Turbo Engine Rebuild

[blade7]

I use a AFR gauge, with one lambda sensor mounted in the downpipe. Though that doesn't tell you if one cylinder is running leaner than others. I think you're taking a chance running 18lbs or more on standard injectors, whatever gear you're in. I read a report that typical £200 AFR kits can have up to a 10% tolerance. I'd perhaps take that chance because I've got a back up plan in place, I definitely wouldn't if I'd recently rebuilt my engine due to a piston/cylinder issue.

 

[scam75]

Yeah, I'm going to dial it back a bit for long term safety. To be honest I floor it once in a blue moon so not stressing much out.

In other news, garage trip today cancelled as my mate has got 2 stranded transits on his ramp, back in the dairy for a week today.

With that news received yesterday, I decided to get the axle stands out and fit the rear coilovers myself, always a fun job rolling about on the ground!

Took me about 3 hours and the usual faffing to suss it out and get the job done, this also accounted for a stripped bottom bolt which I thought was going to stop play. So, I chanced my arm on the push bike around the couple of local garages in my village, and the first one came up trumps with a very similar bolt with the same thread. Popped it in and all was good!

I can report that after 15 years the old GAZ rears were in need of replacement! One with a slight weep and both caked in corrosion with seized solid adjusters. However, they have done me a turn and don't feel the need to complain about them!!

The new (brand new 2nd hand, copyright Mat Armstrong!) SPAX units with coilovers are in good nick, with free adjusters! I've set them up to about 0.25 full hard, which matches the refurbed GAZ units on the front, the car is also now an inch higher at the back which is exactly what I wanted. Drives nice and compliant, no knocks or rattles from the rear, and set-up as per SPAX instructions. I'm booked in for Geo set-up tomorrow, to lift the front a bit and get it all dialed in nicely. I'll report back on how it goes.

Then next Thursday I'll get on to the Rennbay engine fuel line kit and the Linsday WG diaphragm which has arrived from the states.

Stuart

 

[PSH]

Just to point out that all MBC's loose boost top end, only an EBC will hold boost to your desired setting.

Pete

 

[scam75]

Thanks Pete, yes, definitely true!

Got the front raised on Friday as planned as well as the geometry set-up. Car is now about an inch higher all round which is what I was looking for.

Before:



After:



The toe and camber were quite far out but that was expected after the shockers have been on and off, as well as a control arm when I done the ball joint. All good now.

There is no more adjustment left on the front, that's the GAZ units maxed out but I am happy where it is, so that is not a problem.

Stuart

 

[TTM]

That looks better. How does it drive?

 

[scam75]

That looks better. How does it drive?

Thanks Thom, I agree!

It drives very well, more forgiving on speed bumps is a big bonus. I've just been playing with the rebound settings now that I have refurbed (with new rods) GAZ (22 clicks soft/hard) on the front, and SPAX (28 clicks soft/hard) on the rear. My bottom tells me they seem valved roughly the same, so have them all set about 36% full hard which is 8 clicks front and 10 clicks rear. Seems about the right balance for me for comfort and a bit of fast road use and protection of tooth fillings! My sill trims no longer scrape the deck when I hit a big bump whilst accelerating hard, that can only be good!

My ball joints will also be happier!

 

[scam75]

Another wee improvement done today, shifter was a bit sloppy, albeit with a precise change since the gearbox with rear quick shift linkage was installed a few weeks back.

So I bought a new front gear lever ball socket bush for the princely sum of £2.34 from Porsche! When fitting today I noticed the circlip we put on had popped off, this would explain much of the slop. I found the proper Porsche circlip I bought ages ago eventually after much rummaging about my parts boxes, result! So I removed the shifter and old bush, used a bit of insulating tape to take up the slack on the worn shifter linkage, found a perfect washer and reinstalled with proper circlip, nice and snug fit. Totally transformed, very little slop and shifts quickly and smoothly into all gears.

I'll get a Only944 front lever at some point, but absolutely no rush as it feels great now.

Stuart

 

[scam75]

Also, a very odd thing happened today. After being out for a walk I came home to see the boot fully open! Alarm was on and doors locked. God knows how that happened. The latches looked fine, but gave them a good soaking in WD40 anyway, played about with the footwell boot switch and it doesn't seem to be faulty. It can only be the footwell switch or maybe the latches weren't quite secure after the last drive, and the hot weather today caused the boot to pop. I will of course monitor this.

Has anyone else experienced this? There was no evidence of tampering with the external boot lock.

 

[dlknight]

Ride height looks much better now Stuart! I had in the past a problem with the hatch opening by itself. The locks weren't closing fully on the hatch pins, and I think my hatch pins might have been too tight. If any of the parts are worn, hatch pins or the locks themselves then I'm afraid it is time for new ones. I also mistakenly put thick grease in once when I was "maintaining" them and learnt my lesson. Only a thin lubricant is required, couple of drops of engine oil should be good.

 

[blade7]

Another wee improvement done today, shifter was a bit sloppy, albeit with a precise change since the gearbox with rear quick shift linkage was installed a few weeks back.

So I bought a new front gear lever ball socket bush for the princely sum of £2.34 from Porsche! When fitting today I noticed the circlip we put on had popped off, this would explain much of the slop. I found the proper Porsche circlip I bought ages ago eventually after much rummaging about my parts boxes, result!tape to take up the slack on the worn shifter linkage, found a perfect washer and reinstalled with proper circlip, nice and snug fit. Totally transformed, very little slop and shifts quickly and smoothly into all gears.

I'll get a Only944 front lever at some point, but absolutely no rush as it feels great now.

Stuart

I removed the shifter and old bush, used a bit of insulating tape to take up the slack on the worn shifter linkage, found a perfect washer and reinstalled with proper circlip, nice and snug fit. Totally transformed, very little slop and shifts quickly and smoothly into all gears.
Stuart

I find ali shim cut from a Heineken can works better and lasts much longer than tape. Easy to cut with household scissors too.

 

[scam75]

Ride height looks much better now Stuart! I had in the past a problem with the hatch opening by itself. The locks weren't closing fully on the hatch pins, and I think my hatch pins might have been too tight. If any of the parts are worn, hatch pins or the locks themselves then I'm afraid it is time for new ones. I also mistakenly put thick grease in once when I was "maintaining" them and learnt my lesson. Only a thin lubricant is required, couple of drops of engine oil should be good.

Didn't think of engine oil, the latches and pins were new about 10 years ago, new struts a few years ago. WD40 works fine for a while then needs done again. I''ll try engine oil next time, cheers for the tip!

 

[scam75]

I find ali shim cut from a Heineken can works better and lasts much longer than tape. Easy to cut with household scissors too.

Do you shim the whole lot or just the low points either side?

 

[blade7]

Do you shim the whole lot or just the low points either side?

Perhaps we're not referring to the same thing. I'm talking about the pin welded onto the side of the gear lever, that locates into the shift rod.

 

[dlknight]

Perhaps we're not referring to the same thing. I'm talking about the pin welded onto the side of the gear lever, that locates into the shift rod.

Have you guys seen the modification you can make to the shift lever, in effect turning it into the "upgraded" version from the 968? This then allows you to use the shims from the 968 gear lever and snug the lever much tighter into the shift rod, removing most of the play and potentially getting rid of the wear problem on the pin. Cheap to do, just need the shims from Porsche, and some assorted hardware. Happy to help people out with the modifications to the lever if they send me a PM. You also need to enlarge the hole in the rod so it takes the increased diameter of the pin with the shims.

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/the-ba-gear-stick-upgrade.104615/page-2#post-1314350

 

[scam75]

Perhaps we're not referring to the same thing. I'm talking about the pin welded onto the side of the gear lever, that locates into the shift rod.

Yeah, I know! Was just asking as it has a high point in the middle, and low on either side, but the more I thought about it what I said seemed very tricky and and just one shim would be far easier.

 

[blade7]

Have you guys seen the modification you can make to the shift lever, in effect turning it into the "upgraded" version from the 968? This then allows you to use the shims from the 968 gear lever and snug the lever much tighter into the shift rod, removing most of the play and potentially getting rid of the wear problem on the pin. Cheap to do, just need the shims from Porsche, and some assorted hardware. Happy to help people out with the modifications to the lever if they send me a PM. You also need to enlarge the hole in the rod so it takes the increased diameter of the pin with the shims.

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/the-ba-gear-stick-upgrade.104615/page-2#post-1314350

Saw it posted somewhere quite a while ago, but seemed a bit of a faff to do.

 

[blade7]

Yeah, I know! Was just asking as it has a high point in the middle, and low on either side, but the more I thought about it what I said seemed very tricky and and just one shim would be far easier.

Not hard to grind the weld off, knock out the old pin, and weld a new cut off bolt in. But wrapping the pin in ali shim works as well. As soon as it gets notchy going into reverse, renew the shim.

 

[Eldavo]

Not hard to grind the weld off, knock out the old pin, and weld a new cut off bolt in. But wrapping the pin in ali shim works as well. As soon as it gets notchy going into reverse, renew the shim.

With all the benefits of knocking back a cold one prior to shim renewal!

 

[dlknight]

Saw it posted somewhere quite a while ago, but seemed a bit of a faff to do.

Not really just a bit of drilling and some extra hardware, if it lasts longer than the other fixes then happy days!

 

[scam75]

So got the fuel lines done today, lovely kit from Rennbay, and not too difficult to fit. I can stop worrying about engine bay fires now!

Wastegate was a different story. Got the Lindsay item off and the diaphragm was actually ok. However it wasn't in great nick inside, quite a lot of corrosion. So we tidied it all up, fitted the new diaphragm and put it all back together. Still no boost control. The plumbing is correct, I have checked this. The wastegate looks fine, no cracks, valve is perfect, new diaphragm and tidied up inside. Banjo bolt looks fine, all the silicone control lines look fine, but can't rule out a pin hole somewhere as we ran out of time today.

I suppose next steps is to take each silicone control line off, and individually test they are air tight. There is a t-piece as well, I suppose it could be perished or broken? Again this can be checked when the control lines are off.

Then there is the MBC itself, again struggling to see how it could fail, but I could take it out the equation by bypassing it, then I should be on spring pressure alone if the WG is indeed ok?

Just a pain in the tits to be honest. Any ideas or suggestions welcome!

Cheers

Stuart