I'm getting too old for this.

[TeenerTim]

At 53 years old, bending over an engine, getting greasy, and crawling around on the ground is really a pain in the butt. I should say the back. I'm taking an "Aleve" break from day 1 of my head swap project. This is the first real work on my $500 944. No compression in #4. I almost have the head off after 4 hours outside with hand tools. Just the exhaust and the head nuts left. Hopefully it's just bent valves and not a hole in the piston. I'll post pics of what I find. Oh well, back out into the sun. More to follow...

[thekidd]

Kepp it up!!!! Never did this job before, but sounds liek you are almost there. And Congratulations!

[mikepellegrini]

I'm 56 and looking at swapping trans in my 83 this weekend. I was having bigtime problems last year crawling under my cars. I started taking the Glocosamine/chondroiton combination last Feb and it's really helped me for bending and generally being flexible.

I think it's more for knee joints than backs, but you never know.

[krystar]

u just need to buy some pizza and beer (if applicable) for younger rennlisters to help out hehe.

[TeenerTim]

Day 1 complete and some interesting results. When I bought this car they said it would run but the battery was run down and the #4 plug wire boot was broken. I got a new plug wire, charged the battery and hoped for the best. The A/C bracket was broken so no alternator belt, hence the dead battery. I got it to run but it was obviously only running on 3 cylinders. A compression check verified that #4 was dead.

My conclusion was that the car had thrown a belt and bent the valves. I figured the PO had put a new belt on it thinking that was all that was wrong.
So I get the head off and here is what it looks like.


The valves look fine to me and there is no evidence of a collision with the piston. So here is a photo of the piston.



The piston looks good also. All of the cylinders look really good for a car with 217k miles on it.
So using my my brilliant powers of deduction I take a close look at the head gasket.



I think this might be the problem. How about you? I can't believe this car actually ran well enough for me to drive it around the yard. Now I just have to drill out all of the bolts I broke off.

Stay tuned for day 2. That is if I can get out of bed tomorrow.

[krystar]

is this just a shadow? or a chip off the valve?

[krystar]

hehe with holes that big on the HG, i can imagine the chocolate milkshake frappe smoothie that came out of that engine

[TeenerTim]

Originally Posted by krystar

is this just a shadow? or a chip off the valve?

I'll have to look at that a little closer. I have another head I was going to put on anyway. This is just a temporary fix while I rebuild the spare engine I bought.

[Razorback1980]

Plug the spark plug hole and pour gasoline in there. If it will hold gasoline, it should hold compression as well. I am impressed that engine ran at all with that HG.

[SuperXRAY]

So as I start gathering parts to do a HG replacement on our 944, should I replace the head studs as well? The head has been done one other time due to timing belt failure...but this time it is because the car is eating coolant.

If I do need to replace them, RaceWare or otherwise?

Congrats on finding that HG problem...looks like possibly 2 or more of those cylinders were leaking.

[carlege]

yes that valve dosent look like its seating correctly that could also be the problem....
curious how much did you buy the car for not running?

[Techno Duck]

Dont bother replacing them.. they are a major pain to get them out. I have reused them once before, and know a few who have reused them multiple times on track only 951's (Which see even higher cylinder pressures). Just replace the nuts and washers.

[SuperXRAY]

Originally Posted by TeenerTim

At 53 years old, bending over an engine, getting greasy, and crawling around on the ground is really a pain in the butt. I should say the back. I'm taking an "Aleve" break from day 1 of my head swap project. This is the first real work on my $500 944. No compression in #4. I almost have the head off after 4 hours outside with hand tools. Just the exhaust and the head nuts left. Hopefully it's just bent valves and not a hole in the piston. I'll post pics of what I find. Oh well, back out into the sun. More to follow...

$500.

[SuperXRAY]

Thanks Techno.

What really going to be interesting is to see how long the motor was run with that HG (TeenerTim), because it has got to have coolant in the oil, and vice versa.

[924RACR]

If you're using a used head, make sure to do yourself a favor and lap the valves in for good fresh sealing. Too easy and cheap not to.

As for crawling around under the car - my secret weapon, especially for the racetrack, is to get those interlocking foam mats they sell for kids play areas etc - at Costco, Sam's Club, KMart, etc. They're absurdly comfortable on the ground, can lay on them all day, even just for kneeling, pack and transport very easily, little space consumed, and give a beautiful work surface even in the sandiest paddock. I'm getting old too, and feeling it.

[Dave L]

good tip. I have been using the ultra posh old front door mat for far too long.

[Lawrence Coppari]

I'm an older fellow myself (considerably older than original poster) with a bad disk in my back so I have to be careful. When it comes to working under the hood, I put a couple of boat cushions on the fender (or wherever appropriate) and support my chest on them. That takes the moment off the spine which, without doing so, causes big problems for me. I can only lean over for a very short time so this is how I get around it. The years take their toll.

Working beneath cars is easy because I have a lift.

[exitwound]

Interested in the pictures of the possible valve damage. I may have suffered something similar and I'd like to see some more pics if indeed it's chipped.

[TeenerTim]

End of Day 2. All bench work today. I should have done this step ahead of time but there is always something else that needs to get done. I disassembled the used head I'm putting on the car.



I cleaned the head inside and out as it was on an engine that had that oil/water thing going on. I cleaned all of the valves on the wire wheel and made sure the head gasket surface was clean and smooth.



Then I assembled everything with new valve stem seals. This head already had some new valve guides in it and there was only one that felt a little loose. One of the valves had some sort of corrosion on the stem so I swapped it with one from the first head.



So I go to put the head on the car and I'm looking for the washers that go under the head nuts. I think there are washers under ALL of the nuts not just the external ones but I can only find a few. I'm sure some are in the grass under the car but I should have two complete sets. Assuming I should have 10 I can only find 8.

[jackrussell]

Originally Posted by Lawrence Coppari

I'm an older fellow myself (considerably older than original poster) with a bad disk in my back so I have to be careful. When it comes to working under the hood, I put a couple of boat cushions on the fender (or wherever appropriate) and support my chest on them. That takes the moment off the spine which, without doing so, causes big problems for me. I can only lean over for a very short time so this is how I get around it. The years take their toll.

Working beneath cars is easy because I have a lift.

OK, you kids, how old is too old?
In the last few weeks I have removed and replaced the radiator and thermostat, clutch master and slave cylinders, starter, door glass guide, complete rear hatch cubby and spare tire floor, and a lot of miscellaneous stuff on my well neglected '83 944. The worst was the little $3.25 return spring at the very top end of the clutch pedal arm. At least 3-4 hours under the instrument panel! Still have to replace left rear axle stub shaft, but it looks relatively easy.
Wish I had access to a lift.
It does get more difficult though. I'm 77 and not quitting yet.