dillon410021

2 years ago, my dad took our 944S into the shop for a coolant leak. They fixed that and also did a compression test. While doing that, the headgasket somehow blew. They replaced that and we paid like $4,000 for everything. I am putting this motor in a new car this spring. I popped the valve cover off this morning to check the timing chain and found this.

a mysterious bolt






you can see in this photo that the shop replaced two of the bolts with generic bolt.


It looks to be okay. atleast I found this. Doesn't that bolt hold the chain tensioner down?


also, does that timing chain look okay. It looks new.




I rotated the cams and everything was okay.

THIS MAKES ME WONDER WHAT ELSE DID THEY TOUCH!!!

luftpirate

Take a good look at all the teeth on that cam gear. I once found a non-engine nut in the bottom of an oil pan, things that make you go hmmmmmmm.....

dillon410021

ok, I will check that

dillon410021

I checked the gear and it is still like new. I guess I got lucky

Grandpa#3

All looks good except for the chain tensioner pad. When they get discolored like yours it is best to change it out while you have the cover off. That bolt looks chewed up some. No telling where it has been until it stuck where you found it. Better safe than sorry if that pad shatters and you need a new head.

Cheers,
Larry

Rangers1

Hi - I replaced just the pad over the weekend. Very easy - especially as you've already done the hard part to get there. It cost about £10 ( about $6?) . If you replace the whole thing( tensioner and pad) the part is about £300!!! . I went the cheap route but the reason I did it was because I heard a ticking noise at mid point under the cam cover - on replacing the pad ( it was grooved and pitted and had to be replaced) and firing her up .......... the noise remains ! I assume now that it my case I needed to replace the whole thing as the ticking appears to be the tensioner itself. As with all jobs you have to fix a few others on the way.

Best of luck.

fortysixandtwo

Wow, are all the the cam lobes or cam followers undamaged? It looks like that bolt was beaten badly by something.
The chain being clean has no relevence on if it needs to be changed or not. Since a less than stellar mechanic messed with head, it's best to pull the cams, inspect everything and replace the chain, pads and replace the cam bearing bolts with proper ones. Also be sure to torque everything properly to avoid a repeat of loose fasteners.

Jay W

Those bolts strip easily when re-installed so it may have been stripped and worked its way out over time. You are really lucky it did not get jammed in between the chain and the gears. I second the thought to replace that tensioner pad, it looks to have deep grooves too.

dillon410021

I will replace the chain pad

Mike C.

If I were you I'd be sure and play the lottery...

dillon410021

Where can I buy that bolt? What size is it?

KuHL 951

Another less than $50 part that can send any 'S' to the scrap yard if it fails. The pads are the weak link in the 16v motor; the chain tensioner is usually fine until the pad fails.

theiceman

wow you are an incredibly lucky individual .. as mentioned that bolt could have destroyed your car .. I am betting those none OEM bolts are there because the original bolts stripped the aluminum head. If your not technically inclined stripping the whole thing back down would be cost prohibitive.
I would change the pads , replace the bolt and invest in a torque wrench . verify everything now and again in a bout 3 months.
BTW be VERY carfull with the cover bolts on the S . they break off very easily . don't torque em up as they are bottoming bolts.