924Board.org

[924er]

if you guys seen me post before you should know ive opened threads always complaining about my car's poor performance, but after i while i came to accept my car is a slow peice of shit..

until today im back here to because i came from a drive and i tried to hit at least 5000 rpm which i rarely ever do and my car only reved no higher then 4500 rpm and kinda got stuck there, and that was only on first gear! my car is REALLY ABNORMALLY SLOW and gets 15 mpg on the city! i notice it mainly picks up slow but once im at 55mph it runs fine. i remember dispite how slow my car is it still could hit redline rpm but not it cant even do that.

let me first tell you what i first done to the car:
-rebuilt engine head
-changed all belts
- plugs/wires, a basic tune up.
- fuel filter
- new cat

so im guessing maybe my ignition timming is off, but i adjusted the timing about 3 months ago, can it still go back off adjustment?
or my a/f mix is off, but i had that adjusted by a mechanic, but i have no clue where im at with that. oh yeah and i beleive my WUR is ng because it idles really low when cold, and normal when warm, but can that also effect performance also?

also, can it just be that the o rings in the fuel dist in cracked? i am thinking on getting those replaced but is there anyway to find out without opening the thing?

thanks all, i know i have ALOT of questions but i will greatly appreciate this,
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80' Porsche 924 NA - Slower then a S L O W
86' Porsche 951- New toy

[RC]

Hmm, bit short of 110 HP eh?

First up would suggest a compression test. Dry and wet. Search here as Smoothie has detailed the procedure previously or should be in haynes.

Post the numbers here for comment.
May be fuel or ignition but eliminate low comp before wasting much time or money.

Roger

[924er]

yeah i was thinking of giving it a compression test, but how can it be losing compression when i rebuilt the head and changed all the gaskets, i dont know of any exhaust leaks... any other suggestions? does my case sound like a timming problem?
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80' Porsche 924 NA - Slower then a S L O W
86' Porsche 951- New toy

[sparky]

[RC]

Hey Sparky, long time no see.
Trust you`ve been busy in the garage rather than on your computer. So your beast is on the road now?

Besides worn or broken rings, other causes include worn cam, incorrect cam timing or valve clearance. Even though the head was rebuilt it is still possible to have a leaking valve or gasket. Did you pour gas down all the ports to check the valve seal before refitting? Also the rare chance of a crack.

Its a logical process of elimination really rather than taking pot luck and your money replacing everything till its fixed. If you have or borrow a gauge it is a free test that eliminates the most expensive possibility.

Not familiar with your other threads as to when/ how your problems occurred or if you bought the car like that. The history can lead to a faster diagnosis.
Assume the headjob made no difference.

Sure the cam timing is accurate, pulley the correct way? With #1 TDC on firing stroke, cam pulley in alignment, the valves on #4 should be nearly symmetrically on the rock, both slightly open.

Then a pressure test on the CIS is really necessary to correctly assess the system. Main pressure reading will indicate the valve O ring sealing but it only takes 2 minutes to remove and check or replace. A faulty WUR may or may not affect WOT operation depending on how the system is tuned. Fairly pointless setting AFR with a bad WUR or sus system pressure.

Timing shouldn`t vary with the dizzy clamp tight. What is it set at? Did you rev it with the timing light on to check the advance? No or incorrect advance will cause your symptoms too.

We can keep guessing here until you give us some figures on your tests and further info.

Roger

[sparky]

[924er]

I watched my mechanic adjust the valve clearance according to the factory specs,

no i dont remember him pouring any gas the check if its sealed,
and no i did not rev the engine when i was adjusting the timming, he watched him disconnect a small vacuum hose on the dist while he was using the timming gun...


when i first bought the car and opened the engine, i found a bent valve, blown head gasket, throttle body gasket cracked, as well as the manifold gasket, but i got them all replaced when i rebuild the head.

thanks alot sparky

im thinking about giving my car a two hour inspection at a porsche mechanic downtown, and the guy said he checks mostly everything such as the balance belt timming, a/f mix, CIS pressure test, and they carry most diagnosis tests over there i heard. he is charging me $90 for that!
what you think?
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80' Porsche 924 NA - Slower then a S L O W
86' Porsche 951- New toy

[RC]

Cool Sparky.
Overlooked that its summer on that little party island. Acceptable excuse.
Keep at it mate.

[Forest924]

Hey 924er,

I see that your local (well that is a relative term in Los Angeles). I pickup a 80' 924 for my son (that's the story I'm sticking too) and have been working on things but your post about a Porsche mechanic who does inspections got my attention.

Would it be possible for you to pass along his info? The previous owner gave me a name of someone in Pasadena, it was a second mechanic he found after a great one closed up shop.

Thanks,
Forest
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'80 924 Red
Actually it's my kids car

[924er]

im sorry i meant $190! forgot the 1

he sounds like an iranian guy so i think i could probably bring it down to $150 if i try. its in canoga park. i actaully live in palmdale, its about an hour north of LA. the number is (818) 888-7366
there are other competitors around him so you may want to check also!

i have a local mechanic here thats real cheap, but he dont speak spanish real good hes a mexican. he rebuilt my engine head and done all the work on my car. he mickey mouses things around sometimes to get them to work, its hard to explain my problem to him, on monday ill ask him to do a compression test and check for some leaks but thats all i can do from my end for now until i get enough money for something like that because the mechanic just said INSPECTION, not REPAIR


he RC what do you mean by stuck dizzy weights?
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80' Porsche 924 NA - Slower then a S L O W
86' Porsche 951- New toy

[924guy]

a few suggestions:

clean all your grounds and electrical connections, sometimes a bad connection in a seemingly unrelated area and wreak havoc on these cars..

check your compression, and injector spray pattern and flow, plenty of info here on what acceptable results are and in the haynes manual.

these things are free to do yourself, and you can usually rent compression test kits at some auto parts stores....the more areas you can eliminate (keep notes), the less you'll pay later on if you have to hire someone to do the work. could be something as simple as a corroded fuel pump connection, or as bad as toasted rings...when i had a similiar issue, it turned out to be electrical...

also, on a side note, I dont think most people care what nationality the people your talking with are. It would be a mistake imo to judge anyone on that type of information, and unfair... find out the quality of their work and let that speak for them...
_________________
Eric
78 924
82 931 SE "smokey"
99' VehiCross
Y2K Honda Insight
http://www.cardomain.com/id/924Guy
Performance by Pasha

[RC]

Inside the dizzy is a centrifugal advance mechanism that employs 2 counterweights, springs and a cam to increase the advance at higher RPM. If not working correctly will severely limit your power and RPM, same as you describe. A basic test is to remove the cap and twist the rotor clockwise. You should feel some resistance (spring pressure) but easily be able to turn it about 10-15*. Should spring back CCW by itself.

To check properly a timing light is used to ensure the timing mark on the flywheel moves the prescribed amount at the specified RPM. The details are in the book, Haynes, depending on model.

Now to me it sounds like your mickey mouse mechanic may be better employed in a taco shop. Anyone who does`nt know exactly WTF they`re doing on your unusual, imported, performance vehicle can easily dig themselves deeper into the great abyss of your wallet. It is not the initial cost you should consider but the result. IMHO it is better to pay top rate at a dealer for 2 hours accurate diagnosis than give peanuts to a monkey to spend all day screwing with your investment only to offer lame excuses.

Many members are here to learn and share how to DIY, not only to save money but to actually get the job done right. For $190 you could easily buy a comp gauge, timing light and CIS gauge as required. And of course a manual if you don`t own one. Heaps of knowledge here and people willing to advise you. Then you have the tools and the knowledge so your next tune or service is free of labour charges.

Roger

[D Hook]

[924er]

so are the electrical grounds ports your talking about is located under the steering wheel am i right? does not look too bad, no corrosion or anything like that.

my mechanic at a CO tester in my exhaust pipe when he was adusting a/f, i think it was about 3 CO and i have a cat.

i bought a haynes manual yesterday and im feeling more comfortable aready. i tells you everything A-Z about this car!

i tried reving again on neutral and it hit 6.5 rpm(not going to try that again) so i guess its not a stuck weight, just my car with a lack of power!

i will purchase a compression test and i will post the number back up on this thread.

now if i purchase a CIS test kit, how would i test it and what will it tell me what wrong, vacuum leaks, fuel injectors?
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80' Porsche 924 NA - Slower then a S L O W
86' Porsche 951- New toy

[DOCO]

hey 924r ya what all they said ,im just suprised no one said to check the cat.and see if its plugged.maybe said in adifferent post.but ussauly when ya cant rev a engine to redline xshast is ussually holding it back.just a thought
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Doco "where am i going and why am i in this handbasket"author unknown
79 924 N/A "Webster"
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