newbie--914 ownerr for 36 hours '75 1.8, 26 years in storage. Now what? Options

[almus]

Greetings,

I am a newbie 914 owner. Said green 1975 1.8 has been
in garage in northern NH since 1984. There is rust,but it is
surprisingly not that bad. Purchased for the princely sum of 500.
Interior good. battery support is rusty but doesn't appear to be
real bad. Looks to be about 62k original miles.

Gas tank contents have reverted to primordial ooze.
Gas tank cleaning kit? or radiator shop? Donor?
Oil is clean; must have been changed just before being
parked. Can't open rear trunk

I am concerned the entire fuel system may be shot.
My thoughts are to find a rusty donor car to
scavenge.

I have some newbie questions.

Will any 914 motor fit in my car? If I get a 2.0 donor,
are there any years that *won't* fit because of ???
(transmission? mounts? etc?)


Any local (to me) gurus willing to show me the ropes?
I am in south east New Hampshire.


Thanks.

-a

[BiG bOgGs]

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Bleed brakes and check all brake rubber

Replace ALL fuel line rubber

Check engine wiring harness for corrosion

Replace all vacuum hoses

Other will add to this list I am sure.

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[Tom]

Nice find. And welcome to the sickness.
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I would change the oil anyway, use only Brad Penn. Change out the brake fluid also. Remove gas tank for cleaning, repair etc. Replace all fuel hoses with correct rubber lines and blow, clean out all of the non rubber lines really well. Vacuum hoses will most likely leak, so replace all of them too.
Clean and inspect all of the grounds and connections.
There is a lot of work to bring this back. Please don't cut corners as it will come back to get you.
I'm sure there is more, but that is all I can think of right now.
Tom

[silverteener]

Welcome to the World but...


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[pcar916]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) What a great find! Just don't try to start it yet.

I'll let the four cylinder gurus answer about the specific motor interoperability.

The car needs to come apart and (as stated above) have all rubber and suspension parts replaced. That carb needs to be replaced anyway but will certainly have varnish in all the wrong places since it hasn't been run since '84.

There are some threads here now and then that talk about how to start a properly mothball'd motor up again and some that talk about starting one that was badly stored. It all involves taking things partially apart and lubing it like crazy. The rings are possibly frozen in place. Even if it turns over the cylinder walls will scratch but may recover. You won't know until it's too late unless you approach it deliberately.

The brake system will be full of water. Don't be pushing on the pedal a lot until the brake lines and fluid is replaced, or you might be replacing the master cylinder as well.

Check out the electrical system too to make sure you have everything working like it's supposed to be once it all runs again.

You'll find a lot of information in the Lapuwali section on the main page. Cruise through that first, buy the Haynes manual and post questions here!

[zymurgist]

Welcome to the World but...


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And what he said. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[wolfgang914]

Greetings,

I am a newbie 914 owner. Said green 1975 1.8 has been
in garage in northern NH since 1984. There is rust,but it is
surprisingly not that bad. Purchased for the princely sum of 500.
Interior good. battery support is rusty but doesn't appear to be
real bad. Looks to be about 62k original miles.

Gas tank contents have reverted to primordial ooze.
Gas tank cleaning kit? or radiator shop? Donor?
Oil is clean; must have been changed just before being
parked. Can't open rear trunk

I am concerned the entire fuel system may be shot.
My thoughts are to find a rusty donor car to
scavenge.

I have some newbie questions.

Will any 914 motor fit in my car? If I get a 2.0 donor,
are there any years that *won't* fit because of ???
(transmission? mounts? etc?)


Any local (to me) gurus willing to show me the ropes?
I am in south east New Hampshire.


Thanks.

-a

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I bought a 75 1.8 out of boston. that was in storage for many years. i would give it a tune up change the plugs. wires cap and rotor. also take out the fuel injectors and soak them for a few days in gasoline to try and get the varnish out allso before you put them back. on the injector there is two terminals connect one side to a neg. side and the other side to the positive and you will hear the injector open do this a few times to each one. this will insure they are working. if they are not working you need to replace them. keep in mind the injector top has a color to them. make sure that what ever injector you buy that they match. next take out the gas tank. empty it and clean it out, there is a gas tank renewal kit from POR 15. follow the instructions in the kit.. it take a little time but you will be amazed with the results. if you have any other questions or help. please contact me @ wolfgang914@yahoo.com hve fun and good luck with your project...

[almus]

Thanks for the good words.

My tentative plan is to yank the engine,
Yank and clean the fuel system.

replace/fix the brake components as needed.

Look for donor vehicles.

I will then carefully inspect body with engine out.


Thanks

-A

[KELTY360]

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[jcambo7]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) The knowledge here is immense. Ask any question and someone here will have the answer. Oh yeah and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif) Show us your teener!

[ClayPerrine]

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I assume that the injection is still on the car?? You didn't mention if it was in your first post.

I have LOTS of experience with L-Jet, so if you need some help, just ask.


And congrats on the 914. Take pictures and post them here so we can see too.......


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[almus]

Yes.

Original FI is still in the car. I will be gone for a week and when I get back
I will rip into it. Thanks--I will certainly bug you with questions on the FI

I noted that in my car, many of the fi lines are wrapped (amateurishly)
in some kind of tape insulation. What could be the reason for that?

Can I rip all of that off? My experience with 914s is minimal;
I don't have enough of a mental data base to know
what is normal/abnormal.

I did a google search for injectors for my car
(under the assumption that they are clogged with varnish)
There were Bosch listed and also some other brand

Do any of the Bosch FI books describe the systems
enough to make me capable of understanding/debugging them?
(if so which book? Any good rec's ?

Photos will be forthcoming.

Thanks again.

-A

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I assume that the injection is still on the car?? You didn't mention if it was in your first post.

I have LOTS of experience with L-Jet, so if you need some help, just ask.


And congrats on the 914. Take pictures and post them here so we can see too.......


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[swl]

From similar experience ...

Commit now to a total replumbing of the fuel lines from tank out to tank return. The lines through the tunnel are likely filled with crud. http://www.tangerineracing.com/stainlessFuelLines.htm Highly recommended.

Make sure you get metric high pressure fuel lines and proper fuel injection hose clamps.

Include the elbows to the injectors in the renewal.

Consider sending the injectors out to a commercial cleaner. Costs around $25/injector and is money well spent.

Do not succumb to the "Maybe if I just put fresh fuel in it it will start" seduction!

[markb]

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It's a slippery slope, and it looks like you're already slidin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Use the search function & you'll find a lot of the answers. It seems our ranks are getting an influx of new owners, so pay attention to what they're asking, you'll probably be needing the answers soon. There are a lot of gurus here, so you're in good hands. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[ClayPerrine]

From similar experience ...

Commit now to a total replumbing of the fuel lines from tank out to tank return. The lines through the tunnel are likely filled with crud. http://www.tangerineracing.com/stainlessFuelLines.htm Highly recommended.

Make sure you get metric high pressure fuel lines and proper fuel injection hose clamps.

Include the elbows to the injectors in the renewal.

Consider sending the injectors out to a commercial cleaner. Costs around $25/injector and is money well spent.

Do not succumb to the "Maybe if I just put fresh fuel in it it will start" seduction!

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Start by pulling the tank and cleaning it out. Then replace the plastic lines in the tunnel with the stainless set that Chris Foley sells. Put all new rubber hoses on, and all new hose clamps. Use only FI clamps. If they have the worm screw slots in the clamp, they are not FI clamps. I would also suggest that you put a fuel filter inline before the injectors. I use one from a Nissan Maxima. It is rated for FI pressure, and it will filter out all the particles that would clog up the injectors. I also put another filter in front of the pump to keep from ruining the pump with crud from the tank. Oh, and one last thing, I suggest moving the fuel pump up front. It will prevent vapor lock. The factory did this on the 75 and 86 914s for that reason. Plus, fuel pumps push fuel better than they suck it.

After you get the fuel system completely replumbed, crawl underneath and unhook the yellow wire from the starter. Then turn the key to the start position. You should hear the fuel pump running while you hold the key in the start position.

Do the work to prep the motor for starting. If it won't start and you know you have good spark, check each of the injector lines with a noid light. You will need the help of a friend or your toolwench to try and start the car while you check the light. If they all flash, then hook them back up, and use an automotive stethescope to listen to the injectors. You should hear them click when the engine is cranking.

Now if you get through all that and it still doesn't start, I can go into more detail later.


Good luck!!

[almus]

OK.

Back from my travels and back into the garage.
(photos will be forthcoming---promise)

Removed the outer rocker panel---chock full of acorns;
glad something was making use of the car. There is some
rust on the inner rockers. I am going to order
and install rust repair panels. I noted from the various
catalogs that there are more pieces available for the
right (passenger) side of the car. Is this because
of the hell hole? Floor pan seems original and fine.
I have a mig , plasma cutter plus other implements
at my disposal

The car frame however seems strong.
I took the roof off and with me (200lbs) standing on the sill
I had no problem closing/opening door.


I noted in examining car that it has both front and rear
sway bars. I read somewhere (pelican parts???) that sway bars
are/were rare in 914s. Is this the case? Or was it common to install later?
Damn they look like originals.


I have attacked the problem of the brakes. Why? because the
parking brake was engaged and seized ---I can't move the car.
I had to drag it skidding along with my tractor. I have
removed one rear caliper---man is it a funky design
and hard to get at. Wheel bearing feels OK (for the time being)

How can I tell whether caliper is junk? I have rebuilt other calipers
before this looks strange.


-Almus

[Gint]

Looks like the others have you started in the right direction. I have two things to say right away...

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...and...

Now what?

You post pictures. Check out the 914World FAQ forum thread, Adding Pictures to Your Post <- link

[EdwardBlume]

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[swl]

I noted from the various
catalogs that there are more pieces available for the
right (passenger) side of the car. Is this because
of the hell hole?

Yup. The battery acid eats through the layer you see from the engine bay then attacks the structures underneath

Floor pan seems original and fine.

the floor pan is covered in a sound deading tar - it can have rust that you can't see. Just to be sure pick around in the area of the pedals and where the pins that holds the mats in place come through. Also at the turn of the floor pan to the firewall passenger side in the corner (hell hole influence). From underneath look at the passeger side donut at the front right of the floor pan. The other good place to check is where the floorpan meets the sills. You need to pull up the carpet that is glued to the sill an inch or two to inspect.

I noted in examining car that it has both front and rear
sway bars. I read somewhere (pelican parts???) that sway bars
are/were rare in 914s. Is this the case? Or was it common to install later?
Damn they look like originals.

The originality gurus will give you the definitive response but I'm pretty sure the sway bars were a factory option. Possible standard on North American 2L?

How can I tell whether caliper is junk? I have rebuilt other calipers
before this looks strange..

Eric Shea and DaveP are two great resources for brakes. The rears are very rebuildable but there are some gottchas. Eric offers a rebuild service under the name PMB. Beautiful work.

[charliew]

Welcome. These guys know it all and have done anything possible on these cars already. Just take the calipers off till you decide what path you are going to take with the car. At least it will roll. Is the eb lever frozen? If it is soak it with pb blaster forawhile and see if it is saveable. If there is rust behind the seats check the rear window for leaks before you wash it. It will wiggle if it is loose. I would put marvel mystery oil in the spark plug holes and let it set a few days before you try to turn the motor over to lube and free up the rings. 62 k the sus bushings might not be worn but probably pretty hard and will maybe come apart but maybe not. The tranny may still have some of the factory wax stuff on it so read up on cleaning it up on the outside. The motor will probaby need resealing. While the motor is out check the shifter bushings. Lube the pivot points on the pedal assembly and maybe it will be okay. Lube the door hinges pretty soon before you open and close them a lot. Most folks never lube a door hinge. You might want to take a lot of pict. to keep up with where stuff goes in the engine comp.

Oh yeah, I also have a very stock 75 1.8 and it's still complete as of now but it will not be after it comes apart. It might be a good reference for you if you are going back stock. I am not real proficient at posting pictures yet but I do need to get that skill sometime. My car does not have swaybars but that doesn't mean yours are not originals.

Try not to get to friendly with the bf hammer. These parts are not cheap if they are original. I would go buy about four cans of pb blaster and soak every bolt you plan on removing in the future and keep them soaked till you get to them.

Oh yeah, I just finished a restoration with my oldest son on a 72 super beetle that I took away from him in 86. We thought it wouldn't need much. Well it needed the 500.00 rubber body kit, the 1000.00 interior and of course all the other normal stuff so it's really a slippery slope but there is no big rush.

I read your post again, is the wrap you are talking about on the fuel lines? It could be a vaporlock attempted solution.