Q – Last month you gave me some great advice about how to get my 944 out of storage after ten years and now I wonder what else? Gino
A – Clearly having a running engine is number one and now the next process is resurrecting the brakes. In many cases, the brake pedal will be high and the brakes may actually function. Don’t trust them! They will fool you and after a few trips around the block, they may be smoking and barely stop the car.
The plan is to verify that the brake calipers are freely moving and that the pistons retract after extension. Remove the wheels and remove the pads, one caliper at a time. Have an assistant gently depress the brake pedal and watch the pistons move out. If they actually move, have him/her release the pedal to watch them retract ever so slightly. The pistons will often move out, even when they are stiff. If after ten years of the pistons function, you are truly blessed. If not, you will need to consider your options regarding the brake system in general. Consider the pads, inspect the caliper boots, slide mechanisms, try opening a bleeder valve, inspect the hoses, inspect the rotors (pretty rusty aren’t they) and with the pads out of the calipers, how do the rotors spin and how do the bearings feel.
If you want the brake system to work perfectly, all those things need to be serviced and If you drove your 944 for 10 years and it sat for another 10, every rubber part of the system is suspect. For instance, the internal rubber components of the calipers, ever if they work today, cannot work like new after 20 years. And the flex hoses, even if they look fine externally, they tend to swell internally and then they act as check valves. So after resurrecting your car, brakes are the next major system that will need to be addressed. Stay tuned for next month where we get into the clutch system. – MC