Virginia Teener, Two mid-engine Porsche's in my garage?!?! Options

[Gatornapper]

Ok Friends - 1st stage detailing just finished - good news/bad news - but great pics - see here if interested....

A great find for $3k? Wow. I'm amazed, as was my detailer who specializes in Porsches - mostly high end ones - but who has seen and done a lot of 914's - he says this is one of the cleanest he's ever seen that is not a full restoration.......bumpers coming in 2nd stage


See here: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?s=&...t&p=2539593

[injunmort]

looks awesome, wish mine looked that good. how does it run?

[Gatornapper]

I noted earlier in the thread that as I am almost totally tied up with a major project it will be awhile before I can finish the carbs. I've just been hitting the right one now and then as I have a few free minutes. It will be a month or more before I have it running, time permitting.

Detailing could be done as someone else who did it here at my house. Normally I do mechanicals first and worry about looks last, but when my detailer saw the car he wanted to jump on it asap and I said "Have at it..."

GN

looks awesome, wish mine looked that good. how does it run?

[Gatornapper]

Greetings from the past my 914 friends. Been 18 months, but I'm finally in a position to jump into getting the 914 running as other projects are out of the way and it soon will be warm enough to work in my garage again.

My plan is to first get the engine running with the rebuilt Webers - again, my close friend in whose garage it sat for 12 years assured me the car was running perfectly when parked in his barn - he and the owner had been out for a good drive and my friend said it ran great.

Had the tank professionally restored with lifetime lining warranty. Fuel injection pump is correct for carbs. Need to rebuild 2nd carb & install them, soak the cylinders with some Marvel Mystery oil for a few days, put in the fuel tank assembly and get the engine running.

Lots of broken things to fix after that: rebuild rear calipers - no call back from PMB Performance after leaving a message earlier in the week. Both door handles broken, don't work. Need front left marker light. Lots of little stuff.

After having the car detailed, hail damage that was not visible before became apparent - a cosmetic issue I'll deal with last after car is running well and on the road.

I'll be needing the 914 brain trust to help me through all this uncharted territory - glad you all are here.

GN

[mepstein]

I think PMB was at a show. They are a small shop but the best in the business.

Good luck with the car and welcome back to World.

[Bulldog9]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it (havent read through all the pages) but Dorkiphus.net is a Maryland/Virginia area based forum, and another great community of P cars & BMW.

[Gatornapper]

I think PMB was at a show. They are a small shop but the best in the business.

Good luck with the car and welcome back to World.

Tried to reach them by phone, all staff were busy on other lines - left a msg. for a call-back, have never received call-back - will keep trying....

GN

[Gatornapper]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it (havent read through all the pages) but Dorkiphus.net is a Maryland/Virginia area based forum, and another great community of P cars & BMW.

Bulldog -

First I've heard of it......thanks - maybe later....lots of questions to post here first.....more coming later today......

GN

[Gatornapper]

looks awesome, wish mine looked that good. how does it run?

Injun - how are you? Hope you are well.

Bad news about the detailing - it revealed that both the frunk and trunk lids have hail damage. Was very well concealed before the polishing and waxing. VERY noticeable after the detailing.

Not sure what I'll do about it if anything......you only see it close-up - from a distance - as in the pics - car looks great.

Anyone with "easy" or less expensive fixes for hail damage, please let me know. Any others heard of the dry ice then hair dryer method?

Actually whole car need a complete first-class paint job - paint on trunk & frunk lids is very checkered - probably not in my budget.....

Hope to have it running in a week......left carb rebuilt & back on engine....engine bay cleaned up, tablespoon of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder as engine has not run in almost 14 years.......

GN

[Gatornapper]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

One of the most important upgrades is ditching the plastic fuel lines that run through the center tunnel (if it hasn't already been done). There are a couple of sources for stainless steel fuel lines and they're sold by good standing members on this forum ... Robert (Rotary'14) is out here on the west coast, and Chris (Racer Chris) is on the east coast.

Looking forward to seeing your barn find (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Harleys, Hondas and Yamahas in my stable too, but started off with a '38 Trophy 500 back in the early '70s ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biker.gif)

Mark -

Bummer. Stainless fuel lines PO had are only for engine bay. BUT, looks like fuel line from fuel pump to engine bay is late model tough fuel line - not original. So I may stick with it for the time being.

Is the procedure for putting the stainless lines in the center tunnel posted somewhere, or on YouTube?

Thanks,

GN

[Gatornapper]

I think PMB was at a show. They are a small shop but the best in the business.

Good luck with the car and welcome back to World.

Just ordered new rebuilt rear calipers from PMB - and so glad I'm not having to rebuild them myself - wholly new plating on calipers, at a great price.

Be here in a week, just in time to get the car on the road....I hope......right carb is way more messed up than the left one was for some reason - 14 years of evaporated gas on everything......

GN

[Gatornapper]

Working on rebuilding right carb - lot more gummed up, lot more work than left carb.

I was told early on by several that the Weber 44 carbs were too big for the 2.0 engine unless the engine had been modified internally - it has not been modified at all.

While having worked with carbs since I was 15 in 1960, I have rebuilt all kinds of carbs in my life - but Weber's are a whole new world to me. So, I bought this great book:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i890.photobucket.com-21449-1553911714.1.jpeg)

In this book, a chart indicates that indeed dual IDF 44's are indeed specified for this engine with 36mm venturi's - which mine have, and with the 36mm venturi's call for main jets of .155 to .160. The main jets in my carbs are .135's, which would indicate to me that there is no way these carbs are presently "too big" for the engine - with the .135 main jets.

This is great news for me.

Additionally, the experts at PMB strongly advised me to keep the Weber's on the car and to not re-install the original fuel injection - as a major 914 restorer they said too many parts cannot be replaced anymore, and they advise against it for that reason.

Seems to me someone here is an expert on Weber carbs here - can anyone remind me of who that is? Would love some pointers on initial settings for the carbs - the book has a few on initial tuning of the mixture control screws, and there may be more I haven't read yet. But it would be good to have a resource here who is an expert on these carbs.

TIA,

GN

[Gatornapper]

Ok, carbs are mounted - waiting on fuel. So I'm now in the frunk - and need some tips. I'm ready to put the tank in as well as fuel filter, pump, etc.

Long ago I posted pics of the big big rubber bumpers that the tank fits in - see my post #53 - can anyone send me a pic of how they mount? Can't find any anywhere. Tank came out of car, all dis-assembled. I assume they go on the bottom rim...but where?

2nd question: Guy who did my tank resto took off the fittings from the bottom of the tank & they are gone. What size are the fittings? Do I have to get them from Porsche? Or will Pelican have them?

TIA,

GN

[bbrock]

44's will work fine the only thing you'll lose is a tad of throttle response which with a type 4 engine will be pretty much unnoticeable.

Chi-town -

As I'm a 914 novice/ignoramus - what is a "type 4" engine?

As I've never driven any 914 in my life, I can't see how I'd notice and almost unnoticeable slow throttle response! Heck, with only 87hp, I wouldn't think it had any throttle response at all!

Question: Original Owner's Manual says engine is 84hp. Elsewhere I've read 100. Which is true? Will the Weber 44's help any?

TIA,

GN

Saw your questions on the other thread and thought I'd answer them here.

Type 4 is the designation of the VW engine used in 914s and VW 411/412 models and later buses. It's also sometimes called the "bus engine" or rarely the "411 engine." The last two are not entirely accurate applied to 914 2L engines because the version of 2L in 914s was unique for our cars.

There were at least 3 different horsepower outputs for 2.0L 914s. 73-74 models for the US market had 7.6:1 compression ration and made 91hp, while cars for the European market had 8.0:1 compression and made 100 hp. The catalytic converter and other emissions controls reduced power for 75-76 model year cars to 88hp.

[Gatornapper]

Brent - thanks for the info!

So, if my 2.0 is w/o cat & air pump, with dual 44's, any chance it's putting out 100hp?

GN

44's will work fine the only thing you'll lose is a tad of throttle response which with a type 4 engine will be pretty much unnoticeable.

Chi-town -

As I'm a 914 novice/ignoramus - what is a "type 4" engine?

As I've never driven any 914 in my life, I can't see how I'd notice and almost unnoticeable slow throttle response! Heck, with only 87hp, I wouldn't think it had any throttle response at all!

Question: Original Owner's Manual says engine is 84hp. Elsewhere I've read 100. Which is true? Will the Weber 44's help any?

TIA,

GN

Saw your questions on the other thread and thought I'd answer them here.

Type 4 is the designation of the VW engine used in 914s and VW 411/412 models and later buses. It's also sometimes called the "bus engine" or rarely the "411 engine." The last two are not entirely accurate applied to 914 2L engines because the version of 2L in 914s was unique for our cars.

There were at least 3 different horsepower outputs for 2.0L 914s. 73-74 models for the US market had 7.6:1 compression ration and made 91hp, while cars for the European market had 8.0:1 compression and made 100 hp. The catalytic converter and other emissions controls reduced power for 75-76 model year cars to 88hp.

[bbrock]

Brent - thanks for the info!

So, if my 2.0 is w/o cat & air pump, with dual 44's, any chance it's putting out 100hp?

GN

Smarter people than me will have to answer that because I don't know how much the carbs factor in the equation and I wish I did because I'll be running 40IDFs on my 2L. But the 100hp version also had higher compression flat topped pistons which is an easy upgrade. I'm not sure if there are any additional mods on the 75-76 models that reduced hp, but my guess is that with cat and air pump removed, your car would be like a 73-74 US car @91hp plus whatever the Webers add over Djet.

[Gatornapper]

Thanks, Brent. Yeah, it a WAG at this point.

If I keep the car, I'll do a top-end job with a little bore & flat-topped pistons....maybe more......

GN

[Gatornapper]

Good News. BAD NEWS.

Fuel tank & lines completed, tested, started engine today - 1st time in 13 years. Good news is - it started, it runs, no smoke, revs fine once above 2 grand. No unusual sounds coming from the engine. All that is good.

BAD NEWS. It took pouring fuel down carb barrels to get engine to start. It runs terribly, like it's on 2 cylinders. All new Denso iridium plugs. Dist. cap, rotor, plug wires look not that old. Have new ones ready to install.

Engine won't idle below 1,500 rpm, runs very rough, continues to miss at all RPM.

Engine will not start w/o fuel down carb barrels. It did a few times, but then would not.

Other details: drove car up our 1/2 mile road, hard to keep running, but I can tell from that little drive 3/4 mile drive with a poor running engine that I'm going to love driving this car if I can get it running well.

I wish I thought the problem is ignition. But I'm strongly inclined initially to think the problems are in the carburetors - especially the right one which was really gummed up badly. Did a complete rebuild on both carbs, and while I'm very experienced at rebuilding carbs, I've never done Weber's before - and boy - are they different.

So first is to eliminate ignition as the main problem - compression test - then on to the carbs.

Other good news: all new rebuilt calipers on rear from PMB Performance, new rotors & pads from AutoAtlanta.

Not thinking that getting this engine to run well is going to be easy or simple.....

GN

[Gatornapper]

4,000 miles ago Porsche dealer did compression test: 105, 105, 90, 100, prior to doing a valve adjustment.

Would not expect much difference now.

[Dion]

I’m by no means an engine guru. Aside from the bad carb you suspect, is the timing
within spec. Maybe that can help with the idle and erratic running through the rev range. Someone with greater experience will chime in I’m sure.
Good luck!