From: darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov on behalf of Dave Darling [darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 1999 11:38 AM To: Nick Fuzessery Cc: 914 Subject: Re: [914] rookie attacks 914 At 10:48 AM -0700 4/13/99, Nick Fuzessery wrote: >Brakes: ... don't know how well these cars can brake. ... They are not known for having great brakes. I hear there are ones with stock braking systems that have nice solid pedals, but I've never driven one myself. >Ignition: ... when the key is turned, 3 things >can happen. (1) no sound, (2) Ford starter relay clicking and fuel pump >struggling or (3) car starts fine. Check the resistances of all the wiring and connections that you can. Not a great suggestion, I know... >Shifter: Replaced the two rear bushing. OId ones didn't look that bad, >and the firewall bushing is fine. Still shifts like a 914. Make sure that the conical Allen-head set-screws are screwed all the way in flush. If they are only 2/3 of the way in, they allow a pretty good amount of slop in the linkage. People have also posted about bushings in the "universal joint" coupler between the front and rear rods. >Fuel: Idle speed is inconsistent, from 800-2500 rpm. Tried defeating the >auxillary air, but no diff. Checked terminals on the air flow and >throttle position sensors, which were w/in specs. Cleaned up the >throttle. Now the idle gradually rises with engine temp from 900 to1800 >rpm. I suppose the rest of the fuel/ignition system has got to be checked >out. Just trying to get it so the engine won't stall when cold, or go >above 2000 rpm when hot. Most likely a lean condition. Try tweaking the knob on top of the ECU clockwise. That may help a bit. Check the ignition--timing, dwell, etc. It also sounds as if your aux air valve is either not opening when it is cold, or not closing when the engine is warm. Verify that it's doing both. Check head temp sensor resistance both cold and warm. >Have a minor leak at the fuel lines coming out of the tank. Do I need to >remove the tank to fix? No, you don't--but it's a real PITA to get the hose clamps loosened or tightened through that 3" hole... Anyway, support the front of the car securely, then remove the gravel pan. (4 bolts, 2 13mm and 2 17 or 19.) You'll see about a 3" hole with a grommet around it, and the hoses from the tank to the center tunnel lines will be visible through it. Tough to get the clamps off, even tougher to pull the old hoses off (I cut mine length- wise to slide them off!) and tough to put the hose clamps on the new lines. Make sure not to route the lines with too tight a curve or you'll starve the engine. Use high-quality fuel hose rated for 50+ PSI. The usual mail- order outfits have it. There is a 7mm ID hose and a 9mm ID hose. I used the fuel pump to empty the tank. Put the supply line from the pump into a fuel can and jumpered the pump relay. Takes a while to get even 1.5 gallons out, but less messy than opening up one of the lines under- neath the car. WARNING: There WAS a spark when I connected the jumper wire! Sparks and gasoline vapor are a BAD combination, so this may have been one of my dumber ideas! (Especially since the fuel can was only ~4 feet away from the relay board at the time...) >Heat shields around manifolds and heat exchangers are loose and rattle >like crazy. Will spot welds take care of this? Only a couple of those. Check for missing screws in the ducting as well. The stock ones require the biggest slot-head screwdriver that Sears sells--or at least the biggest one they had in stock at that time. It's about 2 1/2' long... BIG mother. Spot-welds might help the exchangers to not rattle so much, but they'll still be leaking, so your heat will suffer, and you can fog up your windshield real easily after driving through a puddle. (BTDT!) Another cheap fix is to put some hose clamps around the exchangers at the back. The "proper" fix is to get some SSIs--stainless steel exchangers. Look great, work great, and won't rust. I love mine. Have fun with the new toy--as you've discovered, it's a blast to drive! --DD Dave Darling 74 914 2.0 (VROOM!) darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov <--- OR ---> ddarling@wgss.com "914: The Porsche Picnic Basket. A lid that opens on each end, and a handle in the middle.." -- CHD