[targa911man]

Thanks to Jim Richards for all the help with my turbo tie rods on Sat. Jim and I had great difficulty getting the old rod off on the left side, but managed to get it off with three improvised tools. Then on the right side the old rod refused to move for an hour, until I hit the brass fitting (the wheel-shaped one the rack boot attaches to) on the rack end of the rod with a drift, loosening it and enabling the rod to be screwed off by hand. Did any of you know that the brass fitting is a locknut? Four sets of instructions (the ones that came with the kit, 101 Projects, Bentleys, Haynes) and a search of Pelican did not reveal this fact, which cost us five extra hours on the job. Although Wayne's book describes this as a four-hour job, we could have done it in two if we had known about the locknut. So that's the first tip. If any of you knew already, curses on you. Either Jim or I will post a picture of the fitting on Pelican.
The second tip deals with another little aggravation that makes what should be an easy job into a PITA. As Andy Rooney would say, don't you just hate when that hose on the hand pump keeps curling out of the SWEPCO when you're trying to pump it into the tranny? Cut the bottom off a metal coat hanger, dip one end in the SWEPCO, and then run it up the hose. Problem solved.

[Jim Richards]

Here's the Pelican thread with the pic of Dan's old tie rod. Look about 3/4ths of the way down the page.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...threadid=64796

Dan, how does your alignment (front toe) look / feel?

[targa911man]

Jim thanks again for the help. Nice job with the Pelican post. I haven't done the toe-in yet. I did SWEPCO and a couple of other minor things on Sunday. We wouind up not doing the winery thing because our friend got sick. I plan on doing camber and toe-in tomorrow night if I have time after work, and boy am I glad I waited. The response to your comment on the adjustment on Pelican really makes the toe-in job seem easier. I felt like as big an f'g idiot when I read that as I did when that locknut spun loose. Instead of posting, I may just PM everybody from now on to avoid the public humiliation that seems inherent to every account of attempted repair.

[Jim Richards]

Naaahh, ya just need a real thick skin. I don't mind asking some dumb questions and making a few mistakes. It all helps me in my evolution from meek weekday middle manager into "Weekend Shadetree Porsche Mechanic Man"! Hmmm, I wonder if there's an opening in the X-Men?

[targa911man]

You have seen the strength of "Turbo Tie-Rod Man."

[Jim Richards]

Lawyer by day, "Turbo Tie Rod Man" at night, saving 911's from the horror of mushy steering. Dan, you're a true Porsche super hero.