The 3.2 Conversion Thread, got to git 'er done Options

[kdfoust]

I was wondering if it could be too straight. Mines still got a little bend to it. It feels okay so far rowing it around in the drive way. I guess I won't really know until I start actually shifting it with the thing running....which will be SOON! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Later
Kevin

[kdfoust]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) I'm still out here cranking along on the conversion. Yesterday I was thinking about how I want the car setup. RSR raised struts, 951 brakes, KONIs, ... I got out the gear ratio spreadsheet and started messing around too. The first thing I noticed is that the gear calculator is showing that fifth gear redline is at 126 MPH. That seems pretty slow. That's with the standard 901/914 ZD ratio in fifth and there's nothing higher than that. I've gone faster than that at Willow in a slower car, the other Porsche, than the 3.2 '14's capability. I put the calculator away and went to bed. Today I went back a took another look. I realized that I'd left the tire diameter from my 13" tire experiment in the calculator. I put the right diameter in the calc and I'm heading straight to 143MPH. That's more like it. It's a speed that I'm not even sure that I want to go in the '14, without some aero help anyway, but it's out there just in case... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif)

I'm finally over my miserable experience with the -16 braided hose. All I can say is that building -12 is like tying my shoes after muscling around with the -16. Because of all the thrashing around with the -16 I wound up having to use a pair of fittings and a union midway down the rocker to get enough length. I literally came up 4" short of making it from the engine oil cooler to the tank in front. Oh, well, I'm over all that now. Everything is pressure tested to 10 bar with no leaks. I made the last -12 hose tonight which goes to the puke bottle. I went around to all the fittings and removed them and put anti-seize on the threads and torqued them all down. When I went to put the lines back on the cooler the lower line really wanted to get cross-threaded. Off course I can't reach the fitting with a file, it's the one on the bottom of the Setrab, so tomorrow evening the cooler comes out so I clean up the threads before they get really boogered. Then I'll be completely finished with the oil system and dang happy about it.

Later,
Kevin

[kdfoust]

Finally the oil system is finished! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif)

Tonight I put all the stuff back together after fixing the boogered threads on the oil cooler. The way things are shaping up I'll be starting 'er up this weekend. I por-15d the jack points which I'd partially removed. There was some surface rust. I feel pretty darned lucky because the longs on this car are in great shape. I also found out that brake cleaner will remove paint. At least paint with no clear coat on it, like in my front trunk. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif) No big deal, I'll just put it on the list.

Later,
Kevin

[kdfoust]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) First fire yesterday! After I got a kink out of the return fuel she started right up. There still might be a kink or two to work out under the tank. Won't idle but that doesn't scare me. I "drove" it in first and reverse, sitting the barren cockpit no seat sitting on a old seat pad, to make sure the clutch was put together right. Sounds just like it should: f'n LOUD. Okay maybe too loud but for now I'll put up with it.. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) I'll post a sound byte of the engine later. The Techart Mufflers (bought through PMS) give it a pretty low rumble which I'm sure will set off every car alarm within a block at six grand. I'm dying to actually drive it but Christmas party commitments require that I get out of the garage and act social. I'll try not to bore the party goers with tales of future glory in the '14 but it's going to be hard to do. I promise not to drink too much and then offer to go fire 'er up at midnight. She won't idle but she'll sure run at 3500. I promise to not bore the party goers with in car video from the "other Porsche." I promise not to sneak out to figure out why it won't idle... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif)

Later,
Kevin (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif)

[John]

Great news!

Won't idle....

To adjust the idle, you have to short the two pins on the connector that looks like a round relay plugs into. (That disables the automatic air bypass valve). You then turn the air bypass screw to set base Idle speed, and finally you un-short the two pins. The DME then will "remember" the idle speed and make corrections using the automatic air bypass valve. I made a test plug from an old bad relay and painted it red for the track car.

Did you change all your hoses? You probably sealed up air leaks that were present before...

I wish my current conversion was that far along.... Anyway, where did you end up mounting the DME? Could you get a pic? (I'm still looking for ideas).

I'm waiting to get my oil cooler back from the welder, and my headers (that I'm getting as a present)

[kdfoust]

I just snuck out of the party for a minute....really.

Here's the lowdown on the vacuum lines. I have no clue where they should go! Not quite that bad but...

I've two ports on the intake boot which I've pluged, one about 1-1/4" and one about 1/2". I seem to remember both of those went to the stock air box (long gone in a spasm of cleaning up). Then there's the port on top of the engine the crank case vent which I also seem to remember went to the air box, or no? I haven't routed that anywhere yet but I've got the hose with the weird restictor inside hooked up there. Then there's the vac line that puzzles me most: it's on the throttle body below the vac line for the fuel pressure stuff and is a small, like 5/32 ID vac line. The hose that was on it is pretty long and I can't decide where that one should go so I just plugged it. Then there's that line on the intake manifold passenger side which I believe relates to the power brakes (fancy stuff I don't have) and another on the same side that Y'd into the intake manifold both of which I've plugged.

I guess since I've plugged all the vac fittings that I could find, you could say all the air leaks have been fixed. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

I count like 6 vacuum fittings, all plugged except the one that goes to the fuel pressure reg and surge damper.

Tomorrow night I get to play again so hopefully I'll get this sorted out then. I still owe my long suffering neighbors rides and they're starting to look anxious... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

Oh crap busted. Back to polite society...
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif)

Later,
Kevin

[kdfoust]

I haven't updated this thread in a while 'cause I've been too busy DRIVING the 3.2 conversion. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving.gif)

To make a long story shorter...

The 3.2 actually fired up on first crank, but after I'd spun it for awhile getting the oil circulating. It wouldn't idle long though and I traced that to a kink in the return fuel line under the tank. How many times has that happened with these cars? Once I discombobulated the kinks in the lines she fired right up. My first drive was completely successful. One wheel wanted to fall off, the sump tank leaked, the rear calipers drug until the brake fluid boiled making working the brakes a multi-pump kinda deal, and the 100A fuse at the battery popped right as I pulled up to my garage. This went much better than I expected! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif) After fixing those things and installing a 250A fuse I gave it another try the next morning. I ventured a little further this second day and only had the leak at the sump tank and two newly noticed bugs: back-up lights permanently on, and non-functioning blinkers. After cooling the engine for a couple of hours I found that I'd boogered the assembly of the sump tank and corrected that and the blinkers so she'd be ready for the next day's drive. On this the third day things were starting to feel better. I started testing her out a little bit.

Stock '85 3.2 78k miles taken from a '11 and put directly into the '14 without even removing a spark plug. Motronic, electronic all seems to have survived the transplant. The side shift conversion happened at the same time and the, upto this point unknown condition, tranny seems just fine. I had forgotten how truly awfull the shift feel was on this car becuase I'd installed a Rennshift back when it was a tailshifter. Right now I'm on the factory stuff and it's pretty bad. I ordered a new Rennshift last week and am looking forward to getting my hands on that.

My review of the performance is like this: YYEEEWOWWW! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif) It's been a while since I'd driven the '14. It's a good looking car in metalic green with blacked out Pedrinnis. It has always attracted quite a bit of attention but always had the downfall of the 1.7. Now it's a good performing car. The techart mufflers keep things down to a LOW RUMBLE which seems to be louder in the car than outside it. Letting 'er out to 6k it starts to scream. The first time jumping onto the freeway from my favorite local ramp left me thinking that the speedo must be wildly off although traffic did seem to be moving kinda slow. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif) It turns out that the speedo is pretty much right on with the tires I've got on there right now. The 3.2 is nice and torquey allowing take-offs in 2nd quite easily. The whole package can be loafed around letting the engine pull from as low as 2k in any gear. The power comes on nice and smooth and things just start happening quicker, much quicker when the loud pedal is pressed. The only reason to rap this engine out above 5500 is to listen to the music. Trailing throttle from 6k, well I'm getting excited... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rocking nana.gif)

So far the conversion completely met my expectations in terms of performance and esthetics. I drive it around every day and fix a little something every day. It gets a cage, brakes, and suspension upgrades over the next year. It won't have the meats to make a TTOD car for a few years because the paint is still quite good and I don't want to flare it yet. If things work out I do hope to be the terror of zone 8 AI class.

Later,
Kevin
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

[echocanyons]

Lookin good and sounds fun as hell.

Any more pics of the mufflers?

[Dr. Roger]

gorgeous.

might you post a video to see and hear her running through the RPM's??? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) in car, out of car, or both!

it really looks bad-ass.

congratulations. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

[Steve]

Merry Christmas Kevin!!!!

Remember keep the shiny side up!!!

[Steve]

I'm really depressed.
I just sold my 914 and watched him drive it away.
I also sold every part I had for that car.
The parts filled up his friends SUV to the ceiling.

Ahwell.
You will have a blast with your car.
The 3.2 is an awesome motor for the 914

[736conver]

Thats awesome Kevin.

Steve sorry to here that your car sold. Hope you stick around though.

I dont know if its my monitor or you picture but heres a lighter shot of your car, Kevin.

[jim912928]

way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm next I'm next!!!

[kdfoust]

I had still been having some cold idle issues. Today I got serious with and troubleshot it to conclusion. I posted the results of that over here on the Bird Board taildragger forum. If you're moneying around with Motronic 3.2 it might be useful to know about...

Later,
Kevin

[rpmmaxxed]

Looks awesome man.

Really like that color paint, alot.

I can now see what ya mean about the techarts dragging, they are HUGE. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/shocked[1].gif)

[kdfoust]

It's been awhile since I updated on this project. I've been doing some refinements to the conversion. The first thing was to move one of the header pipes on the driver's side. I don't know if all 914-6 headers are designed this way but the center cylinder header pipe on the driver's side passed really close to the engine oil cooler fittings. I had put fire braid over the oil line but I just didn't like this setup at all. The header was actually touching the fire braid! Figuring 500 or 700 deg F that close to my precious braided oil line was more than I could live with. And remember: I don't want to be the guy that dumps 15 quarts of oil on the track and fries an engine all at once. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

I've got an exhaust guy that specializes in hot rods. He does KNOW how to fabricate. This is the slow season for the hot rod guys so he has plenty of time. Anyway I went over and talked it over with him and he bent up some pipe to move the header pipe well away from the oil line and kept it the correct length. For all the complexity of the bends in these headers they're only within 2" of being the same length anyway. What a waste...does anyone make parts that aren't pieces of sh*t anymore?

Later,
Kevin

[Aaron Cox]

kev, whered you get that orange wrap stuff?


score me some and you got a rear valence (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif) (2 ft?)

[736conver]

Kevin,

You know if that would of been a "real" 914-6 oil cooler you would not of had that problem. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

Just givin ya hell. I wish I could at least go out and drive mine.

[messix]

can you make a heat shield to go between the header and the oil cooler? seems like that would shield alot of radiated heat away from the oil lines and oil cooler.

[kdfoust]

QUOTE (736conver @ Jan 25 2006, 11:12 PM)

Kevin, You know if that would of been a "real" 914-6 oil cooler you would not of had that problem. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Just givin ya hell. I wish I could at least go out and drive mine.

Dude, just get some Nokians and some chains and let 'er rip! I can already visualize the resulting threads: Tire chains, what size? Or Chains vs cables...

Real -6 cooler? Huh? What's the difference (just curious).

Later,
Kevin