Need help ASAP, 944

Blondie · 03-20-2007, 05:05 PM

The other day I fixed some lifter issues in the cam. I marked everything timing-related, and turned the engine to TDC before I took the cam off.

After reassembly, I tried to start her up and she fired up after 2 cranks, ran a little irratically on her own for a few sec., then died. A thin cloud rose from the back of the engine and dissipated.

The fuel system and all electrical inputs/outputs were checked by Porsche mechanics last week. All tested OK

They did mention that my starter was wired backwards, (no comment from the peanut gallery lol) which is why I asked for a wiring diagram for the back of the starter. Cuz the setup I have now I've been using for months and never seemed to fail me. At my wits end, guys....help me put an end to this 1+ year project and finally drive this car for the first time!

Razorback1980 · Razorback1980's Garage

Go back to your basics. Takes four things to make an engine run. Fuel, spark, timing, compression. Check them in that order. After you find the missing one, then we'll know what element to look for.

Blondie · 03-20-2007, 06:22 PM

I'm just about to do the regulars....

I really need that starter diagram though! I have 3 wires, and 3 posts on the starter, one of which is occupied.

Doesnt anyone have a pic of their starter wired?

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

http://www.arnnworx.com/starter.htm

Thank Bruce Arnn!

Blondie · 03-20-2007, 06:36 PM

THANK YOU BRUCE ARNN!! I was blown away by how tough it can be to find a damn picture of this lol

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Starters don't run backwards unless they are wound to run that direction. Then you could have the positive to the ground and the ground to the positive on the battery.

Really not very difficult to wire the starter wrong. The big ended wire terminals go on the solenoids large terminal and the small ended wire terminal goes on the solenoids small terminal. The braided uninsulated cable takes the switched battery voltage into the motor part of the starter. It is NOT a ground cable!

When securing the wires to the starter make sure they do not touch anything under the car -- especially the aluminum foil backed insulation. Can you say electric space heater kiddies?

Blondie · 03-20-2007, 07:57 PM

Thanks for the replies, guys...as usual, I had to ask my fellow pelicanites

Cheers!!

Oh, and after finding that my timing belt had jumped abt 12 teeth after an overly tight tension and miraculously leaving the cam and flywheel within a single tooth of each other (THANK YOU LORD!), I decided to look furthur down...beyond the fuel/air/spark/timing and think outside the box. Or, in this case, outside the engine bay.

At the starter.

Shes been spinning the wrong direction since I got her.

...

earlr85944 · 03-20-2007, 08:19 PM

do a compression check....

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Blondie

At the starter.

Shes been spinning the wrong direction since I got her.

...

Wrong starter. Engine spins clockwise (standing at the front of the car looking at the front of the engine).

Backward spinning causes the timing belt to jump.

Blondie · 03-21-2007, 09:34 AM

Ok I must be losing my mind here.

The starter, after checking again, turns the motor the right way. (Clockwise).

So will someone explain to me how this happened??

The cam notches were lined up along with the OT on the flywheel....that white mark on the belt USED to be sitting between the cam notches. The cam is out of alignment because I had just crank it before the pic. I want to time everything and yadda yadda but Im scared to death of the belt jumping like that again which is why i wanna get to the bottom of this!

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

Have you verified that the crank and cam are still in time with each other?

Blondie · 03-21-2007, 09:51 AM

Yes. The cam and crank only moved a single belt tooth out of time. While the belt itself, well...refer to pic.

hpaulb · 03-21-2007, 10:27 AM

Have somone turn over the engine. Looking down at the front of the enginei.e. at the cam pully, it will turn clockwise. If so, your ok.

Blondie · 03-21-2007, 10:28 AM

It does. Im just really really stumped as to how the belt jumped like that

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Don't worry about the belt!!! Line up the OT on the fly wheel with the pointer -- small hard to see window by the sensors -- and check that the notch in the cam gear lines up at or close to the notch in the back cam gear cover.

Painting marks on the belt is totally useless for timing alignment.

Blondie · 03-21-2007, 11:14 AM

I know that much sir lol I've timed this beast more than once! I only marked for proper alignment before I took the cam off.

Im just really stumped as to how it jumped 8 teeth within a few cranks with the belt being as tight as it was.

Tishabet · 03-21-2007, 11:20 AM

I don't believe the belt jumped 8 teeth... If you crank over the engine a couple of times, won't the number of teeth between the paint mark and the timing mark change? It's not like this belt is strung between two identical gears with 25 teeth a piece, right?

Blondie · 03-21-2007, 11:29 AM

Is there a difference between the cam gears on the earlier and later cams? I doubt it but...just for reference I put an '86 cam on this '83 motor

earlr85944 · 03-21-2007, 11:51 AM

I agree with Tshabet, the mark on the belt will not line up after cranking or even turning by hand, what is important are the factory timing marks, disregard the belt mark and go by the factory timing marks.

pozican · 03-21-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blondie
Is there a difference between the cam gears on the earlier and later cams? I doubt it but...just for reference I put an '86 cam on this '83 motor

Because there are more than two gears (and they are different sizes) I beleive the belt will move on it's own when it is running properly.

Your belt moving isn't your problem.