Awkwardness of a simple task challenge.....

[scam75]

Evening all

Set out tonight to do a few little jobs. Nip up a wheel bearing, no dramas, tighten alternator belt a little. Other than the faff of taking off all the turbo undertrays, no dramas. Always thought there should be some way of changing or tensioning the front belts without that carry on but never mind. Then I went to do what I thought would be a simple task of installing an alternator cooling pipe. Mine has been MIA for god knows how long. Only 20 odd quid from OPC and it can't hurt the alternator to get cool air. Cue the most awkward place ever to get the new pipe on and do up the jubilee clip! Obviously the easy way to do this is with the alternator loosened off and the shroud off then it would be a canter but at 4 hours work start to finish on a turbo gave that a body swerve. Ended up like a game of twister that was finally solved by much swearing, a 7mm socket, a 1/4 inch knuckle, a 1/4 inch extension bar, a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter, a 3/8 extension bar, a 3/8 to 1/2 inch adapter, a 1/2 inch extension bar and a 1/2 inch ratchet! Never again!

Who can top that nonsense?

Stuart

 

[robwright]

Ha ha I have been there a couple of times. I feel your pain brother!

 

[Frenchy]

They do try you at times, getting grief with mine at the moment see cooling fan post.

 

[zcacogp]

S2's are easier .... []

On a serious note, 944's generally are meant to be easy for amateur spanner-twirlers to work on at home. Something more modern must be a real pain in the bum (not sure if I am allowed to say that!) by comparison. And yes, I feel your pain too!


Oli.

 

[blade7]

My experience after owning a turbo for 10 years, and doing everything myself, is anything related to the engine is PITA to work on. I bought a 944 turbo because it was the best bang for the buck a decade ago. Now I'd buy something like a Golf R/RS3,TT-RS and have more performance without the old car hassle.

 

[robwright]

Today I had the pleasure of fitting new rain gutter seals.

 

[Frenchy]

Blade, hear you, nowhere near as cool though !

 

[blade7]

Blade, hear you, nowhere near as cool though !

This is true, and I'm sentimentally attached to the old girl now [].

 

[colin944]

I did the rain gutter seals recently. Not a hard job but a touch awkward. the usual 944 job of needing three hands.

 

[edh]

Most jobs seem quite straightforward (if I can do them they must be..)
Turbos definitely more awkward than S2's - and every job starts and ends with the intake pipes...

Changing engine mounts is the one I hated - took me 15 mins on my 996 and all weekend on the 944 turbo! (mind you, some simple jobs on the Boxster / 996 platform are a pain - for example CV boots & the coolant expansion tank)

 

[blade7]

Maybe it's just me, but I found the offside CV joint inner boot a PITA with the gearbox cooler loop, the fuel filter replacement was another job I'd rather not do, and the gear linkage on the top of the gearbox was one I wished I hadn't started.

 

[Waylander]

The most awkward things I have done
like blade the gearbox linkage was one, but the oil cooler housing with the engine in the hole was a real pain

 

[blade7]

I watched Ed China remove an M3 gearbox on TV, and wondered then if German car designers have some perverse sense of humour.

 

[scam75]

Yes removing the OS drive shaft is another bit of finger ballet! I have not tried to do a linkage in situ, will be doing it while my box is out! On the plus side my new cooler solution does away with that stupid loop anyway. After smashing 4 of them I ought to have done this sooner. You live and learn!

Stuart

 

[drfc71]

I'm 3 days into trying to fit the door handle drop link onto the ball joint. Wish I'd never started it.

 

[Waylander]

Oh yes forgot about the doors and locks, anything with those normally involves skin loss

 

[PSH]

don't bother trying to do the locks without taking the door card, lock shield and associated parts off first... I tried and gave up after numerous attempts. My son then popped over, stripped the door, attached link to ball in seconds and thus fixed the handle, probably took him about 20 mins, then gave me a roasting for being so stupid.....

Pete

 

[scam75]

Yeah the ball joint for the drop link is a classic! As Pete says once all stripped off its a bit easier. Top tip. Keep window up and unbolt bottom of window runner from base of door and bend it away slightly. This will give sufficient wiggle room! Removing the door vent also helps iirc.

Stuart

 

[IanK]

Just try replacing the heat shield that fits just under the exhaust manifold on an S2 - that will seriously test your patience and dexterity in assembling things with one hand that you cant see!

Ian

 

[Frenchy]

Spent 3 evenings of my life a couple of years ago on hot summer nights with a dremmel and a oil seal pick removing a crush ring from the turbo down pipe, been under mine today with another new fan sensor switch, bled the system fans came on yippee do dah, got the car back down to the garage let the temp rise, fans
never came on..........bollocks !
Looks like I need to bleed it again, not too bad as I don't have to get under it.......again, it is pushing my buttons now !
That said when it is happy, it's epic, I have a good few hobbies so can walk away and come back to it, chasing Salmon tomorrow as the river levels have risen up here ??
Will give it another go on Sunday, once sorted I can get into my E46 330i touring and sort the idle issue !
Sell up and buy a saucy newish daily, sometimes think about it.............then NAH !
BORING ??