The most labor intensive part of the build is up next. The engine was already rebuilt recently by Porsche but the transmission is still untouched since 1983 and with 160k+ miles on it, it didn't make much sense to leave it as is. Top on my list was to have the guys at
Speedsport Tuning completely rebuild / refresh the 915 transmission.
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| Transmission getting torn down - 2/6/2020 |
Thankfully, for the most part, the transmission is in good shape so that's a very positive sign the car wasn't abused in its youth.
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| Gear set - 2/7/2020 |
The main areas of concern are the clutch release shaft and the dog teeth on the first gear, both of which are common wear items on the 915 transmission.
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| Clutch release shaft - 2-7-2020 |
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| Wear on the teeth |
The diff housing needs be sent out to be machined to have new steel inserts installed for new bearing races that need to be pressed in. This is to prevent excess play in the shafts that can cause gear mesh issues.
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| diff housing |
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| diff housing |
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| diff housing |
It's going to take a few weeks before the machine shop can complete it which is fine as we're still waiting on some other parts to arrive for the rest of the build. These findings however justify my gut instinct to spend the money to get the trans rebuilt as a poor functioning transmission would take away some of the enjoyment of driving the car later. The OEM diff seems to be in good shape too but that's getting replaced with a Wavetrac LSD for extra traction.
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| Stock diff - To be replaced with Wavetrac Unit - 2-7-2020 |
Parallel to this, the work around the engine is moving forward. The SSI heat exchangers are on the car and it looks awesome. They've also cleaned up the engine some more so it's looking really fresh. The tired looking old fan and fan shroud is bothering me so they're going to bead blast and powder coat it. It really is the first thing you see when you pop the trunk open and it seems silly to spend all this effort only to be let down by a sad looking fan.
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| SSI heat exchangers installed - 2-5-2020 |
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| Engine looking really fresh - 2-5-2020 |
I also finally found time to go see a locksmith to have them cut the new key blank so I can use the newer style key head with built in flashlight. It looks right but I won't know if it all works until I go visit the car next week.
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| New key cut and installed on new keyhead - 2-6-2020 |
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| Built in light to help find the keyhole in the dark - 2-6-2020 |
Other items recommended for replacement are the axles and flywheel so new one are going in. Really great seeing the progress so far. The customized/refreshed tachometer is on its way here from
North Hollywood Speedometer after almost 6 weeks so I'm excited to see how it's going to look.
