[Scott at Team Harco]

I started this build in 2016. Was to be my 'winter project'. Things got in the way. That's another story for another time.

But now - I have the shop I have dreamed of, for years. A 911 that needed a lot of freshening, and ultimately an engine rebuild.

Now I find my list of priorities has fallen to getting back to work on Stu's engine.

Pulled the cover off of it tonight. Will move to number 1 on the runway....

[Scott at Team Harco]

Spent my Christmas getting reacquainted with this engine. Pulled the engine off the crappy Harbor Freight stand and moved it to my good one. Then I started rounding up parts and tried to organize them, in some fashion.

One rack with mostly new parts.



One with parts that need cleaning. There's still a ton of parts that need to come from the other storage shed (where the car is) and brought to the new shop. It's about 25' away - so it could take a while...



Head was bought when the project began, it has been checked over by my machine shop. It should be good to go.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Expected to be on the road most of today. My son and I were going to start laying out a rally course. Plans changed. I stayed home instead.

Gave me a chance to transfer most of the parts I'll need for the near-term. Cams will be important.



The headgasket failed due to a few too many overheating events. The new one has a larger diameter fire ring. I hope to never test it.



The old head: At some point in its life, the chain tensioner mount must have fractured. The repair was less than idea. The 'new' head seems solid.



Lots of parts to clean. I prefer not to use the ultrasonic cleaner when temperatures are sub-zero outside. The shop usually stays above freezing, but cold cleaning solution doesn't work as well.

[NSXguy]

All right, another Scott BUILD thread

[amdavid]

Following...

[Scott at Team Harco]

Spent yesterday cleaning parts and planning next steps.

Before:



Not easy to see the after results. Parts are in cans. I'm looking at the idea of replacing the rear belt cover. I've patched it enough. Time to open the checkbook for a moderately priced piece. I get sticker shock on some parts. I'll probably reuse the chain tensioner, it's over $500 for a new one. I have a new upper pad, though. So I've that going for me... which is nice...



Is it soup, yet?



I saw the sun shining while I was listening to the buzzing of the ultrasonic cleaner. It pulled me outside for a few minutes. I think I took more shots out there than I did of the parts. I'll make up for it in later posts.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Found some time to clean and check things. The tensioner pad got swapped. I'd like to find a lower pad, for cheap, before installing the cams.



The head needs to get cleaned. I'd like to pop the lifters out. Need to see if there's a tool for the job. I don't think channel locks are that tool.



Looks as though the head gasket is a match. I did a good cleaning of the mating surface of the block. Cleaned and then lubed each cylinder bore. Maybe I can load the head on, in a few days.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Discovered an alarming condition. The studs for the head are too short! I sent the block to a place in Wisconsin a few years ago. I didn't pull the studs out before sending it to them. They pulled them, and then they (edit) installed them too deep. Nice.

[fpena944]

Looking forward to seeing the job!

Wish I would have kept my S2

[Scott at Team Harco]

Yeah - my wife is urging me to get this car running again. I think she has visions of it becoming hers. It just might come to pass.

I did get one stud out today. Put enough effort into it, to make it happen. There's hope for the remainder...

[amdavid]

Do you have the correct size head studs in the house now...??

[Scott at Team Harco]

Do you have the correct size head studs in the house now...??

No. I ordered them a few days ago. Unknown when they will be delivered. It usually takes a couple of weeks from this source.

Why do you ask?

[Scott at Team Harco]

Looking forward to seeing the job!

Wish I would have kept my S2

Yeah - the S2 is a really good car. The 944, in general, is a solid and versatile platform. The complaint was always about how underpowered the 2.5 NA was. The Turbo answers that, and the S2 provided a good mid-point between the slow base-model and the boosted money-pit.

While it's kind of slow by today's standards. It is at least not as easily embarrassed, by every soccer-mom minivan, as the original 944.

[amdavid]

I’m curious, want to see you moving the build forward...good stuff!...pulling for a successful rebuild.

Do you have the correct size head studs in the house now...??

No. I ordered them a few days ago. Unknown when they will be delivered. It usually takes a couple of weeks from this source.

Why do you ask?

[Scott at Team Harco]

I’m curious, want to see you moving the build forward...good stuff!...pulling for a successful rebuild.

Do you have the correct size head studs in the house now...??

No. I ordered them a few days ago. Unknown when they will be delivered. It usually takes a couple of weeks from this source.

Why do you ask?

All in due time. Just with all of my builds, I want to check and double-check everything. It's been more than four years. A few extra weeks mean little. As anxious as I am, this will not be rushed. A successful build is much more important than hurrying it along.

Not to mention: I am back to work after the holiday break (though working from home). I'm also doing all of the work to put together a Road Rally that runs on 1/16/21. That takes a ton of time and work.

Patience grasshopper.

[amdavid]

Oh no rushing here, I'm a semi experienced grasshopper. All good, just want you to know I'm paying attention.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Oh no rushing here, I'm a semi experienced grasshopper. All good, just want you to know I'm paying attention.

Small update: I got the rest of the studs out. I'll need to clean the internal threads in the block and make sure I can run studs in with no issue.

I ordered 5 stud nuts and some solvents today (alcohol and carb clean). I'm on my last can of carb clean and last quart of al-kee-hall. The nuts were actually from Amazon. Free shipping is often the deciding factor.

Not engine related, but this is a small piece of what we had for a few hours; before it warmed-up a bit.

[amdavid]

Very nice Scott, I enjoy the "nature" shots just as much as the other.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Short update: the studs arrived on Saturday. I was quite busy with the 23rd edition of my winter rally (Son of Sno*Drift). My kids visited yesterday - and today, my son needed help with his winter wheel/tire assemblies.

The studs that arrived are the same length as what came out. The obvious problem, is that they were installed too deep. To further complicate things, they were installed with thread locker. I have done a simple stack-up calculation to determine how deep to install the new ones. Should be ready to go at it again in a day of two. Yay!

[Scott at Team Harco]

Put a little time in on the build. The studs were placed with about 93mm of exposure. I put blue Loctite on each one and threaded them in. I didn't give them sufficient time to cure, as I noted by the yellow witness marks moving on a few. I torqued all nuts to 10Nm, and let them settle overnight.



Today I went to 20Nm and then 60 degrees of angular rotation. I marked each nut and will apply the final 90 degrees as specified in the WSM. Maybe tomorrow.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Completed the final torque of the head nuts. Installed the new lifters and then set about getting the cams ready for installation.



Installed all but one of the bearing caps. Then while cleaning up, I realized I used the wrong bolts. I have a full set that are cleaner and were specifically prepared for use. Guess I get to redo that step tomorrow. Still waiting on some small parts for the chain tensioner, so it's not as if this will slow the build. Just kind of annoying that I didn't look inside the Kimwipes to find the right bolts.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Completed the job of getting the cams properly installed, as well as the end seals.



Placed the crinkle-paint cam cover on top just for the hell of it. Added a few other little items, after this last shot was taken.

[Scott at Team Harco]

I cleaned the waterpump a few days ago. And the coolant temp sensors. Finally got word that the parts I've been waiting on, will soon be on their way. Motivated me to put the heat on in the shop and twist some fasteners.



Nice new gasket to go with the moderately used waterpump.



Waiting now, for the rear timing belt cover (and chain tensioner parts).

[Scott at Team Harco]

Some parts showed up today. The rear belt cover came all the way from Germany. One of the great things about Porsche ownership, is the fact that you can still get just about any part for any model.



Then there are the bolts for the chain tensioner and the sealing rings for the oil-feed pipe.



Two steps forward, and one step back. The head was modified at some point. The threaded holes for the tensioner are now 5/16 - not M6! Ooops. And the bolts were not right, either. They are too short, and would not have set flat in the counterbore of the tensioner.



I drilled out the holes in the tensioner to allow 5/16 bolts to pass through and ordered some socket head cap screws to hold the tensioner in place.

[Scott at Team Harco]

But wait, there's more. Not quite in focus; but it can be seen with the upper stud, through the timing belt tensioner, that there is not enough thread exposed. Again, the shop that did the cylinder work didn't properly account for stud depth. At least I caught this before I put a bunch of other things on.



A stud remover kit has been ordered. A lesson was learned with the block/head studs. Maybe the new tool set will make removing these guys easier.



And just to make sure it fits, I placed the belt cover on. It also reminded me that there are wires that need to be routed behind it to get to the oil pressure sender and oil level sender.

[Scott at Team Harco]

The socket head cap screws arrived today. I had a contingency plan if the head diameter was too big to sit in the counterbore. It would not have been all that great. Fortunately, the bolts were very close to an ideal fit. I just ground away a little of the knurling and they fit nicely.



The new sealing rings were installed with the oil pipe. A little assembly grease was used to keep them in-place while fitting the banjo bolts and the pipe. After rotating the cams to TDC, I think I'm just about done inside the head. Plenty to do, but this was a good day.

[Scott at Team Harco]

The stud removal tool kit arrived yesterday. Easy to work with. Got the studs out and determined the right depth to get full thread engagement from the nuts (w/washer).





Installed the rear belt cover and did some trial fitting of a few other parts. Need to verify that idler pully on the water pump. That might actually belong on the timing belt tensioner.



Collected some documents and started re-studying how to install the belts. Found a good little video, on the subject, as well.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Stepping back a little over four years: I dropped the engine out of Stu in my old work space (the 'bat cave'). Dirt floor and minimal comforts. At least it was out of the wind and rain (and snow).



I'm going through old photos to fill in the gaps in my memory; and the gaps in the workshop manual.



Having a proper workshop is really nice. But, here's the bottom end being assembled in those primitive conditions. There's a lot of evidence that the shop, that did the bore work, had the kid that sweeps the floor reinstall all the studs they removed.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Had to wait on a shipment of hardware. The tensioner studs were royally fubar'd by the kid that sweeps the floor.
Figured it would make sense to get a few other goodies. All new hardware for the exhaust; and some nylock nuts for some of the stuff I just completed. The zip ties should come in handy too.



Got the timing belt installed and tensioned.



Installed the B/S belt and a few other little things. It's nice when things go together, as planned.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Took a closer look at how the B/S belt should be tensioned. The tensioner pulley should be positioned downward. This allows the idler pulley to sit much closer to the belt in two places - as intended.



Cleaned the mounting surfaces of the exhaust headers and installed them with the new copper nuts.



Cleaned a bunch of threaded holes and pushed-in some zip ties. I think these will work well. Messed with the cam cover, a little. At least it won't fall off, if I roll the engine over.



Took a look at installing the intake manifold. There was a bunch of mud dauber dirt in some exposed M6 holes and, worse, two fuel lines. I blasted them out and have them soaking in carb clean. I don't need dirt clogging up any injectors...



It's going to be exceptionally cold for the next week or so. Might not want to mess with heating the shop enough to do any work. I'm actually getting close to the point where the engine will be ready to go back in the car. The problem, now, is the car won't be available to receive the engine until spring.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Found some time to play with my toys. Pulled the engine off the stand and placed it on the hydraulic table. The goal was to torque the flywheel into place. I shimmed the front of the engine with some cool old British auto magazines.



Used a little segment of chain and some hardware to prevent the engine from rolling off the table. That would be a major catastrophe.



Flywheel cleaned a bit and fastened, per spec.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Messed with the pressure plate and release bearing. Shimmed the bearing to eliminate slop.



Performed a trial fit of the clutch and pressure plate. It also proved that I would not be able to put the engine back on the stand with those items installed.



Next up - the intake and fuel system needs to go for a swim in the ultrasonic cleaner. Not sure how soon this will happen. It's expected to be quite cold for another week. I don't really want to refill the cleaner if it is likely to freeze up.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Warmed up the shop yesterday. Found time to install the belt covers and even torqued the crank pulley bolt.



Put the distributor cap on, and the cam cover. Put the plugs in their holes to keep debris from falling into the cylinders. They'll come out when I want to build oil pressure. That day is still a few weeks away.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Got an early start on things today. The goal was to get the fuel lines and intake cleaned. Here's where I started.



The tank is just barely big enough.



Part way done.



Now the other side.

[Scott at Team Harco]

It took several hours of rotating and scrubbing. The end result is pretty good.



Bolted the intake in place along with some fuel and coolant parts.



After trial fitting the fuel rail, I realized I won't be able to access a number of things below the intake if I keep it in place when installing the engine in the car. There are a number of electrical components that still need to be accounted for. The intake had to come off...

[Gator_86_951]

Solid work! I am still hoping to crawl back into my 951 project that is essentially done this spring. House stuff should be done by then anyhow.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Solid work! I am still hoping to crawl back into my 951 project that is essentially done this spring. House stuff should be done by then anyhow.

Do it.

[Gator_86_951]

Solid work! I am still hoping to crawl back into my 951 project that is essentially done this spring. House stuff should be done by then anyhow.

Do it.

It is all there and assembled, I just never completely finished. I also need to have the car painted. Though, I won't be going to Maaco for that. Will probably have to trailer it somewhere further out from here though for cost reasons. Maybe down to Richmond or something.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Good luck, Andrew. We look forward to your updates.

Not much on my end, today. Mostly cleaning various things. The exhaust collector pipe got cleaned a bit. I cleaned the MAF in the ultrasonic cleaner. But I was careful not to submerge any critical areas. I'm not sure the electronics would want to get wet.

I did install the heater pipe on the exhaust side of the engine yesterday. I might have stopped taking photos at that point. Here is proof of that.



I also dunked the ends of the radiator in the bath. It would be nice to have a deeper pool, but this is all I have to work with.

[Scott at Team Harco]

I find that there is little left to do until the car can be made ready to receive the engine. Most everything left, can/ should be installed later. I will want to raise the engine into place with the crossmember and engine mounts in place. Here are the new mounts.



I'll play with fitting the alternator and the P/S pump. I'll have to decide what will go on the engine before and after the lump goes in the car. This engine hanger can go in the box with the other one that bolts to the head. It won't be needed for anything.



Had a little sunshine the last few days. Hopefully things will continue to warm and I can move the car, to accept the engine, soon.

[NSXguy]

OK Scott, now that all the snow is gone......how about an update

[Scott at Team Harco]

OK Scott, now that all the snow is gone......how about an update

Yeah - it's not good. I have been diagnosed with ALS. Any progress will be extremely slow and I will need help with many tasks.

[NSXguy]

I'm retired and other than a bunch of race season weekend Track Dates am available to help in any way you might need, neighbor

[SeaCay]

2 housekeeping items:

You mentioned your better engine stand. Mind sharing which one you use? Will be needing one very soon.

Which ultrasonic cleaner is that? Been looking at them on Amazon, but have been concerned with the electronic controls after reading some of the reviews. How long have you had it and how has it held up under use?

[Scott at Team Harco]

2 housekeeping items:

You mentioned your better engine stand. Mind sharing which one you use? Will be needing one very soon.

Which ultrasonic cleaner is that? Been looking at them on Amazon, but have been concerned with the electronic controls after reading some of the reviews. How long have you had it and how has it held up under use?

I don't know the brand. It's a nice, robust, stand that my father left with me when he moved to California in the early 80s. I have built a dozen engines on it. It's a lot better than the basic Harbor Fright units.

Here it is with my 911 engine on it.





The ultrasonic cleaner is a 30 liter unit from Amazon. It is good, but the heater seems to have gone bad. I tried to keep it warm two winters ago to prevent the fluid from freezing up. That probably killed that portion of it. The ultrasonic part still functions well.

I think this is the one I bought. I don't recall spending that much for mine. Who knows?

https://www.amazon.com/CO-Z-Professiona ... 193&sr=8-5

[Scott at Team Harco]

A little progress has been made in the past couple of weeks. After getting the life changing news regarding my health, priorities have shifted. Things have picked-up at a much slower pace. Big help from NSXguy and his wife got the car moved to the shop. My son has been visiting every few days.

I did a little cleaning and got the outer passenger door handle functioning properly. That was an ordeal with plenty of frustration. But it is now working.

The engine is close to being ready to load on the hydraulic table so it can be raised into the engine bay. The engine mounts and crossmember were installed yesterday.



Once transferred off the stand, the clutch and pressure plate will be installed.



Not much left to do here. Maybe a little more clean-up and a heater hose replacement.

[Scott at Team Harco]

A few little things today: clutch...



...and pressure plate.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Hoping to get the engine in tomorrow. I've been trial aligning the car and the engine. Put some shims under the engine. Should help get close.



Up with the engine, down with the car. Lined up help from NSXguy. More eyes, and hands, on the job should help with progress.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Big help from NSXguy, today.

We got the engine in. Took a little extra doing and, then undoing, to get the release bearing fork properly situated. But things are coming along well.



Plenty of loose ends still. But the biggest task is out of the way.

[Scott at Team Harco]

Slowly worked through a bunch of little things since the last update. Mostly wiring/ harness details. Had to cut and re-solder the cam sensor connection and the oil level sensor. It seems that should be routed with the timing belt, cam sprocket and covers off. It goes behind the rear cam belt cover. I was not about to pull things apart to do that.

NSXguy came by today and we made more significant progress. Got the exhaust connection installed.



A lot of work was spent up top-side; routing coolant, vacuum lines and electrical. Eventually, we got the intake manifold installed. Dumped in some oil, too. Need to finalize the fuel lines and the IAT sensor connection. Then it'll be time to have at the steering rack. We're getting there.