The Manhattan Project

Ongoing and archived Porsche (and other marques) restoration threads from DDK members

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Darren65
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by Darren65 »

AndrewSlater wrote:Image
....love this photo, looks gorgeous 8)
jjeffries
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by jjeffries »

Slightly rich is much safer than slightly lean, just like the old saying that a (slightly) loose valve is a happy valve. John
911hillclimber
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by 911hillclimber »

Calendar shots arriving early this year! :)
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
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AndrewSlater
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by AndrewSlater »

Over the past few weeks I have been playing with the adjustment on the vacuum limiter.
Although the replacement had fixed the pops on sudden close of the throttle, I had introduced a new fault which was an occasional high idle when pulling up to a junction. In other words the vacuum limiter was opening at too low a vacuum pressure ( approx 15Hg ). I've been playing with the adjustment so that it opens at a higher vacuum and fingers crossed I've solved this problem.

I've also become eccentric in the last week the same as Graham! :lol:
Or maybe I should rephrase that and say that I fitted the eccentric hub to the steering wheel as per Grahams suggestion. Definitely gives you a bit more room for your knees and you don't really notice the eccentricity - so seems a good modification.

Not sure it's that obvious in the photo.
Image

I also treated the car to a full wheel alignment as I didn't have access to any proper alignment tools when I had reassembled it so didn't expect it to be spot on, although the drive didn't feel so bad.

Image

I went somewhere I hadn't used before based on recommendations.
The specialist felt a few measurements, for example the rear camber were on limit, but that he expected them to settle within spec given another 1000 miles or so.

Annoyingly the toe figures were presented in mm ( rather than degrees ) from his Supertracker system which means you need to convert them via the wheel rim diameter to get the angle.

However when he said I had 17.4mm of front toe, even my quick maths spotted that wasn't great when the target was zero. :roll:

My plan is to get some more miles on the car for the suspension to settle further and then put it through another check.

At the end of the session and after the tester after had complimented me on the car, I made the fatal mistake of joking to that 'this was the point that the car would embarrass me and not start' - which it promptly did.

Now I have made lots of trips in the car recently and it always starts well from cold, and restarts great, but this is probably the first time I have tried to restart after an hour or so. Seems I have a hot start problem.

Oh well always good to have something to add to the 'To do' list!
1966 Porsche 912 Slate Grey, red interior - first owner owned for 41 years
1974 Porsche 911 2.7 (The Manhattan project) viewtopic.php?f=28&t=51455
1973 VW 914 1.7 Olympic Blue - ( gone to a good home )
911hillclimber
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by 911hillclimber »

The eccentric ring is a good mod if you like the wheel a bit higher, glad it worked for you.
Driving the car the change is un-noticeable. :)
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by Bootsy »

Your car looks wonderful
1972 911T | 1994 993 Carrera | 1999 986 Boxster | 1990 T25 Camper

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jjeffries
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by jjeffries »

Since I'm across the water I don't know the inner workings of DDK, as a club, and whether you fellows maintain any shared equipment? If yes, a SmartStrings kit and a set of digital scales would be wonderful for those who'd like to set, monitor and tweak their 911/12/14's suspension and steering settings. I did my SC's after overhauling the suspension using a homemade strings set-up and borrowed scales, plus an angle-gauge and obtained excellent (and repeatable) results, and I'm just an amateur home-garage guy like anyone else...it was a revelation how do-ble it is. It seems like collectively you guys spend a lot of money on your "geo"?

But maybe that's not within the club's purview? Just thinking out loud ... I admire Andrew's orange car very much and these photos of it on the alignment rack got me reminscing. Apologies for the thread hijack.

John
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by 911hillclimber »

I did my 73T using string, borrowed balances and a Dunlop Camber gauge + a caster gauge a few years ago. A DDK'r came to my rescue with the loan of the digital scales. :)
Took a long time simply because access was poor with the car on the ground.
It must be wonderful to have a car lift....

Trickiest bit was finding and setting a level garage floor for the balances to sit on.

This ORANGE car looks fab from any angle!
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
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AndrewSlater
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by AndrewSlater »

I have to agree that wheel alignment is pretty simple and can be done with string and protractors etc.
However having a lift and wheel plates makes it so much easier to do.

It always annoys me when you take it in to a specialist who has all the right gear and at the end they say if you bring it back I'm sure we can get it closer to spec. I would kill to just have an hour on the rig and just put some effort in to getting it perfect.

Since then I have been back around the loop regarding residual fuel pressure to try to solve the hot start issue I saw.

Now my little specification book for the '74 911 states a minimum leakdown pressure of 0.7kg/cm2 after 10 minutes.
kg/cm2 is approximately the equivalent of bar.

The K-jet workshop manual states 1.7 bar at 10 minutes and 1.5 bar at 20 minutes.
Jims basement specifies 1 bar after 20 minutes.

Good to have a consistent value to aim for !

So testing my engine I'm much better than the little spec book and Jim's threshold but just on the edge of the K-jet manual - so I can't see it being this.
As a further precaution I went around every fuel line fitting in the system and tightened them further ( as some of the circuits are not part of the test ).

I'll have to put it back together and keep an eye out for it doing this again.
1966 Porsche 912 Slate Grey, red interior - first owner owned for 41 years
1974 Porsche 911 2.7 (The Manhattan project) viewtopic.php?f=28&t=51455
1973 VW 914 1.7 Olympic Blue - ( gone to a good home )
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AndrewSlater
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by AndrewSlater »

I recently fitted a bluetooth battery monitor to the car.
You can pick them up new on eBay for around £15-£20.

Image

I have to say I'm pretty impressed, so much so that I have fitted more to my other cars.

Its a useful tool to give you the status of your battery, alarms at different stages of charge, cranking voltage and charging details - all in a simple app on your phone or tablet.

I was made aware of it via a comprehensive thread on 911UK here
http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=139535 ... ry+monitor
1966 Porsche 912 Slate Grey, red interior - first owner owned for 41 years
1974 Porsche 911 2.7 (The Manhattan project) viewtopic.php?f=28&t=51455
1973 VW 914 1.7 Olympic Blue - ( gone to a good home )
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jb
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by jb »

Just a thought but when starting a hot engine you need to lift the hand throttle or push the throttle pedal down.
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AndrewSlater
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by AndrewSlater »

Thanks for the suggestion but I always use the hand throttle when starting the car hot or cold - as if its already hot the thermotime switch prevents the cold start valve from operating so no reason not to

Tried to start it 3 or 4 times whilst on the ramp, before the alignment guy said that I wouldn't be able to start it now as I'd flooded it.
Pretty sure that wasn't the case as there was zero smell of fuel, more the opposite that the injectors weren't providing fuel.

I had to take the airbox off and manually 'lift' the air plate for a few seconds. The fuel distributor seemed to gurgle a bit before I heard the injectors sing. Sounds like a vapour lock in the system or air in the fuel distributor (if they are not the same thing).

Will need to keep an eye out for it happening again - there is always an explanation.
1966 Porsche 912 Slate Grey, red interior - first owner owned for 41 years
1974 Porsche 911 2.7 (The Manhattan project) viewtopic.php?f=28&t=51455
1973 VW 914 1.7 Olympic Blue - ( gone to a good home )
jjeffries
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by jjeffries »

Agree with Graham that getting your home alignment gear all leveled out is half the battle. I made wooden boxes, about 12" x 12" x 24", then made little leveling feet in each corner: obsession! Learned a great substitute on Pelican for slip plates: big Ziploc bags. Effective.
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by camperco »

AndrewSlater wrote:Thanks for all the great comments guys.

Ref the steering wheel offset spacer, do you not get the problem of it digging into your legs further when you turn the wheel by 180 degrees?

As for the black/silver plates the look has grown on me.
When I first fitted them I had a sense of deja vu but couldn't think why.
I later spotted Angus' '74 911 that I have seen in the flesh a few times over the years and the penny dropped.
Spot the difference ( I hope Angus doesn't mind me using his photo ).

Image
Image

Before testing out the fuel pressure mods, I thought I should finally fit my engine bay stickers that I bought from Carbone.
Image
Perfect - bound to jinx it!
So our 2.7 has a close cousin - that's great!
Angus Watt http://www.greatworthclassics.co.uk

Greatworth Classics & VW Camper Company

Its a feature - not a fault sir..
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Re: The Manhattan Project

Post by sladey »

AndrewSlater wrote: It always annoys me when you take it in to a specialist who has all the right gear and at the end they say if you bring it back I'm sure we can get it closer to spec. I would kill to just have an hour on the rig and just put some effort in to getting it perfect.
That’s why I like Centre Gravity. He won’t leave it until he has got it perfect. Even if that is 8pm or even later.

I think once I’ve got a lift it is something I may play around with myself> However, for the moment whenever I take it to Centre Gravity I feel really secure about the car - because an OCD nutter who really knows his stuff has worked on my car until he is satisfied it does what I want it to do.
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young but I'm just backdated yeah
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