Hello

I am a First time newbie posting

I currently have a Cayman that I occasionally track and a 73 MG midget summer driver that I have worked on some.

I recently purchased a completely disassembled 914. Although I have had some experience working on several other old cars I have never worked or drove a 914.

I have repaired all rust issues and painted the body and I think i am ready to start the assembly process. I have no plans to track the 914 but would like it to be a nice handling street driven car on a medium budget. It does not need to be original.
.
Starting first with suspension:
What suspension parts should be replaced and what brand? Opinions count!

new tie rods?
new ball joints?
new front wheel bearings
front shocks bilstein?
rear spring set what weight?
rear shocks bilstein?
rear wheel bearings

the one CV axle boot is cut
do i need rebuilt cv axles?



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I’d certainly replace the bushings on the suspension as well as the front torsion bars (Sway-a-Way makes good ones). Stay with rubber if you’re going to be street driving the car. Turbo tie rods, Bilsteins, etc. should work well for your project as well. A front sway bar with stiffer rear springs seem to work well for most. And of course, I’d put in new wheel bearings and would consider new rear axles (though those can easily be replaced when needed).

Enjoy your project in good health!

Nice - That's the way to start a project. Metal work, body work, paint, and then build from there. Post lots of pictures of the work you did before paint and keep us posted on the build. Cheers.

Fixed up right, your 914 is going to be like your Cayman but with a lot less power. In less you want that power as well.

If you love your 73 MG Midget I think you are going to love summer driving your 914 with the top in the rear trunk.

Lots of great info here as well as some good deals on some parts if you look here all the time. I have missed out on some super deals by 3 seconds. Ask in WTB parts for what some one may have. You could change out to a 5-lug set up and go with a Carrera front end with bigger brakes and?

Welcome

A shit load of info here. More than on any 911 Porsche or Bosxter group I have seen. The world knows these little mid Eng. Cars.

Bob B

You came to the right place to get information about our 914's.
You can find answers to almost anything here. 914 related, and other topics too

Welcome to the fun. You might want to send the steering rack rebuilt by 914 rubber before assembling the front suspension.

When you have gotten the electrical harness, wiper motor and fresh air system in place the car is 80% complete, the remaining 20 % goes together pretty easily.

Go Steelers!! (Originally from Clairton).

Hello to another Yinzer.

I am now looking at the calipers.
Rebuild them?
or
Buy rebuilt ones?

Doing a google search I found that auto zone has rebuilt complete calipers in stock for 36 bucks
Are they junk? and will not work?

My calipers have not been moved for 30 years and I cant get the pistons to move in or out
Is there a trick to get them unstuck?

Where is Pittsburgh are you guys? I am up there about one week every month, and I stay in Harmarville. Gonna be there next week, actually.

Skip autozone. They are your brakes. Get the best. PMB performance restores them to new.

Harmarville is north east of Pittsburgh
I am north west of the burgh

Get new rubber hoses for brakes as well. Out with the old, in with the new. As Long as you are there get a new master cylinder.

Look up PMB Performance in Sandy UT. They have a parts catalog on line

Bob B

all brake line will be new along with the master cyinder

PMB also has great tutorials on their site and youtube videos that reveal all their secrets if you decide to DIY rebuild. It includes tips on getting those pistons moving. That's what I plan to do, using PMB parts. Waiting on a set of hard lines from them now.

I grew up in State College and moved to the South Hills of da 'burgh when I was 12.

I also have a Cayman.

Don't forget to have PMB also rebuild your rear brake pressure regulator. It's located on the drivers side rear fire wall. I'm sure it's all frozen up too!

Keep asking questions. There is almost nothing that at least someone here can't help you with.

We're all in this together.

Konrad

Unfortunately I bought this car unassembled and I have never driven one before either. It puts me at a slight disadvantage.

Now that I tackled the rust issues I am looking more at the beginning of the assembly process.

I have ordered new bilstein shocks, all wheel bearings, turbo tie rods, ball joints

What about a front sway bar? I don't think I have one with the boxes of stuff I got with the car.

Does it make a big difference?
I had a BMW mini cooper before and I change the front bar to a bigger diameter and it made a significant difference to the under steer

Thanks Yinz

Yes! You really want a front sway bar on a 914.

I now have the PMB calibers installed and brakes appear to be working.
Motor is installed and runs as well as it can be while the car is still on jack stands

My stupid question is now about the throttle cable
I got it run through the tunnel and connected to the pedal. but how does it get run from tunnel to the throttle body on the top side of the motor?

thanks

Under the engine and through a hole in the engine tin between the engine and rear trunk.

I believe you'll find a hole in the left-front piece of engine tin (where it is horizontal), sort of under the battery, with a rubber grommet on it. The cable goes through there.

Uhh, wait. Is this a 914-6? In that case, the throttle goes to a bellcrank back on the transmission and then a rod goes from the bellcrank through the vertical rear piece of engine tin to the cross-shaft on the carbs.

--DD

Where are the engine pictures?

Welcome. From another Yinzer.

I must be doing something wrong. The cable is too short when I run it through the hole by the battery. see picture
It is a fuel injected stock 4 cylinder motor in a 1971 914

What does the cable jacket mount to?
Am I missing somthing?



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Should be a rubber grommet in the hole. Cable mounts the the throttle body assembly. Cable length looks correct.

You guys have been very helpful with the issues that I have run into while assembling the car
My new issue now is fuel delivery.

What I have is:
1. 1971 4 cylinder stock with the type D fuel injection
2. Newer 914 late model fuel pump (2 port) that I just got from Pelican Parts
3. New metal fuel lines through the tunnel
4. Stock original fuel tank
Fuel lines Connected as follows:
5. Under the tank, connected to the big port I have a short rubber hose connected to a fuel filter,
6. from the filter another short hose and then to the fuel pump
7. from the pump a short hose connected to the steel line back to the engine compartment
8. then in the engine compartment a short hose to the fuel injector manifold
9. after the last injector a short hose is connected to the regulator
10. then a short hose from the regulator to the second steel line back up to the fuel tank

My problem is the engine will not start
I removed an injector and turned the key on and it sprays fuel (enough?)

The real odd thing for me is when I remove the fuel supply hose from fuel injector manifold (step 8 above) and just direct it into a basin the engine will easily start and run until out of fuel

after reconnecting (step 8) it will not start

What am I doing wrong?
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Paul

Any idea what the fuel pressure actually is? Should be 29 PSI.

If the fuel pressure regulator is plumbed backwards, it will essentially block all flow back to the fuel tank, and the fuel pressure will be something like 50 PSI. Way too much fuel...

--DD

Correct me if I am misunderstanding what you say here.

In reading this it sounds like the injector sprays fuel as soon as the key is turned on.
The injector should only spray fuel when the engine is cranked over and it should be a pulsed spray.

If it sprays constantly with the key on you have an injection problem.
It will flood the engine and you will end up with more gas in your oil than oil.

Jim

I do not have a gauge to measure the pressure.
and the injector pulse sprays only when the engine is cranked.

When I use a gas can (instead of the gas tank) and just stick the two fuel lines in the can the engine starts right up and appears to run fine

An other point:
When everything is connected as it should be and I crank the motor for an extended time.
I do not smell gas. Pulling a spark plug and looking at it, it is not wet with gas

Inside your fuel tank there is a strainer...on the bottom fitting...sounds like it's clogged...

not seen this comment yet, please REPLACE THE FUEL LINES before you go much more. tons of pic with buring 914's and

I cleaned the strainer, it didn't look bad but cleaned it anyway.
Same problem

All of the fuel lines have been replaced

If you guys are still willing, here is what I have tried since:

I got a fuel pressure gauge and connected it to the fuel line (point 8 above) in the engine compartment

Cranking the motor, the gauge reads about 70psi. I tried adjusting the regulator with no affect.

I then removed the return line (point 10 above) and put the loose hose end in a pan to catch the fuel.
Cranking the motor like this, the motor started, and the pressure gauge reads about 30psi while running

Another observation: When the motor is running, and the return line is disconnected there is not a lot of fuel coming out of it.

Questions:
Are the fuel lines connected correctly?
I keep hearing about the CHT sensor. Could this be causing these symptoms?
Is it simply the pressure regulator?
Any other ideas as to what I could check?

Thanks a bunch


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Paul, the tube coming out of the tank for the return line, have you checked to see if it is plugged up with rust? The line sounds like it is fine. Just because the tank is clean, doesn't mean the tube isn't plugged up.

I have removed both nipples from the tank and cleaned them. Gas freely flows out of them when the tank is set upright and no lines are attached.
all hard lines and hoses are new expect for the one to the cold start injector

here is another interesting addition:

I have connected all of the lines back up in the engine compartment with the pressure gauge still connected.

but

I disconnected the return line from the tank and just stuck it in the filler tube of the tank. I also plugged the return line port at the bottom of tank.

The car starts and fuel pressure about is about 30psi