Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All,

I am doing some preventative maintenance on my 944 S2. The drivers side front wing has just the beginnings of corrosion starting on its mounting posts. I'd like to remove it and do a refurb. However, when I look at the three bolts holding the rear side of the wing, one of them is completely obscured behind the ABS pump. Do I have to remove the ABS pump and all of its associated pipes before I remove the wing?

No. Did mine recently. There is a plastic shield below or above the pump that you have to remove. That will give you access to the bolt using a socket and extension bar.

My abs cover was bolted to the inner wing so it was a proper biatch to get to. I found it easier to use a long extension on my 3/8 drive and having thin wrists (which ended up shredded mind you) allowed me to get the wing bolts undone.

What I found under the shield was a shock though- the top of the ABS pump was massively corroded and had gone all flakey - a bit like a Flake chocolate bar... I'm just waiting for the next opportunity to get the wing off again to replace it.

Greg.

Thanks guys - I just got the cover off, and managed to remove the bolts. The wing still won't come off though, as they appear to be glued on by the underseal. I have been using a heat gun on the seams for the last 30 minutes, and it is still stuck tight. This effing Porsche does not like to come apart!

Yes it is gummy! I released the top edge first then just wiggled the wing - carefully otherwise it can bend - away from the bulkhead...

Update: got the wing off - I just had to get a bit more serious with the heat gun. You have to leave it on the seams until they smoke! - then it just slides off.

It is amazing how much corrosion goes on in hidden places like this. The was almost nothing to see from the outside (just a 1cm hole under the front under the plastic cover) but once the wing is off you can see where water had got in under the underseal just behind the ABS pump. Not bad at the moment, but if I had left this another couple of years, the whole car would be heading for the scrapyard. As it is, everything is fixable. Just a little bit of welding at the bottom of the wing, a bit of rustproofing, and it can go back on. The only doubt I have now is regarding the sealants used when refitting - does anyone know what Porsche used when fitting the wings at the factory? Is it available?

My problems were caused by an over application of this 'shutz' stuff - the old wing had been absolutely smothered in the stuff to the extent that it was significantly heavier than the replacement I'd bought. Anyhoo - the old goo was quite rigid but had separated from the wing and was holding moisture in the gap hence the corrosion.

When I get into mine again I'd probably use a less rubbery sealant, something like waxoyl or somesuch ...

The Porsche product is a band sealant a bit like double sided tape only thicker and non permanent. I stuck my wing back on with a bonding sealant - an EvoStik product called Everbuild Puraflex whch is a PU sealant but it might be a bit stronger than the Porsche stuff, hopefully still releasable ...

G

I don't think it is an over-application of Shutz that is the problem. On my car the seam sealer appears to have been applied over a very thin coating of zinc paint - not good practice at all, as the zinc appears to peel off with the sealer whenever the wing is removed. I think that a previous owner has removed the wing at some point, and the underseal had then peeled away a little (most likely without the PO noticing), allowing water in. It then stayed under the sealant doing its thing until I came along, to find lots of rust. I will be removing all the sealant, covering it all in epoxy primer and then seam sealing on top of that - the way Porsche ought to have done it..

I mentioned my corroded ABS pump .... here she is!




Overdue for replacement I think.