What factory Workshop Manuals were published for 356 Porsches?
What do I need for my car?
Some people, perhaps new to the hobby, are unfamiliar with the factory workshop manuals published for 356 Porsches, and what's included in a factory workshop manual. So here's a detailed listing and description of the factory workshop manuals published by Porsche for 356's 1950 to 1965. A detailed description of the contents of these manuals is outlined below. The first workshop manual published by Porsche was for the 356 Pre-A Porsches in 1954.
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1. 356 Pre-A Workshop Manual, 250+ pages, 1954.
Porsche published its first regular workshop manual in 1954 for the Pre-A Porsches. This manual has a maroon cloth cover and totals a little over 250 pages. It is a pin binder in that the pages are held within the cover by two screw-top pins. There are two versions of this manual, one with high quality slick paper, and another with rough lower quality paper. The slick paper version is also presented in a slimmer pin binder. 356 Pre-A Porsches are those produced from 1950 to 1955. I'm not aware that Porsche ever published any supplements to the Pre-A workshop manual. The manual is divided into sections covering engine, fuel system, etc. as further described below. Original 356 Pre-A workshop manuals are scarce and hard to find. The factory has not reproduced this manual as it has the later versions.
2. 356-A Workshop Manual, 500+ pages, 1956.
The next manual published was the 356-A workshop manual in 1956 with a little over 500 pages. The initial version of the 356-A workshop manual had the same red cloth cover as the prior manual. At some later date, the cover was replaced by the red, white & blue tools graphic. The 356-A workshop manual also appears in the slick and rough paper versions. Today, this 356-A manual is still being published by Porsche.
(1) Changes to the engine and clutch.
(2) The introduction of the Zenith 32 NDIX Carburetor.
(4) The Type 716 synchromesh gearbox.
(5) The reinforced USA bumpers.
(6) Certain body changes for the Convertible D.
There was, of course, a German language version of the 356-A workshop manual. By the way, a workshop manual usually covers all the models produced (coupe, cabriolet, speedster, etc), but not the race cars. Regular workshop manuals do not include the Carrera 356's, although the Parts Books do. A separate manual was available for the repair and maintenance of the 4-Cam Carrera engines.
3. 356-B T-5 Workshop Manual, 600+ pages, 1960.
In 1960 Porsche published the next workshop manual for the introduction of the Porsche 356-B T-5 1600 & 1600-S. This compendium ballooned to over 600 pages, and again covered all models (now coupe, cabriolet, and roadster).
4. 356-B T-6 Workshop Manual Supplements, 134 Pages, 1961.
With the introduction of the 356 B T-6 Porsche for Model Year 1962, Porsche started issuing Supplements to the 356-B T-5 workshop manual incorporating the T-6 changes. These supplement pages started appearing in November 1961, and continued for several months thereafter. Sometime later Porsche created a separate "Supplements" binder, shown below, which looks very much like the 356-B T-5 binder. Both have covers with yellow multi-color tool graphics.
The Forward to the 356-B T-6 Supplements binder makes the following statements: 1. "All technical changes and improvements are published as supplements and are to be filed in the supplement binder of the 356-B workshop manual". 2. "All supplements are changes which have been made since the publication of the complete manual". 3. "Only operations which differ from the basic manual as a result of technical changes are described in the supplements", and 4. "Supplement pages are numbered consecutively.......and the letter "S" is added to the page designation".
5. 356-C Workshop Manual Supplements, 50+ pages, 1963.
The 356-C Supplements to the 356-B T-5 workshop manual total close to 50 pages, and they initially were placed in the 356-B T-6 Supplements binder. These supplements deal with "C" changes such as engine changes, rear wheel suspension changes, and disc brake changes.
6. 356-B/C Workshop Manual, 900+ pages, 1963/64.
The combined "B/C workshop manual" was first published by Porsche sometime in late 1963 or early 1964. This manual, now totaling some 900+ pages, contains the complete 356-B T-5 workshop manual previously described, together with supplements for the later 356-B T-6 and the even later C models. The "B/C" supplements, by themselves, total over 250 pages and contain the changes for the 356-B T-6 models starting with model year 1962, and the 356-C changes starting with model year 1964. The B/C manual is in a maroon 4-ring vinyl binder as shown below (left). Separate manuals were not published for the 356-B T-6 and 356-C.
On top is the original B/C Workshop Manual Title Page. Below is the Reprint Title Page.
The manual shown at above (left) is the original B/C factory workshop manual. It may still be published today as a factory OEM reprint (right). The reprint has a lighter maroon 4-ring binder, which is different in that it has "356 B/C Workshop Manual" printed on a paper card inside a clear plastic sleeve, and the inside section dividers are tan rather than black as in the original. These OEM factory reprints are of excellent quality, but don't pay the same price as for an "original" manual. The reprints are commonly sold for a little less than original manuals.
Engine Section - (57 pgs) 1600 S-90 engine, A-12 Haeussermann clutch, B T-6 Heating system changes, 356-C heater controls, 356-C & SC engine changes.
Fuel Section - (38 pgs) Solex 40 PII-4 Carburetor, T-6 Fuel tank changes, carburetor linkage changes, new fuel pump.
Rear Axle & Transmission Section - (35 pgs) Transmission Type 741, ZF Limited Slip, 356-C Rear suspension changes,.
Tires, Brakes, & Wheels Section - (36 pgs) Ate Disc Brakes-Carreras, 356-C Disc Brakes, Adjusting 356-C hand brake.
Body Section - (17 pgs) Electric sunroof, T-6 ventilation, T-6/C body dimension diagrams.
Electrical Section - (3 pgs) Windshield wiper assembly, T-6 wiring diagram, C wiring diagram.
Maintenance Section - (3 pgs) Revised service schedule.
Data & Specifications Section - (6 pgs) Revised data & specs for 356-B T-6 and 356-C.
Accessories Section - (55 pgs) Install windshield wiper, Radio speaker installation, Bn-4 gas heater, Installation of seat belts, Fresh air blower, Inside/outside thermometer, Trailer hitch installation.
The Workshop Manuals were periodically updated by Porsche with new or changed information in two ways. First, for the T-6 and C model changes, Supplement Pages were issued. These Supplement Pages were numbered beginning with the number one, preceeded by the letter designating the section, preceeded by an "S". So a regular section might begin with E1 (page 1, Engine Section). The first page of an Engine Supplement would be SE1. Second, Updated Pages were issued. These were regular Section Pages or Supplement Pages, previously issued, for which some aspect of the page had to be changed for some reason like a specification change. These Updated Pages were noted on the bottom of the odd numbered pages, and this notation would look something like this: Second Edition of this Page, March 1962. Below is a spread sheet showing all of the regular Section Pages and all of the Supplement Pages together with a listing of the known Updated Pages by page number and date.
If you have a Supplement Page or Updated Page not shown above contact this author!
7. The Carrera "Workshop Manuals" (Engine Guides).
These "Carrera Engine Guides" covered only the engine and fuel system for the 356 Carrera Porsches. The balance of the car is covered by the regular workshop manual of the time.
8. The 616/3 Industrial Motor "Workshop Manuals"!
(with supplements for 616/8, 616/13, 616/18 & 616/33).
Workshop Manual for Industrial Motors!
This "Industrial Motor Workshop Manual" was published by Porsche in August 1959 for the 616/3 Industrial Motor. It includes supplements for the 616/8, 616/13, 616/18, and 616/33 Industrial Motors. The book uses the same format as other 356 Porsche workshop manuals, a similar maroon pin binder, and a graphic on the cover designed by the same designer as other 356 workshop manuals. Because there were substantially fewer industrial motors produced compared to regular 356 motors, this manual is extremely had to find.
The "Guts" of the factory Workshop Manuals.
for rebuilding the engine. Removing and installing the clutch and pressure plate.
& Front Axle Removing and installing the front axle, wheel the bearings. Adjusting the suspension.
Replacing shock absorbers. Removing, installing, and maintaining steering assembly.
and installing torsion bars. Adjusting rear wheel suspension.
5. Wheel Alignment Basic wheel alignment.
6. Brakes Wheels & Tires Removing, rebuilding, and installing the master brake cylinder and the wheel cylinders.
Replacing the brake shoes and pads. Rebuilding brakes. Adjusting & bleeding brakes.
instruments, speedometer, tachometer, combo gauge.
9. Maintenance Maintenance schedules, lubrication chart.
10. Data & Specifications A lot of data and specifications are included in this section.
inside/outside thermometer, installation of a rear trailer hitch.
The factory workshop manuals are very comprehensive and include a lot of useful information! Within each section are: photos, line drawings, written descriptions, charts, tables, diagrams, foldouts, performance charts, electrical wiring diagrams, tolerances & wear limits, special tools, and step-by-step how-to's on about everything you can think of. In addition, many sections include a separate "Summary of Tolerances & Wear Limits" as well as a description of "Special Tools" needed for the various procedures described.
What Manuals are Available and Where?
Today, all kinds of workshop manuals are available for 356 Porsches, from original manuals to manuals recorded in microfiche and on CD's, from factory published manuals to after-market manuals, and from originals to copies. One thing is fairly certain: THEY ALL ARE BASED ON THE ORIGINAL FACTORY PUBLISHED MANUALS! Many after-market workshop manuals quote the factory manual word for word, and even use the factory photos and drawings! What you need depends of what you want from a manual. If you're a wrench and don't care about having an original manual, get a "copy" or an after-market manual.......they're usually considerably cheaper. If you're a concours nut, maybe you need a perfect condition original manuals. For you high-tech guys, perhaps a microfiche version or a CD is the best choice. And if you just want something to put in your library, any of the above will do.
In conclusion, the factory workshop manuals are the last word and the most complete word from "the source"! One can argue about specifics, but this is the "Word of Porsche" for 356's! Of course, not every possible repair situation is covered in detail. An excellent source for additional information, particularly about engine maintenance and rebuilding is the series of books published by Harry Pellow, aka "The Maestro". I have a full set of his books, and regularly refer to them in addition to the factory workshop manuals when working on my 356. In addition, "The Maestro" has a terrific sense of humor which is reflected in his writing style, and can be hilariously funny at times.