So I've rebuilt the engine in my '75 during this resto. Tore it completely down to splitting the case and replaced all bearings and gaskets and what not, but I haven't had any work done that would modify the timing such as grinding down the crank or cam. So theoretically speaking, if no work has been done to modify the timing, and I know I lined up the timing marks on the crank and cam correctly, the timing should still be OK, shouldn't it? There's no play in the valves, rocker arms, or pushrods, so I don't see why it wouldn't. But I'm no porsche expert, so is there something else that would affect it in a rebuild? It'll be quite a while before I get the engine put back in and try running it again, I'm just curious. Don't want to try firing it up if there's something else I need to check first.

I was also wondering what I might use to repair the firewall mat. The one I've got is in good shape other than a few tears. I keep thinking blackjack would work but I doubt that's a good way to do it. Seems to me the engine heat would just melt it off. Any suggestions?


And why is it that when you tear an engine down for a simple thing like replacing piston rings, you find yourself making incredibly stupid mistakes? In my defense [before I get into the whole story] on average, I'm up for 18 hours a day. I work nights, and w/ my current projects [the 914 resto & motorcycle] I only have time to work on them before I go into work. So the fiancee gets me up around 8-9 AM before she leaves for work, I drive to my folks house [it's the only garage I have] work on this stuff all day, then go to work until 2 AM, getting in bed around 3.

For those of you that read my post on the motorcycle I'm working on, here's one of the most hilarious stories you'll probably ever hear... erm, read:

So I got it torn down to replace the piston rings, found out it needed new pistons too, and got the replacements I needed. Last Thursday I was all gung ho about getting it put back together. I'm like "Yeah, I'ma get this sumbitch put back together and have it running by the weekend." And then Murphy says "Uhm, no, I don't think you'll be doing that." Here's a rough drawing of the set up on the topside of the crankcase w/ the cylinders removed:

Click to view attachment

The tensioner pulleys are held into place by a hollow shaft that fits down into the slot. At either end of the shaft there is a rubber spacer. Well, I still needed to clean the gasket surface on the crankcase before I could start assembly, so I stuffed rags into the cylinders and into the slot for the cam chain to keep gunk out of the case. After I was done, I removed the rags, and as I removed the one I had stuffed in the slot for the cam chain, the tensioner pulleys came up with it, and can you guess what happened to those rubber spacers? Yep, they dropped down into the cylinders. Well, my uncle has quite a selection of tools, one of which happens to be a fiber optic scope for checking certain internal parts w/out dismantling them. And luckily he's only a 2 mile drive away. So I cruise over and pick it up, and between that and a flexible grabber tool I have managed to find and retrieve the spacers. I had a friend w/ me, and it took one of us using the scope and the other the grabber.

So to prevent this from happening again, I took it upon myself to goop the rubber spacers to the shaft. It's not a solid glue job by any means, but it worked to hold them together and keep them from falling off again. So we go about reassembly. For the life of me, as many different ways as I tried it, the gasket just would not go on over the head studs. I worked it every which way to no avail. And then it occurs to me- "Dumbass! You're trying to put the head gasket on there!" So I'm working the head gasket back off the studs, being extra careful as by this point the gasket is deformed to some extent. But little do I realize, one of the steel bushings used for aligning the cylinders & the case is stuck in the gasket, so guess what happens when I get the gasket off the studs? You bet- the bushing drops out of the gasket, right into the crankcase!!

At this point my friend is and I'm ready to start on Murphy for his antics. But after a minute of calming myself down I find humor in the situation after all. Once again the fiber optic scope comes in handy, and we retrieve the bushing. At this point we have to call it a day as it was time to go to work, and I haven't been able to work on it this past week as my fiancee and I have had wedding stuff to take care of. Which, by the way, I'd love to have one of those fiber optic scopes myself, but the only place around here I can find one is Northern Tool & Equipment, and they want $250 bucks for it. Granted, it does have a 36" neck, and I know fiber optic is expensive stuff, but I'll have to wait a while on that one. It would take some very slick explaining to my fiancee why I needed to spend $250 on a new tool. Even at that I'm pretty sure she'd be at me.

But I finally got back up here today to continue assembly. But to my dismay, I've misplaced another part of the chain tensioner. In addition to the pulleys, there's two long plastic pieces that run from the underside of the cam down into the crankcase for the chain to rub on. I have one, but for the life of me I can't find the other! I looked and looked and looked, but no luck. So right now I'm just taking a break, and in a little while I'm gonna go out and look for it again. Sometimes I find when you're frustrated like I am at this point, it's best to just take a break and cool off, then continue w/ the work.

Okay, so I'm probably not a very good story teller, but I promise you- if you had been there to witness this series of events, you'd be laughing about it too. I find it so frustrating and yet irritatingly funny that no matter what, Murphy's law applies to even the simplest of things. That bastard!

Anyway, I suppose I'd better go back out and keep looking. It's bound to turn up somewhere.

I'm sure you will locate and buy the $5 chain rub strips with $12.00 shipping, a short while before you find your lost one.

Which is exactly what I expect to happen Scott- because I just spent 1.5 hours tearing apart the garage looking for it with no luck. I'm sure that's where I had it last. [the actual bike is in the corn crib along w/ the motor, but I took some parts up to the garage for cleaning] So I've just accepted the fact it's gone, I'll have to order a new one, and then when I get it done and go back to working on my resto, I'll find it and be kicking myself in the teeth.