Todd951968

I have a 924S that is to be delivered tomorrow and need advice on what to do with it. It has a suspected blown head gasket and has not been driven on the road for about 5 years. There is "mayo" in the oil. I could not see into the coolant overflow (coolant too low to see). The PO changed the head gasket TWICE and still has the overheating /mixing problem.

This lead me to believe it could be the oil cooler. I talked to my mechanic and he said it is a PITA to change the cooler gasket and the block could be cracked. Of course, the bearings should be changed as well since it was driven a bit with the mixing condition , overheated, etc. Then, there is the fact that the car has been sitting, so possible gas gelling up, brake fluid changes, etc etc.

The car has minor dents in the header panel and the PS headlight seems to be off of its hinge or something. Minor bodywork to PS fender to fix a scratch. No rust on the car. Interior is in VERY good condition other than dash cracks. Steering wheel looks new. Seats good (better than what they look like in photo). Has had recent clutch.

Is this car worth saving or should I just part it? Roughly, how much would an independent mechanic charge to install a used engine? I assume this is the easier option given all that needs to be done to the existing one.

If I decide that parting it is the way to go, please feel free to let me know what parts are needed out there. I'm located in Pittsburgh and would be willing to work out arrangements to deliver large parts within about 100 miles of my location.

Squid924

I have a soft spot for the 924S, so I would vote "Save It"...but that would clearly be a labor of love as these cars don't carry the value of the 944 bodied equivalent.

The oil cooler seals aren't that bad, it's a bit of a pain to flush the entire system afterwards to clean out all of the milkshake, and you would likely have to swap the crank bearings as you stated. If it has a rebuilt head, that is a bonus. Do you have proof of this, was the head pressure tested or magnafluxed? The problem with a used engine, is that you should probably reseal the replacement engine before installing or you may end up with similar issues.

Keep us posted....

Todd951968

Im not sure if the head was thoroughly tested. They PO is a "Pontiac man" by his definition. He doesn't know anything about these cars but had a general mechanic help with changing the head gasket. I can tell it was done because of how the bolts look and various paint pen markings. It was put back together....but the head wasn't sent out to get checked.

I figured I'd have to replace the rod bearings, only. NOT the crank bearings in this situation.

Todd951968

I actually have been seeing 924S advertised at similar prices as the 944NA, oddly enough. Not sure what either cars are actually selling for. But, the 924/944/968 series values as a whole seem to be rising up from rock bottom.

I suspect I can take off the oil cooler and see if there are obvious signs of a seal break that would cause the mixing. If so, then I can fix that and then flush the engine and change the rod bearings. (I would not feel comfortable going as deep as changing the crank bearings if that is required). There is not much risk ($) in going that far.

Squid924

I meant rod bearings....sorry.

Does it have any fun options? Limited Slip? I've had my 924S for 20 years, it's a very fun car to drive and has taken me many places. Other Porsche cars have come and gone, but that one has stuck around.

My cousin had a similar situation, he bought his first 944 and was enjoying it. He brought over to my house and I noticed the really clean head with new exhaust hardware and said "the previous owner put some work into this car not too long ago", he had a punch list of things to do to the car including swapping the lower radiator hose (as his was soft) so I agreed to help him. When I went to drain the radiator I saw the milkshake coming out. Luckily there wasn't any coolant in oil, just oil in the cooling system. It took a few flushes to clean out the cooling system.

The previous owner had a bunch of nice cars, but most were American cars. My guess is that his mechanic rebuilt the head and installed a head gasket thinking it was the issue. When the problem came back he flushed the system, put in fresh coolant and sold the car. We swapped the oil cooler seals and never had an issue again.

Sorry for the long story.....you shouldn't have any issues getting exhaust off if there is new hardware. This will free up some room when removing the oil cooler.

V2Rocket

pull the existing engine out and give it a thorough once over.
it will be easy to verify the HG is done right and do the oil cooler seals at that point, along with the water pump and belts.

be advised you are going to be $2k or more into the engine work alone just to get it fresh enough to run.

944 blocks don't crack (it has happened but its super rare, they just leak anywhere the can..). so finding another engine isn't a viable option because THAT engine will need the full service-package done to it as well.

Todd951968

Squid24: The PO said he replaced the transmission when the clutch was done. No LSD option code but maybe the new trans is LSD? If so it could also have come the higher geared 944? Yes, very similar situation to your cousin. This guy is a Pontiac lover (he had 4 60's-70 GTO's, an old Grand Prix and Trans Am lined up in his garage). Anyway, a friend told him someone was selling a Pontiac but didn't know what model. So, he went over to see and buy it and the Pontiac turned out to be the Porsche 924S! After a few beers, he bought it.

V2Rocket, nice to know the 944 blocks don't crack. I plan to look at the oil cooler for signs of leakage and take it from there. Cautiously optimistic but not exactly holding my breath.....

bureau13

"After a few beers, he bought it."

Lol, I'm sure we've all been there...

mrgreenjeans

From the photos shown, this car is worthy of a save, even if putting more into it than the car is currently worth.

The 'fun factor' is just THAT worthy. These are really great little cars.

You didn't mention what the body has on it for mileage, but if the interior is clean and the rest of the mechanicals in the drivetrain are good, just forge ahead and fix it. Drive it until it owes you nothing. By that point in time, you may just wish to keep this little beauty and repair it as you go. There are more than a few running around with 200 to 400,000 miles, and with proper maint. will last even longer

Todd951968

I think the odometer read 120 or 130k or something but stopped working at some point. The relatively low wear on the interior makes be believe. Its on its way to be delivered right now and should be here in an hour or two. Since I was awake unable to sleep due to this excitement, I dug into my library of old books and magazines to read up on the 924S. LOL One, Road & Track -Nov 1987 compared the 924S, 944, 944S and 951. I remember reading that article in the magazine when it was NEW!
I can't wait to do the initial cleaning and start to look into things to get a true assessment of its condition. I'll post better pics soon and update progress.

Tiger03447

+1 on what MGJ said! If you need a new oil cooler and casing for it I have a good one with a powdercoated shell that I'll sell...

drive135mph

These cars are getting older, even buying a good running car you never know what little issues are waiting to bite you. At least you know what ails this one and will have a good chance to look it over and remedy anything that looks fishy. I vote save it!

Arominus

Really, the odds are that its the cooler seals. You'll have a much easier time going through everything if you pull it. Doing the rod bearings in situ is not the funnest thing. It is totally doable though if you don't feel the pulling it out option.

Keep it, I miss my 924S, it was light, tossable and fun.

Todd951968

Update on car: I took the exhaust manifold off to find coolant was exiting from the rear-most exhaust port (one closest to firewall) #4? The other ports were dry. Also coolant in air intake box, J Boot , etc.?! In taking off coolant hoses, I saw oil . So, there was cross mixing of coolant in oil and oil in coolant.

Others with more knowledge than me, please chime in, but doesn't this turn suspicion back towards the headgasket and away from oil cooler? Disappointing.

This will be my first attempt at working on a car at this level. But, I think I am going to give it a try. I didn't have 24MM socket or wrench to take off the cooler but have taken the intake off in preparation for the HG if it comes to that.

Todd951968

I love light fun cars. I currently have a Bertone X1/9 that I love driving. I previously had an E30 BMW , which is what I imagine the 924S will be similar to. The was a fun DE car!

I don't want to pull the engine. I think that would be too much for me to handle. So far, I've been able to access everything I need to get to. MUCH easier and less cluttered than my 951 engine bay.