Great video! Thanks for providing a valuable tool to us backyard mechanics who want to keep these cars on the road and do proper maintenance ourselves.
Haven't even started watching yet, but I am VERY happy about this video... My '87 944S has been sitting in my garage for 3 years waiting for this operation.... I finally have the time to do it! I almost have the oil pan off... Can't wait to gather some pointers!
Dear Van Svenson, You're the best. I high-g oil starved my engine at the track this weekend and this is exactly what I'll be doing. Same bearing and all. I need a baffle.
This awesome and good commentary as well! Pay attention and take your time! Also any DIY'er probably wont have the space to do this lol I can definitely do this myself or do it for other people. Idk why people nowadays don't look for the solution to their problems when it comes to cars. There is so much out their that you can get information from. I just learned how to install pistons and ring position earlier today. When It comes time, I will know what to do. Thanks for this cool video.
I'm doing mine this weekend and I'd be shitting my pants if it wasn't for this video. Only 136 likes so far, that's unbelievable. This video is very well made really shows us how to do the job. Great work!
Hi Van - I just wanted to say thank you! My name's Ted, I'm a driver from SCCA Land-O-Lakes/NASA Central region. I've been renting cars since I was 15-16 years old and my father died in a car accident - as I don't know how to work on them. But following your guides, I've finally gotten the confidence to buy myself a Spec-944 and do my own work on my own car! You've been a massive help and a massive inspiration! If I can - I also wanted to ask if you have any written material for some of the procedures on your channel, lists of fluid-viscosities and fills recommended, etc etc? If you don't, that's totally fine, but if you do, I'd love to maybe ask for a written copy of some of these things to help me have solid references for my maintenance work. I hope you're staying safe and healthy!
Excellent walkthrough as always Van! Making me want to take the 944 out to the track again ;) Glad the oil analysis (blackstone?) showed you about the wear before it became a "meatball flag" problem!
+Zach Goldberg Yes, i use Blackstone Labs. I was thinking about this, and notice how the #2 bearings stuck on the crank? They'd lost their "springiness" - which means they had probably overheated.
A handy trick to help prevent contact between rod bolts and the crank journal during removal or installation is to slip large vacuum caps (or similar) onto the ends of the rod bolts, kind of a condom for the rod bolts, if you will.
Sorry for the multiple questions, Van. On 0:14, I see an Optima battery right side up. How are you able to install an Optima battery right side up? Other posts I've read involved putting the battery on its side.
Just make sure the cables reach - I think the terminals are on the opposite sides - and make sure they don't hit the hood! But, that's one of the good things about the Optima: it can mount any direction (and, in the event of a crash, it won't spill acid).
Which red Optima did you use? All the red ones on the Optima website (www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/redtop-starting-battery) are almost 8" high. The stock battery for the 944 NA is 6.875" high.
Hi Van, I am doing a 944 engine rebuild and I am trying to get the correct direction the connecting rods should be installed. I notice that that the notch on the bearing is facing the left side of the engine and the numbers on the bearing cap is facing the right side of the engine is that direction they should always go?
@@qwertyui90qwertyui90 It doesn't work that way - the crankshaft has to be professional ground down 0.010" for oversized bearings to fit. If you've got rod knock, you'll need to either send the crank out for grinding, or you'll need a new crank. You'll also need a new connecting rod - when a bearing goes the heat deforms the rod out of spec. Unfortunately, 944 engines are getting expensive to rebuild. If you look at my other videos, I'm working on a conversion kit for a VW 1.8T engine.
@@vsvenson Mine's not a porsche, but yeah, sad times. I noticed the knock immediately, stopped the car and put it on a trailer. " cross fingers" that when i measure the crank ( it's supposed to be 52mm diameter) it's not damaged and needing to be machined.
@@qwertyui90qwertyui90 Typically what happens is the crankshaft gets scored up... so it'll need regrinding. And the heat from the bearing (before it knocks) does the damage to the connecting rod. Good luck!
If you have a knocking sound, you've already done damage to the crankshaft. You'll have to take the engine all apart and either have the crankshaft reground for oversized bearings or get a good used crank to use with the standard bearings. Your connecting rod is probably out of spec and will need to be replaced, too.
No. The reality is, there is only one size option for the bearing... and, if I needed to regrind the crank or rebore a rod, the entire engine has to come apart. When I have an engine all the way apart, I measure bearing clearances with a micrometer and bore gauge - I find that to be more accurate than plastigauge. ua-cam.com/video/jkyVhE7Ww0M/v-deo.html
It's a race car - it doesn't get "babied". It lasted a few seasons, then overheated and has blown a head gasket. Now I'm transplanting a VW/Audi 1.8T into the car.
@@vsvenson THAT'S what I wanted to hear...I'm in the middle of doing this myself so I was wondering. I'm at 800rwhp and spun 2 bearings. Crank looks good though. Good luck on your build!
How long does this procedure take to complete? I am going to rent a shop to replace the oil pan in my 968 and your video explained it better than the repair manuals.
+Boba Feet You can probably do it in a long day. It's a few hours to take everything off to get the pan off. The bearing change is probably just an hour. Then it takes a few more hours to put it all back together. 2 days will give you more time to clean/wash the oil pan and let it dry. Also if you're doing other things in there (oil change? new suspension bushings? etc.)
How long did this end up taking you? There were a lot of parts I seen you remove and I’m thinking of doing this myself cause I’m pretty sure my rod bearings are going bad
At 14:14 when you pushed up piston #1, is there any chance you might push it up too far that the piston exits the cylinder bore? I'm guessing not but I thought I'd ask. Also, I noticed that you didn't use plasti-gage. Are you assuming that the crank hasn't been machined down to .010"?
I would be more concerned with tagging an open valve. Having done this before, when you push the piston upwards it moves in a very jerky manner due to the rings grabbing the bore. It would be fairly easy to go too far up into the bore and hit an open valve. Use caution and only move the rod up as far as required to clear the crank with it at its full downward stroke. That way you have a wider margin of safety against tagging an open valve while moving the piston around.
Hey Van, i'm a huge fan. I see how easy it is to access the rod bearings from the bottom... but would it be a viable endeavor to also change out the piston rings by pulling the rotating assembly out from the bottom? I feel like I would have to at the very least disconnect the drive belt and unbolt the flywheel to be able to pull the crankshaft out. Let me know as soon as you can. Thanks!
+AceGamingProductions I'm just trying to avoid pulling the entire motor (for a second time) to rebuild the bottom end which is long overdue. Also what oil do you recommend? I recognize the bottle you're using to lubricate the oil pan gasket as being the 20w-50 Valvoline racing oil. I have so many questions! I'm 19 and this is my project car so as you can imagine, I have nobody to help me in the knowledge department when it comes to my car.
+AceGamingProductions I don't think you can take the crank out with the engine in the car. You'd have to take the oil pump off the front and the clutch/bell housing off the rear. By the time you've done all that, it's probably quicker/easier to do it with the engine out of the car. And you need the head off, too. And, yes, I use Valvoline 20w-50 racing. Good luck! :)
+Van Svenson I have already pulled the motor out once, but do I need to pull the transmission out as well? I did out of inexperience but I've had some people tell me that all I needed to have done was pull the transmission and torque tube back a little to separate the bell housing from the motor and drop the motor with the subframe attached
+AceGamingProductions You have to remove the transmission to move the torque tube back far enough to get the bell housing off. Or you can remove the radiator and fans, and move the engine forward enough to get the driveshaft out of the bell housing.
+Van Svenson I feel like the latter option is easier. I don't have a lift at home so pulling the transmission is extremely difficult and actually took me weeks the first time I did it because the torque tube sleeve wouldn't budge. I've since greased it. I really wish I had someone to guide me through some of these things because this car is an oddity to me and has its quirks lol
So I just have to ask sir. Are you 100% confident with oil-on-gasket trick? I’ve got all the bolts in now and am ready to torque down. So many sources say the opposite. No oil at all. But if you say you’ve had no leaks doing it this way I’m ready to tighten them all down and put this baby together. And if your method has changed in the last few years I’m ok with hearing that too ;) Thanks for the great video.
I have had good luck with the oil-on-the-pan-gasket technique. For whatever it's worth, my engines run on the track and come apart every few years - so I don't have real-world data for that technique on a street car. (But the logic is the rubber can move around when to torque the pan so it seals in all places - kind of like the same logic for putting a little oil on a new oil filter gasket.)
Not going to lie that hook looks super sketchy.. the design of it just looks bad. It could easily shear off given a heavy engine etc. Be careful people. Seen too many accidents in my time. It's just not worth it and you will regret it. When working on cars I always make sure I have 3 safety restraints for example jacking a car and going under I'll use a jack, jack stands and for good measure I'll throw a wheel or two under it
I know this is a old video, but I'm glad you posted it because you give me the confidence to pull this off with my 1991 Toyota MR2
Great video! Thanks for providing a valuable tool to us backyard mechanics who want to keep these cars on the road and do proper maintenance ourselves.
Haven't even started watching yet, but I am VERY happy about this video... My '87 944S has been sitting in my garage for 3 years waiting for this operation.... I finally have the time to do it! I almost have the oil pan off... Can't wait to gather some pointers!
Also, thank you for leaving the sound effects in... Makes the viewing experience that much better!
Thanks for this video, without it I wouldn’t have tried to tackle this job.
Dear Van Svenson,
You're the best.
I high-g oil starved my engine at the track this weekend and this is exactly what I'll be doing. Same bearing and all.
I need a baffle.
I just finished my bearings tonight! Oil pan goes back on tomorrow.
The hook tool to stretch the gasket is genius 😎
thanks so much, going to do this soon and appreciate how well done this is. Hope to see you on the track in 2020!
Awesome video. Super informational. The step by step is very helpful and appreciated.
Your voice is soothing.
This awesome and good commentary as well! Pay attention and take your time! Also any DIY'er probably wont have the space to do this lol I can definitely do this myself or do it for other people. Idk why people nowadays don't look for the solution to their problems when it comes to cars. There is so much out their that you can get information from. I just learned how to install pistons and ring position earlier today. When It comes time, I will know what to do. Thanks for this cool video.
Impressive video. Great explanation and detail
In my opinion is your vedio is well explained everything i need to do this job i found it so usefull thanks man
I'm doing mine this weekend and I'd be shitting my pants if it wasn't for this video. Only 136 likes so far, that's unbelievable. This video is very well made really shows us how to do the job. Great work!
Hi Van - I just wanted to say thank you!
My name's Ted, I'm a driver from SCCA Land-O-Lakes/NASA Central region. I've been renting cars since I was 15-16 years old and my father died in a car accident - as I don't know how to work on them. But following your guides, I've finally gotten the confidence to buy myself a Spec-944 and do my own work on my own car! You've been a massive help and a massive inspiration!
If I can - I also wanted to ask if you have any written material for some of the procedures on your channel, lists of fluid-viscosities and fills recommended, etc etc? If you don't, that's totally fine, but if you do, I'd love to maybe ask for a written copy of some of these things to help me have solid references for my maintenance work.
I hope you're staying safe and healthy!
Wish I had some help from someone with knowledge like this to help me fix my 944
quality video. loved it learnt something new
Excellent walkthrough as always Van! Making me want to take the 944 out to the track again ;) Glad the oil analysis (blackstone?) showed you about the wear before it became a "meatball flag" problem!
+Zach Goldberg Yes, i use Blackstone Labs. I was thinking about this, and notice how the #2 bearings stuck on the crank? They'd lost their "springiness" - which means they had probably overheated.
Did anyone else find the sounds at high speed oddly satisfying
A handy trick to help prevent contact between rod bolts and the crank journal during removal or installation is to slip large vacuum caps (or similar) onto the ends of the rod bolts, kind of a condom for the rod bolts, if you will.
If we do this with just the short block in the engine bay could you just pull the piston out and do it that way?
I imagine so. But, that that point, I'd take the engine all the way out just to do other maintenance.
Sorry for the multiple questions, Van. On 0:14, I see an Optima battery right side up. How are you able to install an Optima battery right side up? Other posts I've read involved putting the battery on its side.
Just make sure the cables reach - I think the terminals are on the opposite sides - and make sure they don't hit the hood! But, that's one of the good things about the Optima: it can mount any direction (and, in the event of a crash, it won't spill acid).
Which red Optima did you use? All the red ones on the Optima website (www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/redtop-starting-battery) are almost 8" high. The stock battery for the 944 NA is 6.875" high.
When you’re as fast as this guy, you don’t need air tools!
Van, You said the oil analysis shows bearing material in the oil, but how to you know its not also the crank bearings that need changing? Great video
On 944s, its very rare to have excessive crank bearing damage without having rod bearing damage. Crank and main bearings were designed for the 928.
@@vsvenson Thx for the reply Van
Did you put any sealer on the corners of the gasket
What were you removing from 6:44 to 6:49? Flywheel cover? How many bolts were there?
Yes, the flywheel shield. I think it's 1 bolt on one side and 2 on the other.
Why did you replace these, they don't look worn at all?
Van, can you tell me what the oil analysis showed in ppm for aluminum, iron, copper and lead? Thanks!
Hi Van, I am doing a 944 engine rebuild and I am trying to get the correct direction the connecting rods should be installed. I notice that that the notch on the bearing is facing the left side of the engine and the numbers on the bearing cap is facing the right side of the engine is that direction they should always go?
It doesn't really matter what side the numbers on the connecting rods face - just make sure they're all in the same orientation.
@@vsvenson Thank you very much. I love your videos, I love the all the details you give and you have a great voice for DYI videos.
How do you know if you need oversized new bearings ?
If your crankshaft has been ground undersized. The bearing that you take off will have a number on the back side, as opposed to "STD".
@@vsvenson Thank you.
What if you need oversized bearings for the first time going from standard because you got a bit of 'rod knock'
@@qwertyui90qwertyui90 It doesn't work that way - the crankshaft has to be professional ground down 0.010" for oversized bearings to fit. If you've got rod knock, you'll need to either send the crank out for grinding, or you'll need a new crank. You'll also need a new connecting rod - when a bearing goes the heat deforms the rod out of spec.
Unfortunately, 944 engines are getting expensive to rebuild. If you look at my other videos, I'm working on a conversion kit for a VW 1.8T engine.
@@vsvenson Mine's not a porsche, but yeah, sad times. I noticed the knock immediately, stopped the car and put it on a trailer. " cross fingers" that when i measure the crank ( it's supposed to be 52mm diameter) it's not damaged and needing to be machined.
@@qwertyui90qwertyui90 Typically what happens is the crankshaft gets scored up... so it'll need regrinding. And the heat from the bearing (before it knocks) does the damage to the connecting rod. Good luck!
sir if the engine has a knocking sound do i need to replace the con rod bearing with d same size? or i need oversize? thanks.
If you have a knocking sound, you've already done damage to the crankshaft. You'll have to take the engine all apart and either have the crankshaft reground for oversized bearings or get a good used crank to use with the standard bearings. Your connecting rod is probably out of spec and will need to be replaced, too.
what mileage was on this engine for #2 to be shot?
About 150 race hours
Thanks Van!
Do you rebuild porsche 944 turbo engine's? I need one rebuilt
Van, is it safe to assume the procedure to get the oil pan off is the same on a 968? I have an oil pan leak, and I need to change the gasket. TIA
also that tool that you were using at 4:50, why not just tread the bold on and smack it with a hammer?
+sebastianblevdet I was reusing it tierod... and sometimes a specialty tool does a good job! :)
Van Svenson true true!
+Van Svenson I probably would've used a giant hammer too ;)
no plastigage?
No. The reality is, there is only one size option for the bearing... and, if I needed to regrind the crank or rebore a rod, the entire engine has to come apart. When I have an engine all the way apart, I measure bearing clearances with a micrometer and bore gauge - I find that to be more accurate than plastigauge. ua-cam.com/video/jkyVhE7Ww0M/v-deo.html
How long has the engine held up after this install? Were you running it hard afterwards or just "babying" it?
It's a race car - it doesn't get "babied". It lasted a few seasons, then overheated and has blown a head gasket. Now I'm transplanting a VW/Audi 1.8T into the car.
@@vsvenson THAT'S what I wanted to hear...I'm in the middle of doing this myself so I was wondering. I'm at 800rwhp and spun 2 bearings. Crank looks good though. Good luck on your build!
damn, how's that engine so clean?
only has 120 hours on a fresh rebuild
Race car, probably gets taken apart pretty often.
How long does this procedure take to complete? I am going to rent a shop to replace the oil pan in my 968 and your video explained it better than the repair manuals.
+Boba Feet You can probably do it in a long day. It's a few hours to take everything off to get the pan off. The bearing change is probably just an hour. Then it takes a few more hours to put it all back together. 2 days will give you more time to clean/wash the oil pan and let it dry. Also if you're doing other things in there (oil change? new suspension bushings? etc.)
+Van Svenson Thank you, guess I'll be in the shop all day.
Is that the original exhaust manifold?
+sebastianblevdet Yes, it is. Just wrapped in header wrap.
sweet, i know some saabs come with "extractor manifolds" as we say here. that pretty neat. porsche keeps suprising me!
How long did this end up taking you? There were a lot of parts I seen you remove and I’m thinking of doing this myself cause I’m pretty sure my rod bearings are going bad
Several hours - I probably spread it over a few days.
At 14:14 when you pushed up piston #1, is there any chance you might push it up too far that the piston exits the cylinder bore? I'm guessing not but I thought I'd ask. Also, I noticed that you didn't use plasti-gage. Are you assuming that the crank hasn't been machined down to .010"?
The piston can't go out - the head is still on. No point in using plasti-gage - I originally built this engine and I know the specs of the crank.
How can the piston exit the bore with the cylinder head still attached?
I would be more concerned with tagging an open valve. Having done this before, when you push the piston upwards it moves in a very jerky manner due to the rings grabbing the bore. It would be fairly easy to go too far up into the bore and hit an open valve. Use caution and only move the rod up as far as required to clear the crank with it at its full downward stroke. That way you have a wider margin of safety against tagging an open valve while moving the piston around.
Hey Van, i'm a huge fan. I see how easy it is to access the rod bearings from the bottom... but would it be a viable endeavor to also change out the piston rings by pulling the rotating assembly out from the bottom? I feel like I would have to at the very least disconnect the drive belt and unbolt the flywheel to be able to pull the crankshaft out. Let me know as soon as you can. Thanks!
+AceGamingProductions I'm just trying to avoid pulling the entire motor (for a second time) to rebuild the bottom end which is long overdue.
Also what oil do you recommend? I recognize the bottle you're using to lubricate the oil pan gasket as being the 20w-50 Valvoline racing oil.
I have so many questions! I'm 19 and this is my project car so as you can imagine, I have nobody to help me in the knowledge department when it comes to my car.
+AceGamingProductions I don't think you can take the crank out with the engine in the car. You'd have to take the oil pump off the front and the clutch/bell housing off the rear. By the time you've done all that, it's probably quicker/easier to do it with the engine out of the car. And you need the head off, too. And, yes, I use Valvoline 20w-50 racing.
Good luck! :)
+Van Svenson I have already pulled the motor out once, but do I need to pull the transmission out as well? I did out of inexperience but I've had some people tell me that all I needed to have done was pull the transmission and torque tube back a little to separate the bell housing from the motor and drop the motor with the subframe attached
+AceGamingProductions You have to remove the transmission to move the torque tube back far enough to get the bell housing off. Or you can remove the radiator and fans, and move the engine forward enough to get the driveshaft out of the bell housing.
+Van Svenson I feel like the latter option is easier. I don't have a lift at home so pulling the transmission is extremely difficult and actually took me weeks the first time I did it because the torque tube sleeve wouldn't budge. I've since greased it.
I really wish I had someone to guide me through some of these things because this car is an oddity to me and has its quirks lol
Steal wool ???
I've been stealing wool for years now, but the wool prices are down so it's barely worth it anymore
So I just have to ask sir. Are you 100% confident with oil-on-gasket trick? I’ve got all the bolts in now and am ready to torque down. So many sources say the opposite. No oil at all. But if you say you’ve had no leaks doing it this way I’m ready to tighten them all down and put this baby together. And if your method has changed in the last few years I’m ok with hearing that too ;) Thanks for the great video.
I have had good luck with the oil-on-the-pan-gasket technique. For whatever it's worth, my engines run on the track and come apart every few years - so I don't have real-world data for that technique on a street car. (But the logic is the rubber can move around when to torque the pan so it seals in all places - kind of like the same logic for putting a little oil on a new oil filter gasket.)
Van Svenson thats all I needed. I’ll be sure to share my findings with the west coast 944 Spec crew. Thanks again!
He put new connecting rod bearings on. While cover is off why no new main bearings?!
Willie Gillie
Because it doesnt need them, thats a whole tear down while the rod bearing isnt.
did your Engine have a knocking sound? if it knocks slightly is it too late?
Typically, if there's a knocking sound, it's too late. The bearing has already overheated and damaged the journal surface of the crankshaft.
*what about the main bearings ?*
Main bearings seem to hold up well on these motors - so no need to change unless you're doing a full tear-down.
Dag gum piece of cake
Not going to lie that hook looks super sketchy.. the design of it just looks bad. It could easily shear off given a heavy engine etc. Be careful people. Seen too many accidents in my time. It's just not worth it and you will regret it.
When working on cars I always make sure I have 3 safety restraints for example jacking a car and going under I'll use a jack, jack stands and for good measure I'll throw a wheel or two under it
Heyyy... you ain't finished yet !
Very expensive