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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ How bad is my rusty ear?
Posted by: cstone12 Apr 11 2010, 08:17 PM
I was under my car this weekend replacing the alternator thanks to a great post I found on this site. Anyway, I took the opportunity to poke around with a screwdriver and woops... it went right through my driver side rear suspension ear! One of the POs fixed the hell hole and ear but evidently didn't make it to the other side. I have a 110v MIG that is probably about the cheapest one you can find but will I be able to use something like that to repair this? Is the car even safe to drive? There are too many good things about this car to abandon it due to this. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys
Posted by: sww914 Apr 11 2010, 08:20 PM
I think you need to pull the engine, buy a suspension ear and an engine shelf and weld them on. The hard part is cutting the old one off. Your 110v mig will do the job.
Your car looks like it's worth it.
I think GPR has one in stock.
Posted by: jsayre914 Apr 11 2010, 08:28 PM
nice looking car. are those fuches 15 X 5.5 ? i recently got interested in wheels and yours look really nice.
Posted by: Krieger914 Apr 11 2010, 08:59 PM
If that were my car I wouldn't drive it until I hacked off those assemblies and welded new ones on. Your car looks nice and is worth the effort. You can do it. We can help...kinda, support & knowledge
Posted by: 1968Cayman Apr 11 2010, 09:09 PM
I have only been butchering 914s for about 8 weeks now (not quite my first rodeo, though) so take this as you will . . . I wouldn't push that car beyond puttering to the famer's market until it's repaired. Remove the left suspension, reference everything and weld the flanges all around. The bigger problem is that the consoles seem to corrode from the inside out, so you may have it a lot worse in places you can't currently see. There is a great thread somewhere on this site where the owner boxed his ears in with what I believe were custom pieces.
Posted by: Mikey914 Apr 11 2010, 09:13 PM
Probably a little rust above and in the long. I'll pull the motor and survey the extent of the cancer. The good news is these parts are available. You may have caught it before it has become a major surgery.
I hope.
Posted by: JRust Apr 11 2010, 09:32 PM
Yes pull the motor & replace the shelf & ear. I would not drive that anywhere. It will cause alot more damage if it gives while your driving. Not worth it! Especially as nice as the rest of your car looks 
. Mine cracked on my v8 car & luckily I caught it before it gave. Good catch
Posted by: SirAndy Apr 11 2010, 10:08 PM
Yes pull the motor & replace the shelf & ear. I would not drive that anywhere. It will cause alot more damage if it gives while your driving. Not worth it! Especially as nice as the rest of your car looks
. Mine cracked on my v8 car & luckily I caught it before it gave. Good catch
Posted by: dakotaewing Apr 11 2010, 11:57 PM
Yes pull the motor & replace the shelf & ear. I would not drive that anywhere. It will cause alot more damage if it gives while your driving. Not worth it! Especially as nice as the rest of your car looks
. Mine cracked on my v8 car & luckily I caught it before it gave. Good catchWhile your at it, go ahead and replace the rubber brake lines - It's time...
You might seriously consider the metal ones too...
They look to be original as well -
Your car is beautiful, and I am sure you would like to keep it that way -
Best!!
Thom
Posted by: jcambo7 Apr 12 2010, 01:49 AM
You might want to take care of the bee in the third picture also before you start tearing into your car too much. 
Posted by: Racer Chris Apr 12 2010, 04:20 AM
AFAIK, only passenger side inner consoles (& engine shelfs) are available new.
Most donor cars are going to have rust in that area too so you will probably have to fabricate your own replacement pieces.
The engine should be removed to do the repair.
While the suspension is apart you should seriously consider installing replacement bushings since the one pictured is pretty well knackered.
Posted by: xperu Apr 12 2010, 05:29 AM
I had a simular problem, so I deopped the engine, bought a new ear assembly from AA, installed SS fuel lines form a vendor member, replaced my brake lines and firewall bushings. Fiexd my hell hole and generally cleaned everthing up and of course got very fimiluar with my car and what was really under all that 30+ year old paint, dirt and PO muck up. Mike
Posted by: dr914@autoatlanta.com Apr 12 2010, 07:28 AM
disgusting looking! Fortunately the drivers side does not rust much so used are commonly available. Let us know if you cannot find one and we will cut one out for you.
I was under my car this weekend replacing the alternator thanks to a great post I found on this site. Anyway, I took the opportunity to poke around with a screwdriver and woops... it went right through my driver side rear suspension ear! One of the POs fixed the hell hole and ear but evidently didn't make it to the other side. I have a 110v MIG that is probably about the cheapest one you can find but will I be able to use something like that to repair this? Is the car even safe to drive? There are too many good things about this car to abandon it due to this. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys
Posted by: RobW Apr 12 2010, 08:43 AM
Yes pull the motor & replace the shelf & ear. I would not drive that anywhere. It will cause alot more damage if it gives while your driving. Not worth it! Especially as nice as the rest of your car looks
. Mine cracked on my v8 car & luckily I caught it before it gave. Good catch You do want to get in there and find the full extent of the damage..
Posted by: sean_v8_914 Apr 12 2010, 09:18 AM
passenger side is easier as George stated.
driver's side is unobtanium as a new stamping
used driver's side is a pitch to harvest from donor car
once you harvest off donor, it's likely to be rusty also as in attached photos
good luck
Attached thumbnail(s)
Posted by: Rico Suave Apr 12 2010, 11:13 AM
The outside looks bad, but the fact that it rots from the INSIDE out hides the worst of it. Fix it right if you plan to keep it or do a scab plate over the top and sell it.
The battery acid and water leaks down from the top between the two pieces, rusting it from the inside. I've done two of them and once did a scab plate, later to fix it right.
BTW, the bushing looks to be toast, too.
Posted by: Racer Chris Apr 12 2010, 11:25 AM
The battery acid and water leaks down from the top between the two pieces, rusting it from the inside.
First time I heard of a battery mounted on the left side of a 914 engine compartment.
Posted by: Rico Suave Apr 12 2010, 11:27 AM
I assumed it was the passenger side..... 
Posted by: sean_v8_914 Apr 12 2010, 11:58 AM
ass-umed.
reading is good mike
Posted by: Rico Suave Apr 12 2010, 12:12 PM
Two words, Back Pain......never saw a driver side go bad, finding a replacement should be interesting. Do they even make that side?
BTW, I see you worked out a deal with Rich on those fakies. I sent him the link on your ad......yer welcome.... 
Still looking for a windshield if know where one is.....
Sorry for the hijack....NOT!
Posted by: Gudhjem Apr 12 2010, 01:13 PM
How do you guys go about aligning the new ears?
My passenger side was repaired by a PO, and from the looks of the welding, not so well. I've been thinking about welding in a new one next time I have the engine out (which is soon). My only hesitation has been lining up the new part.
How critical is the alignment? Even with rubber bushings, I'd assume this has to be in pretty much the exact right spot front/back, up/down, and of course straight. What do you use as a point of reference?
Posted by: Shade Tree Apr 12 2010, 01:37 PM
How do you guys go about aligning the new ears?
My passenger side was repaired by a PO, and from the looks of the welding, not so well. I've been thinking about welding in a new one next time I have the engine out (which is soon). My only hesitation has been lining up the new part.
How critical is the alignment? Even with rubber bushings, I'd assume this has to be in pretty much the exact right spot front/back, up/down, and of course straight. What do you use as a point of reference?
Lots of folks have a jig to line it up. I don't have one but ask around. It's a common repair.
Posted by: cstone12 Apr 12 2010, 03:57 PM
Thanks a lot for all the replies everyone. Sounds like I have some work ahead of me if I want to get any driving in this season. I'm going to get in there and see the extent of the rust and try to find what I need to replace it. And I thought replacing the alternator was going to be a pita...
Posted by: Rico Suave Apr 12 2010, 04:04 PM
Well since the ear repair requires the engine and trans to be removed the alt is now easy to get at.... 
You might try Rich Bontempi at High Performance House in the Bay Area for the part. He can cut it off dead rides. As I mentioned the driver side repair is a rarity. Auto Atlanta in Georgia could help too.....
Posted by: r_towle Apr 12 2010, 04:40 PM
What rust...looks fine, drive it till it breaks....
Seriously...fix that now.
Rich
Posted by: KELTY360 Apr 12 2010, 07:03 PM
Some people use this method
Posted by: dion9146 Apr 12 2010, 07:31 PM
I had one that looked like that, but I didn't know it until I roached it at an autocross. The result is a little too much camber in the rear.....
After I cut out the bad one, I started poking around. The rust was terminal and extended up through the lower fire wall (in and out), floors, inner longs, etc. The PO did a great job of hiding it, and since it was my first Teener, I didn't know what to look for. The car got scrapped, then I started down the slippery slope of 914-6 ownership. Hope yours is better.....
Mine looked great too, and won lots of AP autocross events up until that fateful day.
Dion
Attached image(s)
Posted by: cstone12 Apr 13 2010, 07:40 AM
I had one that looked like that, but I didn't know it until I roached it at an autocross. The result is a little too much camber in the rear.....
After I cut out the bad one, I started poking around. The rust was terminal and extended up through the lower fire wall (in and out), floors, inner longs, etc. The PO did a great job of hiding it, and since it was my first Teener, I didn't know what to look for. The car got scrapped, then I started down the slippery slope of 914-6 ownership. Hope yours is better.....
Mine looked great too, and won lots of AP autocross events up until that fateful day.
Dion
I hope that's not my case Dion. If you didn't have to up and move you could come over and check it out for me, oh well.
Posted by: dion9146 Apr 13 2010, 08:28 AM
I hope it's not the case too.
Posted by: sean_v8_914 Apr 13 2010, 10:42 AM
I repair these alot.
ITS GONNA BREAK SOON
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