hello everyone

Just joined the club but I've been reading and learning for a couple of weeks now. I bought the 914 in Tampa a couple of weeks ago on Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...2483069182&rd=1
and have been busy fixing tail lights, blinkers, horn, etc. I still have brake light issues as the PO has apparently made several modifications to the wiring. I also have a backfire on decel and will drive the car on ramps (scary) to check for exhaust leaks. I'm having 2nd thoughts after reading that the motor must be dropped to change a clutch! I am no mechanic and I hope that I can find a reasonable one in this (Pensacola) area. Looks like most of you are in the CA area?

welcome to the club! I really dig the racing stripe! Don't be scared by the dropping the engine to change the clutch, it is really pretty easy to remove. You can replace the clutch with the engine in the car, but it is much more diffacult.
The are some really great articals and people that can talk you thru just about every thing here! you might want to ask somebody besides me... I am really good a removing, just not so quick to put the engines back in!
0 for 3 right now, but the motors look really kewl in my garage!

You are in for one heck of a ride!!

welcome to the club! I bought my 914 on Ebay too

Welcome and take your place amongst the insane.

You do not need to drop the motor to change the clutch.
You jack up the rear, place jackstands to hold the car up, put a floorjack under the engine and put pressure on it. You then disconnect the axles, shift linkage, clutch cable, speedo cable, starter, tranny ground strap and the rear 4 bolts that fasten the tranny to the body.

You then lower the engine about 2-3 inches and wella, you can then pull the tranny.

Much easier if you have access to an overhead lift.

There are a bunch of you down you way - stand by - they'll probably pipe up soon.

Buy a Haynes Manual for some of the information - ask the rest here.

Slits and Scott showed me how to do it, with the engine in the car about 2 weeks ago...was a no brainer....actual time frame on labor was about 2.5 hours....but as always you end up doing other stuff "while your down there"....but really its not hard...if you have some help, try dropping the tranny....if not....do the whole engine....more time consuming, but safer in my opinion....It is really not difficult, you just have to be confident and go for it....I am sure you will be very glad when your done....You will learn a lot...

welcome....we have quite a few members from Florida as well...you are not alone

Welcome aboard, You are now about to enter the asylum. cheers AL

Welcome to the best damn 914 club in the world. Gulf Breeze, what a wonderful town. I used to live in Mobile, AL and every summer would vacation on Pensacola Beach, I remember this great Deli in Gulf Breeze, had the best cheese cake. What a great town. Now, I'm prisoner north of Boston in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts. Don't fear working on your car. The motor removal/drop is a 2 hour process the first time (excellent advise here and Pelican Parts has a step by step instruction guide on their site). Fix it and enjoy it.

Welcome to the Club... and say goodbye to your sanity.

-Rusty

Thanks for the encouraging words and warm welcome. I just remembered that I did see a really nice 914 at a car show a few months ago in Cantonment so I know there is at least one enthusiast in this area.
Can someone answer a couple of questions that I have?
1) My car is missing the stabilizers (page 102, figure 7.7 in Haynes book) and I'm wondering if they are optional or a must. The car DOES shimmy a bit at 60 but smoothes out beyond that speed.
2) There is an extra battery cable coming from the rear of the car! It is a red cable and it sparked when I touched the car body with the metal clamp. What's up with that? The battery already has both cables on it and starts the car fine.
3) The little tank on top of the gas tank (reserve tank?) has what appears to be old gas in it. Should this tank be drained or will it be used in normal conditions when the main tank gets low?

Exactly where is this cable? What engine do you have [1.8?]

Welcome to the club. I am in Clearwater if you ever want to compare notes.

Peter 1974 2 Liter
Hopelessly in debt!

Yes, the sway bars were optional or part of "packages" IIRC the "Sport package".

Geoff

The canister on top of the gas tank is the Charcoal canister. It was some sort of enviromental thing I think.

buy a haynes manual. before you start working on the car, see if you can find a company in your area that does steam cleaning while the vehicle is on a lift. working on a car that has had all the mess removed is alot more fun. congtrats on the purchase, enjoy and ask lots of questions.

kevin

Take a digital pict of the cable and we can tell you what i
t's there for.

Clay Perrine

74 914 1.8L (Betty's Daily Driver)
73 914 2.4L MFI Six (In process of reassembly)

"It is better to wear out than to rust out."

Thanks for all the responses. The cable is attached to the started soloniod and is dangling near the battery. It's obviously the battery cable but why did they install another one? I won't be able to post pics (or can't?) until I get a few posts under my belt. Today I was able to back the car on ramps and fixed the back-up lights. A wire had come off the switch. I also discovered a small hole in the exhaust and patched it with muffler weld and a clamp. Hope that fixes the backfire issue. I also was able to remove the steering wheel and reposition it so I could read the gauges. It was obscuring the speedo while driving straight. These things may seem small but I am glad that I was able to make some progress. I have rocker panels, roof latch interior light and a cool 'Porsche' side decals coming in any day. This car will drive me to the poor house.

you can post pics. Keep em under 300kb and DON'T PREVIEW your post.

Welcome to the board. Looks like you bought a car from my neck of the woods (Plant City). Joe Ricard lives in Gautier, MS and is very knowledgable on the 914's, I'm certain he will post soon.

Hey Paul, do you recognize this car?

Good luck with the ownership, these cars are wonderful and depressing all at the same time.

This is the best source for information on the 914s.

Hello and welcome!