Old dog, old tricks. Owning a 911 Turbo. Pt.6

"16volt" (thecrashingdoor)
08/18/2014 at 12:19 • Filed to: Porsche 911, Porsche Turbo, 80's

As I related previously I owned an 87 VW 16V Scirocco. It was my first German car and the first thing I ever turned a wrench in anger on. I bought it on the advice of fellow flight school student from Germany. The car brought me many great experiences, the best being the VW community. To this day nearly every single person in my life I consider a friend is from that group. My only car from 1997 to 2004/5, I built it from a stock 1.8L to a 2.0L then a 276 cammed car and finally boosted on stand alone. The car was who I was, where I wanted to go and the sole embodiment of my life accomplishments. I built a community of friends around it, organized cruises, shows, dyno days and tech days.

One night someone stole it and gutted it. My life stopped. I watched as everything I loved crumble. Friends, relationships and the community, all were either gone or too painful to bear. I moved on to Saab Viggen and tried to rebuild and nurture my love of cars. I just couldn't do it. Years passed, I lost touch in meaningful ways with all the friends I had made through cars. People married and had kids and built new connections, I stayed behind.

1999 Saab Viggen

In 2009 I bought a 77 Rabbit and began again. The rabbit would lead me back to a life I lost/left. It then lead to an 87 Cabriolet and later the E24. There is however one place I could not get back to, the tool box. Anytime I tried to convince myself to do something mechanical I just froze and thought about all the blood sweat and tears I had into the Scirocco and how someone could just come and take it all away. Instead I dropped the cars off and paid to have the work done. I became and obsessive car polisher and microfiber whore.

1977 VW Rabbit

1987 VW Cabriolet

1986 BMW 635CSi

Previously a big part of wrenching on a car was not what I was doing but who I was doing it with. These days we all have commitments and lives outside of cars, and that's natural. Unfortunately I have never been a while away the hours in a garage by myself type of guy. Unless of course it's polishing something. The 930 is changing that.

The 930 is terrifying to me in many ways. Cost, power, complexity etc. A few days ago however I had a moment in the garage with the car. I got out my tools and went to work. Men built this engine, I can disassemble it. Sure, I may break something but it can be repaired/replaced. For the first time since the Scirocco I actually turned my mind and all the fears off and dug in. It felt good to be invested in the car in way which didn't involve a receipt or a bunch of micro fiber cloths.

So where does that completely unnecessary info leave us? Oh, that's right, calling AAA to have my car and its box of engine parts sent to someone who knows wtf they are doing. Just kidding…ok maybe not.

I got the upper manifold off with a minimal amount of struggle. The hardest part being the decel valve. Seriously, I was leaning towards keeping it but after tonight, its history if I don't need it.

I confirmed where the black line which had the hole in it went and I can now replace it completely. Going to the shop tomorrow to pick up some new hose clamps which actually have a 5mm bolt head on them so I'm not trying to cram a screw driver into impossibly deep/inaccessible areas to remove vacuum lines. Also picking up a set of shorty screwdrivers. Though let me present my current favorite tool. The Cheap Ass Ratcheting Screwdriver Thingy, yet again to the goddamn rescue.

The 930's engine bay is cramped. With every old stuck on hose I envied those who just pull the whole damn motor out in one whack. With the motor out this would be a joy to work on. Seriously. I think that's the genius of the Porsche design, with the motor removed everything you could ever want access too is right there. With other cars there is crap spread all over the engine bay getting in the way of other crap and attached to different crap. You get the idea. With the 911 motor it's all right there, just figure out what layer you need to remove stuff to and bingo. Well bingo if the motor is out, with the motor in you are in for some skinned knuckles and some cursing.

I'm probably being a bit dramatic but here me now, want to work on your 911 motor? Give serious thought to investing the time to drop it and do everything at once. Thanks for reading folks.

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