Q: I have a strange problem with my 1986 Carrera. After I turn a corner, I notice that my brake pedal drops very low. This is very disconcerting. As soon as I straighten the wheel and apply the brakes, the pedal feels normal again. I have flushed the brake fluid and taken it all apart twice! I rechecked everything I replaced: the front wheel bearings, rotors, and brake pads. I am tearing my hair out. – Heavy
A: Strange is an excellent word for this. My guess is that turning and loading the front wheel bearings pushes the brake pads away from the rotor. I have run into this and been annoyed by it myself. You can actually install incorrect wheel bearings if you don’t compare them. Bearing sets can have the correct outside diameter but a larger inside diameter. Even though bearing preload is correctly adjusted, the bearing can “act” loose when turning. Cornering forces generate strong side loads. This allows the inner bearings to “walk” out of place, and rotor deflection pushes the brake pads away from the rotor. During straight line driving and braking, the wheel hub will stay centered since there are no “side loads” (and the brake pads stay close to the rotors”). Crazy.
A 1967 Beetle schooled me on this topic. The lesson: compare parts. A late night Detroit DJ used to sign off at night with: “Remember, trust everyone…but always cut the cards”. I considered my experience just another tuition payment. Good luck. – MC
Q: My 1986 930 Turbo has an oil pipe which supplies oil to the turbo and it has started seeping. It looks like a bear to replace it and it is beyond my mechanical limits. What you recommend? – Jeff
A: Well the purist would say, replace it, “it’s a Porsche”. I would tend to agree if you planned to remove the entire intake plenum sometime soon. As with many 930 services, that line is packed in really tight. So let’s put it in perspective.
In the world of Porsche we categorize and prioritize seepage and leakage. Otherwise, it can drive you crazy. Viewing a pristine and oil free older Porsche was always rare. On the other hand, dampness that you see may have taken a number of years to accumulate. So when should you worry about it? My suggestion is to monitor it after a proper cleaning of the affected area. Another practice of “due diligence” involves fluorescent leak detection dye. For seepage or subtle leaks, dye is hard to beat. It can be time consuming when you consider the angles involved in viewing the various oil pipe and hose fittings.
Now suppose the rubber hose is actually leaking. The pragmatist in me would opt for Aeroquip braided stainless steel hose and four quality clamps. Properly done, this is an excellent repair when it is cleanly performed. Aeroquip hose is used on Porsche race cars so you know than it’s durable. The four clamps just make me feel better. I don’t trust a vital or safety related pressure hose to one simple hose clamp. Clamps are inexpensive, engines aren’t, and I am not a gambler. – MC
Q: After 89k miles, my 1991 Carrera is feeling a bit arthritic and loose over bumps. I am considering Bilstein coilover struts. I also want to lower it about an inch and a half but I am afraid that the ride might be rough. What do you think? – Fred
A: I like that combo. Even without adjustable damping, the Bilsteins work great. They are biased more toward crispness than comfort but on a Porsche…Perfect.
On the other hand, if you simply install the kit without considering other components, you might be disappointed and blame it on the shocks. Often, poor ride characteristics are caused by the rear upper strut mounts, front control arm bushings, and stabilizer bushings.
You can’t see the rear upper mounts when they are on the car. But when you do a side by side comparison of old mounts to new, you will see the difference. Since most of the cars weight rests on just two rubber donuts, after 17 years, the mounts are well done. Over time, rubber hardens and settles into a fully compressed shape. The front mounts on these cars seem more durable and they are expensive. I have not seen the need to recommend them even on higher mileage cars. Rubber deterioration also affects the front control arm bushings and stabilizer bushings. The bushings get twisted every time you hit a bump or bend your toy around a corner. And you thought you just needed shocks.
My rule of thumb for rubber suspension parts is: With a useful life of 10 to 20 years, when the struts and shocks are being replaced, replace the mounts and take advantage of the labor overlap. – MC
Q On my 1992 Carrera, the sun visors are very stiff. I am afraid they are going to break unless I use both hands. How do you oil them? – Greg
A: If you have to use both hands, you will definitely going to break them and it’s not wise to oil them. Porsche provided an adjustment screw near the pivot to regulate the amount of friction (tightness) in the hinge. If you have too much friction, a simple adjustment or service will fix it. To adjust the friction, simply loosen the screw a little and see how it works. If you are not happy with the way it feels, the moving parts are not hard to service.
To make them move nice and smooth, remove the visor assembly and loosen the adjustment screw (don’t remove it). Rotate the “stem” of the visor bracket while pulling it out of the visor. Clean the stem, spray some silicone into the hole, and reinstall the stem into the visor. Install the assembly then tighten the adjustment screw until it operates smoothly. – MC
Q – You could say that I am vertically challenged but I can’t grow longer legs so I need your help. When I am at driver’s education, my left leg barely reaches the dead pedal and as a result, I get a cramp in it. Have you heard of a good solution short of lifts? Joe
Joe this may absolutely disgust you but I suggest a 2 X 4. Yes, I said a 2 X 4 but not JUST a 2 X 4, but a well concealed, elegant spacer that resembles a 2 X 4 (which no one will recognize as a 2 X 4).
Since you just need space and carving up your interior is not an option, you can fashion a well fabricated spacer out of wood that works just fine. The trick is locating the mounting bolts correctly and securing it well. Caution: The penalty for doing a half baked job is VERY severe! So if you lack woodworking and fabrication skills, don’t try it. However, once the mock up of your new dead pedal is complete, and utter integrity is assured, your local trim shop can provide a type of carpet called “trunk mat” that is very thin and can be glued securely to the 2 X 4. Performance Products does not sell these but if you are creative, it can be done quite effectively for about $20.00 or less. –MC
Q – I have a 98 Boxster and it has an interior rattle that annoys me. I tracked it down to the screen that fits behind the seat in the hoop of the roll bar. Got a hot tip before I Gorilla glue it? Ed
Sure Ed, get some Velcro and remove the screen. You will notice four points where rubber pads cushion the plastic piece against the roll bar hoop. They have gotten squashed over the last 10 years or just fell off.
You can replace the rubber pads with the “loop” part of self adhesive Velcro tape (You won’t be using the “hook” part, just the loop.) Once you clean the old goo off with alcohol, cut little rectangles of Velcro to replace the rubber pads. The Velcro will be a little thicker (more cushion) than the rubber pads. While you are at it, do the drivers side. I promise the rattle will annoy you no longer and they will snap in place with authority. –Mc
Q — What can I do to get better sound out of the stereo on my 89 Turbo Cabriolet? I will not cut or modify the car so if you suggest this, FORGET ABOUT IT! Marc
I respect that Marc, I would not endorse cutting either but there are options. Although there are many excellent products, I prefer Blaupunkt. Since Blaupunkt is a subsidiary of Bosch and Bosch is the engineering God of German electricity, it is a natural choice. Blaupunkt was the original manufacturer of the sound system in your Cab. Blaupunkt systems can be fitted that will leave the wiring intact. Regardless, do not cut the harness! That would be a sin. Now since, you can keep the original harness, relax. Now how about speakers?
When you cue “Drive my car” and John starts his lead riff it has to feel solid. When Ringo and Paul kick in, you want your solar plexus to thump as you tap the steering wheel. At the first chorus when the piano run anchors the chorus “Baby you can drive my car” Paul’s bass line has to be crisp and solid, not muddy and distorted.
Speaker location and size are the limiting factors. And as everyone knows, size DOES matter. So what can you do? Simple. Hide a subwoofer and upgrade the door and rear quarter panel speakers to the best components possible. Blaupunkt has an 8 inch self powered 140 watt subwoofer that fits neatly under the passenger seat. It is only 80mm thick and it works! On some cars, the seat needs to be raised an inch but no one will notice.
No, you car won’t thump like that jacked up Camaro at the stop light. And you won’t annoy your neighbors. But your spouse might wonder why you sit in the car until the song is over. It sounds that good. –MC
Q — I own one of the “entry level Porsches”; a late 80’s Carrera. Generally the carpet is in pretty good shape but some of it is a little tattered (near the clutch pedal), it is getting a bit droopy (under the pedals), the backing has gotten a little rotted (on the floor), and it’s a little faded (map pockets and package shelf). Of course I could buy a new carpet kit, but I would like to keep it as original as possible and besides, I like playing with it. Do you know any alternative that is good AND cheap? Charlie
That “good and cheap” is a favorite oxymoron of mine. I prefer “above average” and “resourceful”. Good and cheap usually doesn’t work out too well, but I will give this a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The fading is easy. At the local auto parts store, there is a product called “Carpet and Vinyl dye made by Duplicolor. I have used it to restore rear hatch carpet on 924 and 944, the package shelf carpet on 911 and it works fantastic. I don’t sell it but I could. It works that well. I did my door pockets with it and it took longer to mask off the doors than it did to apply the product. In two hours, I was “back to black”.
Since this is the Motor City, there are many sources that sell automotive carpet. I found a source that one would never suspect could match the black 80’s Porsche carpet; Seat Cover King in Pontiac. When I got a sample the comment was made “it’s not an exact match, I’m not sure you will like it”. Fact is, it is NOT an exact match, it is actually better! The pile is thicker and it has no backing (just like the original). For the compound curves inside a Carrera, it is excellent and inexpensive. Far better than “good and cheap”
For the backing, I have seen rubber glued to the back of the carpet to help keep it flat. It looks pretty tacky and makes the carpet sit higher too. What I tried was poly urethane glue (A.K.A. Gorilla glue) from the local hardware store. I cleaned the carpet very well and dried it with cement blocks on top to flatten it.
Once it was mostly dry, I created a waffle pattern on the back with Gorilla glue. I covered it with wax paper and again used cement blocks to squish it thoroughly into the carpet. When it was dry, the piece was nice and stiff and sits proudly where it belongs, looking fresh and beautiful.
Of course, there are those who might say: “why bother, just buy the doggone kit”. Well I might someday, but this time I can proudly say “I did it”. –MC
Q — I recently had occasion to replace the starter on my Carrera 4 and while I was under there (OK, I admit, I wasn’t under there but my technician showed me) I noticed the red heater hoses were shredding. When I found out how much they cost, I about passed out. Is there an alternative other than contributing to the Porsche family trust? Tim
Tim, I am well acquainted with another Tim who supplies Porsche parts at the local Porsche establishment and he agrees that those hoses are ridiculously priced. Although he cannot endorse Home Depot for Porsche parts, I can. And for this particular part, a 4 inch aluminum flexible dryer vent hose fits perfectly. Since no one can see the hose anyway, it will be our little secret. And you will save over a hundred bucks. –MC
Q – When I start my 1990 Carrera up in the morning, it clatters like someone has poured marbles in a blender. It scares the heck out of me but the noise goes away after just a few seconds. It only happens when the car has been sitting for a long time. I am afraid that I will damage the engine. How serious is this? Mike
That is an obnoxious noise isn’t it? And yes, you should be scared. Noises like that usually get worse not better if you ignore them.
The first thing is to catch that symptom “in the act”. Since it only happens for a few seconds, an overnight stay will be needed and it will take two people to find it, one with a stethoscope at the ready and the other turning the key. Listen to the left side of the engine, just behind the distributor.
Odds are that you have a leaking camshaft chain tensioner on the left chain box. There are two tensioners, right and left and thankfully, the left one can actually be seen and touched (unlike a lot of things on your car). And the left one is the only one that I have found to fail.
The tensioners are supplied with oil pressure when the engine is running. When you turn the car off, they are supposed to stay filled with oil. But the tensioner on the left bank is mounted upside down and sometimes the oil leaks down. When you first fire the engine up, it takes just those few precious (and disconcerting) seconds for the tensioner to “pump up”.
The part is reasonably priced and the labor isn’t bad either. It is a small price to pay to save your engine and your nerves. –MC