My new garage has been finished for a couple of weeks now, I do however have some framed Porsche posters that I am going to decorate the place with, but that can wait, driving the cars is the highest priority
My new garage has been finished for a couple of weeks now, I do however have some framed Porsche posters that I am going to decorate the place with, but that can wait, driving the cars is the highest priority
Nothing fancy, just two snow blowers and a lawn tractor, that port opens to the garden and provides some long needed storage for the mentioned machines, before this garage they filled up my small workshop to such a degree that I needed to crawl over them to get from one side to the other
Nothing fancy, just two snow blowers and a lawn tractor, that port opens to the garden and provides some long needed storage for the mentioned machines, before this garage they filled up my small workshop to such a degree that I needed to crawl over them to get from one side to the other
Today I thought mightily about swapping my winter and summer tires tomorrow. Not that I'm driving much these days. I have a smallish hydraulic floor jack and some pretty big torque wrenches and other devices Archimedes would appreciate. Still, it's a big task that is easier done by a well-equipped shop than by me. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to report I did this thing.
Not that you folks are especially interested but I did manage to swap the wheels this afternoon. The attempt started yesterday when I put a socket and breaker bar on one of the wheel bolts and discovered just how tight it was. My always helpful neighbor came over with a big piece of PVC pipe to give it extra oomph. It was only a 3/8"-drive 6-point 19mm socket and I said I was afraid it might break. Sure enough he broke it. I'm pretty sure I used a 19mm on my 912's wheels back in, um, 1973 but it so happens that 19mm is almost exactly 3/4" and maybe that's what I should have used in the first place. (I didn't have many English-dimension tools back them. The torque spec on the 912 was only 90 ft-lbs, and I guess they call it lbs-ft now.) I wasn't quite ready for a give-it-all try without further thought but I wasn't gonna' tell him no thanks either.
It also happens that I have set of 1/2"-drive English-dimension impact sockets which fit in the bolt holes, rarely used and not needed much now that my Triumphs are gone. So I stuck the 3/4" socket on my breaker bar and slid the steel shaft of an old microphone stand over it for a 4ft extension. The breaker bar bent a little but the bolt turned. Yowza.
Of course, my little mini-hydraulic jack wouldn't fit under the car. So I pulled out the steel bases of those old mic stands, put one under each of the wheels on one side of the car, and drove the car up onto them. Yowza, the jack fit. After much lugging and grunting all four wheels were swapped, wheel caps properly pointing at the valve stems, anti-theft bolts properly installed in the holes most nearly opposite the valve stems. I even torqued them with the wicked expensive settable torque wrench I bought for a single purpose so many years ago I don't recall why. The tough part was lifting those wicked heavy rear wheels to align the bolt holes so I could get the bolts threaded. Did a quick pressure check, and I was off for a test drive. Yeah, that's what it's supposed to feel like, firm, a bit feel-the-road-ish, and every so wonderfully precise.
If you're still with me here, understand that its just li'l ol' me and hand tools, a too small garage, and a not-flat enough asphalt driveway. Nevertheless, a bit of ingenuity and the various tools I've collected for whatever reason over the years came together to do the job. I'd been worrying about how or even if I'd ever get the wheels swapped over until covid-19 goes way. Today was a personal triumph! Now back to your regularly scheduled beer.
Jim, congrats on your accomplishment. I too often tackle chores with less than ideal tools/equipment. Sometimes I fail in the first attempt and relent and go buy something that makes the job easier. However, there is a sense of accomplishment when completed with having less than all the bells and whistles at hand. I have a shop full of stuff I've used once because I needed it once. I'm getting tired of that. Good job and enjoy whatever you do in celebrating your accomplishment.
Jim, congrats on your accomplishment. I too often tackle chores with less than ideal tools/equipment. ... Good job and enjoy whatever you do in celebrating your accomplishment.
Maybe it's your skewed outlook on things, brought on by spending too much time with lateral g's.
Not that you folks are especially interested but I did manage to swap the wheels this afternoon. The attempt started yesterday when I put a socket and breaker bar on one of the wheel bolts and discovered just how tight it was. My always helpful neighbor came over with a big piece of PVC pipe to give it extra oomph. It was only a 3/8"-drive 6-point 19mm socket and I said I was afraid it might break. Sure enough he broke it. I'm pretty sure I used a 19mm on my 912's wheels back in, um, 1973 but it so happens that 19mm is almost exactly 3/4" and maybe that's what I should have used in the first place. (I didn't have many English-dimension tools back them. The torque spec on the 912 was only 90 ft-lbs, and I guess they call it lbs-ft now.) I wasn't quite ready for a give-it-all try without further thought but I wasn't gonna' tell him no thanks either.
It also happens that I have set of 1/2"-drive English-dimension impact sockets which fit in the bolt holes, rarely used and not needed much now that my Triumphs are gone. So I stuck the 3/4" socket on my breaker bar and slid the steel shaft of an old microphone stand over it for a 4ft extension. The breaker bar bent a little but the bolt turned. Yowza.
Of course, my little mini-hydraulic jack wouldn't fit under the car. So I pulled out the steel bases of those old mic stands, put one under each of the wheels on one side of the car, and drove the car up onto them. Yowza, the jack fit. After much lugging and grunting all four wheels were swapped, wheel caps properly pointing at the valve stems, anti-theft bolts properly installed in the holes most nearly opposite the valve stems. I even torqued them with the wicked expensive settable torque wrench I bought for a single purpose so many years ago I don't recall why. The tough part was lifting those wicked heavy rear wheels to align the bolt holes so I could get the bolts threaded. Did a quick pressure check, and I was off for a test drive. Yeah, that's what it's supposed to feel like, firm, a bit feel-the-road-ish, and every so wonderfully precise.
If you're still with me here, understand that its just li'l ol' me and hand tools, a too small garage, and a not-flat enough asphalt driveway. Nevertheless, a bit of ingenuity and the various tools I've collected for whatever reason over the years came together to do the job. I'd been worrying about how or even if I'd ever get the wheels swapped over until covid-19 goes way. Today was a personal triumph! Now back to your regularly scheduled beer.
It’s weird, it’s just a pic from my phone and has the proper positioning when viewed on my phone. But for some reason it got turned sideways each time I uploaded it on here.
It’s weird, it’s just a pic from my phone and has the proper positioning when viewed on my phone. But for some reason it got turned sideways each time I uploaded it on here.
I made a video attempting to document the preventative type fixes from the 981 generation. Many of these will carry over to the 718 since they are similar and most of these are quite general and these cars are reliable on the whole.
If you find it useful please hit the subscribe button and help...
Just a grab shot out the window - I promise I was watching the road (truly!) and I just hoped I would capture the insanity that was the sky the other night.
Got a keeper, and another wonderful 718 memory to file away as I drove up the coast!
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