[JWahlsten]

Hello all,



I'm new to the forum, but not to Porsches and 944 variants. This my first 968, but I've owned 2 89 turbos and an 89 N/A. I just bought the car and drove it 2600 miles home.



Look what I found when I went to retension the balance shaft belt <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> . Do me a favor and check yours too...    



Joel Wahlsten

94 M030 w/ LSD

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[968rz]

Well that’s not good <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

Time for belts, rollers and W/P bearing check.



Btw: Welcome to the Forums, Good place, good people, always room for more (good people <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> )

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[JWahlsten]

Thanks for the welcome. I actually found the car on this board while lurking... It's John Wade's old car.



Definitely not good, but it could have been MUCH worse. The rollers were fine, and the timing belt looked good as well. These belts were recent, and only had a few thousand miles on them. Whoever tensioned the belts didn't set up the idler roller correctly. This may well have contributed to the failure.



Joel

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[968rz]

Glad the t-belt and rollers are good. Seems like between the two forums a few 968s have had balance shaft belts go recently. bad batch ? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/huh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[JWahlsten]

I noted a few failures on some forums prior to opening up the covers. I really wasn't expecting what I found though. The belt was cracked on the sides and there were teeth literally shorn off.



I'm glad I needed tires, and didn't drive the car at all after I got it home.

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[Ryan]

OK, what is the Kentucky belt crack??

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[JWahlsten]

[quote name='Ryan' date='Oct 18 2006, 09:03 AM']OK, what is the Kentucky belt crack??

[right][post="26965"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



Oh come on, have a sense of humor. Haven't you ever seen the folks in the Blue Ridge mountains with summer teeth... Sum're there and sum're not.



I spent enough time stationed in Ohio and mountain biking in Kentucky to see it first hand.

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[Harvey]

That's one scary foto of the teeth missing. Say bad things about Kentucky and you could lose a few yourself. I went to grad school at UK. Made the mistake of driving my "fancy furrin car" across KY and WV once. Great curves...HUGE coal trucks.



Harvey

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[JWahlsten]

[quote name='Harvey' date='Oct 20 2006, 10:09 PM']

That's one scary foto of the teeth missing. Say bad things about Kentucky and you could lose a few yourself. I went to grad school at UK. Made the mistake of driving my "fancy furrin car" across KY and WV once. Great curves...HUGE coal trucks.



Maybe I should have used West Virginny instead. I hear tales of some interesting dental work there too... I actually really liked the trails and roads there.



That 02 looks like a unique fixer upper opportunity. I'd rather have more pics of the E30 M3 behind it.



I was not happy when finding that belt, but hugely relieved that I did. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/mad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Harvey: Have you been to Boise lately? That place is growing like mad.

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[flash]

summer teeth - funny



you know how to compliment an oakie?



nice tooth



p.s. one side of my family lived there for 60 years, so let's just laugh and not bash me, ok?

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[Cloud9...68]

I had a very similar problem with mine, though with a lot more teeth sheared off, something like 20 if I remember right. My engine gave me plenty of notice about the problem by starting to vibrate very noticeably. Did yours? If not, you probably didn't skip any teeth.



One thing you might check is the width of the belt. Mine was actually the narrower 944 belt, and as a result didn't fit snugly against the edges of the sprockets, which probably caused it to wander, shortening its life. My rollers were perfect, and the timing belt was replaced recently, so I just replaced the balance belt, which was a pretty easy job. You do need a flywheel lock, though, which is very pricey (over $100) if you have to buy one. I rented one for $20 from a mechanic I know. Good luck.

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[Harvey]

[quote name='JWahlsten' date='Oct 21 2006, 05:02 AM']

[quote name='Harvey' date='Oct 20 2006, 10:09 PM']



Harvey: Have you been to Boise lately? That place is growing like mad.

[right][post="27093"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]

[/quote]



Yes, Boise is really growing like mad. Lots of people moving there to escape the crowds...only to create another one. Nice town though. And it's starting to attract a few Porsches. I saw a bumper sticker there once that read: "Welcome to Boise, Now go home!" Where I live it doesnt' much grow...except the prices for housing.



Harvey

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[JWahlsten]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' date='Oct 21 2006, 02:14 PM']I had a very similar problem with mine, though with a lot more teeth sheared off, something like 20 if I remember right.  My engine gave me plenty of notice about the problem by starting to vibrate very noticeably.  Did yours?  If not, you probably didn't skip any teeth. 



One thing you might check is the width of the belt.  Mine was actually the narrower 944 belt, and as a result didn't fit snugly against the edges of the sprockets, which probably caused it to wander, shortening its life.  My rollers were perfect, and the timing belt was replaced recently, so I just replaced the balance belt, which was a pretty easy job.  You do need a flywheel lock, though, which is very pricey (over $100) if you have to buy one.  I rented one for $20 from a mechanic I know.  Good luck.

[right][post="27098"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



You lost a lot of teeth. You're lucky the belt didn't just shear. My car did buzz slightly in the mid range, but not excessively. The alignment marks were still where they were supposed to be when I removed it. My maintenance was a planned retension.



The wider balance shaft belt on 944s didn't come out until a few years ago, like five or six. I don't remember exactly, but I do remember discussing it on Porschefans the precurser to Rennlist. It was hit or miss whether you got the wider or narrow version from Porsche.



Was this wider version on the 968 the entire time?



I have all the correct tools for the job. Luckily enough the PO included the flywheel lock with the car, and I have the P9201 for tension.



Flash: I did pilot training in OK. I really liked it in Enid. There was some interesting dental work there.

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[flash]

you have a 9201? wow - that's one pricey tool



lol - yeah - i did a job in lawton a couple of years ago - very odd place - not a german car anywhere

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[JWahlsten]

[quote name='flash' date='Oct 22 2006, 08:12 AM']you have a 9201?  wow - that's one pricey tool



lol - yeah - i did a job in lawton a couple of years ago - very odd place - not a german car anywhere

[right][post="27111"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





Yep, I bought it a few years ago on E-bay for a couple hundred bucks. I used it a lot when I was going to the track more. I figured it was better than losing an engine to a snapped belt... Plus it's really cool. I figured I could get my money back out of it if I ever wanted to sell it too.

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[flash]

i'm first in line to buy it

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