Porsche 924 Superthread

MrCostington

Is the head getting skimmed?

Dades

MrCostington wrote: »

Is the head getting skimmed?

I can't remember the full gist of my chat with the mechanics. I trust the lads to do the right thing when the time comes.

Does it always need skimming? Or only if there's warping/damage?

Kenny Logins

Dades wrote: »

I can't remember the full gist of my chat with the mechanics. I trust the lads to do the right thing when the time comes.

Does it always need skimming? Or only if there's warping/damage?

If even just to clean up the sealing surface, I would.

MrCostington

Dades wrote: »

Does it always need skimming? Or only if there's warping/damage?

Not sure TBH, but I think warping is usually or often the cause of gasket failures.


If you have an hour to kill, VERY interesting guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06l5jHMZt0Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDf_IrEEbYg

PS, understand budget etc, but now would be a great time to check your valve seats/guide too.

I swear, I don't have shares in your garage:)

Dades

A couple of work in progress pics...

Head off in anticipation of a new gasket:



The old gasket - gone exactly where they said they thought it had:



Santa's bringing a new timing belt and fuel pump, too.

Also recommended I pick up a breather hose.
Looking at this one on eBay at the moment, unless anyone has a spare knocking around.

Dades

LIGHTNING wrote: »

^

You also still don't have your cooling pipe to your alternator

Hmmm. I bought one of those... and I'm pretty sure I fitted it too!
Are we talking about my old one that was all cracked and patched up with duct tape?

I can only assume they removed whatever was there for access.

Dades

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Are they going to clean up the top of the pistons etc? Decent bit of carbon build up

I assume so! Far be it from me to micro manage the process.

They're also looking at my drivers door handle, which after years of being somewhat sticky, finally popped off when the rescue truck driver yanked too hard.

Hoping to get her back tomorrow.

MrCostington

Dades wrote: »

Hoping to get her back tomorrow.

Good luck!

Dades

Back in the saddle!

Picked her up and about to make the trip home. Will be very relieved if all goes well.

Not a night to be stranded. :pac:

MrCostington

Did you make it, or are you still sleeping in the car:)

Dades

Made it alright... did need to use a booster to start at some point yesterday evening though. Was turning over but not firing.

Thinking the battery might be a bit flat from sitting in the garage for a spell only being used to crank every now and then. Charged it and my booster pack last night - will keep an eye over the weekend.

I hope it's not the return of the "warm start" 924 issue. I fixed that years ago with a few replacement bits, and would not welcome it back, even though I have the fixer switch fitted under the dash.

In the interim - she got a well deserved wash.

MrCostington

Looks great! Thanks for posting the pic.

Hopefully the battery/starting will sort itself out - good excuse for a nice spin

Dades

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I cant keep my 924 clean, it sits under a tree so it was covered in little berries for ages. Then once all the leaves fell off the birds are now in the tree covering my car in crap :mad:

You need a cover, or a cat.

Rows Grower

Or a chainsaw.

Dades

So, the 924 is back in decent health.

Unfortunately the warm start issue is also back.

I has this common issue for years, where the car would sometimes require turning over for up to 10 seconds before firing. This only happened when the car had be driven, and then left for anything between 15 minutes or an hour. I believe its to do with fuel vapour on something like that. I fitted a switch to the cold start value to essentially chuck a bit of fuel in when cranking and this worked for a few years.

Eventually, the problem just went away, and I'm racking my brains to try and remember what fixed it as I was addressing some other issue instead at the time. I know replacing the distributor about 3 years ago gave new life to the car, and I'm thinking this might have something to do with it. The garage tweaked the rotor when doing the head gasket last week.

They did also suggest I get new plugs, and get a new crankshaft hose. Wondering if I should start with these and see how it goes before thinking about any other fix?

I'm reluctant to fork out the cash to the garage while I still have this issue, given it wasn't there before they took it in.

Any thoughts welcome!

Kenny Logins

The 'aul Thermo Time switch - What does your switch do exactly?

IIRC If you ground the Thermo Time switch while cranking it'll stay open and allow enough fuel through. Wiring a doorbell in here would do the job. :pac:

...but this might not be the issue. If you can crank past it and start, it could be the TTS. I didn't bother with any wiring on mine, always just cranked through until it fired.

Dades

The button activates (afaik) the cold start valve - it's a doorbell type setup alright! I installed it a long time ago.
Works great but I'm annoyed that I'm back using it after years of it being redundant.

I guess the return of the issue must have been caused by something that occurred during the head gasket replacement.

Kenny Logins

I'd check the wiring on that button circuit before looking elsewhere. It's probably disconnected.

Dades

I'm confused... which button circuit?

The work-around switch for the hot start issue works great. I just don't want to have to use it!

Kenny Logins

...I'm confuded now. You said the hot-start issue has returned, did it just go away for while without having to press the doorbell? Maybe the TTS was grounded permanently without you realising?

Dades

Kenny Logins wrote: »

...I'm confuded now. You said the hot-start issue has returned, did it just go away for while without having to press the doorbell? Maybe the TTS was grounded permanently without you realising?

So, when I originally had the hot-start issue, I fitted the work-around switch to avoid all the cranking.

Then, whatever I did a few years back, the hot start issue just went away - meaning I never needed to use the switch to start the car - hot or cold. (This might have been a new distributor cap, or leads, I just don't know!)

Now, since the head gasket replacement the hot start issue is back. That is, unless I use the switch, the car will crank for ages before firing (if warm).

(I don't think anything was permanently grounded. Certainly the cold start valve the switch is attached to couldn't be permanently activated or it'd probably blow something up!)

Kenny Logins

Sorry, yeah, my memory is a bit (very) fuzzy on this - I thought the wiring fix was to the TTS and not the cold start valve. You're right, and I guess when all is in tip-top condition the engine was starting before the timer went off.

Dades

Well, the 924 is getting back on a trailer tomorrow morning. Couldn't get her moving outside my folks house after a sit of just over an hour. Managed to get her fired after interminable cranking, but would just rev like the bejesus and then die (thoughts??) Hot start switch not a solution.

Obviously something not right after her recent surgery. Was driving and starting so beautifully for years, I'm not happy about this change of fortune.

I assume I'm within my rights to get the garage to sort it out and get the car back to the way she was before the gasket went? With the exception of any more new bits I don't expect to be charged.

Dades

Quick update...

Kicking myself as it turns out the big rubber air intake had just popped off. I didn't spot it as it was dark and raining both times I'd given a cursory check under the bonnet. I wouldn't mind so much but this popped off before years ago and I'd realised and just reattached and tightened it.

The lads at the garage obviously hadn't tightened it enough, which is annoying for the hassle it caused me.

On the bright side it was a lovely drive this morning in the sunshine with Xmas FM. :P

micko38

Hi All,

Before I go pulling car apart where is the probable area for water coming into passenger foodwell. I'm thinking windscreen issue ?

Dades

Water can definitely get in over the firewall if the battery tray drain gets clogged and we have a lot of rain. Also check there are no holes in the battery tray beneath the battery itself (I plugged one I found last year).

I suffer still from occasional dampness in the passenger side, so I obviously haven't covered all the bases. Be interested to hear what else I should be looking at!

Dades

Anyone interested in a showroom mileage 924?

You won't find one with less miles on the clock.

unkel

Nice milestone

That's a very high idle. Or were you driving and is the speedo broken?

Dades

unkel wrote: »

Nice milestone

That's a very high idle. Or were you driving and is the speedo broken?

Yeah it's a bit high alright. Was tweaking it recently when trying to sort out another issue. Haven't gotten round to bringing it back down it as it was very cold at the time so no harm. One for the list tomorrow, unkel!

Dades

Sprung a leak on the way home today.

After I stopped in the shops, the temp gauge went to the red 5 mins from home (I've never stopped watching it since alternator/fan issues years ago). Got home popped the bonnet and discovered coolant spraying out a hole in this pipe.

I've tried to patch then hole it up with Sugru this evening and will leave it harden till tomorrow. Uncertain if that'll last at all so better think about replacing that pipe.

Anyone know what bit that is?