Garage, Galley & Hangar
GG&H
Technical Owner's Manual
Porsche 944FIG. 1
PORSCHE
Porsche 944
The Transaxle Era, 1982-1991: A Complete Owner's Reference
REV 1.0 · 180 PP
GERMAN PERFORMANCE
GARAGE, GALLEY & HANGAR
9 chapters · 32-term glossary · 116-entry index
German Performance · Porsche

Porsche 944

Porsche's front-engined, rear-transaxle four-cylinder, the best-balanced car the company sold in the 1980s and the one whose service history matters more than its mileage. An honest owner's reference to the 2.5, 2.7 and 3.0 litre engines and the 951 Turbo, covering the balance shaft belt that shops forget on an interference engine, the torque tube bearings sellers dismiss as gearbox whine, the oil cooler O-rings routinely misdiagnosed as a head gasket, the DIN and SAE confusion behind this car's published power figures, and the parts and workshop resources that keep it maintainable.

Hardcover $149 · digital book $29
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The digital edition is ready to read the moment you buy. The hardcover is printed to order and ships in about two weeks.

A sample of what's inside

Specifications

Engine2.5L, 2.7L or 3.0L inline-four, eight or sixteen valve; 2.5L turbocharged (951)
Power143 to 165 hp base and 2.7; 188 hp 944S, 211 hp S2; 217 to 250 hp Turbo
DrivetrainRear transaxle via torque tube, five-speed manual or automatic, rear-wheel drive
Kerb weight1,180 to 1,465 kg (2,601 to 3,230 lb) depending on variant and source basis
Used marketAuction averages around $23,000 overall, $28,000 Turbo, $26,000 S2 coupe, with a $202,500 high for a 1988 Turbo

Known issues, covered honestly

  • The half-done belt service: this engine has a timing belt AND a balance shaft belt, it is an interference design, and the second belt is the one that gets skipped
  • Torque tube bearings, which announce themselves as a squeal or grating at idle in neutral and are routinely explained away as gearbox noise
  • Oil cooler O-rings, the leak misdiagnosed as a head gasket, which buys an engine-out repair the car never needed
  • Why the same engine honestly reads as two different power figures, and how DIN, PS and SAE ratings got mixed together in this car's published specifications

…and the full survey guide, service schedules, systems, and parts sourcing in the complete volume.

Custom Edition

Make it your boat.

We fold in your year, your engine, your electronics and refits, your hull number, and your vessel name and your own boat's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the boat that left the factory and starts describing the one in your slip.

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personalized to your vessel