Thank you for taking the time to put out so many informative videos on 944s! I've got a 85.5 NA, which is the first car I've ever really worked on. Being able to see how it all fits together from your assembly and inspection walkthroughs is a great help.
Van Svenson Vertex Auto is another great source. It was the only place that had my door rod linkage for my 83’ 944. It was also an OEM Porsche part as well.
My general rule of thumb: a great, attractive, daily driver that needs nothing is about a $5,000 car. If you buy a "good deal" for $1,200, it is likely to need $3,800 of work in the first year of ownership... YMMV.
Hi, great video as usual, watched it before and during my engine rebuild, However at around 3 minutes you say that the rods need to be put in a certain way to stop having a spun bearing, surely if both "tangs" are on the same side, one tang will stop it spinning one way and the other tang will stop it spinning the other way, I hope I right, as I didn't see any info in the manual to say which way the go and I don't want to strip down the motor
It actually doesn't matter, because there's one tang going in each direction - just make sure you're consistent and keep all the connecting rod numbers on one side.
problem was most likely the 2 fuel pressure regulators on the injector rails. once in a great while its a bad fuel pump. the only reason its costly is because your paying someone to do the work. i have 246,000 miles on my 87 and its in near mint shape. 2nd owner but it did need a tow only 1 time for exactly your problem right now.
any-1 no a shop that builds 944 spec cars. i have a 83 944. im going to cut it up & make a spec car or put a chevy 350 in it. make a dragster. can any-1 help
I'm looking at buying a 944 Turbo and completely rebuilding the motor. Would you suggest finding good "used parts" or brand new parts (if there is even new parts available)? How much am I looking at for a complete rebuild of the motor? 5K or 6K??? or am I way off here?
That's probably about right. If the block, crank, rods, pistons, etc. are all good, you'll spend $2k on just the rings, bearings, seals, gaskets, water pump and belts.
I own an 86 944 N/A. I'll try to help you out here, first off is it a turbo or a N/A? (naturally aspirated) And does everything shift fine, does the clutch slip (I assume it's a 5 speed), does it have an oil leak? Does it leak power steering fluid? Does it shoot out hot air all the time? These are all very common problems with the 944 (Not very familiar with early 944's but I know they were plagued with similar problems) Sorry if this is all too much just trying to help
If the video poster doesn't reply, I'll just give you my 2 cents, sites that I frequent for parts are pelicanparts (dot) com and 944online (dot) com, it is a good starting point and both of them have tech forums. And also, owning a 944 is not for the faint of heart, that car will piss you off to no end, but it's worth it.
so how much cash did u spend on the stuff on the table? Thanks for a great video, im gonna buy a 944 sooner or later.. any tips or something i should know of? Ive heard they are abit costly to own?
Minor point...the bearing tangs do nothing to prevent the bearings from spinning, that is the job of the installed crush (where the bearing is slightly larger OD than the bore). The tangs are there to axially locate the bearings in the rods/mains. For proof of this, look at the Ford 6.7L Power Stroke engine, which has no tangs on any of its rod/main bearings.
Hey Van, Just wanted to thank you for all these sweet vids on the 944. ive been debating rebuilding my 944 (85/2) and well with the discovery of your channel its only a matter of making space in my garage! thanks for what you do!
those taps are fine, but I always used flat bottom taps (also called pipe taps) so I can get all threads. Regular taps come to a point which prevents you from cleaning the last couple threads.
It is a *LOT* of work to convert a 944 to turbo - you are *far* better off just finding a turbo model. But, to answer your question: the cranks are the same; early 944 connecting rods are forged (like a turbo's), but later ones are cast; NA pistons are different than turbo pistons. Also, for the heads, the turbo cars use ceramic lined exhaust ports and sodium filled exhaust valves.
Van Svenson Can “Find a turbo model” also mean buying a Porsche turbo engine for drop-in to an NA? Other major changes required to suspension etc to accommodate? Thank you for the super-informative video series. I’m considering a well-maintained 86 NA with 275,000+ km, and wondering about possibilities when the engine is really in need of rebuilding.
I've always had a soft spot for the 944. I'm very tall (7'1") and am wondering if you think I could fit in one. I'd love a "cheap thrills" car but my size really limits what I can actually get.
I know several people in the mid-six foot range, and they fit fine. Probably you'll just have to go try one and see! The later cars ('85.5+) have more seat adjustments and can probably accommodate you better.
I have a question...are the naturally aspirated 944 engines the same as the turbo engines in the bottom end? If it's forged internals then it's okay, or so I've heard. I'm looking at a 944 now that needs interior work and I was thinking about forced induction.
hi, need your help please - have a 84 944 non turbo 5spd - my clutch slave cylinder is leaking and removing the starter to access it. Do i need to bleed the braking system or is it just a simple replacement of out with the old and in with the new? thank you. joe
You will have to bleed the clutch system (nipple on the slave) when you change it. It draws its fluid from the brake fluid reservoir, so make sure it doesn't get too low. If it's been more than 2 years since you bled the brakes, I would do that too.
Hello Van. I have rebuilt an engine in the past. I purchased a 944 with 84,000 miles very clean ran well needed a torque tube bearing a few months and miles after I purchased the car. Next I believe I spun the bottom end bearings. The interior had all new leather and a dash cover. It was a very good looking car, but much harder to work on than say a newer import front wheel drive car. I guess because I did not know much about torque tubes and the rebuilding of an engine with balancing shafts I sold it. I paid 2000 for the car. it was a 89 s model. Anyway I could not find anyone in NJ willing to rebuild the engine. What do you think I would pay to have the engine rebuilt and do you think I would be capable of rebuilding the engine myself? I want to purchase another project one because as you said on another post buy a 2000 car you will easily put another 4000 in it. Thank you for your time.
Most engine rebuilds are going to cost more than you initially think... The one from the video was all stock parts, no machine work other than resurfacing the flywheel - and cost $2,000 in parts. That doesn't include labor! There are shops that rebuild motors for 944 racing... I don't know what they'd charge, but I'd guess they start at $6k and go up - of course, these are made to be competitive per the max extent of the rules, so they'll have some extensive machine work and some new parts.
I have the same year and model as you do Aaron Nel , I broke my timing belt and now I have to do the top half of the engine now. has 83k on it and Im not sure if i want to keep the motor or get a swap.
Nelson Hartness A head job isn't that hard to do; an engine swap is a lot more work. And if you're considering a non-porsche engine, there will always be a lot of bugs to work out. I've made a series of videos on changing the timing belt and water pump - those will take you 1/2 way to doing a head...You have to remove the intake, fuel rail and heater core hoses. You undo the exhaust between the cat pipe and the headers - leave the headers connected to the head, then take off the cam box and then the head. Take the head to a good engine machine shop, and for a few hundred bucks it'll be as good as new. Or you can buy a used head for $150 or so. Also, that's about the price of a head gasket kit, which you'll need.
Well dang, looks like im going to be rebuilding this beast from the ground up. Performance parts and everything now since I need it soon. Thanks for the help!
I really wish you had a clutch video, there's only one informative video I can find and it's in GERMAN! Very comprehensive but it's hard to watch and read at the same time. I really like your videos so hey next time you're in there being your camera please!!!!
+Van Svenson ok that would be great, I unfortunately am staring that job down currently. Two questions if I may. What do you know/think of the spec clutch? And, do you think it's possible to pull the gear box with the torque tube still attached far enough back if I pull the front cross brace in the tunnel and disconnect at the bell housing? Seems splitting the tube and gb is unnecessary, there's a guy who pulled the entire rear suspension and gb as a unit but it was an automatic. Thanks so much for the response and keep the great videos coming
btw i own an 86 non turbo in burgundy. ive been saving to do an engine rebuild so i guess the more tips the better. you should do more videos on the complicated stuff. torque tube, maf and intake stuff, and where you get your parts would be awesome
Quick question, m going to be getting a 1984 944 to work on over the summer. And my question is where did you get all of your parts to rebuild the engine?
Hey Van thanks for the amazing videos I do have one question though, do you have to have the block bored to put in new pistons/ did you measure your bores before rebuilding? Thanks again
There are very few places that can bore an alusil block - I usually have blocks that are out of tolerance sleeved with a cast iron cylinder liner. It's more common for 944 blocks to have scratched cylinder walls rather than be out-of-round.
Typically a few runs on a chassis dyno at 25% throttle, then let the engine completely cool down. Then a few at 50% throttle - again, letting it cool down. Then 75% throttle, let it cool down, then 100% throttle and let it cool down. Then go race!
Sr.Van,nice to met you from Barcelona(Spain),is possible can I help me? My friend found a 944 of 1982 and do not start,looks the continuity of more wires,of pin 1 of DME to Coil its ok,after looks Volts in wires of Coil and arrived 12v,but of High Tension wire of Coil don't leaves gleam,neither reach Petrol,the sparks are dry; Looks in Pin 8 of DME and Pin 27 and it gives a value of 1.004 Ohms and in Pin 25 and 26 value 1.106: And tested in Pin 8 and 27 and 25 and 26 of DME(Pineapple),and starting the car,the value is 0.01 or 0.00. (WTF) After,testing the DG(Speed Transmiter) and BG(Reference mark transmiter) in the engine compartment: DG: Pin 8 and 27 result 1.400 Ohms Pin 8 and 23 result 0.00 Ohms BG: Pin 25 and 26 result 1.280 Ohms Pin 25 and 78 result 0.00 ohms What is the problem? A bit light please :) Thanks for your time,best regards Ϧy ௱ØŁŁɪΛ尺Ťɪ®
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I love it when people know what they are talking about.The video was one of the best videos on engine building and design I've watched.
Thank you for taking the time to put out so many informative videos on 944s! I've got a 85.5 NA, which is the first car I've ever really worked on. Being able to see how it all fits together from your assembly and inspection walkthroughs is a great help.
Pistons are huge! I knew the engine was big for an inline-4, but seeing the pistons really makes it apparent.
5 dislikes... Lol, they missed the like button I think. I learned alote
Of course the Porsche guy is all organized
I get most of my parts from either: Rennbay, Paragon Products, Pelican Parts, or Suncoast Porsche.
Van Svenson Vertex Auto is another great source. It was the only place that had my door rod linkage for my 83’ 944. It was also an OEM Porsche part as well.
Another great video; well organized, well paced, helpful. You are an excellent teacher.
very very clear video , ive built hundreds of engines , and this guy tells it like it is.
great information, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
My general rule of thumb: a great, attractive, daily driver that needs nothing is about a $5,000 car. If you buy a "good deal" for $1,200, it is likely to need $3,800 of work in the first year of ownership... YMMV.
Great video, good explanations, very organized. Learned a lot. Thank you, sir.
Wanna give it a like but its at 666.
ocd maybe
I didn't take a video of gapping the rings... but here's a good video that shows how to do it: search for this youtube video --> 5sWg83fo-Zg
amazing video very informative and easy to understand its clear you are very organised and know what your doing keep it up
very intresting....and the assembly ? not so easy as the dismantling :-)
Hi, great video as usual, watched it before and during my engine rebuild, However at around 3 minutes you say that the rods need to be put in a certain way to stop having a spun bearing, surely if both "tangs" are on the same side, one tang will stop it spinning one way and the other tang will stop it spinning the other way, I hope I right, as I didn't see any info in the manual to say which way the go and I don't want to strip down the motor
It actually doesn't matter, because there's one tang going in each direction - just make sure you're consistent and keep all the connecting rod numbers on one side.
the best 944 master
I agree with the last guy this was a great video so informative I learned so much about the 944 engine today
This video is very well done, comprehensive and easy to follow. Thank you so much for publishing your knowledge for us to use.
problem was most likely the 2 fuel pressure regulators on the injector rails. once in a great while its a bad fuel pump. the only reason its costly is because your paying someone to do the work. i have 246,000 miles on my 87 and its in near mint shape. 2nd owner but it did need a tow only 1 time for exactly your problem right now.
any-1 no a shop that builds 944 spec cars. i have a 83 944. im going to cut it up & make a spec car or put a chevy 350 in it. make a dragster. can any-1 help
I'm not really sure... but I think people have built 350-400 HP turbos that are 2.5L To go beyond that, you need a 2.7 or 3.0.
I'm looking at buying a 944 Turbo and completely rebuilding the motor. Would you suggest finding good
"used parts" or brand new parts (if there is even new parts available)? How much am I looking at for a complete rebuild of the motor? 5K or 6K??? or am I way off here?
That's probably about right. If the block, crank, rods, pistons, etc. are all good, you'll spend $2k on just the rings, bearings, seals, gaskets, water pump and belts.
I own an 86 944 N/A. I'll try to help you out here, first off is it a turbo or a N/A? (naturally aspirated) And does everything shift fine, does the clutch slip (I assume it's a 5 speed), does it have an oil leak? Does it leak power steering fluid? Does it shoot out hot air all the time? These are all very common problems with the 944 (Not very familiar with early 944's but I know they were plagued with similar problems) Sorry if this is all too much just trying to help
If the video poster doesn't reply, I'll just give you my 2 cents, sites that I frequent for parts are pelicanparts (dot) com and 944online (dot) com, it is a good starting point and both of them have tech forums. And also, owning a 944 is not for the faint of heart, that car will piss you off to no end, but it's worth it.
so how much cash did u spend on the stuff on the table?
Thanks for a great video, im gonna buy a 944 sooner or later.. any tips or something i should know of? Ive heard they are abit costly to own?
Minor point...the bearing tangs do nothing to prevent the bearings from spinning, that is the job of the installed crush (where the bearing is slightly larger OD than the bore). The tangs are there to axially locate the bearings in the rods/mains. For proof of this, look at the Ford 6.7L Power Stroke engine, which has no tangs on any of its rod/main bearings.
Fantastic, Van! I'll be viewing more of your vid's, I had no idea. You do an amazing job! Best regards.
Thanks Frank!
How expensive "considering" are these things to fix? Are parts expensive? What about aftermarket part availability.
great tutorial. perfect voice for an instructor
Hey Van, Just wanted to thank you for all these sweet vids on the 944. ive been debating rebuilding my 944 (85/2) and well with the discovery of your channel its only a matter of making space in my garage! thanks for what you do!
wow, thats honestly one of the easiest to listen to videos on youtube bro. question, wheres part two?
wow I'm learning so much and it's all giving me a bit more confidence to maybe take on the bigger jobs.thanks Van
Interesting video, but it's a 'oil gallery' not galley.
They put a lot of thought into labeling stuff
very informative and helpful, thanks for posting this
Very fascinating stuff. You're very good at explaining things...
ever try ian from 944 online? great forums and ud be a great help there .
the asmr is strong with this one.
squappa Van is the Bob Ross of the Porsche world.
Its got a very good! Cooling system! What is this motor called?
Good advice! I also use Paragon Products, Suncoast Porsche and Rennbay.
Your smart man. Good explanation
those taps are fine, but I always used flat bottom taps (also called pipe taps) so I can get all threads. Regular taps come to a point which prevents you from cleaning the last couple threads.
very well done. very good video footage.
It is a *LOT* of work to convert a 944 to turbo - you are *far* better off just finding a turbo model. But, to answer your question: the cranks are the same; early 944 connecting rods are forged (like a turbo's), but later ones are cast; NA pistons are different than turbo pistons. Also, for the heads, the turbo cars use ceramic lined exhaust ports and sodium filled exhaust valves.
Van Svenson Can “Find a turbo model” also mean buying a Porsche turbo engine for drop-in to an NA? Other major changes required to suspension etc to accommodate? Thank you for the super-informative video series. I’m considering a well-maintained 86 NA with 275,000+ km, and wondering about possibilities when the engine is really in need of rebuilding.
I have a question is it normal that after my 944 engine get warm oil pressure is about 2 bar at 1000 rpm?
Is it still 4 bar or higher at 3000 or 4000 RPM? If so, it's fine.
I've always had a soft spot for the 944. I'm very tall (7'1") and am wondering if you think I could fit in one. I'd love a "cheap thrills" car but my size really limits what I can actually get.
I know several people in the mid-six foot range, and they fit fine. Probably you'll just have to go try one and see! The later cars ('85.5+) have more seat adjustments and can probably accommodate you better.
You can lower the seats a bit by removing brackets
I have a question...are the naturally aspirated 944 engines the same as the turbo engines in the bottom end? If it's forged internals then it's okay, or so I've heard. I'm looking at a 944 now that needs interior work and I was thinking about forced induction.
After watching this I wish I had a 944 motor to rebuild. Feel like I've done this before.
Thank you very much.
It's the Porsche M44 engine.
hi,
need your help please - have a 84 944 non turbo 5spd - my clutch slave cylinder is leaking and removing the starter to access it. Do i need to bleed the braking system or is it just a simple replacement of out with the old and in with the new? thank you. joe
You will have to bleed the clutch system (nipple on the slave) when you change it. It draws its fluid from the brake fluid reservoir, so make sure it doesn't get too low. If it's been more than 2 years since you bled the brakes, I would do that too.
Van Svenson thank you VS, will once again follow your lead.
Great video! Engine building is a bit of a lost art for sure.
ONLY JUST GOT ONE IAM A NEW OWNER
Hello Van. I have rebuilt an engine in the past. I purchased a 944 with 84,000 miles very clean ran well needed a torque tube bearing a few months and miles after I purchased the car. Next I believe I spun the bottom end bearings. The interior had all new leather and a dash cover. It was a very good looking car, but much harder to work on than say a newer import front wheel drive car. I guess because I did not know much about torque tubes and the rebuilding of an engine with balancing shafts I sold it. I paid 2000 for the car. it was a 89 s model. Anyway I could not find anyone in NJ willing to rebuild the engine. What do you think I would pay to have the engine rebuilt and do you think I would be capable of rebuilding the engine myself? I want to purchase another project one because as you said on another post buy a 2000 car you will easily put another 4000 in it. Thank you for your time.
Most engine rebuilds are going to cost more than you initially think... The one from the video was all stock parts, no machine work other than resurfacing the flywheel - and cost $2,000 in parts. That doesn't include labor! There are shops that rebuild motors for 944 racing... I don't know what they'd charge, but I'd guess they start at $6k and go up - of course, these are made to be competitive per the max extent of the rules, so they'll have some extensive machine work and some new parts.
I have the same year and model as you do Aaron Nel , I broke my timing belt and now I have to do the top half of the engine now. has 83k on it and Im not sure if i want to keep the motor or get a swap.
Nelson Hartness
A head job isn't that hard to do; an engine swap is a lot more work. And if you're considering a non-porsche engine, there will always be a lot of bugs to work out. I've made a series of videos on changing the timing belt and water pump - those will take you 1/2 way to doing a head...You have to remove the intake, fuel rail and heater core hoses. You undo the exhaust between the cat pipe and the headers - leave the headers connected to the head, then take off the cam box and then the head. Take the head to a good engine machine shop, and for a few hundred bucks it'll be as good as new. Or you can buy a used head for $150 or so. Also, that's about the price of a head gasket kit, which you'll need.
Well dang, looks like im going to be rebuilding this beast from the ground up. Performance parts and everything now since I need it soon. Thanks for the help!
This is a very informative video. Well done. I can't wait for more to come. Keep up the good work.
thanks! cool video!
This crank came with all 4 rod journals cross drilled... so I used it.
Van Svenson can you tell me how much all of these parts cost in total?
I really wish you had a clutch video, there's only one informative video I can find and it's in GERMAN! Very comprehensive but it's hard to watch and read at the same time. I really like your videos so hey next time you're in there being your camera please!!!!
Next time I do a clutch, I promise I'll make a video! (But I don't have any lined up on my horizon...)
+Van Svenson ok that would be great, I unfortunately am staring that job down currently. Two questions if I may. What do you know/think of the spec clutch? And, do you think it's possible to pull the gear box with the torque tube still attached far enough back if I pull the front cross brace in the tunnel and disconnect at the bell housing? Seems splitting the tube and gb is unnecessary, there's a guy who pulled the entire rear suspension and gb as a unit but it was an automatic. Thanks so much for the response and keep the great videos coming
you can buy my 944!! it needs a clutch & GOD..
btw i own an 86 non turbo in burgundy. ive been saving to do an engine rebuild so i guess the more tips the better. you should do more videos on the complicated stuff. torque tube, maf and intake stuff, and where you get your parts would be awesome
Quick question, m going to be getting a 1984 944 to work on over the summer. And my question is where did you get all of your parts to rebuild the engine?
extremely educative video =) thanks!!!
Your videos are always very interesting, thank you ;)
This video is a life saver, well detailed and good video and audio quality.
you say "out" like a canadian
Awesome videos! I just acquired an 87 944 turbo, all stock. These videos will help me rebuild and overhaul the engine. Good stuff!
I could seriously listen to you explain 944 stuff all day. And I don't mean that in any sort of creepy way lol
You are the man! thank you for the class. it is Awsome that there are people like you who will take the time to help other 944 owner's.
I noticed that too haha.
Hey Van thanks for the amazing videos I do have one question though, do you have to have the block bored to put in new pistons/ did you measure your bores before rebuilding? Thanks again
There are very few places that can bore an alusil block - I usually have blocks that are out of tolerance sleeved with a cast iron cylinder liner. It's more common for 944 blocks to have scratched cylinder walls rather than be out-of-round.
Man, these guys are lucky (and so are we) to have such a great resource as you to teach about these engines. Thank you.
Great video. Thanks for your windshield decal! You sound like a 50's radio voice, by the way.
Excellent presentation! Thanks
Thank you!!
At some point of the video, your voice reminds me of L from "Death Note"
Brilliant. Makes it all look very simple!
this is kinda high-end design for the 83 i think...
👍👍👍
can you fix a 928 1982,auto? need any asbesto's work done. in payment?lol
Sorry, I only work on my own cars - it's just a hobby.
Great video, what do you do to run the engine in?
Typically a few runs on a chassis dyno at 25% throttle, then let the engine completely cool down. Then a few at 50% throttle - again, letting it cool down. Then 75% throttle, let it cool down, then 100% throttle and let it cool down. Then go race!
sweet video!
Very informative!! hope to see more!!
Nice job explaining everything.
what kind of power can the turbo 2.5L short block handle?
Awsome video thank you
A really helpful video for 944 owner, thank you Van.
Great video, very informative.
Awesome video! Thanks for taking the time to share!
organization is the key
We need more videos like this. Keep it up!
about 2 grand...
Brilliant Video!
Really well explained! Thanks.
your voice is so soothing...
Xander Deggan no homo??😂
Thanks for the video!
I see what was really wrong with the engine in the first place..... its missing half the pistons !
Great vieo
what is the name of the engine
This is the M44 engine. 2.5 liter.
Van Svenson thank you
Sr.Van,nice to met you from Barcelona(Spain),is possible can I help me?
My friend found a 944 of 1982 and do not start,looks the continuity of more wires,of pin 1 of DME to Coil its ok,after looks Volts in wires of Coil and arrived 12v,but of High Tension wire of Coil don't leaves gleam,neither reach Petrol,the sparks are dry;
Looks in Pin 8 of DME and Pin 27 and it gives a value of 1.004 Ohms and in Pin 25 and 26 value 1.106:
And tested in Pin 8 and 27 and 25 and 26 of DME(Pineapple),and starting the car,the value is 0.01 or 0.00. (WTF)
After,testing the DG(Speed Transmiter)
and BG(Reference mark transmiter) in the engine compartment:
DG:
Pin 8 and 27 result 1.400 Ohms
Pin 8 and 23 result 0.00 Ohms
BG:
Pin 25 and 26 result 1.280 Ohms
Pin 25 and 78 result 0.00 ohms
What is the problem?
A bit light please :)
Thanks for your time,best regards
Ϧy ௱ØŁŁɪΛ尺Ťɪ®