Yep. That's why Buick Grand Nationals were so damn fast. You could launch with a full 18psi of boost already built at the line.

I loved mine. :)

Update on 86 auto.

Now it runs great.

Had hall sensor unplugged (retards timing, according to the pros).

Took slack out of TV cable, now it downshifts with throttle movement.

Adusted gas pedal linkage under pedal ( lengthened it by 6 turns or so), now it downshifts a second time when pedal hits floor.

Now I see why people love automatic 928's.

A further timing tweak with the 32v'r tool , again, recommended by the serious long-term 928 hobbyists and it should be perfect.

Landseer,

the 86 928 doesnt have the hall sensor you are refering to. That is 1987 and up cars ONLY. There is a reference sensor which tells the LH/EZF when the engine is turning, but if you disconnect that it will not start.

As to the comment about stock 5.0L 928 auto kicking the crap out of an auto of the line. Obviously you have never been paired up with someone who knew how to drive a manual. I GUARENTEE that any two 928s of the same year/specs one manual one auto being lined up with someone who knew how to drive could get the manual to launch ALOT faster that the auto.

You say wheel hop city. Wheel hop indicates loss of traction, ei spinning tires, spinning tires means slower acceleration. When you use all the pedals properly that is NOT an issue and you can get really fast launches from a manual car.

Having owned both, no way would I ever go back to an auto.

And it's mentioned that "AT are more reliable"

That's a crock of crap. The words "thrust bearing failure" come to mind and I would love to see the total number of AUTO cars that have lost motors because of it. That one issue alone makes an AT les reliable than a 5spd.

To each their own but you would not see an AT in my driveway over 2-3k difference in price. If you have a bad hip or some other actual reason, then ok. An auto 928 is boring IMO.

Not exactly. My track car with 315 R compounds will hop however my street car never hopped and launched well and would turn consistent low to mid 13's. We'll see how that may have changed once the car is sorted out with the turbo.

Constantine's clamp fixes the thrust bearing issue, which is about the only thing an AT owner needs to be concerned with other than leaks and keeping good fluid in it.

With a 5 spd all the early cars I've seen needed syncros and/or clutch work. If you want the tranny really nice it is SO EASY to drop $5k on a 5 spd sorting the linkage, clutch, and rebuilding.

I still only want a 5 spd, but I suspect eventually somebody is going to get a modern AT working on the 928 and that may change things since I will be older and lazier by then.

Lizard, it is the Crank positon sensor, thanks.

It was crumbling and I thought it was disconnected, with three wire spades showing, but it must have still been making contact.

Well, the car has become much more pleasurable to drive with the other adjustments.

My 87 S4 is the smoothest shifting stick I have ever driven. For any sporting application except for a ss launch with boost, I cant imagine the auto doing nearly as well. For riding around in city traffic, the auto may do better, but not by much.

The only time my car has even acted like it wanted to hop is in water. I burned the original 245's to smithereens before I took them off. No hop. I would think an auto would need boost to leave really well.

AT leaves well with power braking, and the ambitious can up the stall speed without too much expense. My complaint is that launch is all or nothing, and for street I like to take off fast, but not spin the tires all the time.

"My 87 S4 is the smoothest shifting stick I have ever driven."

I hope to be able to say something like that, but the T5 in my old Mustang running RedLine goop is MIGHTY smooth.

I've got a G28/08 in my 83 and the linkage feels "ok", but at 145k miles its clearly synro time.

G28/10 in my 85 and locating the gear is pretty bad, and this is with the new shifter thing from Carl. I suspect it needs the springs in the tranny messed with and the shift knob I am using is VERY wiggly. 195k miles and sycros not bad, but tired I think.

G28/11 sitting on the garage floor, needs adjusting, but supposed to be less than 70k miles and shifting fine. I haven't decided which car its going in, or if it gets torn down first.

Constantine is a good friend of mine and his clamp is the best fix there has ever been for TBF. The 5 spd in the 85MY on are just as reliable as the auto, about the only common failure is the linkage coupler which is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix. In addition, 928Motorsports make and sell a coupler that is a permanent fix/replacement for the factory plastic bushing type. All in all fixing the coupler issue with the $80 part and labor is a much cheaper and easy fix when compared to the TBF issue that plagues autos.

I am a manual guy, and I have had 4 manual 928s. They are good boxes, even the erly ones, if you have any sympathy for the rythym. The long drive shaft is hardlinked to the mainshaft on the tranny, so rushing the box before the shaft reaches the proper speed puts a lot of strain on the syncros. A good 928 driver can drive around the syncro issues on a worn early box.

However, I have had rides in four speed auto cars, and they kick A. A well driven auto is every bit the match for a five speed. There is no question about this, and you can and should shift them manually for best performance. I have often contended that the 84 928S with the auto is probably the most undervalued sleeper in the 928 world.

Do I prefer the manual ? Yes. Is it better, NO. And unless you are a heel and toe downshifter, with good anticipatory skills, you will be hard pressed to match a well driven auto. But that's part of the fun for some.

I once had the opportunity to listen to the head test driver for Lamborghini. One of the things he addressed was the paddle shifted computer clutched manuals. He said that at first he did not like them, because they were taking away from his job as driver. But he eventually came to see them as better, because they made him a better driver. And this guy is a top driver, former World Rally Champion.

Pretty much what Danglerb said.

BTW, a little 928 opinion. If you have never driven one, they may not appeal to you in the first five minutes of driving. They seem really wide. The seating position is strange, and you cannot seem to get the seat adjusted like a normal car. The controls may seem heavy and hard, esp. the throttle, which is heavy, and has a long travel. But as you drive more, you become used to the seating.

The car gets underway, and you overcome that gas pedal, and you start to really move. All of a sudden the steering is perfectly weighted, and the car seems to grip the road, like a giant hand is pushing it into the pavement. There is a feeling of incredible stability. You find that the road is shrinking before you, and you are looking at the horizon, because that is where you are soon going to be.

You go into a few corners, and you realize that you could be going much faster than you thought you could. The car, that seemed so wide, is now shrinking around you. You want to tackle that next corner, and hit that next long stretch, so you can open it up. So you open it up, and look down at the speedo.

And GULP. All of a sudden that heavy throttle makes a LOT of sense to you, and you wonder what would happen if you planted it down all the way, and kept it there. The car is just starting to feel alive.

Auto or Manual, that is a 928. Find out what a PPI is, and get a good one.

DanielDudley, That was a GREAT post.

And yes alot of people cannot drive manual trannies properly.

I have modified the factory shifter alot for what I like, I shortened the throw via the lever in the cabin as much as I could. I then also made a levering system in the back which cuts the throw in half. So now I have 1.5" of throw (if that) from gear to gear and is very precise.

I have both an auto and two 5 speeds, the autos are DOGS compaired to a properly driven 5 speed imo.

So, find a buyer for my 84 auto please :) For the right 928 fanatic I will take less than my $5k asking price. This is a project car though...

Or find someone who will make a cab out of it for me cheap enough :D

I really like the ultra tall rear end gear in the 88 S4. The turbos love the tall gears as I can reach full manifold pressure at mid range engine speeds. I was doing the math last week...2400 RPM at 80 MPH....yes, she would probably knock on the 200 MPH door if someone had the guts to try it.

If my calculations are correct, 208 at red line. And I think your car would probably run to red line. I'd like to see an auto with some boost & a little stall speed, low 11's, high 10's? Maybe mid 10's.

and a set of sticky slicks to completely tear the lightweight 928 suspension apart.....

I like the manual but both of my 928s have a lot of "slop" and no I don't have a short shift kit....all stock. Also there is the occasional delay in the clutch pick-up that will send the tach soaring toward redline. It really only does that at in opportune times. :-)

I replaced the ball cup and found a I had a new 5 speed! Made it feel much better. Added the 928MS gate and finding 2nd never fails. Also added the 928MS short shifter. I would not drive the auto personally. I like being able to keep the car in the power band. Try taking someone on a rolling 40 with an auto... The auto downshifts nicely at 60, however a 5 speed can still downshift faster.

I guess the feel of the 5 speed is very personal. SOme say it's the worst ever, some love it. I love it.

Slicks? Seeing as drag radials are currently going mid 7's, they should do fine. What lightweight parts are you referring to?

You could just put a "police interceptor" badge on it instead.