Porsche DIY quality maintenance on a budget with a 944

[@bglenn2222]

(This is not pointed at Casey, but at anyone working on a rig at home) Quick recommendation I learned the hard way: it is almost always easier to remove something that is in the way, than to try to work around it. I'm referring to the air box and air inlet piping pictured in this video. It's possible to work around parts that are in the way, but the 10 minutes to remove and reinstall the parts is generally not worth the extra 60 minutes and curse words spent working around them. Just some advice! Cheers mates!

[@Groobl]

"Either I'm an idiot and I'll blow this up or it'll be just fine" - me on every repair

[@markdickey1467]

Loveeeeeethe 944 series please continue making these videos. I am 16 and I just got a beautiful 1988 944 turbo and am really happy to see someone make more videos on the car.

[@daininsurance]

Damn you even got a turbo lucky! How much?

[@subliminal1284]

Ive had my 88 944 NA for a year now, got it at a salvage auction for $800 had some aftermarket suspension parts on it when I got it, Weltmeister 250 lb springs and Koni adjustable shocks. Car handles amazingly. The only thing Ive done to it so far is change the coolant hoses, AC works, will do the timing belt and water pump soon. Ive been daily driving it everyday for about 2 months now with absolutely no issues whatsoever. If you maintain these cars they will treat you well.

[@chriszasada9756]

You made many good points on this . You take your time and fix what needs to be fixed and it's down the road . It still amazes me how many young techs cant handle a job little this on an older vehicle. If it's not computer controlled they have no clue what to do . Hopefully by watching videos such as this , that will change . Good luck on your little pocket racer .

[@Kristian_Saile]

Thanks Casey! Good call on keeping the stock 15’s. In the late ‘90’s I spent a small fortune on an early offset set of Cup II’s with sticky Potenzas on them (17x7.7/17x9) and while they looked really cool and filled out the fenders nicely they immediately ruined the ride, they weighed a ton so made the acceleration feel slower, and made it understeer a ton. The tires extra grip made it less playful on the street too. Since one of my favorite attributes about this car is that you can drive it really hard on the street without risking your life, and there is a sense of reward in doing so, having a bunch of extra grip didn’t really help that, in fact made the sway bars feel inadequate even though my early ‘83 had the Koni sport suspension option. Anyway, going back to stock 15x7’s returned the lightness OG steering, the neutral balance and made the ride feel right again. And honestly to my eye now, look cool. It’s a bummer there aren’t more options for performance tires for running street class in autocross without going down to a much smaller diameter tire, so it’s hard to go head to head with Miatas now but for a good analogue, light feeling GT car experience I still love them. Thanks for putting stuff into perspective. They aren’t fast by today’s standards, but let’s be honest, nothing from ‘83 is, and some of my favorite classics fall into that issue too. Anyway, keep on.... keeping on

[@shelbyavant5081]

Very cool post, and so true. More is not always better.

[@CaseyPutsch]

Well said!

[@ZayElx]

Looked at the comment size and didnt want to read, but I'm glad I did. Very informative, great comment, keep it up :)

[@afoolandhismoneychannel]

My 1983 Suzuki Katana 1100 is still fast by today's standards. ;-)

[@Kristian_Saile]

exc911ence I should clarify.... cars from 83 😆

[@jamesshives5679]

Your story about the mechanic changing the belts wrong, and having alot of belt noise, is the exact reason why I was very much looking forward to watching these videos because the same thing happened to me.

[@tempest411]

KZbinr Eredes has a couple great videos about the timing and balance shaft belts. Changing them is a bit more complicated than what's described here, but not difficult at all.

[@marklittler784]

My friend was sold the wrong auxiliary belt, width wise, for the alternator on his Peugeot 405 consequentially the belt came off also knocking the main timing belt off, you live and learn. 😈

[@clintdavis9511]

Your enthusiasm is contagious!!! Get it Casey! Im saving for an 80s era Porsche or maybe a C4. Im burned out on 3rd gens and Mustangs.

[@rsantos4378]

Thanks a lot for these videos Casey, for I as well have the underdog Porsche 944 in my heart more than any other. I remember back when I was maybe 13 and discovered this model they were like 5k€ and 924, well... You couldn't give them away! Now at 21 a base 944 is maybe 12k€ in a decent shape. Although I can't afford one yet, I won't quit untill I do and at that time I'll revisit these videos for they are really encouraging on working stuff yourself. Keep on being an awesome guy and best of luck with Genius Garage!

[@tempest411]

I will only fill my Porsche's tires with air flown in fresh from Germany via the Luftwaffe.

[@NeatSix]

13:46 good old "blake fruid" , I can relate with how many times I've read brake fluid that way

[@1967250s]

Finally, someone who has some common sense. Trying to out-think German engineers is exercise in futility. Glad to hear you are keeping stock tires, especially. Changed my water pump in friends back yard, not a problem. Great paint job, too.

[@Porvetteracing]

Also check the fuellines from the rail to the regulator and to the body. They are prone to cracking due to age, heat and the bend put into them. Porsche acctualy made a recal to replace those hoses.

[@dB_944]

Also check the rubber lines at the back by the tank.

[@beandrive]

For sure, fires suck, it is worth it, even for peace of mind, change those fuel lines.

[@beandrive]

@@dB_944 So true, check all those rubber bits.

[@erikjohnson3434]

Always loved the 928's and 944's ,very underrated cars, lots of fun driving them and that's what is important

[@SAMMYJR00777]

actually they are not underrated their prices are keep going up. especially 928s4 and 944s but the clean ones and the crappy ones mehh

[@parahertenstein1]

*guards red Thanks Casey! It means a bunch when someone can demonstrate and articulate how simple it is to change some parts out.

[@davidkyle5017]

Thank you for going the clip route for the rally lights.

[@timothymills733]

Just discovered your channel; great content from a real car guy. How you don't have more subscribers than the knuckleheads that know very little about cars, but have a million subscribers, is beyond me. You have, however, had me searching online for another 944. I believe they are the best looking car Porsche made, and like you am happy that the Porsche faithful don't like them.

[@midshipmaniac8406]

On top of saving money working on the car yourself you get the rewarding feeling of fixing it yourself and knowing it was done right

[@ThePatriot1960]

Hey Casey really appreciate your attitude brother! I have a 968 and the car is great! The water pump kind of weeps. I will do this job with your encouragement! Thanks!

[@pkt1213]

One thing I really appreciated was the first place I lived as a PCA member, I never felt anyone looked down on me because I drove a 944. They were a great group of people. The next couple of places I felt a little more like an outsider because I was not driving a 911 or Boxter/Cayman. I could buy one if I felt like it but these watercooled 4cyl are just me.

[@SAMMYJR00777]

boxter mehhhh chick car stick with 944s and 928s4 they rock

[@Creating_Space]

Morning, Casey. Glad there are still a few affordable Porsches out there.

[@SAMMYJR00777]

not really only the crappy ones. if u are not like casey and cant fix things than you have to pay up for good one or else good luck.

[@P1983sche]

Great video. I just picked up a red 83’ 944 last night for $1500. I am pretty excited about it! BTW: timing belt story was awesome!

[@roberthill3207]

I've always loved the Front Engined Porsche's. The 944 has move to the top of my list of near future purchases. Love your channel thumbs up stay awesome everyone.

[@KatarinasGarage]

Exactly! People need to realize that for the most part you can use what you have. My Mustang has some Cragars on it which came with the car so that's a bonus but even if it had plain steelies on it would be fine too.

[@drose977]

wanna sell your Cragars?

[@KatarinasGarage]

Not really unless someone offered me like 1000 dollars for them. Which I doubt anybody would

[@schrockahasi]

Cool video man. I actually really enjoyed that. I’m slowly changing the timing belts on my 944 right now and you just took some of the pressure off with your straightforward no bs approach. Cooool. And now I feel better about the 15” wheels too. Woohoo!

[@schmidt28117]

The late 924/944 is a great platform. I have driven them over 150K miles in the last 6 years. I agree they are easy to work on and parts are available and reasonable ( maybe except wiper motors). Your car looks great, hope it goes well for a long time.

[@norbertoluna7121]

Thanx..you re-ignited my 944 love affair..got a mango 1983..I can't stop smiling ..

[@kevinb158]

Hay Casey if it run's a little ruff at idle and smooth out a little bit above idle replace the air flow meter on the air box it comman for the sweeper to wear out the track on the pcb you can elongate the holes in the PCB and slide it down a bit if need be had to replace one on a 84 BMW 318i m10 4 cylinder that had been setting since 91 but that setup comman for a lot of early 80 cars Bosch made a ton of them anyway love the 944 sweet car man

[@matrixmirage2148]

As a young guy, all I want in life is an old but sporty car like this (well... maybe not a Porsche, but a car that has more readily available parts for cheap, like a Mazda Miata or a Toyota MR2), tear the whole thing apart, clean it up, rebuild the engine (maybe with improved parts), put it back together, and enjoy it on weekends

[@tiredoworking9350]

Cool. Looking forward to more on both cars. They take me back to my youth.

[@quickturn66]

The metal part in between the belt near the water pump pulley indicates updated water pump,I believe the tooth count on the belt is higher with that setup. A guy in Texas that works on them told me if the timing belt is to tight it will whine and if it’s to loose it will strip teeth off the belt. The combination of aluminum head,block and no spring loaded tensioner (like the final version of that engine) means the tension changes a lot from stone cold to fully warmed up. I adjust mine hot till it whines and back it off till doesn’t whine. When it cools back down it seems loose. If you adjust it “just right “cold it will be to tight when hot. That is the reason for the “640$ gauge” people use,they don’t know what I just explained. Most timing belts and chains have some sort of compensation device. I made some thin wrench’s from 1/8 steel slightly bent and at different angles so I could adjust it with everything on the engine except the last plastic cover so I could warm the engine up and adjust as I described.

[@CaseyPutsch]

Great and true points all around. Well said.

[@FluffyFerretFarm]

I'm sorry did you say 10 MM? 😂 The unicorn of sockets..

[@sleepyancient6655]

For me it's the 12mm socket. I think it depends on who you are whether it's the 10 or 12 :P

[@tylerfosse7336]

Uhh, unicorns are rare...? That sounds more like a 5.5 mm or a 16mm.. 10 and 12 mm are the regular brown horse of sockets, super super common on euro and jdm cars..

[@sleepyancient6655]

@@tylerfosse7336 It's not the size that makes it rare, it's being able to find it when you need it. People lose the 10 and 12 mm sockets all the time - more often than the other sizes by far - often forcing them to go out and buy a new one... before also losing that. They really do become the unicors of the toolbox.

[@tylerfosse7336]

@@sleepyancient6655 haha OK I took it in a different way, that makes sense. Buy the 10 pack off Amazon, cheap cheap. I have atleast a dozen of 10 12 15 17 19 in my box and several scattered about, because I'm no good at hunting unicorns.

[@tempest411]

Fasteners are identified by their thread size, not hex size. The fasteners on the covers mentioned here are M6, which happen to use a 10mm socket. It is also not unusual to see M6 bolts with an 8mm head.

[@jonathanl2748]

Oh, you keep making my OCD flare up with you sticking your wrist into the engine bay while that beautiful Rolex is within a half inch of getting scratched. It is a tool watch, but whew…. Love the 944!

[@marsoverland]

Thank you Casey!

[@Levibetz]

Advan makes the new A052 in 15 and 16" sizes now, they'd make that car kick ass and stick hard.

[@EmilyS15213]

I bought a 924s for 650.. it sat for 14 years and needs some tlc for sureee and I can't wait

[@daverolls8565]

Thanks for a great series of videos with many words of common sense! I maintain my 944 N/A myself, its not difficult to do. They're a great driving car, not the fastest, but all I need from a daily driver.

[@Jenuin]

Thanks Casey

[@ODoyleRoolz22]

On that ac compressor the bolts shear when they are not loosened up before loosening the tension bar. On my 944 the front bolt was sheared. When i tried to extract it the ear broke off and i hd to replace the entire unit. If you are lucky the rear bolt is missing or broken.

[@joekingrey1423]

Always loved the 944's....I would love to have one...hmmmm....

[@fryreartechnology7611]

My BMW Z3 M came with 245-45-17 front and 275-40-17 rear I bent front and rear wheel hitting a pot hole... had a hard time finding rubber got another set of rims for $200 from my mechanic with 225-55-16 on all 4 look a little thin in the back but drives good and works fine. $1600 for one wheel for my M wheel. 16” is good for me just got to keep my foot out of it or they are smoked off like a drift car lol

[@tylerfosse7336]

Casey, I get it man. Greatest car ever made. And it could have been better, but it didn't need to. I have an 87 turbo I've had for 8 years, had an 83 first and was too scared to do the belts so I sold it, and now I also have an 86 na. I have since done belts on both my 944s, and you're right, it really isn't as scary as it seems. I miss my 83, I love love love that 83-85 dash. I first seen you on vinwiki, and told my girlfriend "this guy is my new favorite dude on KZbin" because I share the same level of 944 love as you. You hear that 5 cylinder vw swap? Boosted brothers garage, developing a full swap kit, exciting to see a German engine swap instead of another LS. Let's see more 944 content, there currently isnt much for good 944 content on KZbin..

[@dah_pizza_boi5965]

I daily drive my 83',by far my favorite car to drive

[@fredbobberts5753]

@johan and check the seals aren’t leaking on the injectors long as your working with the rail.

[@remy8869]

9:20 Oh God, I could relate so much with the dad situation, you can’t learn to work on a car if you don’t even touch it. There will be mistake and issues, that’s normal

[@stevenreyna3437]

I've been wanting to get one of these cars.

[@StellarGale]

I feel like 968 (love the smoothness of the body like on a 964) with Audi turbo 5 engine and Strosek-style headlight conversion would be hella cool project (might as well rip off the butterfly doors and The Thicc off the Strosek 928)

[@beandrive]

I agree 100% on what you said about this 944, I used to have an '87 944 n/a and loved it just the way it was made. If you want a power monster, then go for a v-8 ls engine swap. I was in Frankfurt, West Germany when Porsche introduced the 944 model to the public in Frankfurt International Auto Show, so my opinion is skewed. I am now Subscribed and the bell has been rung.

[@nickgarcia7415]

Ive thought about getting a 944 but was worried about the cost of parts but no more. Maybe a 944 is in my future

[@HLmotorcars]

I am a huge fan of the 944 cars and especially the Turbo's. I currently have two in my stable and might be adding an S2 to the mix. I would love you to show a detailed video of how to properly adjust both the TPS and the Bosch MAF sensors because they can be somewhat of a PIA on our cars!!!!!!!

[@briantracy1324]

I would recommend General/Continental or of course BFG for the tires... be careful with that cam belt ,, I thought I saw 2 marks on the pulley and 2 alignment marks on the timing case..

[@SGTJDerek]

I like the factory wheels but Old School BBS's look great as they do on most of these old rides.

[@quickturn66]

I have a black 86 with Fuchs paid 2000 7 years ago 108 k on it. Don’t hit the trip odometer reset while rolling or the odometer will stop counting until you take the dash apart and change the gear ( that might be only 85 1/5 and later) .I could tell you a lot about the cars common problems if you want. Just call me in N.Y. I’m sure you’re clever enough to find my 585 number. I love my 944 and drive it every where,you’ll get many thumbs up on the road and plenty of people wanting to tell you how awesome the car is when parking.

[@ThatCaymanGuy]

Eff those Porsche snobs I'm actually a fan of all the other Porsche models that's not a 911! in 2 years i'll be able to buy a 944, the one i want is a 1987 944 S. Very cool video Casey!

[@Azzurra2k]

Hey Casey, I see that big airflow meter, Is this Bosch L Jetronic? Keep up the good work I love your videos

[@Mauritsjacobsen]

Id love to see more videos like this, I bought a junky 944 and had to pay 9000$ to get it running... huuuge mistake but thats life.

[@CaseyPutsch]

Dang man... woof!

[@SAMMYJR00777]

u should always buy the clean one always. pay up always

[@plasmar1]

porsche 944 was almost my first car, but I shrugged it off didn't bother(some regret but hopefully whoever bought it enjoyed it:D).... the story of how it came to be for sale though was very much vinwiki worthy; the guy who was selling it was in trouble with tax evasion; when it was going to go to court by coincidence the investigators died under really bizarre circumstances(one died of illness and another died of a heart attack or similar; it was like something out of a movie) and the case was dropped..... understanding that this guy was not gangster affiliated or anything, between friends he gained a bit of a rep for what happened(buy a lottery ticket at this point), he was selling the 944 to avoid further investigating/etc

[@DarinNederhoff]

The other problem with big wheels is that they add unsprung weight up the wazoo in many cases. That kills fun in so many ways.

[@johnnychen9897]

Don't be discouraged if you can't find a generic part from a local auto parts store, Porsche still offers a strong collection of OEM parts for this car at a reasonable price. I was unable to source a compatible power steering belt, so I went to the local Porsches dealer, it was only about 20 bucks.

[@MrWoodyBalto]

Did I hear the words Eccentric Nut while casey was working on a Porsche?

[@CaseyPutsch]

Oddly appropriate yes? :)

[@Sheit69]

Casey, Great series! I'm looking forward to both 944 and 928 videos. I have an 1987 944S and will need tires soon. What will you put on yours?

[@CaseyPutsch]

Just ordered Cooper Ultra Touring all seasons...

[@Levibetz]

Weird random thing, it looks like someone drilled holes in the intake tube leading to the airbox, what's up with that???

[@sleepyancient6655]

Wait, is that the Lykan I saw on VINWiki? 18:00

[@tylerfosse7336]

Any 944 owners in here tried any ebay universal front lip/side skirts, or maybe some ebay fc rx7 skirts and lip? Something at a fraction of the cost of what is on the market specifically for the 944.

[@gonzilla857]

i’m getting one of these

[@dB_944]

Now the prices are going to go up! :)

[@boomerdc]

Cobra/Porsche cruise 2020

[@timvanbriesen8916]

These have a rubber damper on the clutch that tend to perish at 100k and I haven't heard you say any thing about it being replaced.

[@CaseyPutsch]

Watch earlier video

[@ericheine2414]

There is nothing more satisfying than pouring gasoline over a Porsche and lighting it on fire. The first one you're not so sure about. The second one you're going to bring the beer in an ice chest. Disco Inferno.

[@topherlikescandy]

Casey, what’s your stance on all seasons vs summer tires in that size? are modern all seasons actually good enough to have fun with? or is it just a convenience thing

[@CaseyPutsch]

I just ordered the Cooper Ultra Touring all seasons for mine. Should be perfectly good all around.

[@bradklingensmith]

@@CaseyPutsch I've ways had good luck with Cooper's. My V12 XJ-S loved them on the original wire wheels.

[@KJBlakstad]

The exact same thing with the belt squeling after being changed by a Porsche mechanic happened to my S2 as well this fall, is it really that hard to get it right?

[@CaseyPutsch]

No... but you can't give it to a mechanic that doesn't care.

[@princeroyal195]

based on my hot wheels version of this car it would seem the modular bumper sticking out of the front end is confirmation that it's US spec... though I often wonder what a 5mph rated bumper is good for.

[@daininsurance]

Walls

[@marklittler784]

I found driving Ford Mondeo / Fusion the front ends heavy and with larger wheels it goes through front tyres far too easily compared to the smaller wheels and you get far more space in the boot with a car with normal sized wheels and a space saver spare wheel.

[@recyclespinning9839]

Any benifit to buying a newer 944? Say an 83 vs an 87 or 88??

[@gromit368]

Yeah, I'm inspired. :-)

[@xnadave]

What are you making with the foam in the background on the workbench? Seems airfoil shaped.

[@jonathanl2748]

Is the clutch pedal supposed to travel really far or is it supposed to be a short travel?

[@Screenaway]

Where do you get all of your parts from? (Thinking of getting a 944)

[@x1tekja]

Sigh I just love that 944

[@dylanhale7300]

Tire wise what are you thinking about?

[@CaseyPutsch]

I'm gonna try the Cooper Ultra Tourings. They looked decent. I'll report in the future on them.

[@aspenyukon6845]

I put a cylinder head on one these after the timing belt broke and bent all the valves. Too nice of paint for ralley mods....ruin any value that car holds

[@marsoverland]

Could you actually show us how to do the belts please.

[@CaseyPutsch]

It’s coming.

[@1967250s]

There are other videos showing this. Look up edredas on yt?. Hardest part is lining up balance shaft rollers and NOT over tightening the belts, especially the timing belt.

[@JEGuitars]

Dear casey, love your stuff, i am restoring a 85.5 na and would love to ask some questions i want to get involved with track days and im shooting a lot of video. I studied film and video in college and i want to put this all together. do you have a forum to communicate?

[@dubdaze68]

Contitech is all you need.

[@andrewbrown7976]

I love the hate on the snobs.

[@x2Dubz]

The Lykan is technically going to be your porsche snob car.

[@chrisej5987]

Have you ever had a problem putting modern oil in an old car? My experience says that's hogwash...

[@tylerfosse7336]

Maybe you're lucky, or maybe you don't have enough experience? This is absolutely not a myth. Do your research on why, and it becomes in arguable. If you still don't see it, throw in some dyno oil, run it, let it sit for a year, then swap in some synth. It WILL leak. Swap out every gasket on the engine and put in synth, now you're good to go.

[@stymiesnerdly771]

Raised white letter, because mid 80's?

[@drose977]

Raised white letters were really only a US thing. Gold BBS wheels were in fashion big time.

[@AnonArandom]

How do you find a running 944 for $4000? Did they really sky rocket in value the last two years? Everyone I see is asking $10,000 or more for a 944 that starts.

[@TairnKA]

Except for being a "status" car, I do like 911's and maybe better, 914's (it's not a status car) but one of the things I like about 944's and 928's (on par with not being status cars) is, trolls can't call them fancy VWs (it bugs me, even considered true). Of the two, I like the 928 over the 944 but for a first (new driver) car, of the two a 944 would be better (you could pass down your 928 to them later). ;-)

[@benmackey8777]

Hey Casey. The 944 has been one of my dream cars ever since I was a kid. Do you think that a teenage with not much money to put into the car and have to drive it every day could own one?

[@CaseyPutsch]

Yes, but only if you can afford a decent one to start and have some money set aside for reasonable maintenance and take care of it. No idiot drifting or burnouts.... :)

[@SAMMYJR00777]

@@CaseyPutsch but Casey thanks to those drifters and burn outs most of the 944s are toasted and the clean ones are only going up lol keeping my 944s and 928s4

[@kshitijtulsian5271]

What about the black car in the background

[@CaseyPutsch]

Which one? :p

[@SLVRFOX88]

944 around me are usually basket cases

[@MaGaTOW69]

I'm a 4'9 Chinese woman, could I see over the steering wheel?

[@noahjohnson3689]

I'm 5'3 and I fit good in the 944.

[@drose977]

You are small enough to get under the car without a lift! I am female, 67. and like to do most of the work on on my 1983 944 ( owned since 1985). Anybody can work on these cars and there are tons of technical forums and websites that cater to the 944. Google is your friend. U Go Gurl!

[@patrickenos7206]

I, a young person, want one

[@SimonTekConley]

Rural king has inexpensive batteries Casey

[@testdriver3662]

Man, I really enjoy the channel content, the 'Porsche Snob' pseudo-British accent... not so much

[@dudley7540]

Just annoying....

[@lconbot6227]

"Unless the entire civilized world collapses..." - was this a prediction?!? Lol

[@jeffd4056]

Watched the whole series Rear window is all the value of the car Not a snob But where do you find a 100 k mileage 944 for 3000 No rust Car was loved over it’s life Yes beat the shit out of it But don’t break that rear window The rear window is worth what he paid Personally I agree Drive it and enjoy it But the previous owners loved that car to keep it as nice as it is at this age But the rear window is irreplaceable Most valuable part of the car Break that window Throw it away Or spend double what he paid Not being a dick Just realistic

[@ODoyleRoolz22]

Im getting anxiety watching you work on the car with that gmt on your wrist.

[@matrixmirage2148]

Heh, I know... the only thing that I'd be afraid of is the sapphire crystal getting scratched: other than that, that watch is a tank

[@lyfandeth]

But Casey, ANY 1983 car without CANBus all all the modern nonsense is a piece of cake to work on.