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Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 4 2014, 03:55 PM

So I've been working my booty off trying to get this nightmare of a car I have into a safe, reliable, and drivable condition.

I've replaced the leaky brake master cylinder (which had been leaking for years, and is the reason the base of the pedal cluster and the floor under the pedal cluster are nonexistent. Thanks, Scotty Boy, btw, for omitting to mention the leaky BMC and non existent e-brake, and telling me the car was safe to drive 500 miles! That's classy!). Replaced the brake lines and hoses. Sourced an e-brake handle, and reconnected the e-brake lines.

To fix the oil that was hemorrhaging from the engine I replaced the oil cooler seals and the oil pressure switch. Found the oil pressure switch threads were stripped...argghh!!!! JB Weld is holding them on for now. Oil warning light still works, so I'm not worried about it at the moment.

I've rebuilt the non-functioning ignition system: new ignition coil, converted to electronic ignition, new cap, rotor, plugs, and wires. Set the timing.
The wires that came on the car weren't even all matched! WTF!

I've replaced every weather seal...ALL of which were deteriorated or not present.

I've sourced a lower dash pad, as well as driver and passenger armrests. All of which were missing.

Got new tires to replace the cracked ones that were on there (again, no mention of this when told the car was safe to drive 500 miles!). BTW, the car had 245/50/15 on the front and 225/50/15 on the rear. What idiot puts bigger tires on the front?!!!!
My new tires are 225/50/15 all around, and pretty happy with them.

I've spent days and days trying to get the doors (in particular the driver door) to close correctly with the windows up. Finally succeeded!!!!
Now I just need to figure out how to get the windows to roll up and down with those new scraper seals. They stick and won't let the window roll down.

Once I got the car to where it would go and stop, I had to chase down the 2200rpm idle. Step1: replaced the ancient and incorrectly routed vacuum hoses (some of which were not even connected and left lying open on top of the engine. And some of which were clear hard plastic weirdness) with brand new OE german hoses and routed them all correctly. Idle dropped to about 2000rpm.
Step2: pull the AAR and plugged the ports for it. Idle dropped to 1500rpm. Aha! On to something. Left AAR to soak in WD40.
Step3: replaced the oil filler gasket, replaced the manifold gaskets, replaced the intake runner boots, replaced the cold start valve gasket, replaced the large and small injector seals. Idle down to 1200rpm. Now we're getting somewhere!

I'll be doing a valve adjustment this week. But could that really be the cause of ~400rpm too high of an idle? Anything else I should check?

BTW, I have one green injector and three yellow injectors. Does this matter? Which are correct for my car?

Next on the list:

-rebuild pedal cluster. Currently impossible to accurately adjust the clutch because of the play in the pedals. Shifting into first is a nightmare! Also due to the fact that I don't have a wooden pedalboard, so I'm not sure where the clutch pedal is supposed to stop.

-patch floorpan....and I mean almost all of it. Putting the car on jacks to do the brakes felt like I was gambling with my life! I'm going with the POR15 floorpan and trunk kit. I don't have the funds for a real floorpan replacement, so this'll have to do for now.

-tackle the body rust. This one I don't know if I can really tackle. There's so much painted over, non-prepped rust that I'm just terrified of even going down this road.

-weld in the missing engine shelf under the battery tray. (Something that would've been nice to know was missing when I bought the car! I guess cutting out the engine shelf was the "rust repair" that I was told was done!)

-source carpet, source a backpad.

-fix non-sliding passenger seat.

-fix the right headlight that doesn't pop up all the way.

...I'm sure there's more!

Finally after several months since buying what I was told was a sorted and great car, am I able to actually get out and drive it. Man, does that engine sound great! Still a lot of work to do, still a lot of issues to fix, but at least I can get out behind the wheel of this thing now!
Oh yeah, I pulled those shitty looking decals off that up close looked like they'd been printed by a dot-matrix printer! Just need to paint the front bumper solid black and I'll have a normal looking car.

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 4 2014, 04:10 PM

Also, does anyone know what these front calipers I have are? Dumb Ass PO (scotty boy) said they were '73 911 A calipers. According to the PMB website A calipers weren't around until the late 70's. Either he got the date wrong or the model of caliper wrong.
Either way it'd be cool to know so I can order pads for them.
Thanks!


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Posted by: 76-914 Apr 4 2014, 04:20 PM

That JB Weld will probably hold. If the WD alone doesn't free the AAR then put it in the freezer for an hour then energize it w/12v and squirt WD in it. Do that a few times and it should seal. After you set the valves time it again. Also, you have an air bleed screw on the side of the TB and maybe an idle adj knob on the top of the ECU. Have fun.

EDIT: the green inj is for a 2.0 the yellows are for the 1.7

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 4 2014, 04:36 PM

Yeah, I've got the air bleed screw all the way in. I haven't messed with the mixture screw on the ECU yet, because my plugs look good when I pull them (based on my experience of what plugs should look like with carburated engines).

Thanks for the tip on the AAR. So far I've been fine without it though. A few revs and several seconds of holding it at 1500 rpm, and I can keep an initial idle. Maybe once I get the idle down further I'll maybe need to put it back.

So are the green injectors ok to use on a 1.7? I also noticed that the electric plug for the green injector was oriented the opposite way of the electric plugs for all the other injectors. Does it matter which way the electric plug is oriented?

Posted by: mepstein Apr 4 2014, 04:44 PM

Bruce stone has a set of 4 rebuilt injectors for a great price. Either buy them or find a 4th yellow injector and send to mr injector with $60 and they will be cleaned, flow tested and look almost new.

I do have some spare parts that I will send you for the cost of shipping. Let me know what you need and the year of the car and I will do what I can. Mark

Posted by: MMW Apr 4 2014, 04:48 PM

Glad to see you posting again & also to hear you are getting the car moving in the right direction.

Posted by: bulitt Apr 4 2014, 05:04 PM

Those look like "M' calipers.

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 5 2014, 07:48 AM

As far as I can tell all the injectors are working, although I haven't done the "jar test" to make sure, but it doesn't sound like I'm down a cylinder or anything. Is there any danger in using a green injector on a 1.7?

I guess I might eventually try and find a 4th yellow one and send them off.

Also, my car info is in my signature. It's a '72 1.7


Thanks, man!


Awesome, thanks for the info!

Posted by: jaxdream Apr 5 2014, 07:57 AM

" M " calipers have about a 3 inch center to center bolt mount pattern , " A s" have about a 3 1/2 inch bolt pattern. Ms will work fine for a -4 , heck I believe that - 6s originally came with "Ms" up front .Get er goin !!!!

Jack

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 5 2014, 09:08 AM

Yellow inj's are a dime a dozen. Place a WTB: in the classifieds. Don't pay more than $20 for one. I don't think it will matter that much except for one rich running cylinder. You should not have to close the bleed screw to get a normal idle.

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 5 2014, 11:35 AM

Cool, thanks guys!

I figured the air bleed screw shouldn't be all the way in. I'm pretty sure I've covered all the bases for vacuum leaks (forgot to mention I also replaced the throttle body gasket). I'm hoping the valve adjustment will help with the high idle. But beyond that I don't know what else to check.

And I also checked the PCV valve when I was replacing the oil filler gasket, and it seems to close all the way. Is there a good way to test it to know for sure? For some reason I keep finding myself suspicious that it might be the PCV valve.

Posted by: bulitt Apr 5 2014, 01:25 PM

Get a propane torch and crack it open (don't light it). then move it around near the hoses with the engine running. If you have a leak the idle should increase.

Looks like you made it to Lafayette Village tonight!





Minus the decals...

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 5 2014, 08:54 PM

Ha! Yup that was me! Ever since we've had this nice weather I've been driving it everywhere just to get a feel for what it needs.
I was sitting outside at the first 4-person table at Driftwood with my girlfriend and some friends. I wish I'd have known you were there. Would've loved to give you a tour of the rust....some of it is pretty epic. There's floor patch panels that are just affixed on with black goo and move about when you touch em...and that's just the beginning!
Also would've been great for you to ride along and tell if some of the things I'm experiencing are normal, since this is my first 914.

Do you ever go to the cars and coffee events at Waverly Place or the Raleigh Grande?

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 12 2014, 08:06 PM

So I did the valve adjustment today. All but one (#3 in) were too tight. Set them all to .006 and no change in my 1200rpm warm idle. I'm waiting on the new fuel injectors I ordered from Bruce Stone, and once I get those installed I'll reset the timing and see if that helps.

On a related note, Scotty Boy are you the ass-hat that put gasket sealant on the CYLINDER HEAD side of the valve cover gasket? If so, I've got a bit fat middle finger for you! Scraping that hardened sticky shit off the head was an unholy PITA! If not, then that means in the ~8 months you owned the car you never did a valve adjustment - one of the most basic and most important maintenance tasks you can do on an air cooled engine.

On another related note, is it normal to have to remove the bail on the driver (1&2) side in order to remove the valve cover? The engine tin on my car is bent down just enough to prevent you from tilting the valve cover forward to remove it, and the bail prevents you from tilting it upward to remove it. Only solution was to remove the bail. Not a big deal, just curious if that's normal.

Posted by: boxsterfan Apr 13 2014, 12:16 AM

I think exhaust is supposed to be 0.008 on the valve adjust. Don't know about the bail wire on 1 and 2.

Posted by: saigon71 Apr 13 2014, 05:56 AM

If the matched set of injectors don't fix your high idle, try turning the ECU adjustment knob toward full rich a click at a time.

It took setting mine to full rich with the air bleed screw nearly closed to bring my idle within spec.

Posted by: JawjaPorsche Apr 13 2014, 07:07 AM

Correct me if I am wrong but valve adjust is the same for intake and exhaust: 0.006 for 1.7.

Green injectors will not work very well. Spray pattern too much plus your mpg will decrease.

Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 13 2014, 10:44 AM

The only valves that have the 0.008" spec are the 2.0 exhaust valves. The 1.8 and 1.7 uses 0.006" for both intake and exhaust.

--DD

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 13 2014, 06:31 PM

Thanks I'll give it a try once I get the new injectors! Is that CW or CCW?



Good to know! I figured that might be part of the problem.

I'm hoping the new matched, cleaned, and tested injectors will fix the wrong-ish feel the engine has. Right now I feel like my 1.6 Ghia has more bite off the line than my 914. Although I've tuned the hell out of that Ghia for that last 2 years, and everything on it is well up to spec. Hopefully once I get everything sorted with the 914 it'll feel more nimble.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Apr 13 2014, 06:52 PM

And that is only if you still have the factory sodium filled exhaust valves. Most head rebuilders replace them with stainless steel valves.

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 14 2014, 08:15 AM

You have a ways to go with the tune if that Ghia is giving the Teener a run for it's money. My Ghia wouldn't pull a sick whore off a piss pot. CW = rich, CCW=lean.

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 14 2014, 04:48 PM

Ha! You know people say that sort of thing about Ghias, and it makes me wonder if someone built mine to a bigger displacement than 1600 at some point way in the past and that info just got lost. It gave the TR6 I used to own a run for its money. Not exactly a fast car either, but ~40 more HP in that straight 6 than a stock 1600dp VW motor and the Ghia could keep up. And I spent a year and a half rebuilding and tuning that TR6 before I sold it off so it's not like it was run down or anything.

But the 914 revs easily and sounds great. There's just something missing in terms of forward motion! Definitely no clutch slip though, so it's got to be with the tuning.

Anyway, thanks for the head's up on the mixture adjustment. I'll try it out and see what happens when I get the new injectors.

BTW, this is my first FI car so forgive the dumb question that's about to follow. If I disconnect the fuel line to replace the injectors, I know fuel from the tank can't make it past the fuel pump. But will fuel from the tank come gushing out the return line, or is there a one-way valve or anything to prevent that?
In other words, do I need to drain the tank to replace the injectors?

Posted by: dlee6204 Apr 14 2014, 06:52 PM

You won't drain the tank by just removing a fuel injector or just by disconecting a fuel line on top of the engine. Upon removing the fuel rail a little fuel will come out but not a lot.


By the time you get this car sorted out you should bring it to Okteenerfest this fall and have some real fun.

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 14 2014, 07:05 PM

Awesome, thanks!



If it can make it, I think I might try and get out there!

Posted by: poorsche914 Apr 14 2014, 07:51 PM

If the 914 isn't roadworthy by then, bring the Ghia

Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 14 2014, 08:16 PM

The fuel-pressure regulator will not allow fuel to go backward through it. You don't have to drain the tank, but you should be prepared for the several tablespoons worth of fuel (which may be under pressure if it hasn't bled down yet) that are in the lines on top of the motor to come leaking out.

--DD

Posted by: era vulgaris Apr 15 2014, 09:13 AM

Awesome, good to know! I'll have a mason jar ready to catch it. Thanks!

Posted by: era vulgaris May 7 2014, 03:41 PM

So is the mixture knob on the ecu supposed to have any effect on idle speed? Mine was set almost all the way to full rich, but bringing it all the way back toward lean had zero effect on my idle speed. I left it on the midpoint mark, for now.

I am completely stumped with this idle speed issue. Nothing I do will get the idle below 1200rpm. I've replaced every vacuum hose, all 4 runner boots, intake manifold gaskets, oil breather gasket, cold start valve gasket, throttle body gasket, adjusted the valves, adjusted the decel valve, and set the timing....and still I'm at 1200 with the idle screw all the way closed!!! What else is there?!

If I can't get it figured out by the end of the summer, I think I'm gonna do a cam and carb swap and have a local shop built it to a bigger displacement so I actually have some power. I took the car on a trip to visit my folks about 150 miles away over the weekend, and at highway speeds it had a hell of a time not losing speed on even the slightest uphill grade, in 5th gear above 3K rpm.

Posted by: boxsterfan May 7 2014, 03:45 PM

Auxilliary Air Regulator (AAR) leaking? Try plugging input hose and see if idle drops.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 7 2014, 03:46 PM

I removed the AAR because it was stuck open (mentioned in original post). Ports for it are currently plugged. Before pulling it, the idle was up in the 2K area.

Posted by: boxsterfan May 7 2014, 03:49 PM

Any rust holes in the plenum allowing extra air in? Of course, might have to take it off to have a good look. Not sure if you looked at that when you redid the runner boots and intake runner gaskets.

Also, maybe a leaky PCV valve? Try plugging that one also.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 7 2014, 03:53 PM

I'll have to check the plenum. Didn't think about that when I replaced the boots. Doh! It wouldn't surprise me with this car if it was rusted.

Already checked the pcv valve.

Even if there was a vacuum leak on the plenum, would that account for the loss of power?
I drove my ghia for the first time in about 5 days today, and I'd forgotten how nice it is not to have to approach redline at every shift just to keep up with traffic!

Posted by: dlee6204 May 7 2014, 04:09 PM

Have you checked to make sure your throttle body is closing all the way? Could be a weak return spring or a dirty throttle body.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 7 2014, 09:34 PM

Yup, I checked that when I replaced the throttle body gasket.

I know from my experience with carbs that throttle shaft bushings can wear and cause vacuum leaks. Is that possible with the FI throttle body?

Posted by: r_towle May 8 2014, 06:38 AM

have you removed and inspected every fuel injector rubber seal and made sure they are present and properly seated?

Rich

Posted by: bulitt May 8 2014, 07:43 AM

Try using a propane torch (not lit) and move the gas around all the hoses, manifolds, etc. You may get an increase in idle speed if you have a leak. Don't blow yerself up!

Posted by: era vulgaris May 8 2014, 08:24 AM

Yeah I've replaced ever fuel injector rubber seal.



I'll have to find someone with a propane torch I can borrow!

Posted by: dlee6204 May 8 2014, 08:33 AM

You can also use a can of starting fluid if you don't have a propane torch.

Posted by: 76-914 May 8 2014, 09:10 AM

That 1.7 isn't running right if your power is as described. Have you checked compression, done a leak down test or checked your distributor for correct part # and operation? I should have mentioned this the 1st go around. Disconnect every vacuum hose except the large one going to the MPS. Your idle should drop at that point. If it did then reconnect each hose, one at a time, until it rises again and presto you have it. If disconnecting those didn't lower the idle check your injector seals, throttle shaft, oil filler neck gasket and timing again. I really want to see you get this car to the state you thought it was in when purchased.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 8 2014, 10:57 AM

Thanks, man! I'd love to see it in the state it was supposed to be in too!

In regards to that, on a side note...my Dad, who is 70 now and retired, worked as a professional mechanic in his 20's for Mercury and Oldsmobile. When he saw the paint on this car, his first words were, "that is the shittiest, cheapest paint job I've ever seen!"
Just wanted to add that in regards to dumbass/conman Scotty Boy's claim of a $10K paint job.

Anyway...
I haven't done a compression test yet. That's on the to-do list!
Where can I find the distributor number? I did notice that to get it timed properly, that the dizzy is very close to full advance, about 15 degrees or so rotation from full advance.

I'll try the test disconnecting the vacuum hoses and see what happens.

Posted by: dlee6204 May 8 2014, 11:06 AM

Are you sure you timed it correctly? There are often multiple marks on a fan and it's all too easy to get them mixed up sometimes.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 8 2014, 11:38 AM

It's 27 degrees at 3500 rpm, right?
I thought maybe I'd gone too far too, but if I retard it at all the car literally has no power. Mopeds would be able to beat me off the line.

When I disconnect the vacuum hoses for that test, do I plug the ports or leave them open?

Posted by: 76-914 May 8 2014, 11:41 AM

plug 'em.

EDIT: FWIW, this is how it went down for my '76. I was at the point you are and my idle control knob had no effect. After replacing every hose, AAR and God knows what else I discovered one of my new injector seals was leaking. It seemed that those could not leak but one did. I had inserted the injector off angle. Never did pick it up using carb cleaner or butane. Should have but it did not. Once you nail it the idle control function should work unless the MPS or ECU bit the dust.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 10 2014, 03:30 PM

Made progress! The hose test uncovered that when the pcv valve is connected to the plenum, the idle increases. With the pcv valve disconnected and the plenum port plugged, the warm idle falls to ~500 rpm. Which means I can open the bleed screw to get it to 850.

I had tested my pcv valve a couple months back to make sure it was closing all the way. I don't know if there's an official way to test it, but I removed it, filled it with water, and none of it leaked out. So I figured it was closing.

So the issue is either the pcv valve or the hose from the pcv valve to the plenum, which is only a few months old, so I doubt it's the hose. Is there a better way to test the pcv valve?

Seems like a pretty difficult part to find for sale. Are these guys any good?
http://www.oeporscheparts.com/OEMParts/porsche-147/0/022115542.html
Much better than the $35 that AA is charging.

Posted by: bulitt May 10 2014, 05:18 PM

Check the PCV hoses for cracks/leaks before you trash the valve.
Should be a vaccum drawn on the crankcase so possibly there is another leak in the loop like valve cover gaskets.
PCV could be drawing air through such a leak instead of evacuating the crankcase.

Posted by: 76-914 May 10 2014, 06:58 PM

Your on the trail now.

Posted by: r_towle May 10 2014, 07:09 PM

Is the PVC valve supposed to connect to the plenum?

I believe it's supposed to connect to the air cleaner.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 10 2014, 08:50 PM

I inspected the hose quite thoroughly, and couldn't find any cracks. All of my vacuum hoses are less than 6 months old, but I'll inspect them again. The valve cover gaskets are new as well. I'm gonna have to get a torch like you said and see if I can trace where the leak is.



Thanks to your advice!



From what I gather it only connects to the air cleaner on '75 and '76 cars. Earlier cars it connects to the plenum.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=424473

Posted by: era vulgaris May 11 2014, 10:41 AM

Would a pushrod tube seal be a cause of a vacuum leak?
I've got an occasional drip coming from the the #4 exhaust pushrod tube at the head.

Posted by: era vulgaris May 20 2014, 12:38 PM

Made a HUGE discovery today!

I finally got around to confirming that I'd fixed my AAR by hooking it up to my bench DC supply and making sure it closes all the way, which it does. As I was re-installing it, I had my entire torso in the engine bay looking for the wire it plugs into, and I noticed the screw on the dizzy closest to the firewall that holds the vac-advance canister in place was missing! The vac canister was basically hanging out of the dizzy, and I never saw it before because it was on the firewall side, where you can't really see unless most of your body is in the engine bay.

I found a screw that fit, tightened it down, and...HOLY SHIT! This car has loads of power! It slays my Ghia. And the throttle response is instantaneous now! If a 1.7 feels like this, I can't imagine what a 2.0 feels like! I drove around for an hour and a half today giggling like an idiot, driving as fast as possible!

And the other good news is that it seems to have fixed my high idle! I've got it trimmed to 900rpm, with everything plumbed correctly, and the air bleed screw slightly open. I guess the canister was holding the advance in place or something, keeping the idle up. Dipshit Scotty Boy must've sold it to me like this, because the car never drove right from the day I got it. But I knew I'd get this car back into shape!!!

Maybe I'll sell my Ghia and get this rust fixed.........

Posted by: mepstein May 20 2014, 12:44 PM

Way to hang in there and make things right. My son will be going to school in NC this fall so maybe we'll meet up some day.

Posted by: bulitt May 20 2014, 01:51 PM

Posted by: dlee6204 May 20 2014, 01:54 PM

Glad you got it fixed!

Posted by: era vulgaris May 20 2014, 02:58 PM

Thanks to all you guys for all the help and insights! I'm sure it won't be too long before I've got more questions about this car. But for now, time to do some driving!

Mepstein, I'm a stone's throw from the PNC arena in Raleigh. If you're ever in the area I'd be happy to show off this rust bucket!