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Hmm, seems there may be a lot of confusion, entirely on my end. They did not show me the part numbers or the diagram. Rather, they drew me a simple picture and explained what the parts are. Then when discussing this with someone else, he gave me one of these part numbers. Then when I opened the "Katalog" and searched for "tensioner", I found that part number, so I assumed I was on the right page and found the other part numbers which I included in the initial post.
My car's a 3.6. What I definitely remember from the guys who want to do this work is that among the things that adjust or control a chain, there is one big thing which they don't want to change, and two smaller things with the same name as each other, but different locations and prices, which they do. (They never said tensioner or adjuster, because they don't speak English.)
Anyway, seems I need to get the right part numbers ... .
And hopefully the M96 expert mechanic the OP is using will be able to whip out his own diagrams/photos and draw a quick engineering sketch of the situation. Even we amateurs could do the show-and-tell and use some old parts to demonstrate.
Maybe time to ask Rennlisters for a mechanic recommendation?
[Edit - the below is wrong. The right part numbers appear in post 25 below - I think.]
So I finally received the part numbers from the local specialist: 996 105 179 58, and number 996 105 176 51. The parts katalog describes both as chain adjusters. Both look like big screws in the parts diagram. In both cases, the parts catalog says
[Edit - the below is wrong. The right part numbers appear in post 25 below - I think.]
... these are in fact the first two part numbers listed in my original post. Based on my parts "katalog", this seems to fit my car (there are no years shown in the remark column).
They do not want to replace the third number from my original post, which is only found on a 3.4 liter car.
In the attached diagram, the parts they want to replace are numbers 24 and 34.
So having identified the parts, back to the questions:
First, is it correct that these are parts for the 3.6 liter engine?
How to confirm that these need to be replaced? Do all of Macster's original suggestions apply to these two parts? Any other tests?
Might it make sense to wait until any further symptoms, error codes, etc. develop?
Or is it the case that while this (or something like this) is reasonable preventive maintenance on a 3.4 liter car, it makes no sense on a 3.6 liter car.
And fourth, is it correct that this is an engine out and open job? Something that should only be done by someone with extensive M96 experience, or, if not available, a Porsche dealer?
[Edit - this post is now irrelevant as the question I raised below is answered. Correct part numbers are in post 25 - I think.]
And now I just realized that it is more complicated ...
The part numbers I just listed come from the PET Katalog where I found the above picture. It is the exact same picture which the local specialist emailed me, identifying parts 24 and 34 (they did not actually send the part numbers).
But in the PET Katalog, that entire picture is listed for -01 cars (with the remark "-01". For "model" M96.01/02/04. Several pages later is the three-chain diagram, for "model" M96.03 with the remark "02-". Parts numbers 24 and 34 are there too, but the part numbers are different.
Yet the picture they sent me was on a printout which seems to have come from a website (partslink24.com) into which they input my VIN number, and which says 3.6 liter.
Is it possible that the 5 chain diagram is correct for some 3.6 liter cars?
All 3.6 cars are 3 chain. They do NOT have the components for the 4,5 chains, hence no wear pads.
If they don't know this by heart, they don't need to go there.
I was away from the forum looking at partslink24, where I found that even after enterring the right VIN number, it is possible to choose the wrong model year and print out exactly the page they printed out. So either they want to replace the wrong parts, or they haven't managed to communicate what they want to replace :-(((. Doesn't fill me with confidence, and getting my car out of there sounds like good advice.
However, if their mistake was merely to send the wrong part diagram, then I still have to worry that they may have identified a real problem. If they merely sent the wrong diagram, that would imply they want to replace parts 24 and 34 in the three-chain, 3.6 liter diagram. (Parts 996 105 186 00 and 996 105 188 00.) So given these part numbers, I still need to worry about most of the questions I posted in post 21 above. (In shorter form: How to confirm there is a problem, whether to wait, whether it's a mistake to do this, and whether it's an engine out/open deal?) (Some/most/all of these questions have probably already been answered, but with all the confusion about part numbers, I'm a bit lost.)
Wanting to replace components before going invasive isn't smart anyway... If they don't know this very basic information about 3 and 5 chain engines, they lack exposure to the M96 for sure.
This happens all the time... Someone called me yesterday from a shop that was trying to install a dual row IMS bearing into a single row shaft, and wondered why it wouldn't fit.
Some of these people need to keep working on 40 year old Porsches, and do what they know..
Well, to be fair, I still don't really know whether they think my car has the same 5 chain system as the 3.4 liter cars. I can tell from the email chain that the service representative asked the parts guy to dig up the parts diagram which was then sent to me. So the parts guy doesn't know better, but the service rep may just have been too busy too notice (it was sent at the end of the day), and the mechanic - the guy who says he can hear that there is a problem, may know better still.
So there's a very real chance that what they really want to replace are the two chain adjusters for a 3.6 with the last two part numbers I listed above.
So I still need to understand how to check the diagnosis, whether such a diagnosis even makes sense on a 3.6, whether it's better to wait for an error code, etc. ...
Well, to be fair, I still don't really know whether they think my car has the same 5 chain system as the 3.4 liter cars. I can tell from the email chain that the service representative asked the parts guy to dig up the parts diagram which was then sent to me. So the parts guy doesn't know better, but the service rep may just have been too busy too notice (it was sent at the end of the day), and the mechanic - the guy who says he can hear that there is a problem, may know better still.
So there's a very real chance that what they really want to replace are the two chain adjusters for a 3.6 with the last two part numbers I listed above.
So I still need to understand how to check the diagnosis, whether such a diagnosis even makes sense on a 3.6, whether it's better to wait for an error code, etc. ...
One thing is for sure. You know more about this, than the shop does.
All 3.6 cars are 3 chain. They do NOT have the components for the 4,5 chains, hence no wear pads.
If they don't know this by heart, they don't need to go there.
Get your car away from there. Do it now.
Hi there, new to this forum. I had a question regarding this topic.
I have M96 (2.7 Boxster) 3-chain motor. I have recently discovered brown plastic bits in the engine oil sump pan. I wanted to ask, are the chain ramps outlined in the picture below replaceable without a complete engine rebuild. Could they also be done with the motor in the car? Currently, engine is in good health and operating smoothly, no chain rattle and deviations are all within spec. Not sure if this is cause for concern, can't find much info on the 3 chain motors with respect to chain guides.
Thanks
Last edited by yaarbees; 02-17-2022 at 01:44 PM.
Reason: added additional details
09-22-2015, 01:56 PM
