Belt Change

[Guest]

Hi, I have recently become the owner of a 1991, 944 S2 and enjoying driving again. (been driving a Ford Ka for 3 weeks previous). Unfortunately the dreaded cambelt change is due. Can anybody recommend a local garage that will do a good job without needing a footballers wage to pay the bill ?

p.s Nearly forgot to mention I live in the Manchester area.

 

[PJS917]

Glad your enjoying your car, there is Chris Sanderson at Low Bank Motors, Edenfield. Classic Car workshop in
Chorley area, Hartech in Bolton, or abit further afield and IMO the best guy is Mike Bainbridge up in Kendal. Having said that I hear good reports of someone in Holmes Chapel, just depends which side of Manchester you are.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Peter. I have got the car booked in with Chris Sanderson on Wednesday. Quoted £170 to change the 2 belts which I thought was very reasonable.

 

[edh]

Depends on your level of expertise - have you done similar jobs before?

I think that the PCGB have the "special tool" they lend to members

Might also be worth doing the waterpump?

 

[ashonen]

no never done a belt before but you have to start somewhere or am i been over confident on this

 

[pauljmcnulty]

no never done a belt before but you have to start somewhere or am i been over confident on this

Considering the potential damage I'd be wary of doing it myself, but anything more than changing a bulb is pretty well beyond my experience.

The Club do have a couple of the tensioning tools for free loan to Members, or could you take it to a specialist after changing it to let them give it a once-over and check that you've tensioned it correctly? If they charge you for an hour's labour then it's not the end of the world.

 

[xenon]

Changing a 944 belt is no more difficult than any other, but you have the balance belt too which other cars don't have. You are supposed to use the tensioning tool but others say the usual quarter-turn method is adequate. However, if you've never done a cambelt before be very careful - the engine will be written off if you get it wrong.

 

[ashonen]

Ive come to a compromise with an ex mechanic i know he was self employed for 20 odd years working on Porsche and other cars and got fed up with the job, so he packed it in and vowed never to lift a spanner again, he now works at the same place as me he has said that if I do the work he will talk me through it and I should be able to do it all by yourself next time it needs doing []

 

[944 man]

Id advise against. This isnt a simple cambelt change.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Id advise against. This isnt a simple cambelt change.

As someone who'd never attempt this anyway, it's always struck me that there's a bit of the old "black arts" about 944 cambelts. Assuming you know how to change the belts on any other car, and the tensioning tool is freely available from Club office, why is it so diferent from the myriad of other engines out there?

 

[rcsalmons]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Id advise against. This isnt a simple cambelt change.

Its more simple than alot of cars - I have done my 944T S2 and S but would never take on the wifes Laguna.

Rich

 

[944 man]

If you elect to replace the rollers/tensioners and the water pump then it is more straightforward.

 

[xenon]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Id advise against. This isnt a simple cambelt change.

Assuming you know how to change the belts on any other car, and the tensioning tool is freely available from Club office, why is it so diferent from the myriad of other engines out there?

It isn't, it's easy.

 

[morris944s2john]

Just to hijack this thread, does anyone have a link to the previous thread where all the part numbers needed for complete belt/rollers/tensioners for the 944 was listed? I will be doing this on my 944 when I do the work for the MOT and all the other jobs that are needed.

BTW, I bought a tool kit from the states with every special tool you need for the 944, the pin spanners, flywheel lock, belt tension gauge and instructions. Look up Arnworx..

 

[ashonen]

well im really confused now is easy its not easy []

 

[morris944s2john]

Nothing is easy! Or easy is relative, if you've done a belt change before and are a competent mechanic then it should be within your abillity!

We will see, if I blow up the engine on my S2 then we will see!

Does anyone have a link to the thread with all the belts and pulleys parts numbers??

 

[A5DSR]

Just done my 8V belts, very straight forward, no different to any other car I've done in the past.
Just ring Berlyn services, he will send you the correct belts, rollers & tensioners. About £170 including power steering & alternator belts.
I currently have one of the clubs tension gauges. Its the Porsche tool and is easy to use following the guides on Clarks Garage.

Darren

 

[ashonen]

who do i contact to borrow the tension gauge oh and no power steering for me[]

 

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: ashonen

who do i contact to borrow the tension gauge oh and no power steering for me[]

Just contact Club office with your membership number. They'll post it out to you, assuming they're not both out already!

 

[pylonracer]

The belt change is no more complicated on a 944 than other 4 cylinder engines that run with a balance belt, I have also changed cam and balence belts on Lancia Integrale engines, those Integrales make working on a 944 look like childs play!

A well known Ducati service shop told me that as well as observing the service mileage, that the cam belts on a Duc should be changed every two years even if the bike has not been used. A Ducati can be very hard on the cam belts, I think this may be due to the belt having to shut the valve without the assistance of the valve spring(desmodronic valves). Again I changed the belts on Ducati 'V' twins with no concerns. My view of the 944 belt is that it might be a little longer than some other belts (from memory) apart from that I don't think it is an exceptional installation or demanding application.

I will use the 1/4 turn system at the next 944 cam belt change, but I will change the belt every two years there after, which will equate to less than 10,000 miles between changes. My 944 has just been put back on the road after a 3 1/2 year layoff, so I think it deserves the new belt very soon.

Having sounded quite cavalier above, it is a complete catastrophe if the belt does snap so do what is right for you!

Baz

PS my current 944 belt has over 30,000 miles on it and is at least 7 years old!