Koni front shock replacement

The very first picture shows the front struts. They are painted orange. They are pinch bolted to the front suspension and don't need to be removed. What you get from Koni replaces the inserts that go inside them. Maybe what is confusing is that the new Koni inserts are also painted orange, You remove the gland nut at the top of the strut to pull the innards out (you see them in my pics, but they aren't painted) and suck out the old oil (or just tip the shock over after you have removed the innards). At the back it's just a straight swap of what Koni sends, orange body and all.

Ravi

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Originally Posted by NorthernThrux

The very first picture shows the front struts.

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I was aware what front struts look like.

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Maybe what is confusing is that the new Koni inserts are also painted orange

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Yes, that's what I was trying to say. Also, the design of your new front inserts appears to be very different from your old front inserts.

Yes was just making sure we are on the same page.

The guts are indeed different. The new ones are self-contained sealed units. The old ones were open to the oil bath and relied on a complex set of valving, springs and such to work. Practically speaking they do the same thing though (compression and rebound damping only) and the new inserts are model specific, so they are presumably tuned for each version of the early cars.

Ravi

Thanks for the clarification. That's exactly the answer I was seeking.

Are your new inserts adjustable?

Does anyone know what year the design changed from open oil bath to self-contained sealed units?

There were many Porsche part numbers of Koni front struts throughout the years:

LWB S-caliper

Early (Clamp bolt)
901.341.079/080.10

Late (Taper pin bolt)
911.341.079/080.10 ---M16 thread spindle
911.341.079/080.13 ---M18 thread spindle?
911.341.079/080.16 --- ?
911.341.041/042.10 --- ?
911.341.925/926.01 --- Listed in the 1969 PET catalogue


So confusing.. It would be great if all of those can be identified.

New inserts are adjustable.

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Originally Posted by Phil Planck

New inserts are adjustable.

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Yes, you push the spindle down all the way, where it engages a cog in the base of the sealed insert. Then you turn it. 2 turns is the range, and see my thread for the recommended setting.

As I also noted, my two inserts were different. No one ever answered the question as to which was original and which was a replacement. So yeah, a bit of a mystery.

Ravi

Thanks guys.

Ravi - What is the part number of your front struts? (the very first picture).

I'll have to see if I have photos of the part number. I think its under the top orange sleeve, so not easy to see on the car.

Interestingly, here are a set of April 1973 manufactured Koni inserts for struts. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/373782749605...SABEgJTfPD_BwE I believe they are for Boge struts but regardless, they are essentially identical to the modern replacement inserts. My car is a Feb 1973 car and the date codes on the struts were 1/73 if I recall, so likely original. So I'm curious why I seem to have had these old style inserts.

Ravi

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Originally Posted by NorthernThrux

Interestingly, here are a set of April 1973 manufactured Koni inserts for struts. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/373782749605...SABEgJTfPD_BwE I believe they are for Boge struts

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Yes, 82R-1394 is for SWB Boge struts.

By the way, the ones without a Porsche part number are aftermarket, not OEM.

However, Porsche still supplies new replacement inserts today but with a PCG part number instead. Anyone know what does PCG stand for?

My guess is 'Porsche Classic Group'