Otto Mechanic

What's a good time estimate for replacing the timing, cam belts and rollers on an S2?

I've changed the timing belt and rebuilt the tesioner on an '85 928 a few times, to the point I can do it in a couple of hours without any drama, but of course the first time took me several days with a fair amount of Rennlist support. I've never done anything to the front of my S2 engine.

Also, is it worth re-sealing the front of the engine while I'm in there? What's the extra cost in time? I did the rear main seal when I replaced the clutch a couple of years ago (almost zero miles ago) and it was pretty straight forward. Wondering if I should have the parts on hand. Any other WYIT things I should consider?

Thanks,

V2Rocket

if youve done it before and have your tools ready, 2-3 hours
first time, well it's half as long as the 928's

use the instrucitons on clark's, or Van's videos, you should be OK with 4 hours taking your time.

feed the belt behind the tensioner arm before you bolt the tensioner to the block.

Otto Mechanic

Thanks Spencer. How important is it to use a flywheel lock on it? Is there anything else that can be used for the same purpose you know of?

PS: I have a 928 lock, any chance it would work?

Otto Mechanic

Spencer, never mind. I was reading Clark's and he seemed to think it was possible but not advisable to do this without locking the flywheel. I think I'll not tempt fate and buy the lock.

V2Rocket

yes its necessary for the S2 because your crank pulley (harmonic damper) has a lip that prevents the belt covers sliding off so that pulley must be removed first.

on an 8v car you can get away without it (inadvisable, but doable)

Otto Mechanic

Good to know, he wasn't clear on that part, just says you can do it but he wouldn't...

Otto Mechanic

PS: I had to order the pin wrenches from Arnnworx anyway and the lock isn't nearly as expensive as the one I have for the 928. Another advantage to 944s I suppose.

V2Rocket

Everything about arnnworx is high quality and priced excellently...
That guy is a true savior 'round these parts.

jbrob007

We just did the timing belt / WP on my 944 base and you should definitely us the flywheel lock. It helps everything go that much faster and you're not second guessing the crank / cam positions. Also, the seals & gaskets for the front of the engine are not "928 expensive" so I'd suggest changing them out if you have any signs of oil leaking. I'd also advise replacing ALL the seals & gaskets for the cam tower cover. We thought the oil leak on to my # 1 exhaust manifold pipe was coming from behind the distributor ONLY and didn't change out the cover gasket. Turns out the seals behind the distributor were only HALF of the problem - so I'm changing out the cam tower cover gasket this weekend. No use doing this twice like me (dammit) and the gaskets / seals are not expensive.

Everything is pretty straight forward if you follow the DIY notes on Clark's Garage - pay attention to the balance belt gear positioning marks - the bottom one is opposite of what you'd THINK would be correct.

BTW, you'll need a "cheesehead" or 12 point male socket to remove the bolt in the distributor. You may need to use PB blaster and some HEAT to break it loose.

Otto Mechanic

Hey JB -

I don't have signs of any oil leaks front or rear, but I'm thinking about replacing any seals that are behind the belts anyway, just the ones behind them, so I can avoid taking all the belts off again. I suppose those would be the front crank seal and the cam seal?

The tower looks tight and I wasn't planning to do that until I refreshed the pads and cam chains.

Thanks,

thomasmryan

while the timing belt is off, its a good time to knock out the cam chain and pads.

Otto Mechanic

Yeah? I wouldn't have guessed. I figured you just took off the cam cover and everything was right there?

Thanks, I'll check it out. This job is getting bigger and bigger on me

thomasmryan

if you are changing the cam seal, its just another 30 fasteners and a C-note

Otto Mechanic

And what's that between friends?

Thanks Thomas. I'll see if I can get everything here in time. Since I'm waiting on tools anyway, may as well. I need to get it done before the 27th so I'm trying to budget around that time.

Otto Mechanic

OK, as usual I was overly optimistic about the idea of replacing the cam seal while I was in there. After reading the procedure on Clark's I'm leaving this for later.

If I was leaking oil behind the distributor I'd have a different opinion but I'm not and the car is pretty low milage. I think I'll leave this for after I get my shop moved unless the maintenance interval on the cam tensioner pads is less than 80K?