Derek H

Hi!

I am looking at a 968 to buy this weekend and would like to check out the cams/chain/tensioner. I am very familiar with the 944S/S2 in that area but the 968 has the variocam. To pull the cam cover for inspection, is it as straightforward as the earlier 16v models or is there anything else involved?

Also, are there any specific areas on the car that I should check out in a pre-purchase inspection?

thanks

Derek
Linköping, Sweden

PorscheG96

Drive it and listen for a whining noise from the gearbox if it's a 6 speed...pinion bearings are known to fail and it happened to me 6 months ago. There are two pieces to the cam cover, one is a vanity piece held on with 4 allen screws and the other should be about the same as the S2 cam cover. Check the plastic pads for 'tracks' but don't play with them too much because they are brittle and could break. Look for wear on the cam teeth and make sure there isn't slack in the cam chain. How many miles are on the car? The service interval for these components is 90-100k miles. Good luck!

PorscheG96

Let me add that when the vanity cover on my 968 was removed BOTH of the rubber mounts for the 'Variocam' badge broke off...so I had to order new ones through the dealer. I'd also suggest a new set of cam gaskets if you don't want oil leaks from the edges...

Derek H

[quote]Originally posted by PorscheG96:
<strong>Drive it and listen for a whining noise from the gearbox if it's a 6 speed...pinion bearings are known to fail and it happened to me 6 months ago. There are two pieces to the cam cover, one is a vanity piece held on with 4 allen screws and the other should be about the same as the S2 cam cover. Check the plastic pads for 'tracks' but don't play with them too much because they are brittle and could break. Look for wear on the cam teeth and make sure there isn't slack in the cam chain. How many miles are on the car? The service interval for these components is 90-100k miles. Good luck!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Derek H

[quote]Originally posted by PorscheG96:
<strong>How many miles are on the car? The service interval for these components is 90-100k miles. Good luck!</strong><hr></blockquote>


Sorry for the previous reply! New user.....finger trouble! Anyway, the car has 149,000 km, about 94,000 miles I guess. I currently have a '91 944 S2 and have owned two previous 16v 944's so I am a bit paranoid about the tensioner/chain/cam sprocket problems! I drove the car a couple of days ago and there was no trace of a transmission whine (my current S2 has the early signs!). Otherwise, apart from the brakes being bad, which is a common problem on the 944T/S2/968 here in Europe due to the caliper corrosion problems, the car drove really well.

Derek

rpm's S2

You know, if I was selling my car and a prospective buyer wanted to pull off the valve cover I'm not sure I would let him.
If it was a certified Porsche mechanic at a shop or dealership - maybe.
Just a thought

Derek H

[quote]Originally posted by rpm's S2:
<strong>You know, if I was selling my car and a prospective buyer wanted to pull off the valve cover I'm not sure I would let him.
If it was a certified Porsche mechanic at a shop or dealership - maybe.
Just a thought </strong><hr></blockquote>

Having owned 3 16v 944's now, and followed the tensioner/chain/cam sprocket saga for years, there is no way I would buy such a car without carrying out this inspection. I have seen 944 S2 cams at 92,000 miles with virtually no teeth left on the sprockets, countless stories of catastrophic tensioner failures. On my 944S, my first P-car, I changed the chain and tensioner myself and discovered that the car had already suffered a catastrophic failure previously. Despite the repair, the oil feed tube to the tensioner was broken off, just the banjos left, and the cams not looking too good. These are great cars but the top end is really the achilles heel.

Derek

rpm's S2

I completely agree with your description of the importance of cam tensioner maintenance on a 16V 944. I have replaced my ramp and crefully inspected the tensioner system. But as for the question at issue, visual inspection of the cam tensioner during a a pre-sales inspection:

Dealer or certified mechanic with me present - probably

Guy in my driveway with a socket set - no %@$#ing way