Porsche 944: Actually there is a substitute

[sparkydog]

Continued to prep the tank for it's role in the 944. The fill pipe spout will need to be re-aimed so off it came for now.

Here's my new clutch master cylinder - probably the 3rd new thing I have bought for the car.

Had to get the car on the ground and push it out of the shop so I could access my hoard of parts. I dug out my 944 gas pedal, the Camaro evap canister and the Camaro fuel lines. Also the Camaro and the 944's gas pedal linkage mechanisms. (944 on the left, GM on the right.)

I'm going to retain the 944 gas pedal but adapt it to the Camaro/GM throttle cable. The stock 944 pedal mechanism has a Teutonically typical uber-strong spring on it. The GM throttle body has a reasonably strong spring on it. I'm going to try and figure out how to get a hybrid that feels strong-ish, looks like a 944 and pulls about 1.2" to full throttle.

[sparkydog]

The Camaro fuel lines have two sections. The front section is nylon and snakes down the inner fender and firewall, then darts inboard. Then there are quick connects that take it into a straight-ish section of steel tubing which takes it back to the fuel tank area. I think the front section will end up working well on the 944. I will probably route it through the fender skirt just forward of the shock tower, then across the top of the inner fender area and out the bottom near the A pillar.

The Camaro steel lines won't mate well to the bottom of the 944 floor pan without some mods and the 944 steel lines are bent to fit down the passenger side - which won't mate well with the Camaro front section. So I'll either marry the best of both steel sections or go from scratch.

Almost too many balls in the air right now. I need to finish one of the three areas - gas pedal, fuel lines or tank mods.

[sparkydog]

Routing the fuel lines off the Camaro was such a no-brainer that I ended up punching the hole for them in my inner fender and mocking them up. 95% of their formed bends look like they are made for the 944. It's only the short section under the A pillar that I wish was straight instead of having the hat section. Does anyone know if I can heat up the hose and get the bends out?

Pic1 is of the lines going into the hole I punched in the inner fender.
Pic2 as they look across the top of the inner fender past the shock tower.
Pic3 down the A pillar area and their molded 90* bend is at the perfect spot.
Pic4 of the hat section I would like to remove and have them just go straight.

[sparkydog]

Then I began to trim down the 944 gas pedal linkage into it's minimalist essence. I took out most of the bends and much of the length. I'll be grafting the Camaro's fork end so it interfaces with the Camaro throttle cable. Initially I will make it adjustable until I'm happy with the amount of pedal travel and throttle position.

[sparkydog]

Gas tank mods are well under way.

[Palf70Step]

Very nice!

[sparkydog]

I eliminated the extra bends out of the Camaro plastic fuel lines. I used the sections I cut out to practice making the splices. I'm glad I did this because the hot air gun technique I watched on Youtube did not work well for me. It was difficult to judge if the hose was too cold or too hot. Eventually I punted and used my propane torch to heat the splicing nipples and the hoses were much easier for me to manage.

Now the fuel lines route nicely under the 944's A pillar and I think I may be able to use the Camaro steel lines for the next section under the floor. I'll get back on the fuel lines later in the build. For now the forward section of nylon is GTG.

[sparkydog]

Next up was fabricating the gas tank upper mounting brackets and a stiffener/strap attachment brace. It involved a bunch of overhead welding which is... meh. "I like my overhead welds like I like my women - functional but ugly." (Mrs. Sparkydog does not think this is as funny as I do.)

Anyhoo the stiffener and upper brackets are in and I've put out my share of seam sealer fires for the day.

[Zoomin]

Whole lotta cool fab going on here!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Very nice!

Originally Posted by Zoomin

Whole lotta cool fab going on here!

Thanks guys!

OK nothing to report but I need to put this picture up so I can hot link it to a Porsche forum and ask a question... (I'm designing the lower mounting brackets for the gas tank.)

[sparkydog]

The tank mounting brackets and straps are finished with fab. Donor metal for one section of the brackets was from a Takisawa CNC lathe we bought at my work. (The sheet metal was for an accessory we didn't want.) And the fence post rear bumper is just so I have something to push the car around with.

Next is the fuel filler pipe and evap canister mounting.

[Palf70Step]

Very nice!

[TexasLS1]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Very nice!

Indeed, straps and brackets came out awesome!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

Donor metal for one section of the brackets was from a Takisawa CNC lathe we bought at my work.

The 944 now has metal from Germany, USA and Japan in it. All I need now is something from the USSR and I'll have all the major players from WWII!

[sparkydog]

Evap canister install. This is off the Camaro but with a DIY metal bracket to tuck it up into the fender well of the 944.

The last picture shows my gas tank fill pipe stub poking up out of the deck. This pipe came off the Mustang fill pipe but was designed to plug into a special grommet on the Mustang gas tank - not sized for a standard fill hose. So I've got a little challenge ahead of me to rig a new hose onto it.

[sparkydog]

Then I hopped over to the driver side end of my trans cross member and finally welded it into the side of the rocker box. I'll do the pass side after I get the car back on the ground and spin it 180* in the garage.

Started studying how/what I'm going to do with the relo of the battery to behind the pass seat.

[sparkydog]

This weekend I went to the wrecking yard with a long list of items and was able to get almost all of them. The most important being the gas filler pipe off a Ford Focus - one of about 3 models I had researched on the internet prior to going. I needed the tight bends and the necked down pipe size so as to minimize how much space I take up in the 944. In the first pic you can also see another pipe system that I think came off the water pump of a Ford van or truck. I think it's the heater hose manifold. The combination of these two sets of pipes allowed me to fab up my new filler for the 944. The first 3 inches is the cap and pipe from the Camaro so that I have the correct evap/cap for my motor. Then the rest of the main fill pipe came from sections of the Focus. And the vent pipe and small stub pipe came from the Ford truck water pipe thing.

I'm curious to learn how many leaks this thing (and my tank) have. The odds that my welds are solid everywhere are pretty low. In the next few weeks I'll rig up a pressure test and let the soap bubbles do their thing.

[Palf70Step]

[sparkydog]

Pic 1 is my attempt at an artsy, surreal photo of the inner world of tank welding!

Pic 2 & 3 of my pressure testing rig on the gas tank and filler pipe. My friends the little soapy bubbles revealed about a dozen leaks!!! But after several hours of screwing with this stuff I am leak free*.

*which means I think I am leak free but doesn't necessarily mean I AM leak free!

Pic 4 of the amazing pile of hoses, pipes and s*** that I somehow hoarded and thought I would use... what the heck?!!

[sparkydog]

There is a Ford 8.8 rear axle hanging under a Mustang at the local yard and it's calling my name. The diff is a 3.27 ratio limited slip. I believe the ratios on the WC T5 from the Camaro are: 3.53/2.75/2.19/1.41/1.00/0.72

My tires are about 26" diameter. The car will be about 2800-3200 lbs when done.

Do you guys think the 3.27 diff will play nice with the stock L36 (160?? HP) and later on with a stockish L67? (250-300 HP crank)

[sparkydog]

Starting in on the fuel and evap lines.
FWIW the caulking gun + tube flare clamp trick for pressing connectors into plastic fuel hose actually works well! A little Vaseline and some assistance shoving on the side to keep everything aligned were the only things I had to learn.

[sparkydog]

The 8.8 rear end is still hanging there in the wrecking yard, calling out my name. It's in a 94 Mustang which means it has the 28 spline axles and diff instead of the 31 spline. Perhaps this explains why nobody has yanked it out yet. For my car the 28 spline should be fine - I doubt I'll ever put more than about 300hp (to the crank).

Any advice for me gentlemen?

[sparkydog]

My recent haul from the wrecking yard.
Pic 1 fuel & brake line clips from a Lexus or Infinity. They are simple, have the twin brake lines should I ever go ABS, the plastic has not weakened and they will be easy to fab equivalent metal brackets into the 944 pan.

Pic 2 an awesome 13ft battery cable out of a mid 90's Benz C series. ($9.50!!!!)

Pic 3 these hose clamps somehow got out of the yard in the bottom of my tool bucket.

Pic 4 a fuse/relay center out of a 200X Grand Am. I like it for the relatively clean shape and it had an easy mounting bracket to mimic in the 944.

[sparkydog]

My battery tray/tub and the fuse/relay center bracket. The fuse box clamps into the bracket with just 1 bolt - which is cool but not really important as most of us do not remove this box very often.

Also a shot of the fuel/brake line clip tucked into the gutter in the 944's pan. I think it's just barely going to fit.

[sparkydog]

I finished fabbing the backer plates for the fuel/brake line clips I harvested off an Infinity. Then I transferred their bolt location up into the 944 floor pan using one of my favorite tricks for gaining extra hands when I don't have help - the "adjustable length wedge-o-stick". Then welded the threaded bosses into the pan.