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Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER July 2007 356
Talk Board for May, 2007 Cleaning
the Inside of Gauge Glass Q.
I would like to clean the glass on the inside of my oil/temp; fuel/tank gauge.
How can this be done? Do I have to
disassemble the chrome ring? How can this be done without damaging it?
Thanks, Joost A.
Hello Joost, This can't be done without removing (and doing so, damaging)
the chrome ring. Restored my gauges years ago and let the guy's from Siemens VDO
put on new rings. I don't remember what they charged me but the address is;
Nieuwpoortstraat 5, AMSTERDAM, 1055 RZ, phone: +31 20-6878900.
Richard, 123107 T6 ESSD, 86139 Conv. D A.
The real answer for owners in Colorado.
Let Deluxe Speedometer repair your gauges.
(303) 629-6958 1976 S Bannock St Denver, CO 80223-3911.
There
is a specialist at Deluxe that rebuilds older gauges.
From a satisfied customer! Dick
Bartlett Condensers
Near Regulator Q.
I have a 64C which hasn't run in many years.
It has an original 12v system, and there are two condensers near the
regulator - one on either side. The
one on the right is about 2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter - it is marked
25uf. The other one is smaller,
about 1 3/4 inches long and 1/2 in diameter - I don't see any markings on it.
I don't know that these are bad, but my guess is that I should replace
them without even trying them. Does
anyone know the electrical value of the smaller one?
Are these peculiar to Porsches, or should I try my FLAPS?
Many thanks in advance. Bill
Christman, '64C West Caldwell, NJ A.
Those are the noise suppressors for your radio, the ones on my '65 C are
still there and still operating. Lee A.
According to Blaupunkt installation instructions, the capacitors at the
voltage regulator should be:
Bosch number EMKO 21Z 2Z at terminal #51 rated at 2,5 micro farads (uF). Bosch number EMKO 21Z 1Z at terminal #61 rated at 0,5 uF. Porsche
B/C Workshop Manual, page L83, says "Maximum capacity for the suppressor
condenser at GENERATOR terminal D+ and REGULATOR terminal D+ is 4,5 uF. A
greater capacity will burn the regulator contacts."
Brad Engine
Power Loss Q.
Just got my 356 bt5 1600 out of the garage to 'prepare' it for the
summer. Did some 'tune up' and the car sounds and drives great. The car picks up
quite good (I'm driving with Weber idf 40's and these are a little bit too big
for my engine). As long as I keep the revs up, it is all good........but after
20 minutes or so on the highway (70-80 miles an hour) my car starts loosing
power and puffing black smoke. When this happens the speed goes down to 50 or
so. When I pull down the road and let the car sit for 10 minutes, it's all fine
again. But the same occurs after 15 minutes. Could
somebody perhaps tell me what I should check next? I have not done my valves,
but I did them 1000 miles ago. And as far as I know, this doesn't sound like a
valve problem (please correct me if I am wrong). My impression is that the mixture becomes too rich ( black smoke) and that this causes one cylinder to stop (there is a feel of power loss). I have had these symptoms before when I had a small fire in the back and the Weber’s did not get enough oxygen. Should I perhaps check my carb float level? What I can't explain is why the car drives fine for the first 20 minutes. Any ideas, please suggest them. Many regards, Frank Hijmans (5) Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
July 2007 Talk Board Con’t A.
Frank: Do a regular tune-up, and get the timing at spec, then get rid of
the sparkplugs you have and buy some Bosch WR7BP platinum’s, ( try Al Zim).
These won't load up like regular plugs. Of
course, consider carb float levels...maybe one or both floats are running low
and causing a fuel starvation. Lean out the mixture until you are operating with
each of the four idle mixture screws backed out no more than two full turns. The
black smoking should cease. A
quick check for bad piston rings, broken piston domes, etc. would be to open the
oil filler on the car and run the engine...rev it while observing if any smoke
comes from the filler neck...it shouldn't. If there is a lot of smoke coming
from the filler, you have a sealing problem that is probably getting worse as
the engine reaches operating temps. Geoff
Black
smoke is usually too much fuel. Get
a fire extinguisher and put it in
your car. Then remove the air
filters and drive around till you the smoke bit.
Stop right away and look down the throats of the carbs and see if one is
spilling fuel. If it is then you
got a float/needle valve issue. First
make sure you have good plugs, points set and timing. If you have Weber’s make sure where the jets live there is
no debris between the jets that could clog the idle air jet, it is small hole
next to the idle jet and no debris in the air corrector, the tall brass tube
that unscrews with the main jet/emulsion tube assy.
If any of these gets clogged it will cause that circuit to run "full
rich" or flood mode. You might
also have a bad/sinking float but this is not high on the probability scale.
Alan Weber
Carb Source Q.
Does anyone have a good source to suggest for Weber carbs for 356's? A.
Try them http://www.redlineweber.com/
Fabio Headlight
Problem Q.
I am visiting my friend, Sylvain in France.
He has a 1964 C Coupe. He
cannot get his head lights to switch when he flips his lever.
He only has high beams. Who
has some ideas for him please. Gene 1962
S Cabrio A.
It could be the contacts in the switch are open, possibly some dirt or
such so there is no contact and the relay can't trigger the change.
Does the relay click when the lever is pulled? If so have you checked the
individual fuses for the low beams? They
could be corroded so twist them in place in addition to looking.
Norm A.
Bring a test light with you and a copy of Joe Leoni's book.
Alan A.
Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions. It was the Gray
headlight switch relay that is kaput. Anyone
have an original grey headlight relay for sale? Parts
Catalogues 1950-59
Parts Catalogue Link <https://techinfo.porsche.com/techinfo/pdf/en-us/catalogues/
1960-65
Parts Catalogue Link <https://techinfo.porsche.com/techinfo/pdf/en-us/catalogues/
Maybe
these links or files can be added to the registry website tech area? Best Regards, Richard Finnegan 1957 356A Speedster 1960 356B S90 sunroof coupe Registry Member #17253 Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER May 2007 356 Talk
Board for April, 2007 Hello
everyone, Here's what's new at 356Registry.org: Hubcap
Clip Installation, by Brian O'Kelly An
excellent, step-by-step guide on how to install hubcap clips without damaging
painted rims: http://www.356registry.org/Tech/hubcap_clip_installation.html Jumping
a 6 volt battery with a 12 volt, by Ray Knight, Geoff Fleming, and Harry Pellow Yes,
you can safely jump your tired 6V battery with a 12V if you follow the advice of
these experts: http://www.356registry.org/Tech/battery_jumping_6v_with_12v.html Spark
Plug Recommendations, by Vince Cappelletti, Tom Farnam, Geoff Fleming, and Dan
Schaefer The
question of what plugs to use in our now 40-plus year-old cars is a frequent
one. Fortunately, there are several good choices. Bosch WR7BP platinum and NKG
BP6HS or BPR6HIX are often used in the 356. Here are specific comments from
several experienced 356ers: http://www.356registry.org/Tech/spark_plug_recommendations.html And
for your viewing pleasure, feast your eyes on Steve Terrien's stunning 1959
Carrera GS/GT Coupe at: http://www.356registry.org/Members/Terrien/59blackCarrera/ You
can also enjoy period black & white photos of his 57 Carrera Coupe by
clicking the small photo on the right of the page at: http://www.356registry.org/Members/Terrien/ Barry
Lee Brisco, 356 Registry Website Technical Editor Crusing
Speeds A friend and I have a theory that every individual
car has a highway cruising "sweet spot" when conditions are equal.
This is when the harmonious balance of velocity, noise, steering feel,
vibration, ride comfort and pedal angle all come together at a speed which much
faster is stressful and much slower feels like your dogging it. My C coupe settles in at 75mph, my Speedster at
70mph, my 993 at 100Mph, (can't do that very often), My Chebby P/U at 70mph, My
Audi S4 at 95mph (another one that rarely gets to stretch) One time we rented a Toyota Camary for a road trip
and that darn thing wanted to cruise a 90mph We let it have it's head all
through the state of New Mexico till the helicopter got us....I tried to explain
my theory to the peace officer but to no avail. Tom Martinez, Running Springs
Ca. How about "best cruise", i.e. best fuel
economy? I was surprised to see a
graph in either Richter's or Spencer's book (probably latter) showing 3500-3700
RPM peak for fuel economy in stock engines. I would have thought 3000 for Super,
maybe 2500 for Normal, would eke out best economy on flat ground, just loping
along at the bottom of the green area of the tach. My current stock '59 Super doesn't seem to have a
preference for settling down and cruising, but a '59 sunroof coupe I had with a
'61 Normal engine and a 744 tranny seemed to prefer 85 MPH. Absolutely dozed at
that speed, and the car felt one with the road. Brian A In a run from San Francisco to Portland and back last
year, I experimented with different RPMs at highway speeds to see what produced
the best gas mileage. I tried to fill the gas tank to within an inch of the
bottom of the neck each time I tanked up. I found that, as Brian writes, 3500 or a bit more
gave me the best MPG, around 33 in my stock 59 Super. Problem is, in a coupe
with BBBC gears that is well over the 65mph speed limit, and even a bit over the
75mph speed that the Highway Patrol will usually tolerate. Barry Brisco "But
officer...I was just doing my part for the environment! Honest!"
(5)
Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
May 2007 Talk Board Con’t Well...that
is what the 356 was designed for, high speed touring with two aboard, in
addition to racing, rallying, etc. It was a real giant killer of a car in its
day and continues to be so, which is remarkable. Of
course, every driver has his / her own level of comfort and each car has to be
evaluated on an individual basis. I have driven some 'restorations' that should
not even be on the road, (despite looking great!), while some outwardly shabby
cars are wonderful drivers at all speeds. It is all up to the owner, but there
is no danger in damaging a well prepared 356, by simply maintaining 4,000 or so
rpm. The S-90, C and SC models are particularly suited for sustained high speed
travel, thanks to the more modern valve gear, etc. regards, Geoff LED
Lights Has
anyone tried the new 6V LED light "bulbs" in their 356? Sounds
like A
great idea - but are they bright enough to be worth the expense?
Steve If
you are referring to LED dash lights available from Brad Ripley at NLA, I found
that using just 3 of them, one at the bottom of each of the main gauges (not the
clock), is plenty bright compared with the 1.2W bulbs. Regards, Dave Wildrick,
Houston, TX Loud-whine
from transmission in 1st gear When
I let off accelerator pedal, it continues.
Any suggestions as to what this is caused by? Thanks all, Matt I
don't know what it is, but I have a medium whine in 4th stats at about 50 or so
and ends at 70 mph. Lessens but continues as I slow down, even if I take it out
of gear. Sorry to piggy back here, but figured there would be some transmission
experts weighing in. Jake Eller Check
the oil level. If ok drain the oil and look at the magnet on the drain plug.
Alan Muffler
Removal I
have the engine out of my 64C to do a little cosmetic work and a few other odds
and ends. I'm trying to remove the muffler, but so far no luck. The
clamps around the exhaust pipes came off easy as did the straps around the
center of the muffler, but it is stuck good. Any
tricks out there for this job? My car has euro exchangers.
Steve, Lake Ozark, MO Use
a propane torch to help break the intimate bond. A rubber or plastic mallet can
be useful too but I've needed a torch nearly every time. Keep a fire
extinguisher or bucket of water close by even if the engine is out of the car
because gas can drip out of open fuel lines and ignite...don't ask how I know.
Tom Martinez, Running Springs Ca. Steve,
another way to apply the heat you need to break that bond might be an electric
heat gun. If you don't own one, you might be able to borrow one from a local
boat yard (since you live on a lake) or rent one from a tool rental center. A
good heat gun will put out nearly as much heat as a propane torch, but without a
flame. Of course that good stout
rubber mallet is almost invaluable once you break the rust/corrosion bond in the
pipe slip joints with heat. Tom (in
coooold Alexandria, VA) When
you put the muffler back on use liberal amounts of never-seez and you won't have
to go thru that again. Fred Straps?
This means you have an Euro muffler. You will see a tee shaped clamp between the
2 pipes from the heat exchanger, loosen these. Soak it all in you favorite
"make it loose oil" then try tapping it off. If you have a floor jack,
press up in the middle a few times, then on one side to rock it a bit. A wood
block cut to fit the curve of the end of the muffler and then hit with a hammer
might do the trick. Alan 6
Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER March 2007 356 Talk Board for February, 2007 Dead
SC? Q.
Clear,38 degrees in Idaho, drove my 65 s/c all over did errands, stopped
and started at least 6 times. Drove
home, turned it off, unloaded the days collection. Opened garage door, no start.
Got lights, horn, radio, not a sound, not a click, nothing. Six month old
optima, New ground strap last year, new starter bushing also last year. Where do
I start, its cold out? Joe,,,anybody regards,Mick A.
Mick, To help get started, look at our web site.
There is a flow sheet to trouble shoot. A.
Mickey: Check that the small
black wire is still attached to the starter solenoid.
If this pops off, (it is a press fit connector), the starter will not
respond. Geoff Real
Answer Spade
connector to solenoid lost tension, fell off.
Put on new spade fresh heat shrink, back in business, lucky me. thanks again for all of your posts. Mick 1965 S/C Euro Coupe Comment:
The same thing can happen at the coil/ign. sw. lead
(#30, Joe?). If the rubber boot is
still on the female terminal, it can also 'look' like it it still connected. Ron
LaDow Engine
Hardware (screws and such) Q.
Has anyone used the hardware kit offered by Chamberlain Auto Restoration?
Here's their website: http://chamberlainautorestoration.com/Engine_rebuild_package.html
-Steve A.
have purchased a few sets of engine hardware from Rob. He s a very nice
fella, reliable, fast to ship & the hardware was REALLY nice. The cad 1 I
bought was exceptional & the hardware had no boogered slots or scuffs
or the like. George Fitting
a Door Q.
A little while ago I ruined a door when my C cp rolled out of the
garage on its own with the drivers door open. Against all advice I sought
a replacement door and was lucky to find a nice one (From Parker Tyler in
Maine) with no rust but a sizable dent. The door has been beautifully repaired
and now it is time to fit it to my car. It
"nearly fits" but needs adjustments, as expected. It sits too high and
the striker plate is to high. Also the front lower corner does not have enough
clearance. I was intending to take it back to the repair shop but the engine is
out of the car, and as there is not that much discrepancy I thought I would
try to fit it myself. If I succeed in getting it to fit properly I may
have to take it back to the repair shop for some "lead" work. What
advice can you offer me on fitting the door myself? Thank you Davie A.
Davie, First,
loosen the striker plate then just barely snug the screws and gently close the
door. This should get it close. Re tighten it. Next,
loosen all of the hinge bolts and re-tighten one on each hinge slightly. Next,
maneuver the door towards the rear of the car to get more clearance at the lower
front. Now
snug the hinge bolts and re-adjust the striker. Take care that the upper window
frame doesn't contact the top of the door opening. You
will most likely have to juggle through this procedure a few times to get it
right. If the door sits too far outside or too far inside the fender line you must re-shim the hinges to suit. (5) Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
March 2007 Talk Board Con’t This
should be good for at least an evening of laughs and cursing. NOTE:
Before loosening the hinges place a jack under the door with padding so it
doesn't drop. This will save your initial setting. After adjusting repaint the bolt heads, replacing the
originals with a couple of spare bolts to retain the adjustment. Still might
need to touch them up. Easy to do
but hard to explain! Norm Full
Flow Oil Filter Q.
Members: Regarding my 1963 B
Coupe, I want to add a full flow oil filter system, retain the original
mechanical tack and keep the stock oil filter in the system. Has anyone
set up same and be willing to discuss? Thanks. Jim B. A.
Ron LaDow of Precision Matters developed the nicest unit
imaginable...easy to add to the engine too. It bolts up in place of the stock
tach drive and provides full flow oil filtration without any modifications to
the stock system. Users report a drop of about ten degrees in operating temps
also. While an electric tach is best, give Ron a call and see what is entailed
in keeping the mechanical unit. Geoff A.
While Ron's excellent system is well-documented on his very fine website www.precisionmatters.biz,
it would be useful to have an article on the Registry website that explains
where to drill the case and mount an external full flow filter in cases where
the owner wants to retain their mechanical tach, and on pre-1960 engines. If
someone cares to contribute such an article, with photos, to the Registry
website, please email me directly. Thanks,
Barry Bricso Imploding
Gas Tank Q. Took my '56 out for a 25 mile jaunt today as the sun was shining and was supposed to get to 50 degrees. Engine temp actually got up to 150 deg F though it took some time for it to reach that point. Just a couple of blocks from home I heard what sounded like someone had thrown a snowball and hit the car! When home I let the car idle a bit and heard the noise again. I opened both front and back lids. I found the top of the tank in a somewhat concave shape and knew immediately that the breather tube was clogged. I removed the gas cap (slowly) which removed the suction. Then attempted to blow through the breather tube and it was just slightly clogged as it was fairly easy to remove the obstruction. Have not had this problem before...the tank & fittings are clean and the tubing is relatively new. Have but 2 or 3 gallons of gas in tank. Anyone with this experience before or have any ideas how this might have happened? And how to prevent a recurrence? Tomorrow I plan on using compressed air to blow through the tubing to see if I can obtain a 'specimen'. I consider myself very lucky no damage was done. Tom, S. Oregon A.
I've heard there are also holes under or in the dome the breather tube
attaches to that can get plugged up (especially if you had the tank coated
inside) that can cause the problem, so you may want to check those too.
Jim A. Jim: Under the dome atop the early type gas tanks, are some fine slits. As you mentioned, these are easily clogged with tank coating material. The dome is soldered in place so you really can't examine the status of the openings unless you can work a dental type mirror on a long arm inside the tank and possibly make an inspection like that. Geoff Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER February 2007 356Talk Board for February, 2007
Battery
or other issues? Questions
to the experts: After a night run, battery seems to be drained and car does not
start. Two days later, all is fine. Here is the story:
Drove the 56 T-1 Friday night for an hour or so with lights on. When I
got to my
warehouse, the car wouldn't start, sounded like a dead battery, slowly
cranking
then dying, so I pushed it in. Today,
I wanted to check what's going on, put the 6V battery on the charger while it is
still in the car - it showed 25% juices left (?). I
got it out of the car to recharge, then the charger shows 100% charged (??). Put
it back into the car just for fun and start up the car - No problem at all.
Starting it a couple of times without any signs of electrical difficulties
(???). What is going on here?
Thanks for any help. Mike A.
Michael, First
check the generator's output voltage. I
like it set for 7.3 volts. Our
web site shows how to do this. www.356electrics.com If
the voltage is up, and the battery isn't an Optima check for the water level. Next,
do you have normal headlights, no extra driving lights? Lastly
the bushing in the (generator) transmission might be worn.
If you can't remember replacing it, then do it.
Again this is on our web site. Good
luck. Joe A.
Mike: Could
be a slight drain when the car is not in use...check by removing the ground
strap from the battery, then, with all systems off, connect a test light from a
ground source on the body, and touch the other end of the tester to the now
unoccupied negative terminal, ...if it lights up, you have something draining
current. To
do a quick check of the generator efficiency, run the car above idle and have
some one remove the ground strap at the battery. If the car dies, the generator
is weak or non functional, therefore not able to produce current sufficient to
recharge the battery. Of
course, all grounds and other cables should be clean and free from corrosion. If
the ground cable is connected to an area that is not clean metal, then it is not
able to do its job, likewise, the positive battery cable should show clean
copper at the clamp. If the positive cable is corroded, remove and discard the
old clamp, cut the cable back an inch or two and then affix a new clamp...might
as well clean all fuses and the fuse box at this point and even the
generator/regulator connections. You'll be surprised at what a difference the
clean electrical system makes. Even
a small voltage drop, in the neighborhood of half a volt is substantial when
dealing with six volts. There
is an outside chance that the regulator needs adjustment...a malfunctioning
regulator won't permit current to get back to the battery to replenish the
charge, so you might have to do a test there also. Geoff 6
volt Pertronix trouble with Bosch 050 Q.
Tubrunners, In
my 64C coupe, I'm running a Bosch 050. The motor is running well. The
points were getting worn, so I put a 6V Pertronix in this distributor.
Car seemed to run well at first, but when the engine got warmed up, I got
an occasional slight backfire out the tailpipe. When it was hot, I was
getting popping at idle out of both tail pipes.
(5) 6 Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
Februaryuary 2007 Talk Board Con’t I
checked static timing and used the timing light for high speed advance: 5
degrees BTDC static and 33-34 degrees advance at 3000 r/m and above.
Took it out for a run and got the same popping. I checked the rotor
and distrib. cap for cracks and defects. I found none. I
put in my backup brand new (right out of the box) 050; set static timing to 5
degrees BTDC. The motor ran great, and I could not make it pop or backfire
after a long run. Does
this mean the Pertronix is flaky and I should exchange it for a new one (on
warranty)? Or should I remove the Pertronix and put the points/condenser
back in to retest and rule out a problem with this distributor, which worked
fine pre-Pertronix? All advice appreciated. (By
the way, my other C coupe has a 050 w/6V Pertronix and runs fine.) Thanks,
Dave Wildrick, Houston, TX A.
It's flaky. I had the same set up as you, Pertronix, 050, Blue Coil, 6V
and it left my car 'deadstick' at an intersection. Dropped in a back up dizzy
with points, no problem. After several phone calls I found that the Pertronix
needs an almost perfect electronic environment to work, something like 5.8 volts
all the time or it will cease to work. Went back to points, never had another
problem. BTW: I have an early set of Pertronix in a Hi-Pro VW engine that has
run flawlessly for over 14 years. However that car is 12 volt with an
alternator. Aaron Radio
Repair Q.
Greetings, Any recommendations on where to get an AM/FM Blaupunkt 6 volt
radio repaired? I need some tunes for my 356A.
Thanks In Advance, gaw A.
Yes, Go to http://www.radiomanrepair.com/
Tell
him Pete from the Porsche 356 Club in So. Cal sent ya for the good deal.
Sincerely, P e t e Updated
Radio in the old shell Q.
Hi everyone I
have noticed that you can obtain a vintage Blaupunkt radio shell from several
vendors with new digital internals that has high power, digital scanning and
IPOD connectors. My question is: Have
any of you purchased one of these units? Are you happy with the product? How
does it cope running on a 6volt system? Thanks
Roland Paterson 356 T6 A.
I have the conversion done by www.turnswitch.com
- lots of power, iPod connection and all the original knobs/switches work as
original the new electronics are 12V and have an internal converter to run on my
6V system. I am very pleased (although I don't use it that much because I
like to hear the engine) - this is the second conversion that they've done for
me on Blaupunkts. Bill I
just got my Blaupunkt conversion back from www.antiqueautomobileradio.com I had
an AM/FM/M in my 63. They can set it up for a 6 or 12 volt system.
Comes with RCA jacks on the back of the radio body. It also has a 12 volt
power lead for an external device such as a CD player, xm satellite radio or
ipod. When the external device is switched on the RCA jacks are activated and
the radio tuner goes off. You would then use the volume, tone controls to adjust
the output for whatever is plugged into the jacks. The outer appearance is unaltered, except that they paint the radio a metallic grey. The original on off light in the center of the radio's scale is green and turns red when you lock onto a stereo station. I installed it today (it took 5 months for them to do the conversion) and the radio, now a digital stereo receiver, sounds terrific. I have not hooked up an external device yet. BTW, I am sure they would skip the paint if you wanted. Mark Koorland 63 T6 cab 6 OVERSTEER December 2006 356
Talk Board for December, 2006 Found
this on Youtube. It's apparently a fairly recent post on 356 B Roadster
Restoration work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVMEm9g0OGE
I'm a sucker for 356 videos. Mike Muffler
Loudness Q.
As a new comer to the 356 family (ex 928 and 951 owner), I first wish to
say "thanks to all" who contribute they're experience and expertise to
this talk list. I have used many of your suggestions over the past several
months. To
my question: I recently purchased a Dansk muffler for my 65C from one of the
noted suppliers on 356registry website. This system is too loud! Sounds like
there's no baffles in the thing. Does anyone have a recommendation for a
"quiet" muffler system. Thanks Ken
Crawford 65C #222492 A.
Ken, That's
about as quiet as a 356 gets. Are you sure you don't have some leaks at
the flanges, and "J" pipe (slip-over joints)? Also, the 356
produces a significant amount of "induction roar", which is pretty
loud on cars where the OE sound deadening material is all dried out and,
basically, non-functional. I
have a new Dansk muffler on my S-90 coupe and find that the exhaust
"noise" is pretty subdued and pleasant to my ears. However, the
complete removal and replacement of the original sound deadening material is
near the very top of my winter work list. It's pretty darn loud, in there!
Bud Osbourne (coming briefly out of "lurk" mode) 356Burgh Dancing
Tach Q. On my '64C Coupe with an electric tach, what would cause it to 'take off' above about 4200 rpm and zoom up to as much as 6000 rpm then dance around between 4200 and 6000? Steady acceleration through the gears and the tach remains steady. In fourth gear when accelerating up to 75-80 mph, the tach starts to dance. Also does it sometimes when in third gear, steady up to about 3600 rpm then takes off up to about 5000 and dances back. I don't think I am redlining it but the tach indicates otherwise. Thanks Mark
'64C Coupe A.
Check connection on the coil and tighten. Set point gap to proper gap.
Good luck. Robert T. Raucher Chico, California USA A.
When the tach in my 65C starts dancing I change out the points and the
problem usually goes away. Bill
Smothers Charleston, SC 65 C #219655 Slow
Starter Q.
I am having trouble starting my 1965 C engine. Engine was rebuilt three
years ago and has been sitting since. I am testing the engine outside of the
car. I placed a small amount of oil in each cylinder and engine turns freely
with plugs out. Plugs in and starter cranks engine very slow as if battery is
dead. Battery is a new Optima 6v fully charged. Starter bearing is new. Starter
runs fine when not engaged to engine. Is
there a way to check the starter in load condition? Anything
else I should consider? Thanks,
Gary Skinner Littleton, CO A.
Gary: Have you cleaned the
ground strap, where it attaches to the chassis and likewise, what does the
positive cable look like? I would recommend cutting back the positive
cable an inch or more, until you see clean wiring, then add a new clamp...these
seemingly minor improvements can make a great difference in the starter motor
receiving enough voltage to crank strongly. (5) Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club
OVERSTEER
December 2006 Talk Board Con’t Other
factors that influence starter performance would be the condition of the starter
bushing in the trans, poor ground on the trans/body strap and poor grounding at
the trans and starter interface. An engine with very high compression will cause
the motor to struggle against the pressure build-up, so be sure the valve
adjustments are good. Geoff A.
would like to thank everyone that replied to my starter problem.
The problem turned out to be a combination of dirty starter innards and a
very tight engine (sat for three years after rebuild). The starter would drain
the battery in just a few seconds. After cleaning and re-lubricating the
starter, I ran the starter on the engine using 12 volts for several minutes
before connecting the ignition to the 6 volt battery. Engine starts easily now. I
will think very strongly about adding the 356 Electrics relay to this circuit
when the engine is returned to the car. The current pull that I experienced
would most definitely have destroyed the starter switch.
Thanks, Gary
356Talk
Board for November, 2006
Hot
Starting Issue Q.
Still trying to solve my hot starting issue Car
starts perfectly when cold idles at about 600 when cold very smooth and
goes up to 900-1000 when warm Runs and pulls very strong I
drove car for 1 ½ hours yesterday about 50 miles car about low end of
center in temp gauge, outside temp about 75 max. Stopped for lunch about 20 minutes When
I came out car turns over very fast but won’t fire up.
Holding down gas pedal pumping it makes no difference.
Car will push start right off no cloud of smoke no back fire And
then car runs fine I
have completely cleaned my gas system including all jets and passage ways
in carburetors etc I
have adjusted all valves a few were off but not bad new spark plugs etc Engine
has maybe 500-600 miles on complete rebuild Any
suggestions? Richard Eaton 1958
speedster 83824 A.
Try hot wiring the ignition. It sounds as though the ignition switch is
failing so that in the start position it is not sending power to the coil.
David Jones Wapakoneta, Ohio A.
Richard I have the same problem with a 356B. Have just found that I seem
to have a weak spark when hot, about to change condenser and keep fingers
crossed. Terry Air
Conditioning – Australia I
have spent a year developing a new AC prototype system that will handle the
hottest and most humid temperatures as I live in sub tropical Australia, I hope
to have the car done by summer and the 356 show here in November. No additional
heat is produced in the motor compartment as there is no condenser in the motor
lip. The system can use 1, 2 or even 3, 993 condensers depending on climate.
Email at ram117@optusnet.com.au off line for details.
Alex 1965 c Cab Gas
Smell inside 64C Coupe Q.
Just started running my recently acquired '64 C coupe #219880 and have
been getting a very strong smell of fuel inside the car. There is no
obvious leaking and the car appears to be running fine (I say appears, because
it’s my first and I have nothing to compare it to!!) I am
concerned and wonder if anybody has come across this in the past. Kind regards,
Albert Harding #18753 A.
Lift up the rubber mat in the front under the dash and remove the toe
board on the passenger side. (Maybe it is in the driver's side in a RHD car? - I
don't know.) There is a small length of rubber hose running from the petcock
under the tank outside under the car into the passenger compartment to the steel
line running through the tunnel back to the engine. This hose is probably old
and weeping fuel and must be replaced. There is also a vent line coming from the
top of the tank in the trunk. That may also be allowing fumes to escape into the
trunk which then enters through the vents into the passenger compartment. These
are the two common and easy to fix fuel smell problems.-Robert A.
Also common is a crack in the fuel line over the fan housing fills the
car with fuel smell very quickly - the lines are over forty years old
unless recently replaced basically you have to check the whole route - if we
knew where you were posting from a local might be able to help.
ed hyman, Autophotos, in western CT, Registry #57, VSCCA race
# 540 356A T-1 coupe & T-1 Speedster, 356C (SC) ESR Coupe (5) Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
November 2006 Talk Board Con’t Wiper
Switch Problems Q.
I have been having trouble with the windshield wiper switch on my car. 6
Volt system, 6 volt switch. It
keeps blowing the fuse (white 8 amp, fuse no. 4).
I try-ed another switch and it does the same thing. I noticed that if I
pull the switch out for the wipers to run and then insert a new fuse, the wiper
will run fine, nice and steady but when I push the button in to shut the wipers
off, the fuse blows (Snap). I have
Joe Leoni's books but in the "Trouble Shooting" section it says
nothing about blowing fuses when you shut the switch off. Is
it possible that I have the wires connected to the wrong terminal(s)?
Which color wire goes to terminal 53?
Which color wire goes to terminal 53a?
Which color wire goes to terminal 53b?
Which color wire goes to terminal 53e? Any
suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Thank
you Rich
Wisniewski A.
53 is blk/wht
53a is blk/pur
53b is blk.
53 on the switch isn't used. You
have a T6 car. If the fuse blows
when the switch is off, then the trouble is most likely in the circular cam
plate. You
will have to remove the cover and see what is happening. A
way to confirm this is to lift the 53a wire and see if the motor runs okay.
It won't Park right. But all
of this is assuming you have the correct wire colors connected.
And I am sure you do because you have our book. Get
back if you need more info. Joe Parts
Catalogue pdf For
those who may be interested, I have just uploaded the parts catalog to the
Kardex Translations site: http://tinyurl.com/lqrfg Just
click on the "Parts Catalog" button and then select your model year
for your car. The PDF opens in a new window, or you can "right click"
and then "save as" to your desktop. (Please note these are rather
large files - 3.5MB and do take some time to download.) Happy
parts hunting! Cheers from Down Under, Nanette Thanks
for making this available. Since your website is done using frames, the URL you
give does not go directly to the page with links to the PDF catalog files. The
direct URL is: http://www.lightboxstudios.biz/kardex/catalogs.htm
Where did these catalog files come from? Barry Brisco Remote
Starter Switch Who
needs a switch? Years ago, as suggested by John Muir (How to Keep Your VW
Alive...etc.) and Harry Pellow, I attached a wire onto the small starter
solenoid terminal that has the wire from the ignition switch on it and ran the
other end up into the engine compartment. I taped off the end to keep it
from shorting on anything. When you want to start the engine, you switch
on the ignition and touch the end of this wire to the B+ terminal
on your voltage regulator to crank the engine. Regards, Dave Wildrick Houston,
TX #10230 (6) Leftover
From the last 356 Talk Board 12V
Generator on a 6V System Q.
I was reading my new copy (new to me) or the ABC's of Porsche 356
engines. In the section about converting a 912 engine to a 6 volt 356
Harry suggests using the 12 volt generator. He claims that the correct
voltage regulator will control the output and keep it at 6 volts. I was just
wondering what the opinion of the list was on doing this.
Jason Miltenberger St. Louis, Missouri A.
That is a half truth, you will loose efficiency. This also depends if you
have the large or small 12 volt generator. If you have the 12 small generator
you can sell it for a bunch of $$ and install a good 6 volt one. According
to my electrical shop the field windings are different so you can make a 12V one
a 6 V one but doing the switch will get you some $$.
Alan A.
Harry is correct. The 12 volt generator will work fine in a 6 volt car.
As always try to find the big black Bosch regulator, they are the best.
And have the regulator adjusted for current limit.
Joe 356Talk Board for October, 2006 Engine
Vibration – Solved! I'd
like to thank everyone who responded with advice on my engine vibration problem.
For the curious, many suggested to remove the fan belt to eliminate any stuck
shop rag or generator/fan balance issues (frankly I had forgotten to do this),
no issue there though. Still having the vibration, I thoroughly tuned and
balanced and rejetted the Webers to eliminate any variance from there. This did
help a little, but main vibration was still there. Lastly was rechecking the
flywheel, pressure plate balance. This was the first suspect of several of
the respondents. You guys hit it.
Having a couple other flywheels and pressure plates around the garage, I knew
this would/could be a trial and error thing. I first replaced just the pressure
plate (to which the shop had added weight to balance this time) and Voila!
Problem solved. Vibration is gone through the RPM range.
Now it’s off to the shop to query why they added weight to the pressure
plate. Thanks again for the expert
advice. Phil Hancock, Minneapolis Another
thought: Phil:
When the shop added the weight to the pressure plate did they balance it
with the flywheel. This is the usual practice. If they did this there should be
an index mark on the pressure plate and the flywheel. If the two were not
indexed you will have a balance problem. Bob
Garretson Tires-
A reality check On
the topic of tread types, I have a good friend at the local Discount Tire store
so this week he and I have been looking into 165 replacements for my (sadly) 10
yr old Michelins on my '59 coupe. I have looked at the Kumho 758 but the tread
pattern is much more non-vintage/modern-looking versus the Michelin and the
Vredestein Sprint. That is maybe an "aesthetics" thing rather than a
handling thing. The manager also noted to me that while the replacement
Michelins are made from the same molds - they are produced by Coker so the
rubber compound may be a bit different from the Michelin originals.
Pricing here in Houston is $38 for the Kumho, $72 for the Vredestein, and
$130 for the Michelin/Coker. Haven't decided which way I'll go yet. Amortized
over the life of the tire (7 years) the difference between cheapest and highest
is about 3 Grande Starbucks coffees annually.
Galen Buisson, #12446, Houston, '55 Speedster, '59 S/R Coupe Modern
Retro Radios I
used www.turnswitch.com for 2
conversions, both Blaupunkt, both were done so well that you cannot tell that
they are anything but stock (except for the iPod jack in the side of the case
and the modern looking wires for connections - all of which disappear upon
installation). I had one done as a 6V and one as a 12V. The owner,
Greg Thompson, is very helpful and will answer any questions that you have
regarding the conversion, speakers, etc.. William
Coghlan Floor
Covering I've had Rust-O-Leum's 2-part product on my shop (floor jacks, dropped tools, brake fluid, etc.) floor for three years and it has held up beautifully. Clean and prep 'till you’re certain of no residue and then rollin' it on is the easy part. Available at your local home improvement store. Jim Van Orsdol Wisconsin Talk Board Con’t ......my
brother in law has a 30,000 square foot mechanical shop that was built on an
existing slab that formerly housed a grocery store. He used the Rustoleum
epoxy and has had no problem. Etched the concrete first.
Roy Windshield
Installation Q.
I am about to install the front and rear glass in my 65' coupe.
The rubber is on, the trim is on, and I put bee’s wax on the sash cord. My
question is: Does anyone put a
sealant on the rubber before it is installed? Thanks,
Fred A.
Fred: I've just installed
mine. I put the sealant on afterwards, working it under the outer
lip. I used urethane. It sticks better to the glass.
Methyl Hydrate works well as a solvent. Get it in a tube for use with
a caulking gun and cut a fine tip. You need to clean off any excess while
wet. It's so much more difficult to clean up afterwards.
Peter Verity A.
No. If you feel you need a sealant, this is applied after the windshield
is inserted and set in place. It is very easy to pry back the lip of the seal
and inject sealant once the glass is placed.
Geoff Invisible
Bra Research – Temporary Use (No!) About
the "invisible bra." I
brought three different materials with me. Two of which I was told, by the
supplier, that they "could" be used as a temporary bra. It
took only seconds to eliminate the clear vinyl that is referred to as the
"lo-tack" removable vinyl. This was because some residue stayed on the
paint and would have to be cleaned. This could be messy, and with the wrong
chemicals, could damage or scratch the paint. Plus, I strongly believe the
amount of residue would increase after a day or two of use. The
second material was a "static cling" material, with absolutely no
adhesive at all. This
material didn't sit well with compound curves and wasn't able to lay
"flat." This would offer extreme difficulty in installation. Also,
this material is designed for glass. The last thing anyone needs is to have this
material become part of the paint because of the heat from the sun. Ya never
know. OK!
The last material I brought with me, is called "transfer paper." This
white paper is adhesive backed and sticks very well. You see it used on TV
programs like "Overhaulin" as a "mask" when they paint
graphics. So, with all this said, I decided to use the transfer paper and tape
the edges. Remember the Gremlins?
Well, you can't get this material wet either. It will tear apart at high speeds.
No big deal, you just will have to redo it. As I did. Transfer
paper is available at any large or small Sign shop. It's also cheap. $7.00 bucks
for a roll. I suggest a seven or eight inch roll. Use only professional
body shop masking tape for the edges. Other tapes leave a residue.
Transfer paper is easily removed and leaves no residue. If wet, it falls
off. No, there's no way I can make a kit with transfer paper.
Sorry. I'll be glad to answer
any questions about this. Charles 356Talk Board for January, 2006 (Thanks
to Dick Bartlett)
This
sounds like Andy Rooney thinking of endangered words. I came across this phrase in a book yesterday "FENDER SKIRTS". A term I haven't heard in a long time and thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice. Like "curb feelers", "steering knobs" and "fins". Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you. Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental. When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake." I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed." (never heard this ) Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the "running board" up to the house? (this was before my time) Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore - "store-bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy. (I guess now the term is "net-bought"?) "Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "world wide" for granted. This floors me. On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure. When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant" was once considered a little too graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply "expecting." Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just "bra" now "Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all. I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered "movie" an affectation. Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word I came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down! Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffee maker." How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this. I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and "Electrolux." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!" Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil anymore. Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most "supper." Now everybody says "dinner." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts. Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a
"certain age" would remember most of these.
(5)
356 Talk Board for February, 2006 Nitrogen in our tires Q. I
recently had new tires installed at Costco and they are using nitrogen rather
than air for filling tires. Nitrogen is the major component in the air we
breathe, is denser than oxygen, is more pressure-stable at changes in
temperature, and is less corrosive. My take on this is "big deal' unless
you live in Glasgow, MT where 50 degree daily changes in temperature are
not uncommon or you live in Needles, CA where there is a 100 deg. difference
between your garage floor and the asphalt on the road. That being said, and
the fact that my 356's Michelin XZX tires were purchased at Costco and I
can have them drained and refilled with nitrogen, is it worth the time
and effort? Or is it like wearing a chronometer watch vs. a
chronograph, you know there is a difference but you generally can't detect
it. Happy holidays! Tom, '56 Coupe A. There is lots on the
internet about this, and some of it is quite entertaining: -one
guy advocates always keeping your tires filled to the maximum pressure indicated
on the tire: http://www.techcentralstation.com/111604D.html -here's
a good discussion board, much like "356Talk", with its share of
apparently knowledgeable and not so knowledgeable responses: http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=120996&page=1 There is a discussion of
nitrogen filling on the last page of this document from Goodyear. It addresses
truck tires, but many of the issues are the same: http://www.goodyear.com/truck/pdf/radialretserv/Retread_S5_V.pdf Some of the benefits defy
common sense: -reduced
oxidation or damage to the inside of the tires (what about the outside?) -nitrogen
doesn't expand with temperature (thereby breaking the laws of physics as we know
them) -nitrogen
won't leak from tires like oxygen (so if you wait, and then keep on filling up
with regular air, which is almost 80% nitrogen, you
should end up with mostly nitrogen in your tires anyways!) The "real" reasons appear to be: -bottled
nitrogen is drier than typical workshop compressor air -it
is convenient for some (like in the aviation industry) -marketing! Floor and Tunnel Rust,
Floor Felt Q. When I
took the felt off the passenger side floor of my 1964 356 SC , there
was some thin rust on the metal. I have scraped this off, now what do I do?
Also, there is some light rust inside the tunnel. How do I get at this? Thanks,
William A. I
could get to and then primed the area with Rust-Oleum Professional Red Primer
7569 spray. I believe it came from Home Depot. Rather than trying to obtain felt
from the various 356 suppliers, I used several layers of 30 Lb. UL roofing felt.
There are apparently several versions of 30 Lb. felt. The UL is much thicker.
Since I needed to laminate layers
to get the thickness I needed, I made some cardboard patterns and
"glued" them together with a quality blackjack roofing cement. It took
over a gallon to make all the pieces I needed. I then put a good layer of the
roofing cement on floor and pressed the layered felt down. Although time
consuming, I am extremely pleased with the results. You will
need to go to a roofing supply house to get the thick UL
roofing felt. I would give you my patterns, but they were ruined when my house
flooded when we were hit by hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, my car did not get
wet. Before evacuating I put it up on some ramps I made to get under the car for
servicing purposes. Hope this helps. Wyatt B. 356C Mushy Seats Q. I am
having the seats on my 1964 356 reupholstered but they are soft and mushy. I
would like to have the seats firm and high. How do I give more body to the
seats? Thanks, William 5
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