[Harvey]

The two new cam chain plastic tensioner pads I ordered came yesterday. I was told by Sunset that the upper and lower may have different numbers but that they'd been selling sets of two of the uppers and had no complaints (part no. 944-105-509-00). Apparently, the lower pad is only available if you buy the whole tensioner setup...a LOT of money. Therefore, I ordered two upper pads as has been suggested by others also and apparently works fine.



HOWEVER, somewhere on one of the 968 lists, I'd read that the upper 928 pad was the same as the lower 968 tensioner pad...so I ordered one of these also (928-105-509-01) out of curiosity. My intent was to use a micrometer and see how close it was to the upper pad (and the lower pad if I choose to pull mine anytime soon). I didn't even bother to drag out the caliper to measure since the 928 and the 968 pads are so different. There's no way on this earth that the 928 pad would fit on the 968. All measurements are different...and it's shorter, etc. etc. It plain would not fit. I'll have to look up the original post and make sure I got the numbers right.



Harvey

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[NeedPorscheSpeed]

Harvey,



Thanks for reporting your findings. In a different thread, I relayed a 928 part number that I had been given from a Porsche dealership parts guy. He said that some 968 owners had been using it on the bottom in lieu of another upper pad. It may have been my post, indeed, that you are referring to. I'm glad that I didn't order that lower pad now. I ordered two upper pads that are due to arrive on Friday.



I am still curious to find out what the original part number is for lower pad that came on our cars from the factory. Some have stated they think that the lower pad was the same as the upper, even from the factory. However, every dealership will tell you that the lower pad can not be obtained without ordering a complete tensioning unit. I have a friend who has a 5000 mile engine, and, one day, when he inspects those pads, maybe the mystery will be solved as to what the original part number truly is. Even if I were to find that number, it is doubtful that it would be in the parts catalog. Just as several other parts that I searched for in PET, just out of curiosity. The camshaft saddles and the bridge piece, for example, are non-replaceable.



Okay, I will stop babbling now. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Harvey]

Jonathan,



My memory is next to zero but I've seen the number of the lower pad posted somewhere...and it's supposed to be different than the upper pad number but obviously the difference in size/dimensions must be neglible, if any, or people wouldn't be having luck using two upper pads.



Wouldn't it be nice to have a 5,000 mile engine? Where did something like that surface?



Harvey

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[RS Barn]

    I think I have an answer!

When researching the part numbers for replacement pads I actually took the part numbers off a set of cams that had just come out of a 968. Top pad had 944 # and lower had 928#. I ordered these assuming they were correct.

When I pulled the cams out of my 95 both pads were 944#. Huh!!!

Check out the pictures. There is no way the 928# is interchangeable with 944#.

My thoughts are that the early models use a different configuration that changed at some point. There doesn't seem to be any service bulletins or PET info on this change but I believe it occurred just like the con rod change. Could have been at the same time?

Pete

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[NeedPorscheSpeed]

Pete,



Thanks for posting that picture. The 928 part number is the one that a couple of dealerships had told me would fit. I am quite glad that I went with the 944 part number for both. My 968 is a 1992 model, and the pads I removed both had the 944 part number; I suppose mine may have been replaced at some point in the past. (The car has 89,000 miles, but the pads were quite grooved).



You say that you took pads off of a 968 actually had the 928 pad on the tensioner? From the picture, it seems as though it wouldn't even fit. What year was the car from which you removed that 928 pad? Maybe someone had replaced them in the past with the wrong pad?



Thanks for sharing. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Harvey]

Pete,



The white 928 pad you show in your pic is exactly what I received when I ordered. Absolutely will not fit the 1994 968 Variocam unit. However, it might fit my 928 so I guess I'll keep it. It was less than $10 if I remember right.



I'll soon post the list of parts I ordered, the numbers, and the prices I paid. They may be helpful to some people since the list numbers varied a bit from some of the info I got from previous posts..but I may have mixed a few items up with the 944S2.



Harvey

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[ds968]

<!--quoteo(post=3763:date=Apr 26 2005, 07:00 AM:name=Harvey)-->QUOTE (Harvey @ Apr 26 2005, 07:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The two new cam chain plastic tensioner pads I ordered came yesterday. I was told by Sunset that the upper and lower may have different numbers but that they'd been selling sets of two of the uppers and had no complaints (part no. 944-105-509-00). Apparently, the lower pad is only available if you buy the whole tensioner setup...a LOT of money. Therefore, I ordered two upper pads as has been suggested by others also and apparently works fine.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I revived this topic because when my mechanic called the dealer today to order the pads and chain, he was told
that the lower pad was discontinued a number if years ago, the only available part is the upper one, so the sole option now is to buy the entire assembly ( for a tidy sum of $1,600 ).

And this was from a parts guy who has been there for many, many years, so no "new guy, not familiar with the 968" excuse can be used here.. althogh the database does show only one part number for the upper pad and nothing else. ) Lucky my mechanic did not fall off a turnip truck, so he ordered two "upper" pads ones, knowing
( or at least reasonably expecting ) that they'll work just fine and also lucky that we have this ( forum ) support group to confirmd that is indeed the case, but this leads me to wonder why Porsche does not enter a note into their system so their dealer 's parts departments can advise customers of this fact ?

I, for one find the practice to be very suspicious .. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif[/img]

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[xrad]

Just in case the above is not clear: Upper and lower 968 pads are the same and look like the right one in the pic. 928 (32v) and 944 S2 (16v) cam chain tensioner has one less mounting bolt and is a single pad system (i think) and uses the other pad.

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