All That’s Wrong With My Porsche 928! It’s Not Good! Porsche 928 Revival - Part 2 

Well, at least you know more. A few points: #1 - The timing belt can be inspected, at least somewhat, without major disassembly. Pull the air intake tubes. There are vent holes in the top of the TB covers. They aren't big, about 3/4" (19mm), but you can see the belt and how it tracks on the gears. Also, with the tubes off, you can unbolt the upper left (driver's side) cover and pull it forward some. Not enough to actually remove it, but you can get a pretty good look at the belt. #2 - Steering rack isn't all that big of a deal. Not cheap, but rebuilds are readily available. Unless you (or Matt) has experience in rebuilding them, don't try to do it yourself. It's not a job for the untrained or inexperienced. Too much is too precise and too easy to make a minor mistake and have it leak (which means do it over again). When you pull the rack, you can also replace the hoses, which is needed. The P/S fluid reservoir has a non-replaceable filter in it. New reservoirs aren't super expensive. #3 - Pan gasket likely needs replacement. There are a couple alternatives, the newer 'thin green one' is best. Cork is just cork and the fat silicone one needs to be installed 'just right'. I had to do mine twice because I didn't get it right the first time. With the rack out, you're already halfway there, so doing both at the same time is a good plan. Also, your motor mounts are likely squashed. The bottom of the oil pan should be at the same level as the bottom of the steering rack. Your pan is down a good bit, so the MMs are likely bad. Factory replacements are stupid expensive. Fortunately, people have found there are Volvo mounts that are a direct substitute. Maybe not quite as good as factory, but at 1/5th the price, they are a good alternative. I've had a set in for 9 years and they are holding up fine. #4 - The PorKen tensioner is a good idea. Actual hydraulic tensioning, self adjusting for wear, stretch and that sort of thing. Factory tensioner just eases off tension as the block heats up and expands. Nothing else. Colin Jensen's comment below is right on. Helpful hint: Colin is probably the best 928 tech in the Pacific Northwest. He's been working on 928s for a LONG time and really knows his stuff. #5 - I'm not super up to speed on the auto transmissions, but there's fluid in the torque converter. There's a drain plug on it. That may be leaking. Also, there's a shaft seal on the Toque converter. That may be leaking. #6 - Last but not least, there is pretty good parts support for these cars. One of the better places is 928s R Us down in Texas. Roger Tyson is a hell of a nice fella, who REALLY knows these cars. He has something like 8 of them. He has spreadsheets for each major job and can create a 'care package' consisting of everything needed. If you want something from him, it's best to call. Actually dial the phone and use your voice. His website is ok, but not really complete. He has just about everything, but it's not all on his site. And, again, he knows the cars. So if you say "I need the doohicky that attaches to the whatchamacalli', he'll know what you mean. He'll ALSO let you know that you probably need the thingamajig that goes on the doohickey to do the job right. And as noted above, he's a hell of a nice fella. I generally plan on an extra 15 or 20 minutes when I call because we always end up just chatting about the cars.

Just bought an eighty eight 928 S4 with a genuine and documented 54500 miles. Cambelt last done in 2006 and 5000 miles ago, so straight in to get that done. A few little faults, the rear wiper has a mind of it's own and interior boot release buttons, one clicks but doesn't open and the does nothing, but got £400 knocked off for new switches. A collector dropped mine and another in on a part ex for a 911 turbo.

No shortage of content here Jay! It’s interesting to see you get the right balance of repair, maintenance and prettiness 😊. Great!

The biggest problem with these is they were long unloved, and very expensive to repair, yet cheap to buy, so most have not been maintained.

With a substantial amount of help from Eclectic Motorworks in Holland, Michigan, we've been sorting a low-mileage (32k) '80 928 5-speed manual I acquired 18 months ago. A labor of love, but like other "loves," the effort has not been inexpensive. The worst of it was the need to remove and rebuild the transaxle. It went to Greg Brown in California for what was amazingly high-quality work, The car literally feels like new; tranny is perfect. (Eclectic has another 928 in their care and re-launching right now.) Anyway good luck. The 928 is a true GT tourer and I think--long term--will see a satisfying continued valuation build.

If the radiator is still original, consider changing it. My 87 S4 radiator worked perfectly, but then the transmission cooler in the radiator ruptured, filling the auto trans with radiator water and the engine coolant with trans fluid. Very expensive trans rebuild could have been avoided with a much cheaper radiator replacement.

Timing belt and water pump are a must do if you have no maintenance records. Timing belt is good for about 55,000 miles and then you want to take it back in after about 1,500 miles on the new belt to get it tensioned again as it will loosen up a bit. Replace the clutch slave cylinder while you have the steering rack out. It’s about a $100 part and easy to change. Your power steering reservoir hoses always get brittle and need replacing. The radiator should be replaced with an aluminum one as the stock units are plastic and crack. Replace all your vacuum lines with silicone lines as those won’t get brittle like the stock lines. Check your fuel line hoses (not the steel parts of the lines) because they are prone to failure and will cause an engine fire. There are three of those and you can buy upgraded, after market lines that you’ll never have to worry about. You can drop $5,000 to $8,000 on that car easily if it hasn’t had lots done on it. I’m happy to be a resource for you as I’ve had my 86.5 for a long time and also use to own an 84. The best place for parts is 928 International in Anaheim, CA and you can get those fuel lines from them. Mark Anderson is the owner and I’ve purchased most items from him over the years. He knows those cars inside and out so he’s a fantastic resource:). Feel free to message me any time as I’m happy to help you with anything as I know these cars well! My name is Eric.

Another important item to check - the flex plate. Make sure it is not under too much pressure from the drive shaft and if it is have it adjusted.

Before spending anything check the crankshaft thrust bearing clearance. If out of spec the motor is toast. If good, you are in for the usual deferred maintenance journey. About $10k to $15k in parts plus labour. I bought my ‘88 S4 in similar condition 5 years ago. Took 3 years to do the mechanical restoration (drive in summer, do projects in winter), and then 2 years to do the cosmetics. Put about 5,000 miles a year on it… great Driving cars, but catching up on 30 years of neglect is expensive. There’s no such thing as a cheap 928… they all cost about the same… you just get to choose your payment plan.

This car will leave you destitute, stop now Jay!

Jay, I admire your bravery. For us viewers it results in watching interesting videos👍👍👍

With 928s you have to be careful of overheating, they have problems with cooling system. I had a 928 s4 and it blow the engine because it blow a hose and lost all the coolant very fast. But they are beautiful cars and great to drive. They sound amazing and are very comfortable.

Not a Huge Mistake or a piece of shite 😂A Challenge for Sure ! A great project I think ! Matt seems like he’s your man ! Looking forward to seeing further vids on the progress ! Good Luck Jay 🙏🏻👍❤️

Man I was so nervous watching him go through it! You are definitely braver than I am! I really like the color !! Going to look great when you detail it!

Be happy they didn't mess with the Euro headlights. Depending when the ROW cars were imported (and by whom), they were often replaced with the then-DOT required 7-inch lights with the chrome trim ring. The H4's can go for a steep price, sometimes over $1000 for the set!

Will be fun to see the progress. Enjoy!

I have a 90 s4, and with all those issues I don’t think I would have driven it home. Good luck on the journey!

Well...yesterday I got some teeth pulled which kinda feels like going to the mechanic! Good luck Jay!

Jay, no advice but I sure appreciate your content and humor! Living vicariously through you! Favorite channel currently in youtube!

You are a brave man! I owned an '85 928S for 8 years and it was an awesome car, but I had to learn a lot, from topend refresh to rebuilding the instrument pod, and replacing the front fender after a deer strike. So, lmk if you need some help but you are for a fun, if expensive ride my friend! PS, I am a fellow brit in the US. 4th Porsche now is an '02 Boxster and my favorite one yet!

Hi Jay, there is ofcourse postponed maintenance to do but the bonnet struts (that fail on every tired 928) do function perfectly on yours 😀 Will be impatient waiting for the next episode

So excited you got the 928!

Just discovered your channel and only in for the second episode on the 928, but I love it! Also, your mechanic seems to be a competent and decent guy. Good find 🙂 I'm looking to find me 928, too. I love it since my childhood-cars-are-a,azing-days! Keep on + BIG THANK YOU!

928s are wonderful, marvelously engineered super cars, that unfortunately too often fell in the wrong hands. People who didn't have the means to maintain them as required. I have an 87 S4 ( manual) purchased 32 years ago, and each time I take it for a spin it puts a grin on my (old) face.

a lot of people make judgment on these cars without never owning one. My 88 S4 is in great condition but paid morw for it. You should by one without having to many issues. Maintenance can be done by owner if having a great set of factory manuals. A cheaper alternative is a 944 turbo and 5 speed. good luck

That drone in the interior would drive me nuts bro! it sounds like bad wheel bearings, at least when its happened to me with other cars..

Aside from fluids, you have to change the waterpump, the belt etc. to be on the safe side!

That doesn’t seem bad! No such thing as a cheap Porsche, though 😅 I really like it.

The timing belt tensioner is not tensioned by oil pressure as the mechanic says. It uses bi-metallic washers that flatten when they get hot to reduce tension to compensate for thermal expansion. They are filled with engine oil to help transfer the heat to those washers. You should consider installing a porkensioner in place of the factory unit as its a much better piece of kit. Also when doing the timing belt you also should replace the oil pump seals and inside the dual distributor there is a small belt that needs to be replaced at the same time. Replace all the fuel lines if original. Also this car is a MAF car with a platinum wire. Due to this you need to ditch the K&N air filter and fut a factory Mahle air filter in. The oil from the K&N coats the platinum wire and causes it to fail prematurely. Also check the wires in the front of engine harness to ensure none of the wires are failing. If it is a new harness is available from 928srus.com On the radiator replace with a new CSF unit.

The Kaiser needs some love! Let's GO!!

So looking forward to this one. And the upcoming sarcasm peppered throughout the video 😂

Set big budget - age decay is the biggest 928 issue - hidden gems are in tank fuel filter the crumbles, silly ones odometer cog will crumble, oil sump gasket is big job but good luck it will give you plenty of content 1985 s2 manual owner myself. Oh check the state of the wiring previous owners have a habit of messing that up big time ...... 👍😀

Not too much to lose. Totally fun project.

Actually you can check the timing belt by removing the air intake tube and look inside the hole over the belt

Timing belt on your 16V is not catastrophic if it fails. Clearance on valves is ok. 32V = paperweight.

You should give Matt a hyperlink shout out. :-)

Ciao Jay, I am pretty sure you have noticed it… the car is missing its aerodynamics protection under the engine… that part is pretty useful when it comes to evacuate heat from the engine bay and to address fresh air to the alternator and to the other devices

Enjoying your new content with this car 👏

Following as my next project will be a 928, I’ve waited long enough!

Ooohhh, a twin dizzy! 🔥🇩🇪🔥

To be honest - it looks fairly typical for a used Porsche. My Boxster was somewhat similar. The big difference with the 928 is the serviceability. There is a lot of "you need to remove this to get to that" which may other cars don't have.

Pretty standard for a lot of 928 deferred maintenance. Breaks my heart seeing the scrapes on the hood from the shipper though 😢 are they going to cover it?

At least you've got @fcpeuro to get all your parts from in one hit. Looking at this from the UK it amazes me that there isn't an annual inspection on vehicles in USA that would've picked up a lot of these problems up.

Cool car. Cool video. I enjoy restoring older cars. With cars of these ages, it's bedt to tear down as much of the car as possible and replace. Things like the brakes and suspension should be, at a minimum, changed. I ways replace the fuel pump and fuel filter, too. I actually prefer when my project cars need new tires and brakes. I love starting out with both new. The car drives so much better.

Could you bring them mechanic round to inspect 4 cars and choose the best? That would be handy

Owning a Porsche 928 is definitely not a poor man's Porsche!

Don't give up on the car!

If auto check the flex plate for clamp migration, could leed to to thrust bearing failure

The drip is your power steering hoses. Both of them. The one to the rack is leaking at the rear. The timing belt can be seen by removing either side intake snorkels and looking down in the breather hole. Very simple. The pan gasket might stop leaking if you tighten the bolts. They get really loose. Timing belt is easy to replace but the S2 Euro engine is not necessarily interference. Nor is any 16v 928. Plenty of owners have smoked timing belts without issue. Some were not so lucky though. It comes down to carbon buildup more than anything. Buy a new steering rack from 928sRus.

Nothing too crazy for a 40 year old car. I think you just need to lower expectations and enjoy it. Steering rack looks like the biggest issue. Tie rods are easy and will make a noticeable difference. Good luck!

Jay: "Looks pretty clean to me, some fluids maybe....".... Expert: *smiling respectfully*... Yeeeeeah... *begins loooong list of initial observations as Jay's wallet begins to steam...* Hahahaha. I KNEW we were related somehow... 😛

The timing chain disaster is for the next gen.

This is non interference engine, so if the timing belt broke your engine is not toast.

This is the easiest engine to work on if you know what are you doing. Everything is easy to work on this car and so much fun. But it does cost 💲 to sort it out completely.

Any thing is fixable, it just takes time and money. Nick Murphy should take his own advice, his history is filled with throwing money at Porsches. Your fortune to have a honest tech, who knows Porsches. Good luck!

I’d send it to renegade hybrids for an LS conversion

Buy the all aluminum CSF radiator

Always some work on an old car Jay. Unfortunately. That's why we like them.

Can’t wait to hear how much this cost you.

If the fuel lines are original they need to be replaced.

will cost you a small fortune, and more than the ims stuff on the 996. but I would reckon that this work which needs to be done here is way cheaper than working on an old air cooled 911. go ahead with it. don't you want to learn wrenching by yourself?

while you are in there.

Does Matt have any other experience with Japanese models?

Welp Jay, it looks like you got your work cut out for you.......yikes!

Going where few men go! Open your wallet now then when you sell you get crickets

Just buy a used v8 from usa and done with it..more reliable more power