924Board.org

[formula05]

What does this include? Does anyone have a detailed list or some info on what this includes? I've been reading some of the msgs and read it could cost 3k. I'm sure i could do the service myself i just need to know what tools to buy and what needs to be replaced.
thanks
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1987 Porsche 924

[garthfan]

Check out these posts: http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=12374 and http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=13347.

This should give you pretty much all of the info you need. Anything else, just ask.

Good luck.
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1987 924S - Was a daily driver...now it's GONE! *sniff*
1986 944 N/A Guards Red
1996 VW Jetta Grocery-Getter
1995 Saab 900S Winter-Driving-Feeling-of-Security-Vehicle

[gohim]

The front of engine service should include: timing belt, balance shaft belt, front of engine oil seals, all ball bearing equipped rollers, and pulleys, and the waterpump.

Some people say you can skip the oil seals, but they are at the bottom, and everything needs to come off. If any of them leak, you have to tear everyting off the front of the engine and buy new belts, because otherwise the leaked oil will have landed on the belts and caused them to deteriorate.

Some people say you don't have to replace the waterpump each time, or you only need to replace it every other time, or you can wait till it leaks to replace it, but coolant with deteriorate the belts, and if leaked will cause the belts to fail. The waterpump is a known weak point. Everything has to come off the front of the engine (except the oil seals to replace it. Some people swear by rebuilt waterpumps, and other swear at them, because if they sieze (and I have two siezed ones here in my garage), the belts break, and there goes your valves. I recommend buying only Genuine Porsche Waterpumps, because you get a two year warranty, and if the water fails, and the belts break, and you have a big repair bill, if you can establish the warranty status of the waterpump, Porsche will pay the repair costs.

Some people say that you only need to replace the rollers and pulleys if they make noise. A set of new set of after maket pulleys, costs less than $100. You mechanic will charge you practically nothing to install them while the belts are being replaced, and $$$ of dollars to replace them if they fail between belt changes, even if the belts don't break when the rollers or pulleys fail.

So you see, it's cheaper to replace everything each time, if you are not doing the labor. If you are doing the labor, you have to decide whether you want to do the job over each time a single part fails (if it does) between belt replacement cycles.

To do the belt replacement properly you will need a torque wrench or torque wrenches that will read accurately beteen about 10ftlbs-250ftlbs, a Porsche Belt Tension Gauge P9201, calibrator for the P9201, flywheel lock, balance shaft wrench, and a pulley tension pin tool (VW timing belt tensioner tool). Sole people (who work on other people's cars) say that you can adjust the belt tension by ear. You gotta have the flywheel lock, figure $30-$40. They say you can get away without the balance shaft wrench (why, they only cost about $20 on eBay). You can also get away without the vw timing belt tension tool, but they only cost $15. Personally, I think that most people are fools to try to set the belt tension without the proper tool, but hey, it's not my car...