The 200 mile oil change + odds and ends

Oil change shake-down drive to the lake

Following guidance, the break-in oil needed to be changed after 200 miles.  Seems strange now, but I've never actually done this job before.  Fortunately lots of good instructions and videos out there.  While I already had her on jack stands for the oil change, I figured I would take care of some of the minor issues...

Ella drives again!

It's been a little over seven years...

Engine and transmission re-united at last!

 A significant milestone as progress continues to creep along...

Progress has been made...

 Fortunately, I have been (slightly) better about making progress on Ella's engine than I have been about documenting that progress.

The engine is mostly sealed up and off the engine stand.  

The rear main seal has been replaced (3D printed RMS alignment tool shown).

And the flywheel (below) + pressure plate are installed.

Unfortunately, I'm now stuck waiting on parts for the shift fork that I didn't know should be replaced until I got into the job.

Whoa Neglected Projected (post formerly titled "Wrenching Time!")

My family headed out of town for a week in March of 2018, and I got a lot of time to work on personal projects.  Ella got a big chunk of that time. I didn't even get around to posting about the work completed that March, but at least I made the quick notes below.

SAI Pump rewire

I replaced the wire insulation on the SAI Pump.  Working originally completed 03/2018, but I never got around to posting it.

I chose to replace the insulation rather than re-wire because I didn't have the tools or parts to replace the wires.

Close-up of the disintegrated wire insulation

Removing the rest of the cracked and hardened insulation

Replaced insulation with marine grade heat shrink

Repaired SAI pump

Cylinder Heads and Camshaft Housings Installed

A few more steps to completion.

Heads Installed, Left Camshaft Housing Test Fit

Heads Installed, Left Camshaft Housing Test Fit

Camshaft Housings Installed, Knock Sensors Installed

After a great deal of agony over the choices, I used Threebond 1184 for sealing the camshaft housings to the cylinder heads.  Fingers crossed I did it well!

On the knock bridge and knock bridge sensor, I used a bit of purple Loctite with the appropriate primer.  Apparently the aluminum hole and plated steel fastener may not be enough to "cure" the Loctite.  Given the engine's heat and the temperatur profile of the Loctite, I am somewhat skeptical that this will do much, but I figured it wouldn't hurt much either.

P&C's Installed

Noting a little milestone along the way...pistons and cylinders installed.

Little sections of PVC pipe work great if you don't have enough spare sockets to hold the cylinders in place.  I used left-over 3/4" schedule 40 from the clean room construction, but a smaller diameter would probably be a bit better.

Engine reconstruction commences!

Family heads out, wrenching commences

With the family off to the grandparents' for the weekend (thanks everyone!), I set about beginning engine reconstruction.  However, before that could begin, I needed to finish building my "clean room".  I thought about just reserving the garage for engine building, but given my rate of progress, that didn't seem like a good idea.

The clean room complete

It has AC!

Ready to begin

A ding in the cylinder-head mating surface - the next bump in the road. But this piston looks good!

Piston when first disassembled

SAI Pump Wire Insulation

A known weakness, the insulation falls of the wires leading to the SAI pump.  I addressed it by knocking off the old insulation and replacing it with Ancor marine-grade shrink wrap (1/4").  Not only did this shrink wrap seem extra sturdy, but it shrinks to 1/3 it's original diameter.  This allows it to clear the collar on the plug and still shrink tight around the wire.  But next time, I would probably just replace the wires.

Engine Pad Replacement

Out with the old

As is common, my 993's engine pad was in sad shape.  There is no easier time to replace it than when the engine is out...

The Fan/Fan Housing Saga

Broken Blade Tip

At the beginning of my top-end rebuild, I was excited about the opportunity to refinish my decrepit-looking 911 engine cooling fan and housing.  Once they were removed, however, I realized they were both damaged beyond repair.

The Damage

The fan was missing two blade tips, and the fan housing was cracked around the alternator mount.  So I decided to bite the bullet and order both new.  I figured it would at least be easy, but Porsche had something else in store for me...

Plated!

Progress has been slow over the last few months (three months since the last post!?!), but it hasn't completely ground to a halt.  The big news this weekend - parts are back from being yellow-zinc plated!

The freshly plated oil-filler cap might be the first part I have re-installed, which seems like a landmark worth capturing :-).


More pictures below...

Porsche 993 Top-End Machine Shop Work

Return Shipment

I am way behind on updating the blog. I shipped the cylinder heads for valve-guide replacements almost three months ago, and they came back the day before my daughter was born (the original deadline for finishing the project - oh well).

DIY Soda Blasting

I have sent several batches of parts to a soda blasting service, and been very happy with the results (see here). However, for a couple of reasons I decided that it would be nice to have the capability at home.

There is a fair amount of information on the web, but I never could find a clear guide that fit my needs and circumstances.  Here I will document what worked well for me.

Plastic Repair

Recent progress on Ella has been slow, as usual, but I figure if it hasn't come to a complete halt, then everything is ok ;-).

The top-end machine work is done and should be shipped back from Rennsport Systems next week.  They also are doing a distributor rebuild for me.

I also shipped out my mufflers for a Fister Stage 3 conversion and ceramic coat -- I can't wait to see how they look and even more how they sound!

That stuff will all be back before I am ready to start re-assembly -- the list of "while I'm in there" tasks to do is still long.  One item on that list was repairing a cracked plastic wheel liner and a broken under-body tray.

The under-body tray (Porsche part number 99350412900) was functional and out of sight, so I couldn't justify the $300 to replace it.  However, I also didn't like it being broken.  Last year I fixed my kids' plastic slide using fiberglass tape and plastic epoxy, and I figured the same would work on this part.  Here are a few before and after photos.

Jeepin'

Last week I experienced a different aspect of automotive enthusiasm: off-road driving.  We had tons of fun exploring the trails around Ouray, CO with family and friends.



Click on to see some shots from our excursions near Ouray, CO.

Maximum Dis-assembly?

I hope so!  Ella's engine has been torn down to the crankcase, so if much more is done that means a complete engine rebuild.

Here are a few photos to commemorate the occasion.

993 Engine Photos

Having some fun with the camera...

Parts Clean-up: Soda blasting

I read about soda blasting online, and it seemed a good fit for some of my parts cleaning needs.  As I understand it, soda blasting is (one of) the least abrasive forms of media blasting.  It is safe for rubber, plastic and painted surfaces.  It also dissolves in water, so removing the residue is easy.