A Porsche with a view
I previously reported that to cure an earthing issue with the Porsche’s heated rear screen circuit, I’d re-fitted one of the original (insulated) gas struts ...and ordered a replacement. Well, I cancelled that order because I had a bit of a brainwave. Looking at the original strut, I realised that it would be easy to remove the small insulating ‘boot’ and transfer it to the new strut.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t actually slide the boot off the old strut because it won’t pass over the welded-on ends. So I carefully cut the boot, peeled it off, and transferred it to the new strut. Then, using a soldering iron, I applied heat to the cut and sealed it. Hey presto! The new strut now earths properly and completes the circuit perfectly. To be honest, the heated rear screen’s an absolute necessity at this time of year.
The rear wiper’s a boon too, as it does a great job of cleaning water and muck from the rear screen. The poor old Porsche has been looking rather filthy though. One of the problems of living in the ‘sticks’ is the mucky state of the roads. I do wash the Porsche regularly... but feel that a set of mudflaps might be a good investment.
Anyhow, another job I’ve finally got around to is fitting a new hatch seal. This was definitely needed and the quality of the new one is excellent. To ensure I had enough seal, I bought five metres. It’s a straightforward job. I gently tapped the seal into place using a light hammer. Once I was sure that it fitted snugly and was seated properly, I cut off the excess and butted the two ends together. To butt the ends, the original seal has a step on the one end. However, the new seal had a plain end, so my solution was to insert a small length of fuel hose. It works a treat.
However, and understandably,
because the new seal hasn’t compressed with age/use like the original has, I had to adjust the latch pins. Even so, the combination of new struts and a new seal is overpowering the hatch pins/catches, with the result that the hatch pops open... and then rockets skywards on its way to making a good impression of an air brake! As further adjustment hasn’t worked, I’ve ordered new latch pins. I have a sneaky suspicion that new plastic latch retaining inserts might also be required.
I am a great believer in regular oil and filter changes. I’m also a great believer in only using quality oil and a quality filter. Which is why I bought a genuine Porsche oil filter, not some spurious aftermarket item. As for the oil? Well, some 924S owners use fully synthetic oil with good results, but I prefer to use the grade/type of oil that was recommended when the car was new. To get the right advice I contacted Morris Lubricants’ Technical Department, which recommended 10W- 40 semi-synthetic oil. I’ve used Morris oils for decades, and have always been impressed with the results. So, the Porsche’s sump is now filled with 5.5 litres of Morris Multivis 10W- 40 (recently rebranded as Multivis CST SS 10W- 40). Since the oil change, the engine is quieter and the oil pressure is noticeably better. As soon as I get the Davrian’s engine started, I’m going to drain the oil and fill the sump with the firm’s Golden Film 15W-50 Classic Competition Oil.
One other thing I’ve done, and this is because the barn has a tendency to get damp with the result that moisture collects on my tools, is put a number of silica gel sachets in the tool chest drawers. The sachets work a treat!
The rear wiper’s a boon too, as it does a great job of cleaning water and muck from the rear screen