fpena944

I got around to replacing my cam chain tensioner pad and look at what I found!!! I'm not sure if it actually was in place this way while the engine was operating or if it slipped off a bit as a result of me wrestling the cover off the head. But in any case I think I narrowly averted a disaster!

My question is, I cannot for the life of me put the cover back on with the fuel lines in place. Is it advisable to just unhook them? If so, how do I go about it? I'm scared to use a lot of pressure due to how flimsy they look. Plus how are they threaded? It seems like there's two different threads there. Are they under loads of pressure (in other words will it spray in my eye?)

They new pad looks so much more sturdy than the junk I just pulled off the head.

MTM

Wow, it must have been really brittle! If I were you, I'd put it back on without disconnecting those lines. It just takes a little patience and some fiddling.

pete944

Go buy a lottery ticket. Now.
I had to wrestle the cover on mine a little but it slid in under the fuel lines.

jonnybgood

I don't see how pulling the valve cover could cause the pad to move. Somebody should start archiving these tensioner pictures. You must have been a couple millimeters from disaster. Wow

The cover should go back on without pulling the fuel lines.

pete944

If the cover came off without removing the fuel lines, it will go on without removing the fuel lines.

fpena944

I let the car sit overnight since it was pissin' me off.

Came back to it this morning, analyzed the situation, and within 90 seconds it was back on!

She's running somewhat okay now, I still have an intermittant bad idle problem (even after taking the AFM apart) but I guess that's an issue for another thread!

Chris Prack

Dude you have a golden horseshoe in your *** in case you did not realize it already. A few more miles and you would be in at about $5k plus a tow.

Jim 944S

fpena...

I you were a cat I'd say you have eight lives left!!! That tensioner pad was certainly just hanging on by a hair!!!

Congratulations!!!

Jim 1987 944S

jaibeiber

i agree you are very lucky.

but what the heck is up with everyone thinking that if there is head problems with a S or S2 it is going to cost $5000. if you do the work yourself you can do it under 1K. heres a little math. $300 for tenshioner,$200 for gasket set, if you are patient and lucky like i was 16 valves for $200, however dont plan on being that lucky, so $400. and $100 for misc. sometimes the cams break a tooth and then things can start getting really bad. $450 a cam. now if things really werent going good for you, then you may need to replace the head cover, $50. or the head may be shot. again if you are patient and lucky you can find a complete head for $1000-$1500. if you do zero labor, then plan on $1500 for labor.

i cant understand why people say 5K (no offense Chris prack). and believe me, i have been through 3 heads, two engines, and 4 removals of the head.

Chris Prack

Dude that's great for you but not everyone is capable of doing it themselves as evidenced by the fact that it's kept me employed for more than 20 years.

You are also in the position of taking short cuts I cannot and am not willing to take at my customer's expense.

No offense taken.

jaibeiber

you got a point there. however i didnt do all the work untill the last head removal/install. i did remove the head everytime. but i was too scared of timing it. well, the shops fudged up twice. so that was the end of that. they didnt fudge up the timing though. the first time it was a lose tenshioner bolt. and the second time they cloged a oil passage for one cam saddle.

fpena944

Well I wouldn't even attempt to rebuild a head myself so if that pad would have given out the car would have been parked for a while until I'd have a little extra budget in the Porsche fund to fix it!

I think as jaibeiber mentioned the most difficult part is probably timing the cams - since screwing that up could potentially put you back in the purchasing mode for a new set of valves.

Luis de Prat

Last time I checked the tensioner pad on the S2 and replaced the cam cover gasket, I was able to wiggle the cover out and back on without removing the fuel lines. Just takes a little patience and dexterity.

superman90

Can you just replace the pad without removing the cam chain? and if so is there a write-up on it?

Thanks,

Evan

944s2guy

yes please more info on this i need to check mine....