1987 3.2 Carrera Backdate project - Sladeys hotrod

[bjmullan]

Always fab bedtime reading

[sladey]

OK so lets just wind back a bit - this picture is representative of the general state of the engine before I started cleaning it



After hours and hours with tissues and brake cleaner I got most of it looking like this. Not pretty, but pretty clean



Along the way I decided to pay special attention to the lower cam covers - I wasn’t sure if they were contributing to the gunk but I took no chances (the uppers were tight and dry so I didn’t disturb them)

So whilst the wife was away I nicked the glass out of a coffee table


And started with some red engineers ink and some wet and dry paper - going from this


To this


To this



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[sladey]

After a brief interlude which involved me turning down the rust on the daughters clio’s brake drums


I was able to get back onto it this weekend.

I just had the gearbox to clean, the clutch to assemble and the clutch slave cylinder to fit and bleed, and then pop it all back into the car.

I had previously tested the hi-torque starter motor. - that seemed to work fine but I stripped it down and re-greased the bearings anyway

So onto the clutch


I find the masking tape helps to keep it clean while I’m fitting the release bearing. I spent about 20 minutes setting up my home made 20 ton press to do this bearing before remembering that last time I removed it by standing on it on a piece of wood.

Did that again and the snap ring came out easily - was able to repeat it when reinstalling.

All assembled and fitted to the engine


Joining the two pieces together I had the engine on breeze blocks topped with wood, and the gearbox on a trolley borrower from Ian. I shimmed that up with various bits of wood and metal until it was just the right height to slide on



The offending Allen nut received two washers to leave plenty of depth for an Allen key to grip in the future


Oh and I assembled the new slaved cylinder (you butcher the parts from the old one - shiny!

And here it is in place - freshly bled


If I’d rushed yesterday and worked into the evening I could have got it back into the car. As it was I decided to knock off around 5ish, and leave the installation until next week-end. I found another one of the oil breather pipes had cracking so I’ve ordered a fresh one of those too.

Hopefully my arms will be rested by next week-end and strong enough to compress the slave cylinder to allow me to bolt it back on.

Looking forward to driving it again!




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[KS]

Great story telling! Wanna job?

[DustyM]

I've started using these gaskets Mark, it all helps. Available from Eurocarparts.

[911hillclimber]

I've used those lower gaskets with the silicon bead for years and they certainly work well, another set arriving this week from Type911 for the Lola's engine.
Are all drinks cabinet glass perfectly flat?

[Burma-Shave]

Good stuff. I like your anodised slave cylinder. From their website

The driving comfort will rise clearly, because the intervention of the clutch will be noticeably more pleasant.

Do report back.

[sladey]

Thanks for the tip on the gaskets - they look interesting. My gut feel is that all the mess came from the rear main seal but we’ll see

And yes I’m hoping my intervention is noticeably more pleasant - will report back on it

[sladey]

OK so this week-end the plan was to get the engine back in. However for a while now I’ve been toying with the idea of building a proper trolley to lower the engine and gearbox onto each time I take it out.

I know the best time to design something like this would be when I’ve got them out and available, so in spite of wanting to crack on with the engine install, yesterday I picked up some steel and some castors

I started with this



Went to this


Then the castors - I found that I needed to make some spacers to lift the frame off the castors to get it all to the right height (Low enough to slide under the car, high enough to get a jack under it)

So I cut up some of the bar into spacers


Then I wanted to mount the castors on. Though about bolting but in the end opted for welding



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[sladey]

Welded on:-


I did all 8


And welded them onto the frame



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[sladey]

Just tacked here. - welded it up properly later


Flipped it over to size up the top


Getting ready for first trial fit


Fits a treat


I’ve deliberately done it with a line across the centre - the intention is to cut it half way to make two trolleys that you can split apart when you want to take the gearbox off, or bolt together when installing the combined unit

I’ll be cutting the frame along the line where you can see the two bits of wood meet

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[sladey]

I haven’t split it yet as I don’t need to but I’ll do that before it goes away

Then today I got to use it in anger - I was initially worried I might have made it too high - but I needn’t have worried - it really worked a treat.



Once under the car it was really easy to roll it in any direction to get it lined up properly. Got the engine fully installed all on my own and with none of the usual HOLD IT!! Dramas that normally happen half way through.

Before I put it away I’ll split it in two but weld on some boltable tabs so it’s stable when joined together.

Once the engine was in I spent the rest of the day connecting everything up. I took my time about it and most of it was enjoyable. Perhaps taking 3 goes to fit the anti-roll bar was the least enjoyable bit but other than that it want fairly well.

The bad news is that once it was all together and filled with Porsche’s own ‘made from pure rubies classic oil’ the starter motor wouldn’t work

shite

If you remember - this was the reason I took it all out in the first place. This was the high torque starter motor that I had lying around and which I tested - obviously not well enough.

TBH when I tested it, it didn’t cover itself in glory, so it wasn’t a complete surprise, but it was a bit annoying.

As opposed to the one I took out just clicking, this one engages the solenoid which whirrs, but it doesn’t engage with the flywheel. Or rather it does but only one time in 10 - and it didn’t spin the engine enough for it to catch.

So I’ll order another starter motor and fit it one evening


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[DustyM]

While you're at it you might want to order some new shoes

[sladey]

Nah they’re just wearing in nicely!

While you’re here Jon, I’ve been researching hi torque starter motors online and it looks like a bit of a minefield.

When I got mine I was told it would fit up to 87, and mine did and worked fine for a long time.

Now when I’m looking, design 911 say it’s 10 teeth for the G50, and 9 teeth for the 915 (I need G50)
Looking at the Edge Motorsport site they do one for the 915 box (which looks identical to the one I had) which is described as OK for 915 up to 1987 approx, and a G50 on which they say is 1990 - 2012

On top of that Tuthills sell yet another one and say phone for application.

Confusingly the stock ‘recon’ one I took out (which failed after 3 years) has 9 teeth.

I’ll be taking the hi torque one out on Tuesday to check it’s number of teeth

Any ideas what I should go for?

[DustyM]

They do seem a bit hit and miss, I've had some that are spaced incorrectly and interfere with the flywheel when fitted, but you do need a 10 teeth version

I've used both these types

http://www.powerlite-units.com/products/rac508a/

http://www.wosperformance.co.uk/product ... er-motors/