List of useful links for 944 and 944 turbo owners
Clark’s Garage :- An incredible resource and first stop for all 944 owners. It’s the bible for all things 944. NB:- It hasn’t been updated in over 20 years as the creator unfortunately passed away, leaving this incredible legacy for us all. So keep in mind that recent knowledge may surpass what was known then, like resetting trip meter when moving being cause of odometer failure, when it is now known that the one gear turns to mush and movement is irrelevant. Its a time bomb. Also of conjecture is new struts causing hatch separation(close with 2 hands evenly) as twisting forces on frame are probably a bigger factor. Equally upgrade advice on turbos is very outdated, etc. Also it is LHD USA centric, so some procedures maybe different for RHD and ROW(rest of world)cars.
Rennlist:- Rennlist is a forum that has been around for many years and another great resource and an alternative to facebook groups. Any question you may have, have probably already been asked, countless time on Rennlist and it will always show up if you type your question into google because of this. Well worth joining IMO
Ftech9:- Joe at Ftech9 (Focus 9 technology) was one of the people behind the original Rogue tuning upgrades and chips(with Joshua), and is the developer of the solid state DME relay(a must have upgrade for reliability). He has now developed solid state DME(ECU)with OBD, for the platform and with the age of original units, failures are becoming very common. In my opinion its not worth fixing a faulty DME as it’s another time bomb so replacing with these or another option is a far smarter course of action
VEMS:- Versatile Engine Management System. This a fully tunable plug n play system which replaces the factory DME and allows car to use a more modern ECU with all the benefits that provides. I personally use this system and am a big fan. I really like it has autotune. A feature that allows me to to tune the car, after making changes or modifications by driving it and it self tuning. Most alternatives require car to visit a dyno tuner after changes, so this a huge advantage for this car. It also uses VE type tuning, so allows removal of the aging and problematic Air Flow Meter, that is no longer available from Porsche. Note system will be even better(like any ECU) with proper dyno tuning.
MAXXECU:- A recent option being primarily developed by the guys on the Facebook Premier 944 Turbo and 968 Turbo group(The best people with knowledge of all things 944 turbo IMO). The plan is too use this either with a custom harness or with a harness being developed with Kroon(see below). This option using either the MaxxECU Pro or MaxxECU Race, is currently being developed and should be the best option for the hardcore turbo owner wanting the absolute best tuning option with the support of the most knowledgeable community behind it. Once the Kroon harness is done, you will have a base tune and replacement harness to take the 944 turbo to the next level. Join the facebook group and stay tuned
MegaSquirt:- This is another stand alone ECU that has a big following on Rennlist. This has pro’s and con’s. Pros are its fairly cheap and has a huge following, so a large community behind it to tap into. Cons are you probably need to know a lot about tuning and stand alone’s, as you will not only need to do a custom install and wiring, but also need to be pretty hard core into tuning.
Augment Automotive:- This UK based company has a plug n play upgrade(Augtronic) to the DME that allows 3D tuning, bypass of the problematic AFM, using a MAF or Map set up, and a host of other features. Check it out on their website
Click here for Autronic DME upgrade
Clewette Engineering:- I honestly don’t know much about this system but a friend online suggested I include it as he is using it with great success. It uses the Electromotive TEC-gt200 ECU and apparently it comes with a base tune, coil pack, wide-band O2 sensor, etc, and wiring for a custom harness. It also features autotune, and has good support from Clewette.
Racing Dynamics:- These guys make a very high quality front strut brace. All the racing 924/944 versions had a strut brace in them, as the strut towers can flex when car is pushed hard and a brace reduces this dramatically. The racing dynamics strut brace is incredibly well made and fit and finish is amazing. I say this with a caveat as mine arrived with a wonky sticker, probably put on by a drunk work experience kid. I had to remove it as it triggered my OCD. Despite this I highly recommend this brace
Click here for Racing Dynamics
DRS Developments:- Jan at DRS only has a few products listed on website but also makes some very cool Carbon Fibre parts for our cars including a replica factory(RS) racing bridge spoiler, and a lower rear diffuser. Both are stunning
Click here for DRS Developments
Adjustable Voltage regulator:- I only found this recently and am about to fit it. The ordering set up on page can be a little confusing but you need to order the external adjustable voltage regulator. This allows you to set an exact voltage. I will be setting mine at 13.8 volts
Click here for adjustable Voltage regulator
Kroon Wiring Harnesses:- These guys have been making complete replacement engine harnesses for years and recently added the 944. The quality is amazing and if you need them to add wiring for other sensors they can add them in. Arguably better than the cars left the factory with.
Upgraded head light harness:- Many complain of very bad performance from headlights and that is often caused by the original wiring harness to lights. If you measure voltage it may be as low as 8-9 volts due to corrosion and old wires. Thankfully you can buy an upgraded harness that takes it power directly from alternator and uses new relays. It plugs into existing harness(plug n play) to get control signals for high and low beam but will provide head lights with proper voltage and noticeable improvement in performance. Search on ebay for “Porsche 944 uprated Headlight wiring loom harness”
No link due to ebay relisting item every few weeks
Fabspeed Exhaust:- (TURBO ONLY):- Fabspeed make what is arguably the best exhaust system for the 944 turbo. The quality and finish is outstanding, and it sounds amazing. I have been using the cat back section for 10 years and it still looks brand new with only light polishing every 2 to 6 months using autosol polish. I have just ordered the front section with catalytic converter to have a full 3 inch system
Hatch Pin Receiver Repair Kit:- The rear hatch on these cars is prone to rattle and shake, which is not only annoying, it could impact with de-lamination of glass. I tried other cures before with no luck. These ones from 944 online did the trick. Fitting these made all the difference and totally eliminated the rattle I had. The car is soooo much quieter once this is gone. I put it up with it for much longer than I should but fitting these was the cure. I needed to make a slight adjustment to the pins but was a simple install. I also cleaned and lubricated the release mechanism while I was in there
Short Shift and shifter Kit:- Only 944 sell a great short shift kit and a replacement shifter that tightens up and gets rid of excessive play in shift lever. My car didn’t suffer from much play but the shifter still improved it. Note you’ll also want to add the new dampers made by 3D printed porsche parts sold on ebay. These parts are also a must have IMO and well worth doing. You’ll need shifter, short shifter, and linkage.
Turbosmart:- Turbosmart make several products that are great for the 944 turbo. One of the most popular is the 25mm Kompact Plumb back re-circulation valve. The re-circulation valve diverts the air away from turbo when the accelerator is backed off, like when changing gears and protects the turbo. The factory has a plastic unit that can leak when on boost. A well know vendor sells a shiny Chinese unit, that is available on eBay and various places much cheaper but shouldn’t be used at all as unlike the Turbosmart unit, it doesn’t have good seals, so although shiny, it has same issue as an old factory unit. Be careful though as the Turbosmart unit fits the opposite way to factory unit. See pic
Fitting this unit ensures no bleed off of boost
Wastegates:- There are only 4 options I would consider(although many more options on market). The issue with the factory wastegate is it its valve is forced into the exhaust stream, it’s slow to respond, and its limited in control options. A popular vendor modifies these to be dual port, which is good, as dual port gives better control, but bad as it still forcing valve into exhaust stream and still slow to respond. I would not use this type. It’s slow to respond and old technology, and hurts spool up speed. The 4 options I’d consider, can be separated into 2 types. Bolt on with common adapter plates, and ones that need some fabrication to fit. The 2 bolt on options are the Tial F38 which I am currently using, and the Turbosmart Ultragate38 which would be my choice now, as it is the very latest technology and IMO is the leading wastegate you can use(bolt on). The other 2 options require some fabrication to fit but will respond better again. They are the Tial F46 which is a great option if you can get fabrication done and the Turbosmart Hypergate 45. Tials are not sold directly from Tial, so no links provided but google will get you there.
Manual Boost controllers:- The simplest and arguably most reliable adjustable boost controller is a manual boost controller. You can have them either in engine bay as a set and forget, or cabin mounted for adjustment on the fly. You can even get dual stage so you can swap between a lower and higher boost settings. The downside to them is they can’t react to throttle position, atmospheric conditions or RPM so are fairly crude by comparison to electronic, but are much simpler to set up and cheaper to buy
Electronic Boost Controllers:- These are more versatile but also more complex to install and set up. The advantage they have over manual depends on the model but they can adjust how the turbo spools up, automatically adjust for atmospheric conditions, take into account gear car is in, and throttle position, rpm, and have multiple settings, etc. The downside is expense of not just units themselves, but also the set up, as they usually need dyno time to be set up correctly. Once set up they are vastly superior to any other type. I prefer Turbosmart as an Aussie company that is making the best products you can buy and constantly innovating and is now world famous for their products
Turbochargers Until recently, we have only had the same old vendors, selling the same old Turbos developed in the 90s. While a great option back then, things have moved on and improved a lot since then. The only option was to go it alone and get a trusted builder to make you up something custom, or doing lots of fabrication to get a modern turbo to fit. Now thanks to the hard work of a particular 944 turbo enthusiast we have the most advanced option ever. He basically has 3 variants that are then customised to your goals. That guy is Emanual Glasson, many of us know well from Premier turbo group on facebook. He has been developing his turbos for the last few years, and I am about to fit one to my car. The Turbos are the “Voodoo”, the “Ultraspool”, and a “Xona Rotor Billet”. He is also making flow matched down pipes, mounts, headers and exhausts. This has all been done through his own initiative wanting a decent option for our platform. You will not get a better option than this. His website is linked below but reach out on facebook, as he is still getting everything sorted. I am about to fit an Ultraspool and it is a work of art
Click here for M44performance Turbo’s
Radiator Drain Kit:- So many tasks in the engine bay require the coolant to be drained and for me, I did it once, got coolant everywhere and then ordered this Lindsey Racing kit and never looked back. It’s an issue on all 944’s but especially bad on turbo and S2. It’s a very simple product and you could probably source the parts to do it pretty easy but if like me then this is easiest solution. My mechanic loves it too
M44 Performance:- M44 Performance first few products are now being sold through 944 online. I just bought the Billet Head Stud Super washers. These are designed to spread the load when clamping the head back down. In future they will be selling turbo’s, exhaust headers, full exhaust systems and more
KewlHunter.com 