Wot, not another '79 Targa resto thread

[PeterK]

I was intending to take the SC to Fairmile tonight, but will have to take the daily.

I can't get my CIS tester gauge to seal - both the adapter to the fuel distributor and the gauge bleed valve. The net result is 5.2 bar system pressure initially, but can't get over 3 bar most of the time since. Unless I can get repeatable system pressure readings, then there's no point in going any further. I did start the car and boy oh boy, is it running rich, so I expect to make some adjustments to the WUR. Once system pressure is addressed (not suspecting the fuel distributor, as it was fine before, but I do have a set of washers to adjust it if needed), I think warm control pressure, then cold control pressure (after it has cooled overnight).

I've ordered a few copper sealing washers to address the leaking adapter issue, and contemplating buying another gauge set for the leaky bleed valve. Is anyone going to Fairmile that can lend me a set of gauges please ?

[PeterK]

So, having ordered a new set of gauges (£50 to you Sir), and unable to play on the 911, I set to on house-ly chores. Having stripped and primed two windows (well, the lintels above actually), that came to a stop as I need to borrow some roofing ladders. They will be available tomorrow, so what to do……

I accidentally found myself in the garage. Something in the back of my mind was nagging about schrader valves and a need to remove them from the Master test kit that I currently have (and have just ordered another). So bored, and with nothing to lose, I removed the valve from the gauge and tried my fuel pressures. Nada, zilch, nothing – no pressure at all. Wondering if something had got stuck in the orifice (painful at the best of times I assume), I disconnected the gauge and realised that the main part of the schrader valve was inside the t-piece, not the quick release gauge pipe. Once that was removed I had 5.2 bar pressure (spot on the top end of acceptable pressure).

Testing cold control pressure, I still had only about 0,.6 bar, with a required range of 1.5-1.8 at my temps. Conveniently I had made my WUR adjustable, so with a shake of a lamb’s tail, I had 1.8 bar. I wanted 1.7 but missed, tapped the adjuster back in, got 1.4, adjusted it to 1.7 but it crept up later, so 1.8 it is them. Adding vacuum (required with my WUR when testing CCP) had added about .1 – 0.2bar.

Then onto warm pressures. With a target of 2.7-3.1, I had 3.1 without vacuum, but only 3.4 with vacuum (target 3.4 – 3.80). If I can be really bothered, I can open up the WUR and tweak the vacuum diaphragm adjustment (I set it to what it measured before I played). I think that I will wait until I get it on a rolling road, as a slightly low warm CP will cause a slightly rich condition, which is preferable to lean on a newly rebuilt engine.

So looking good, I got out the Gunsen exhaust analyser and started the car. Wow, rich or what. It took at least one, maybe more than 2 complete turns of the adjustment screw to get the car sounding half-decent– normally 1/8 of a turn is all things need.


Ended up tweaking the mixture more by ear – the Gunsen was less than stable. Struggled to get the tick over down – it didn’t want to go below 1000 – 1000 revs. Took it for a drive (really went well, with no more fluffiness when pulling from low revs in top) and no smelliness. Then realised that I hadn’t reconnected the power to the Aux Air Regulator (Muppet of the Week award ), so basically had an enormous air leak, which explained the difficulty with getting the revs down at tick-over. Re-attached the connector and turned the air bleed screw out to compensate. Did it again when I got home. Will check cold start tomorrow and re-check mixture.

Bit of a bu$$er that I didn’t realise the issue with the gauges yesterday. 1 – I really wanted to take the 911 to Fairmile and 2 – I would have saved £50. Anyone want to buy a set of gauges.

[PeterK]

Needed to go to B&Q, so took the 911. Started well with no surging as it warmed up and ran sweetly, so the efforts with setting up the WUR have paid off.

Next day – short run to see if a local, family-run tyre place would laser align my suspension. They will, so booked in for tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I discovered a minor issue with my odometer and/or SatNag. Whilst it was only about 2 miles there, it was apparently 30 miles back !. No idea how that happened .


And so onto the next, next day ….. and a trip to my local tyre shop for laser alignment (the 911, not me).
They clearly don’t do a lot of classic 911s, but were more than willing to let me do the car while they operated the wizzo machine . Some red (out of spec) camber on my printout, but that’s because I didn’t want standard.

I aimed for 605 to the wheel arches at the rear and 625 at the front. Front is fine, but I allowed a little too much for settlement at the rear, so more like 610, but happy enough with that. Ended up with pretty close to 6’5” caster, 1’ front negative camber and toe-in of 16”. At the rear, 2’ camber and toe-in of 25”

What an amazing transformation of the steering – so light now. Before the 'adjusting' I had 5.5’ caster on NSF, OSF was fine, 1 1/3 camber on NSF with ½ on OSF all with a degree of toe-out. At the rear, I knew that I had about 3’ negative camber but was surprised with toe-out at 1.1’.

I took all my own tools and just as well. Couldn’t get to torque all of the bolts, so did what was needed, drove home nicely, whipped the wheels off and checked torques.



Onto the less good news – neither the guy driving the car onto the rig, nor the one who drove it off, couldn’t find the door lever, so wound the window down and grabbed the outside latch. Unfortunately, by over-weighting the side window, one or both of them managed to wrench the window slider mechanism apart . So once back home it was door panels off, speaker out, winder motor out and fiddle about. All back together OK now, except I have the interior panel and handles to finish off tomorrow.

The other job for tomorrow is my Boxster washer bottle. I had set the front a little low, and when I turned into their yard, got a nasty noise from the front. Having parked the car on the rig, there was a gentle egress of water – the front wheel had grabbed the wiring and pulled it off the level sensor. The leak is around the sensor, so not sure whether it is just a case of re-seating the sensor or a bit of plastic welding.

380 miles completed now .

[Darren65]

.....380 miles completed now .

Awesome!

Here's to a long hot summer!

[PeterK]

Door reassembly completed, small wear hole in washer bottle plastic welded, and some bulbs replaced with ClassicCarLed versions. I just did the dash, stop/tail & reverse lights. As I didn’t want to replace the flasher units, I decided to leave the indicators alone.

Of course I had to check that the car still worked, so a sneaky run around the block followed


The car is now available my for general daily driver duties, although I’m conflicted about using it when I go sailing. On the plus side, it’s more miles towards the running in, but on the down side, leaving it in a publicly accessible carpark over the weekend might be asking for trouble.

[jjeffries]

Excellent updates. I will remember to look back at your WUR work when mine needs doing.

I put dash light LEDs in my 82 but had to revert to the original incandescent bulb for my high beams blue light … the LED version was overbearing, searing a literal Blau Punkt into my eyeballs.

John

[PeterK]

I only did the 8 illuminating bulbs, none of the indication or warning ones.



Took SWMBO to a National Trust place today, 20 miles each way, so 420 down now. Now she’s moaning about her teeth falling out

When we were discussing the miles left before oil change, etc, I mentioned that I would then be able to take the car above 3k revs. She seems to believe that it is more than fast enough already

[PeterK]

Just for a change, I've been away sailing again, so not a lot to report since the last update.

This morning I've fitted a BM2 battery monitor (I like toys and there's been a lot of chat about them recently), replaced the Lemforder rear arb drop links with URO versions (Lemforder versions now for sale) and did a bit of a spanner check underneath. All good, other than 2 of the CV bolts did take a slight nip up.

SWMBO is away this weekend in my X1, so I'll just have to use the 911 and put some more miles on her. Then a lot of sailing but thankfully a couple of days in between events to get the engine service completed.

[PeterK]

Yippee

Patina is good, but maybe regretting not doing the bezels while they were out of the car.

So, while SWMBO’s away, I snuck out and went to sailing - not sailing, just to sailing. I needed about 80 miles and it is about 42 miles to Port Solent, Portsmouth, so I trundled on down there, had a cup of tea and came back. Filled up with fuel, ouch – only needed about ¾ tank and that was north of £100

Anyway, home now, 512 miles completed so ….


Oil being dropped to see how much of my bearings and camshafts are in the oil and maybe I can start re-torquing the head studs and checking valve clearances tomorrow. I’m supposed to be painting the front door while SWMBO is away, but what could I possibly get upto while the primer is drying. I wonder

[jtparr]

Excellent to read all this Peter…hope you’re happy with at all…sounds like you are…great effort…

[PeterK]

Thanks JP.
A few minor niggles that need working through - re-stretch targe top when the sun’s been on it, balance handbrake pull side to side, finalise ride height (not sure whether it’s too low, hence bump,steer, or just a tad too much toe), smarten up the interior - but overall enjoying just driving my first 911. Actually it’s the only 911 I’ve driven, so nothing to compare it to

Can’t wait to get enough miles on it to really give it some beans


Not long to CLM now

[rhd racer]

Did you put a spacer under the rack Peter to minimise the bump steer? They do proper spacers, but I just drilled the thread out of an M10 but from memory

Glad you are enjoying it - be even better when you can give it some revs!

[PeterK]

No, I didn’t. How thick should they be - about 6mm or so ?

[rhd racer]

I may have used two, it was 20 years ago! If you Google the spacers I am sure they will give the dimensions and you can knock something up. I would give it a go as a really easy fix before you put too much air in the front arches!

[911hillclimber]

I put those 8mm spacers on my hillclimb 73 911 many years ago when the car was very low.
Removed them when I raised the car.
By raised I mean the front lower arms are parallel to the road, the rear rises from there by 1 degree etc, classic road lowered stance.
No bump steer at all on my car.
So easy and cheap to add them, so worth the try.
Make some on your lathe!
Iirc they are about 30mm diameter.