ASSAULT AND BATTERY
Dan Furr’s 1986 944 Turbo is treated not only to a new battery, but also a neat Bluetooth battery monitor and a stockpile of cooling system components...
The time had come to replace my 944 Turbo’s battery. The unit fitted to the car kept running flat, even after I subjected it to recharging and kept it connected to a CTEK trickle charger during periods of inactivity. I’ve yet to have any trouble with the Bosch batteries fitted to the other cars on my fleet (find me on Insta at @Furrsfleet), which is why I decided to call my go-to battery supplier, Tayna Batteries, with a request for a new Bosch S5. This premium quality battery arrived twenty-four hours later. Out with the old and in with the new, but with one key difference: my turbocharged transaxle’s new Bosch battery would be linked to a nifty add-on device monitoring power, voltage, temperature and even the car’s last-known parking position.
The device in question is the Clarke CBBT1 Bluetooth battery monitor and tester. In addition to providing real-time data, the CBBT1 saves historical data for up to thirty days and automatically tests the starting/cranking and charging systems of the host vehicle during operation (although the tests can be triggered manually). The information is presented in a simple user interface on a free-to-download smartphone app, which can accommodate up to four separate linked CBBT1 battery monitors. An alarm is sent if the device detects abnormal battery activity, which is monitored and saved every two minutes. Unlimited historical data is saved in the app.
A further feature of this unit is its ability to track your driving habits. Specifically, a page in the app will present you with a journey-by-journey account of distance travelled, estimated cost of each trip and your acceleration and braking behaviour. Truth be told, my car’s Metatrak S5 vehicle tracking system already takes care of this functionality, and if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really want to know how much I’m spending each time I get
behind the wheel, but considering the CBBT1 costs just £28.79 from workshop tool and accessories retailer, Machine Mart (machinemart.co.uk), the number of features available is surprisingly rich.
Obviously, on account of the CBBT1 being a Bluetooth device, new data can only be downloaded and read on the app when the user’s smartphone is within contactable distance. Captured information can be exported as an Excel spreadsheet, if required.
Installation is a cinch — simply connect the unit’s spade connectors to the corresponding battery poles (the CBBT1 is protected against reverse polarity and over-current), stick it to the top or side of the battery by way of the supplied 3M tape and you’re done.
Less straightforward will be installation of the CSF high-performance radiator, fan and shroud kit I’ve recently mentioned in these pages. Long story short, my 944 Turbo is running hotter than I’d like. The coolant expansion tank and filler cap are new, and as reported previously, a block test suggests the head gasket isn’t compromised. My suspicion is a duff thermostat, but in for a penny, in for a pound — I figured I’d ditch the old radiator and install CSF’S sleek black replacement part in its place.
CSF worked closely with Joe Anselmo Motorsports in development of the part, which is suitable for all M44 engines, including 2.5-litre 924 powerplants, all turbocharged and normally aspirated 944 engines (including the three-litre inline-four fitted to the S2) and, of course, the 968’s Variocam-equipped beating heart. Joe Anselmo Motorsports is one of the leading Porsche service centres in Southern California and specialises in transaxle models. With Joe’s knowledge and expertise, CSF was able to design its M44 radiator as a true plug-and-play upgrade.
Many 944 owners know the OEM radiator isn’t compatible across different models without modification. This is due the OEM 944 Turbo radiator being close to an inch taller than the standard 944 part. When CSF designed its neat new M44 radiator, the company decided to base the component’s dimensions on those of the normally aspirated 944’s radiator, while increasing the unit’s core capacity to exceed the that of the OEM Turbo part. Thanks to the use of a two-row forty-two-millimetre core with CSF’S exclusive B-tube technology (a bespoke tube in the shape of the letter B, carefully formed and sealed by brazing over the seam, thereby allowing CSF to use a lighter and thinner aluminium for better cooling efficiency), the size
difference is not a limiting factor in cooling performance. And in case you were wondering, to remedy the size differential for installation, the kit is supplied with Cnc-machined billet spacers for use on the 944 Turbo.
CSF has installed removable and adjustable crossover pipe brackets at the top of its satin-finish radiator
— the 944 Turbo’s inline-four features a crossover cooling pipe, unlike the normally aspirated M44 engine. This pipe is designed to distribute coolant from the reservoir to the radiator and from the coolant pump housing to the cylinder head. From the factory, this pipe is zip-tied to the top of the radiator in order to keep it from rattling around. Joe Anselmo rightly thought the addition of brackets would be a great addition to the CSF kit, making the installation an improvement on how the 944 Turbo was originally configured by Porsche.
Each radiator is individually leak and pressure tested before despatch, and comes with a two-year guarantee.
While the OEM cooling fans are functional, they follow a design dating back to the 1980s and leave plenty of room for improvement. Electric fan technology has progressed greatly over the years and newer fans can efficiently move more air with a lower draw on the host Porsche’s electrical system. Available as an optional extra when buying a CSF 944 radiator, the company’s twin fan and laser-cut shroud kit ensures the most efficient function of the fans in drawing air through the radiator. To this end, the low-profile dual nine-inch SPAL fans move 1,180cfm of air. They feature standard SPAL connectors, but are compatible with the OEM radiator and can be rewired for standard connectors during installation. All fitting hardware, including Cnc-machined yellowzinc fasteners, is supplied with each purchase, which can be ordered direct from CSF (csfrace.com) in the USA, or from independent Porsche parts retailer, Design 911 (design911.co.uk) in the UK.
I’m planning to fit the kit as soon as this issue of 911 & Porsche World goes to press. Expect to see a fitting guide in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. Subscribe at https://bit.ly/sub911pw.l