06-12-2009, 03:01 PM
way back when i first got my car (almost 6 years ago), i took it to a mechanic that was recommended to me - i didn't have a garage at the time, so i had to rely on someone else
this guy builds 944 race cars, turbos, the whole kit and kaboodle - he said he knew these cars well - he was all the way down in santee, so i figured i needed to check it out thoroughly before dropping it off - after a couple of phone calls, i thought i was in good hands
it was a total train wreck - the guy drove my car around for a week on a broken balance belt - he smoked in the car, leaving ashes everywhere - i had to show him how to install the rear swaybar - he didn't put in any coolant - he cross-mounted my wheels - all this and on top of it he had my "new" car for almost a month, and was 100 miles away - keep in mind that the car had 22k on it and was only in for a belt job and sway bar install - i was just nuts about it all at the end, but i just wanted out of there
then i take it to another shop to have a vibration dealt with that we figured was the balance shaft belt having slipped - turns out that in addition to all the other nonsense, the first guy installed a 944 balance belt - then that got replaced and while i was there we installed the aluminum flywheel - more vibration - $6500 and 2 transaxle rebuilds, 2 clutch balances, and 3 resets of the belts later, we figured out that it was "normal" when you get rid of the DMF
well, after my balance belt broke the other day, it was time to get in there and do the belts - i get the timing belt on, and i'm all set to install the balance belt - i loosen the tensioner pulley and it seems awfully wobbly - i figured i toasted a bearing and that's what caused the belt to snap - nope - i pulled it off to find that a 944 timing belt tensioner pulley had been installed in the place of a balance shaft tensioner pulley - very similar, but the hole size is different
so, what had happened was that the nut got loose enough to let the pulley move a bit, effectively loosening the tension on the belt - this allowed it to flop around in there and ultimately get shredded
bottom line is that the first mechanic installed the wrong part - i thought i had straightened out all of his screw ups, but apparently not - i think i have now undone or redone everything he did, but not one but 2 different "expert" shops who "work on these things all the time" did not catch the simple fact that the pulley was the wrong one, it clearly did not fit correctly, and should not have been used
moral of the story is twofold:
1. make sure you talk to other 968 customers and don't take the "we do these all the time" nonsense - vet your mechanic before trusting your car to them - this is NOT a 944
2. retension your balance shaft belt frequently - getting loose is dangerous - had i have done this more often, i probably would have seen the problem
this guy builds 944 race cars, turbos, the whole kit and kaboodle - he said he knew these cars well - he was all the way down in santee, so i figured i needed to check it out thoroughly before dropping it off - after a couple of phone calls, i thought i was in good hands
it was a total train wreck - the guy drove my car around for a week on a broken balance belt - he smoked in the car, leaving ashes everywhere - i had to show him how to install the rear swaybar - he didn't put in any coolant - he cross-mounted my wheels - all this and on top of it he had my "new" car for almost a month, and was 100 miles away - keep in mind that the car had 22k on it and was only in for a belt job and sway bar install - i was just nuts about it all at the end, but i just wanted out of there
then i take it to another shop to have a vibration dealt with that we figured was the balance shaft belt having slipped - turns out that in addition to all the other nonsense, the first guy installed a 944 balance belt - then that got replaced and while i was there we installed the aluminum flywheel - more vibration - $6500 and 2 transaxle rebuilds, 2 clutch balances, and 3 resets of the belts later, we figured out that it was "normal" when you get rid of the DMF
well, after my balance belt broke the other day, it was time to get in there and do the belts - i get the timing belt on, and i'm all set to install the balance belt - i loosen the tensioner pulley and it seems awfully wobbly - i figured i toasted a bearing and that's what caused the belt to snap - nope - i pulled it off to find that a 944 timing belt tensioner pulley had been installed in the place of a balance shaft tensioner pulley - very similar, but the hole size is different
so, what had happened was that the nut got loose enough to let the pulley move a bit, effectively loosening the tension on the belt - this allowed it to flop around in there and ultimately get shredded
bottom line is that the first mechanic installed the wrong part - i thought i had straightened out all of his screw ups, but apparently not - i think i have now undone or redone everything he did, but not one but 2 different "expert" shops who "work on these things all the time" did not catch the simple fact that the pulley was the wrong one, it clearly did not fit correctly, and should not have been used
moral of the story is twofold:
1. make sure you talk to other 968 customers and don't take the "we do these all the time" nonsense - vet your mechanic before trusting your car to them - this is NOT a 944
2. retension your balance shaft belt frequently - getting loose is dangerous - had i have done this more often, i probably would have seen the problem
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
(This post was last modified: 06-12-2009, 03:04 PM by flash.)
