Daily driver mods?, Reliability and user-friendliness tips wanted Options

[mbrown3039]

After the consequential dust of my 2008 fiscal year has begun to settle, it looks like the Blue Bomber (1976 2.0) will need to be my daily driver for the forseeable future. So here's my question:

Assuming that it is factory stock (it is) and that I've done nothing to it (close enough to true), what mods would you make to it (sort of sticking a Subie in it, which I've considered) to make her a dependdable, safe daily driver?

BB needs to be reliable enough for daily driving to/from appointments (I'm in sales) and safe enough for me to feel fine about having my two-year old riding shotgun (i.e., I want her to start when I say so and stop when I need to). She won't do in the summer (no A/C) but other than that, what am I missing now?

Thanks, Mike

[ericread]

I've driven my 914 as a DD for about three years now. That means M-F about 30 miles each way and usually some entertaining trips on the weekend of around 125 miles.

#1. Make sure everything is as watertight as a 914 should be.
#2. Install a CHT. You can get a good probe, meter and extension wire for about $100, and it will really tell you what your engine is doing.
#3. I like the Pertronix unit.
#4. Religiously change your oil, oil filter and air filter.
#5. Make sure your suspension and brakes are in excellent working order.
#6. Plan to spend at least one weekend day per month looking for problems:
Check the alternator belt
Look for and correct oil leaks.
Make sure sure all your engine tin is in place and properly bolted down.
Inspect and lube your suspension (if appropriate).
Check the accelerator and clutch cables for tightness and wear.
Check your distributor parts for wear.
Check your pugs for gap/wear and color. Along with the CHT, they will tell you an awful lot about what your engine's doing.
Check your wheel bearings for excessive play.
Check your tire pressure.

On a quarterly basis check your CV joints and check the level of your transmission fluid. No need to change it, just check the levels.

My teener never lets me down (knock on wood). But I tend to spend the time necessary to see problems developing, rather than spending time reacting to problems .

Eric Read
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[mbrown3039]

#2. Install a CHT. You can get a good probe, meter and extension wire for about $100, and it will really tell you what your engine is doing. Eric Read
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Thanks -- just the kind of list I was looking for! As for the CHT, do you recommend a particular unit? Will it bolt into an existing hole or am I going to have to drill into the head to thread a new hole? Mike

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

[ericread]

Thanks -- just the kind of list I was looking for! As for the CHT, do you recommend a particular unit? Will it bolt into an existing hole or am I going to have to drill into the head to thread a new hole? Mike

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

http://aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/CHT_gauges2.php

The Micro-1000 CHT is from Aircraft Spruce, a company that provides aircooled aircraft engine parts. It comes as a circular gauge (which fits into an existing center console hole if you have one) or you can order it with the square aircraft meter face. They're local to SoCal (Corona) so I drove over and picked one up. The probe goes aroung the spark plug on cylinder-3, so no drilling/cutting is necessary. You'll need the probe, the meter and the extension wire.

Let me know if you need part numbers. spent just about $100 adn it installed in minutes. The biggest PIA is getting the wire through the center tunnel.

Eric