW it.

With that flipped - OF COURSE - the male shift linkage and female shift rod end immediately and smoothly coupled into a perfect and blissful union. I sealed their connection with the Yellow Screw, wired as per instructions and used blue Loctite on the screw holding the dogbone onto the shift selector shaft.

How much longer would it have taken without the internet? Would I have made the same error were I not thinking about world events and other existential fears? Dunno. Maybe.

Continuing to hope that you and yours are well and that all of our futures look intact.
John

[Jay H]

John,

I've made plenty of errors that caused hours of rework on my 924S. I too fall into the Rank Amateur category. Maybe even below that...

However, I've also corrected quite a bit of prior work on my S that was done poorly by hack "professional" mechanics. I have a full set of records on my car from new and some of the jobs that were done recently by local "hack" shops before my ownership were terrible.

I also found a hose clamp sitting in the #4 cylinder head area after I removed the intake during the winter of '18/'19. Records show the intake was removed by the selling Porsche dealership in early 1990 to replace a failed idle control valve under warranty. The clamp was pretty clean other than some yellow build up of fuel deposits and the clamp had worn away a bit of the cylinder head in two areas as it vibrated away for (maybe?) 29 years and 170,000 miles. I couldn't believe what I saw when I pulled the intake off. Again, I would have to assume a Porsche dealership would have technicians 1,000 times more skilled than me and I have yet to leave a hose clamp in an intake (as far as I know).

Hopefully you were able to correct the shifter issue without having to drop the transmission again?

Before the days of YouTube and 944 bulletin boards, we relied more heavily on those Haynes manuals and any other print manuals for our cars, but I can't imagine restoring a car (mechanically) without the internet. Cars built before the advent of the internet (as we know it today) were more simple though too...

[jjeffries]

Jay, I was once a dealership service manager, never Porsche but other nice makes, and “stuff happened” over those fifteen years, plenty of it.

Mostly innocent human-factor stuff when someone was rushing or tired; those guys work hard and the job can take a toll on their bodies and represents quite a daily grind.

Also, dealerships certainly have many excellent and fully trained technicians/mechanics, but they usually have at least as many lesser skilled guys who are working their way up and (hopefully) learning from their elders. As long as they’re properly supervised, it’s not an issue.

Statement of the Obvious, but the integrity of the shop/service department is generally a function of the owner’s character. Good dealers insist on having well trained techs working in good conditions and would never tolerate any suggestion of gouging or deceiving a customer, but others can be less noble... we likely all have a story.

And like any business, the way one responds when things go awry defines the endgame. There’s a limited window of time to fess up and demonstrate transparency and integrity to get the customer informed but on your side. I’ve had to make some awful phone calls but seem to have lived to tell!

Best, John

[Jay H]

Originally Posted by jjeffries

Those guys work hard and the job can take a toll on their bodies and represents quite a daily grind.

There have been Sunday evenings where I'm on the couch after a pretty long afternoon of wrenching on the Porsche and I'm physically sore with muscles that I didn't know I had. Hats off to the techs that do this 40+ hours a week.

Speaking of rework and my inability to be a decent mechanic, this weekend I drove the 924S for the 2nd outing and noticed I had a pretty poor sounding noise coming from the upper right suspension area. Turned out I missed putting in the bushing/collar that is inserted at the top of the upper strut mount. Pulled out the old ones (luckily I kept them!), removed the collar, then put those in their proper place in the new strut mounts. Yep, how did I miss that...?

[jjeffries]

Originally Posted by Jay H

There have been Sunday evenings where I'm on the couch after a pretty long afternoon of wrenching on the Porsche and I'm physically sore with muscles that I didn't know I had. Hats off to the techs that do this 40+ hours a week.

Speaking of rework and my inability to be a decent mechanic, this weekend I drove the 924S for the 2nd outing and noticed I had a pretty poor sounding noise coming from the upper right suspension area. Turned out I missed putting in the bushing/collar that is inserted at the top of the upper strut mount. Pulled out the old ones (luckily I kept them!), removed the collar, then put those in their proper place in the new strut mounts. Yep, how did I miss that...?

Jay, did you keep a list of everything you replaced in your front suspension overhaul? If yes, I'd like to take a look, please.

The operation of dealership service, parts and body-shop departments is where much of my work life has been spent. There are some effective ways to take care of one's mechanics but they are often (perhaps, usually) overlooked; as with most things, money and how it's paid out is a primary cause. These guys (and a few women) are generally the smartest people in the building and deserve more care and respect than the industry affords them.

cheers, John

[Jay H]

Hi John,

I go out of my way to thank the technician that works on my cars (either at the dealership or independent shop). As you say, I think the technicians and other good service personnel are underrated.

Here's what I replaced:

Control arms
Ball joints
Steering rack (rebuilt unit)
Tie rod ends (inner and outer)
Front and rear control arm bushings
Strut inserts
Upper strut mounts, gaskets and hardware
All new power steering hoses
Power steering reservoir
All new hardware for suspension parts (nuts, bolts, washers)
Front rotors and pads
Front wheel bearings
Motor mounts
Sway bar bushings (Front)

[jjeffries]

Thanks Jay. Were the control arm bushes from any specific brand?

Yesterday I installed my cleaned and re-greased axle half shafts. These had no clamps/bands on them and seem to be made from stout yet flexible rubber, so hopefully the keep on keepin' on as they are presently configured.

Yes, I was missing two brake pad circlips and used cotter pins. Guilty, m'lord!

The shocks are still disconnected from when I dropped the rear suspension to get the TT out; they are thorough beat, according to my arm-dyno, and it's not like I'm exactly Mr. Biceps. I'd like to install a relatively civilized set of shocks/strut refills in this car; I'm not looking to go all quasi-race-firm. Jay likes his new Boge units, an OE brand for Porsche and admired by me for the performance of the set I installed 10+ years ago in my old Alfa GTV.

Here's a question for the audience: are the KYB shocks offered for the 924/944 any good? I realize that "good" is a vague and subjective value judgment, so here's a better question: do they increase ride-height, for which Gas-A-Just's were somewhat infamous years ago? (They'd extend to full length then kinda stay there.) I wouldn't want that.

Hoping you and yours are all well; I'm feeling strange/guilty living in relative comfort while healthcare professionals and many others are being forced into harm's way and increasingly, paying the unspeakable and ultimate price. This little world of playing with old cars is my escape, and presumably, yours too. John

[Jay H]

John,

I used Porsche bushings for the front position on the controls arms after receiving a set of 'name brand' bushings with Made in China stickers on them. Maybe the Made in China ones were fine. However, I decided to buy the Porsche ones. It seems Porsche is sourcing stuff from Europe if the part is not made in Germany.

For the rear control arm bushings, I used bushings that were claimed to be German made bushings (as found here on Pelican). I couldn't do the $101 per bushing for the Porsche ones...when the "German" ones were $34.50 here at Pelican. However, one bushing was out of spec and slipped right on to the control arm (and would fall right off). These need to be pressed on with a hydraulic press and to say they fit snuggly would be an understatement. I ordered another "German" one and it fit very snug.

Again, all new rubber components on the front end is really enjoyable. Though, I'm a bit more picky about suspensions, alignment and wheel balance than most people.

I replaced the CV joints on my car since they clicked quite a bit. My new boots did not have (nor need) a clamp on the half shaft either.

I too am ultra thankful for our health care providers that are on the front lines of this war. Their sacrifice is immense...

[jjeffries]

Happy Easter, Passover or Hajj to All,

My employer - and I realize how lucky I am to have one right now - is closed today, so no Zoom meetings or conference calls to attend. I therefore sauntered into my (cold!) garage to have a poke around, no particular goals in mind.

First thing I saw was this:

It's a 15-20 year old, no-name Korean tire ... and not that I would have driven on it, but ...

I'd figured some time ago with this project that I'd wait until it is truly close to becoming roadworthy before replacing the tires, what with all the hyperactivity nowadays about tire date-codes, although these photos do lend some credence to that line of thought, huh?

So what's a brief, satisfying and happy little job I could attend to? The sentence I'm about to write will amuse the veterans here no end: I have a set of new cooling/heater system hoses and heater valve at the ready and the engine is out, so why not replace those two hoses that connect to the heater core ... nice 30 minute, feel-good project?

Not so quickly, Grasshopper. The dash is going to have to come out, no way around it, especially since in looking at the hoses, the old coolant residue within shows considerable engine oil emulsification; I'm now thinking it was a failed head-gasket that took this car off the road. The two hoses are swollen and greasy; leaving them alone isn't an option.

I'd already read and printed the Jim Pasha article on removing the 924/early 944 dash and considered either some sort of home-brew dash rehab ... mine is awful ... or the "better" dash cap, or sending it to a trim shop like the guys in Dearborn, MI, but "the plan" was to get the car driving before I attack such aesthetic considerations and pull it when I get my cracked windshield replaced.

This being a Holy Day, I'll quote my good friend Vito, from Queens, NYC:

"Man plans, and God laughs".

How will I spend my day off? NOT pulling the dash to get to the heater core (which will also want replacing). My back hurts, it's cold out, and ... first world problems, the good kind we should all be grateful for in these strange, dark days.

John

[djnolan]

Yes you certainly got your miles worth out of the dash and tires!

[jjeffries]

DJ, someone did, but it wasn’t me!

At least I already have the center console out. I imagine stripping the dash and working it back up with available materials would represent a balance between sinking on the order of 100+ hours but still at the risk of a half-a$$ end result.

Tire Dreaming: the car would look cooler with 16” cookies, but I’ll likely keep things OG, i.e., inexpensive with stock size 15” tires. The counter argument re: waiting as long as possible to get a set of tires with the freshest date code would be to buy some now while there are still a couple of V-rated (or at least, H) examples being made. The steering will feel nice on these skinnier wheels but if someone plopped a nice set of 16’s at my door, I’d use them in a heartbeat (not that I’m asking, I promise, just making a point ... of some sort).

John

[djnolan]

There are many dash options, including several ways of reworking it yourself. And there are dash covers, classic 9, and just dashes, in increasing order of pricieness...

And get a good alignment so you don't have to buy tires twice once the suspension rebuild is complete.

[Jay H]

John, I too pulled off a pretty shoddy dash in order to replace the heater hoses and heater core. Then, put the ugly thing right back in. Cosmetics on my car are taking a back seat to solid mechanical operation...

It would be interesting to know if anyone has used Just Dashes and how their work is.

[jjeffries]

I'll pull the dash soon and see what I can do with it while it's out.

In the next couple of weeks my reconditioned fuel hoses will be back from Len Cummings; they can be installed with the new pump and filter I have on hand.

Following that, I'll dress the replacement engine I bought from HondaDustR (here on PP) with the ancillaries from mine, do the belts and water pump etc. I imagine the power steering rack will need some attention.

Tackling the dash could be a good high effort/low expenditure project as, hopefully, the bank account regains some mojo.

John

[jjeffries]

Some good experimentation documented on this thread:

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/850961-diy-early-dashboard-restoration-megathread.html

I have to say that Mike O'Donnell did some cool car stuff while he was in college, including dash restoration on the balcony of his college digs.

And this company appears to make good materials:

https://www.polyvance.com/280Z-Dashboard-Repair/

John

[djnolan]

I found this to be another excellent video covering how to remove the trim, and amazingly enough, recover the dash without removing it. It is a little scant on the filler details, but the rest of it is excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANE0dueAXSI

[CarGuyNeil]

Originally Posted by djnolan

I found this to be another excellent video covering how to remove the trim, and amazingly enough, recover the dash without removing it. It is a little scant on the filler details, but the rest of it is excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANE0dueAXSI

That was really helpful. I always assumed that the cracks were the plastic itself and not the vinyl covering. Color me surprised after I watched this. Very informative.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[jjeffries]

Yesterday I pulled the dash; I'd removed the console some months ago, so it took a couple of hours less work to get the object out of the car.

No clever comments for the following pictures, other than the statement of the obvious that the dash is made from pressed fiberboard.

One pleasant surprise: the heater core, common to a bunch of VAG vehicles, costs less than twenty bucks.

The next task will be reconditioning the dash; please stay tuned.

Kind regards, John