I got some 911 struts to do a 5 lug conversion. The struts came with rotors, discs, hubs and M calipers.

When I unskrewed the top of the strut I got a surprise, instead of an insert damper the strut contained a piston and a lot of oil.
The only number I found on the strut was L 655.01

Question: Does anyone know what year the strut was manufactured and what type of insert damper do I need to install? Dont suppose its possible to refill and use existing piston?

Thanks

Under the paint in about the middle of the strut there should be a 911 part number. Strut is a Boge but I have no clue what brand the insert is. Putting some oil in the bottom of the tube was standard practice in the day. Caliper spacing 3" or 3.5" will determine the approximate years of the strut.

Thanks for the reply.

When I got the strut it was rusty so I media blasted it and painted it black. I saw no part number but will look again when I blast the other one.
The insert is not the same as the insert I have in my 912 and looks like a completely different design.

Bump,

Hasnt anyone come across this type of strut before?

The one with no number was probably a replacement strut or sold aftermarket.

Siiiigggghhhh. Boge and Sachs OE struts were like this. The shock portion used the barrel as the reservoir. Replacement parts were offered only as inserts, IIRC. This has been discussed here many times. PAY ATTENTION! Oh, and the only 911/914 struts I've ever seen were sourced from Porsche, so no "aftermarket", and they all have Porsche part numbers stamped on the barrel.

The Cap'n

Thanks for taking the time.

Can I refill them?

Yes you can although I forget exactly what type Of Oil that I used.

David

David,
Thanks for the reply. You say you have refilled the damper.

Did you fill half way or more and did you replace the O rings?

Appreciate if you could give me some pointers so I can avoid mistakes

Once you've replaced all the internal seals, you can add the correct quantity of shock oil (which is very thin and smells kinda like fish) and reassemble the strut. However, the seals are probably NLA, and the correct quantity of the proper oil may be difficult to determine. There's a small chance the instructions might be in an early version of the workshop manual, or possibly the 911 manual, but I don't recall ever seeing the specs. The seals and o-rings may not be available anywhere, and a parts breakdown is NOT in the PET, meaning Porsche probably never furnished them as spare parts.

The Cap'n

Cap'n

Thanks for the feed back. It has worked for others so I will give it a go.

All the best