jmporsche944

See, i had bought the kriket, and got fed up with the fact that id push down on the belt, and it would hit something and throw the readings off, and if i made the tension higher so it would not hit anything, it would be way to high...

So, i threw the kriket in the garbage and used my "inner zen" (as skip pointed out) to tension the belts.

incessant

or CYA

Macfreak007

My boss, (mechanic) has been tensioning 944 timing belts for about 18 years, always by hand, never had one break. It can be done, maybe not by the novice mechanic, but really it can be done.

Mark944na86

It's not even well defined what the safe tolerances for tensioning the belt actually are, AFAICT. But my guess is that the tension does not have to be set nearly as precisely as ppl generally assume. I think it's very plausible that these belts could be set perfectly reliably by feel alone.

Don't forget the guys who built these cars are GERMAN. They'd publish a torque setting for screwing a bottle cap back onto a bottle of Coke...

-Mark

shmucklebuckle

hahahahaha...funny because it's *true* I love the thinking of the male German mind!

User 41221

I noticed it said for "v-belts". I am wondering if the concern is that the contact area is too small for a thinner belt, as opposed to the generally much thicker v-belt, which may cause a difference in readings. After comparing a kriket to my P9201, I wouldn't swap but I also wouldn't be overly concerned about using a kriket if that was my only choice. I will say this, with practise, the P9201 becomes VERY accurate. It only took me a couple hundred times to get it down pat! lol

Regards,

Porsche-O-Phile

Dig around a bit - IIRC someone (or several someones) did comparitive readings with the Kriket and the 9201. With proper technique and practice, the Kriket readings were identical.

Zero10

I found the kriket was a lot easier to get used to using than the 9201. I've used both, and as already mentioned, the readings between the 2 were identical. That said, I own a Kriket belt tensioner, and although I initially tension by hand, I always verify with the kriket. I am trying to get into the zen state of mind of belt tensioning, so I can tell by the pitch it makes when you twang the belt whether it is correctly tensioned.

That said, the torque spec for a coke bottle lid is 2lb/ft +/- 0.1lb/ft
I guess you probably want that in Nm though....

KuHL 951

I've done timing belts on V-6 Acuras many times by hand tensioning only. This is on a belt that travels over two cams and many rollers. I've always done it by hand using what feels right. I agree with Mark, way too much fuss is made over the proper Zen setting for the TB. The balance shaft belt seems to be much more finicky about being over tightened and will reward you immediately with that lovely warning sound of a supercharger. Serge had it right if the TB belt flops enough to hit the cover it's too loose and readjust from there. Retensioning is the same thing over again. Deflection of the belt is sort of an arbitrary measurement when you have your hands stuffed into an area the size of a cereal box anyway. The Kriket didn't leave me with a feeling of great confidence.

hosrom_951

I used the Kriket on the ac/alternator belt, before any adjustments, i took several readings and got 80lbs constantly. I called the mechanic, he confirmed that he set the belt at 8.0 on the P9201. That satisfied me on the Kriket readings, being accurate and all.

Jeff also points out, you need to practice a bit with the Kriket. The first time i used it, i got different readings (on that v-belt, i got 50lbs, then 70lbs, then 40lbs etc). Once i got 80lbs constantly (3-4times in a row) you "know" how it works, just practice .

Matt H

Funny thing is that most of the Porsche techs dont use a tensioner at all.

The 9201 is like an urban legend. People on this board and others are convinced you cant do it without. I wish I had a Porsche bridge to sell.
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User 41221

I am amazed at how many folks swear they can do it by hand. The benchmark for me is Don Istook, last time I checked, he still uses the P9201 after about 30 years of wrenching on Porsches. Thats good enough to convince me I need to use one.

A fellow KCWS'er recently brought his car down after having a *Porsche* mechanic with a good reputation in Des Moines do his belts, and that guy was one of the "I don't need no stinkin tool to set the belts" crowd. The balance shaft was set around 9.5 or almost 3 times what the factory recommends. Yeah, right, you don't need no tool...

Regular attention to your belts is more important than anything else, and as long as you get the tension in the ballpark, I doubt you will have any problems, but I don't know of many folks on the boards here who can really say they have done this enough to do it by feel alone to do without some way of checking. I am sure that I can also feel a belt and know whether its close, but a very small movement in the tension roller causes a pretty big difference in readings on the tool. I think the Kriket gets you close enough and it only costs about $30, so I don't really understand why this is even a question. Its a cheap way to check yourself.

Regards,

Matt H

Scott, I think the point is that you are correct, it doesnt have to be 3^34th power carried to the 13 decimal to be correct. I bet you that at 9.5 the belt whined like a 737. I dont have to feel it to know that it is too tight, I can hear it. Well, on mine I cant because I dont have balance shafts

At any rate, I dont think anyone doubts for a moment that their hand is as accurate as the 9201 but rather espouses the very much correct theory that close enough, just like every other car ever made, will work fine.
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David Floyd

Say it ain't so !!!!!! every nut on the car will fall off inside a week.

Skip

I should clarify that I did not start blindly tensioning belts by feel. I was trained to use the "tool", was able to "feel" how taught the belts were, and then based my "zen" on what seemed right according. Since the belt may be used or new, the rollers used or new, and the waterpump used or new, I think there is some room for interpretation when it comes to belt tension. I think... no, I know, that it would be quite evident that the belt were 3 times as tight as they were supposed to be. That's my story, ...