Folks,
I've had my car down for the last 10 months or so because of a rod knocking.
I've spent the time and money very sparingly over the ensuing months because of the economy and my job security.
Anyway, I've gotten everything together to reassemble the engine and go back to driving, except for the heads which are still at EBS.
Since I let my 14 year old grand daughter drive my teener last summer, I wanted her to get involved in the mechanical understanding of an engine. She is one girl that is not shy about picking up a wrench and twisting it.

My reasoning for this is that most of us are in our 30's 40's & 50's, and I don't feel that many kids growing up today will ever get a chance to have an experience like this. We as adults really need to share our knowledge with kids every chance we get to give them a leg up on life's experiences before they head out into the world at the end of their teenage years.
She's going to start high school in the fall knowing how to rebuild a 95 993 3.6L Porsche engine by virtue of having done it. How many of her peers will be able to say that.

Below are some pics of the crank buildup.

a few more.

Last few.

Little does the kid know she's touching about 4k worth of rotating assembly.
We would have put the crank in the case last weekend, but when we got ready to we couldn't find the timing chains in the parts box for the new hardware I bought from EBS.
I got the new chains from them yesterday, and tomorrow we'll button up the case and wait for the rebuilt heads to arrive. FYI, the rods I had Crower make.They are only 4grams heavier than the originals.

pics to follow


Ron

Ron,

That's great! It's surprising how well some teen daughters respond to Dad's mechanical interests. Believe me, it's an experience she'll always remember (and probably brag about to her friends).

Andys

That's great. My 13 year old son wants little to do with mechanical stuff. My 8 year old daughter on the otherhand will climb under the car with me. She knows her tools. She's great at handing me stuff.

Wow, a teen working on a car....so rare these days. You must be super proud!! She'll remember those times for many years.

Glad you are going back together...I thought you fell off the earth

Bravo Dad....

Way cool.

Anyone building a 3.6 914 in search of a 40 year old grandson... please let me know.

Last year (at 13) I took her to a vacant parking lot, and handed her the wheel. She'd never driven anything in her life other than a mini bike.
I gave an hour, and she learned to start,stop,backup,shift, & drive the car. And of course it's a 915 manual. You could not have removed the grin from her face that day with a baseball bat. She is the only other person to drive my 6r other than me, and she knows it. To her it is a first that no one will ever be able to take away from her.
I also told her that day that the end goal was to drive Roebling Road. It's funny because at the time she was clueless as to why that meant anything special.
A couple of months ago while she was visiting one weekend I opened up Google Earth and typed in Roebling's address, to show her where it was at.
She got got that big grin again,and that's why she was so eager get help to get the engine and car back together and on the road.
The goal now is to attend the DE event in December


Ron

You, sir, are a good man.

When I was a pre teen...our neighbor was a retired machinist who set up a small machine shop in a shed in his backyard...after school I used go over and help (Pester!) him...I learned how to use a machine lathe, drill press and all sorts of other tools. These were priceless lessons that have helped me understand the built environment we're in today.

Beyond priceless, these are things that will help her in ways that she doesn't know about...yet!

A great story.

Woo hoo! That is awesome!

Congrats to you for empowering our youth. She may never have need to rebuild another one but the power in knowing if she can do that, the world is hers to control.

Mike

Get her on an a/x course asap.

Bravo Grandpa... I have a rod knocking as well. Could we fly her out to fix mine next?

Actually I have two engines to build now... she could start her own Porsche Engine repair shop after we fly her home!

I'm way ahead of you!!!



Ron

That's great Ron!

I just wish I could interest my 21 year old son in working with me on mine.

However, I had to look twice at the email of your 1st post, cuz "rod knocking" had a completely different meaning back in your & my younger & single days!

For her 12th birthday, I put my daughter through the Jim Hall Kart Racing School and she loved it! JH has arguably the best program in the nation. Anyway, stay with the Father/Daughter stuff; its the best nurturing you can ever do!

Andys

My 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter share exactly the same roles in my house. I've got photos of her in deep concentration working on the car and can't recall any such instances of my son doing the same.

great seeing that see's very interested in the mechanical workings. she will be better off for it.

my wife [NOW] loves the fact that i insisted she install the pistons in her 289 when we rebuilt it (in 1984 ha!). just got done walking the daughter-in-law thru a total rebuild on her honda v-tec.

good job grandpa

i started my girls at age 4

Here is my screen saver -- my then-9 year old daughter (now 13 going on 25) helping put the street tires back on my old MR2 autocrosser. Gotta love her style, with the pink plastic high-heels.

I lied and told the SCCA folks that she was 12 so she could ride along, and she hooped-n-hollered throughout each run -- especially when I overcooked a turn and spun it!

When I finish my Suby-powered teener, she'll definitely drive it, since she's helped me on occasion handing me wrenches, pointing to stuff and asking questions. She's a keeper.
Click to view attachment

I love this story! Guys will be swarming when they learn she is a car person.

Today's progress, we finally screwed the case back together.

tomorrow we'll put the cylinders on.

Enjoy the pics.

Ron

more

more

last couple guys, A good day's achievement.

Tomorrow we'll be back at it again.


Ron

Congrats grandpa. I just wish my father had encouraged/supported me to work on cars. I learned to drive my dad's Morgan Plus Four Plus, then I was going to rebuild the engine. But he refused to let me . The car sat for the next (15) years until someone happened to drive by and offer him $500, which he sold it for. BTW there was only 26 of these cars ever built. I have a copy of a book that was written describing the rebuilding of this car.

-- Rob

Hey Ron take a look at THIS THREAD I posted on the Bird Board about the o-rings and bolts.

Also, what front pulley is that?

My Grandson is into dirt bikes and has been pestering me to get a race quad which I finally did. We have been racing around the property, working on his bike and having fun. My daughter was never into stuff like that so to say the least I am enjoying the relationship....It's something special for sure.

Thanks Paul!!!!!
I read the Thread, and now this morning at 7:00am I had to go back and remove each an every thru-bolt 1 at a time, and check for torn o-rings. The verdict none were torn.
I originally put a heavy smear of Dow 111 on them prior to installing. All were OK, so I did it again to reinstall and re-torque.

As for the pulley, that is the one I had made by my machinist here at work. However, I read your earlier thread about the 993 RS pulley, and I may go get one and fit it prior to reinstalling the engine in the car.

Thanks as always for all your great advise.

Ron

I hope your granddaughter realizes that there a very few guys that have ever seen the inside workings of a 911 engine. Myself included. Very cool!