944 S2 timing chain

[pete.mills]

Hi,

I'm a new member, not technically minded, and looking for some advice please!
I bought a 944 S2 in April and had the timing belt, balance belt and pulleys changed back in May. Car is running beautifully. I've now discovered that there is also a timing chain that may need replacing as I have no record of this being done. Any advice on this gratefully received - need, frequency, cost etc. Also are there options as to what can be done - I've heard references to tensioners, tensioner pads & the chain itself. Thanks for your help.

 

[944 man]

Youd best advised to take the car to an indy and let them check the chain/sprockets and the tensioner pad. Only one cam is belt driven with the second cam being chain driven. The drive sprocket is part of the camshaft and located between cylinders 2 & 3. The pad wears and this leads to chain failure, which is usually catastrophic. The replacement isnt part of the service schedule and for years Porsche didnt acknowledge the problem. If the sprockets are worn the bill can be high: otherwise its not an expensive job.


Simon

 

[sulzeruk]

If it is unknown when the chain was done, worth getting it done and also the tensioner pad as well. These start off white, go yellow and finally orange. They also go brittle and then break.

Alasdair

 

[pete.mills]

Thanks Simon & Alasdair - the timing belts were changed at a reputable Porsche independent. Would any of this have been checked when the belts were changed or is all this located somewhere else? Thanks.

 

[sulzeruk]

It is an easy job to pop the ocver off yourselgf with a 10mm spanner or socket to have a look underneath to see how discoloured the tensioner is. The genuine Porsche chains also have 2 spots of paint on them to aid setting the cams up, if the ramps are worn, the chain sticks out quite high.
Alasdair

 

[pete.mills]

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. I'll take a look when the weather warms up a bit - not sure what I'm looking at but hopefully will all become clear when I do!
Pete.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Thanks Simon & Alasdair - the timing belts were changed at a reputable Porsche independent. Would any of this have been checked when the belts were changed or is all this located somewhere else? Thanks.

I'd be very surprised if they didn't check it, or at least metion it to you and ask if you wanted it checked. Wouldn't a simple call to them put your mind at rest? Or, have you had the re-tension done yet, as it could be discussed at the same time.

 

[pete.mills]

I just called them and they said that they would have checked this when they changed the belts (I've already had the re-tension so have lost that opportunity). Only done 3,000 miles since so should be OK. Thanks everyone for putting my mind at rest!

PS. I like this forum.

 

[jmelhuish]

Hi all, Any ideas on the cost for this (Check, supply and replace). I need to add it the shopping list for Feb. Thanks Jason

 

[944 man]

When the earliest S2s were about 6-7 years old and the oldest Ss a year older (although all built in the same calendar year), I noticed the tensioner pad wear was a far greater problem on the smaller capacity car. From then on Ive believed that the wears occur at a disproportionately higher rate at high RPM; and that the smaller capacity cars suffered far more because they were gutless and needed their necks wringing in order to make any real progress.

S2s do suffer from the same problem, but not in anything like as bad a way as the Ss did (the design is similar btw).

 

[zcacogp]

That's an interesting point Simon. Thanks.

It guess it would be logical to expect that an S2 which is driven gently at low revs (motorway speeds, perhaps) would suffer less than one that had been driven hard or tracked then>


Oli.

 

[trev260764]

Hi Pete. This may be interesting to you. My experiences a few months back...

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=485662&mpage=1&key=

Trev

 

[MRGT]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

When the earliest S2s were about 6-7 years old and the oldest Ss a year older (although all built in the same calendar year), I noticed the tensioner pad wear was a far greater problem on the smaller capacity car. From then on Ive believed that the wears occur at a disproportionately higher rate at high RPM; and that the smaller capacity cars suffered far more because they were gutless and needed their necks wringing in order to make any real progress.

S2s do suffer from the same problem, but not in anything like as bad a way as the Ss did (the design is similar btw).

Oi ! stop picking on the S's []

Howard

 

[944 man]

I love the S, but I know that it was rubbish. Even Porsche admitted that it represented poor value and performed poorly. If you can keep one going though, theyre brilliant: you have to cane them mercilessly mind.

[]

 

[Diver944]

Here is a good website with pictures and explanation of the 16v cam chain setup

http://boerger.golden-tech.com/images/cam_chain_tensioner_replacement.htm

There is no set service schedule for this but once my S2 hit the 100k miles barrier I have the chain and tensioner slipper changed every 50k miles (due again next year at 200k miles [] ). It was about £150 when I last had it done 5 years ago