Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
My son has a 1985 Porsche 944 with non-turbo engine that was recently rebuilt. The engine ran fine for about 2500 miles and now has a strong dinging noise when the engine runs above 3000 RPM. He is assuming that the cam shaft or one of the piston arms is bent. Is this assumption correct?
My son purchased an engine that came from a wrecked 944 that has almost everything still connected. We are planning to replace the engine. Do you think this is the way to go or should we try to work on the engine that is still in the car?
If we pull the engine we are planning to pull it up out of the car. We figured that we would not need to deal with the wheels and all their rods that would require alignment. Do you think we are on the right track?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Answer -
Mario, thanks for writing. Very sexy car right? You son must have beautiful women hanging all over him. If only there were warning labels! For the cars. Everyone should call Uncle Dave before they buy a 944!
Here's what to do first:
1. Stop driving that car and stop making that expen$$ive noise.
2 Buy the 944 repair manual shown here:
http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=1850106576&mode=direct
Or go get one at your local auto parts store, but you'll pay a lot for the shrink-wrapping. Don't pay top dollar for a new shiny book if you can get one pre-owned in pretty good shape. You'll will definitely keep the manual as long as you have the car and it's going to get greasy eventually. Maybe very soon in your case.
I'm typing slower today...can't you tell? Just broke my arm. Anyway. I'm going to send you this response and a follow-up later today. I have a lot to tell you. I really want to make sure you've stopped driving the car.
Dave
Dave,
Sorry to hear that you broke your arm, hope it heals quickly.
The car hasn't been driven since detecting the noise and we already have a copy of the Porsche manual that you linked.
The most recent engine exchange was done at a professional garage. My son knew the owner and was allowed to work on it there. He was able to get parts at cost, professional advice/coaching but the shop did charge him for some labor. Unfortunately they did not have a gurantee since the engine was a rebuilt. I thought that it was a good learning experience for him.
Now we are going to tackle this project at home. The manual suggests dropping the engine but the professional garage had pulled it from the top. I think lifting the engine out would involve less hassle with the suspension arm, stabilizer bar and crossmember. If we can avoid dealing with this stuff then I figure we wouldn't need to deal with wheel alignment. Is this a correct assumption?
Looking for to your words of wisdom.
AnswerMario,
Actually I'd rather see you fix the engine that's in the car rather than pull it. Or at least verify first that it's not fixable...like when you see a broken timing belt...then you could yank it.
Re: pulling the motor from top or bottom...I didn't have to do that for my daughter so I don't have personal experience...I don't know and can't imagine* why it would be dropped down (other than they don't know any other way). Suppose Porsche pulls it from below because that's the way it's done with all the air-cooled cars, which were there first?
I did something similar a while back. The Mercedes instructions called for engine+transmission together...but I didn't need or want the transmission out. I especially didn't when the instructions required removing a steering rod, so I understand what you're thinking. If you want the engine to go up, I'll bet you can do it. Even if it takes removing something that is actually harder to remove than the steering piece below, but you won't mind.
Sounds like its time to get wrenching!
Dave
P.S. *If you pull the engine, be careful to consider the relationship between the engine and the housing that holds the driveshaft. This could be a deal-killer so look closely.
