divil

I am planning to change my 951's belts soon (due to age, rather than mileage). This will be the first major job on this car for me so I'll have a lot of research to do and some tools to buy. What other jobs should I plan to do at the same time?

• I think the water pump has pretty low mileage on it but I'm going to double check that. I thought that age wouldn't affect the water pump in the same way as the belts so if it's well below it's rated life I'll keep it this time - is that reasonable?
  
• I'm leaking oil at least from the front end of the cam cover - possibly a few other places. I presume I should take this opportunity to replace every replaceable oil seal on the top of the engine? Does anyone sell a complete re-seal kit?
  
• There is power steering fluid all over the reservoir and the hose so I'm pretty sure I have a leak to fix there too - is there typically any labour overlap with this and the timing/balance belts? If not I'd prefer to leave this till later since it's less urgent.

Those are all the mechanical issues I know I have. But any recommendations on preventive work I can do are welcome!

KevinGross

Water pump - some would argue for replacing it while you're in there. I think that if you're comfortable with the timing belt process, leave it until it needs replacement. At 160K miles on my own car, I am on my second water pump and 6th or 7th timing belt, not sure the count. (You do have the belt tensioning tool, right?)

Again, if doing my own work and comfortable with it, I'd replace only the seals that are leaking. On the cam shaft, balance shaft, oil pump where there is a spacer sleeve or bearing sleeve against which the radial oil seal rides, check for a groove worn in the steel part. If you can catch it with your thumbnail, replace it. Also replace the mylar seal behind the spacer sleeve. Needless to say, be careful not to gouge anything when pulling the old seal out. Pack the new seal with grease before installing to help keep the spring in position.

On the PS reservoir, leaking is typically corrected by installing proper hose clamps. The cars did not come from the factory with such, and I think there was a TSB. Be sure the clamps you use have proper rolled edges: the straight edges on hardware store clamps will cut the hose over time. It may be that the ends of your hoses are hardened and will not seal well. If that's the case, it may help to trim a little from the end. No overlap in labor, simple fix tho. Consider replacing the reservoir if old: its built-in filter is not serviceable on the 944 series cars.

Kevin
Catellus Engineering

mytrplseven

The hard part of this project is finding a breaker bar and gorilla to break loose the front crankshaft pulley bolt. 24 millimeter socket and 150 ft. lbs of torque. I used a 5 ft piece of pipe to make the breaker bar lever arm longer and it did the job. The torque is necessary to keep the oil pump drive sleeve under tension so it works. IMHO: If there's a rubber seal leaking anywhere, all the remaining seals are just as old and just as hard. Replace them all, including the shaft seals in the throttle body. They're tiny and mine crumbled as they came out. I did all the rubber seals, front and rear in my '87 NA and believe in the "while you're in there" philosophy on these cars.

John_AZ

From bottom to top

The PS reservoir has a filter inside under a plastic plate. The filter is not replaceable.
Get a new PS reservoir--cheap URO is fine

There is a new short hose from the PS reservoir to the PS pump.
New fitting on the PS pump.
Change the hose and fitting.
http://www.rennbay.com/updated-power...ine-p-143.html

Carefully check the clamp on the other hose. If the hose looks cracked near the clamp, carefully cut 1/4 inch off the hose to move the clamp down---NOT more.

Refill the PS reservoir with ATF fluid--not PS fluid or any PS "stop leak" product.

Cam shaft seal change.
The front cam shaft seal change is not easy. You may also need a new brass race.
If you are sure the leak is from the front cam shaft seal here are the instructions:

http://www.benms.com/944camseals.html

http://arnnworx.com/front_seals.htm

Get a new front cam gear bolt--upgraded

This is major work and should be done when you do the entire FOES front of engine seals--and oil pump sleeve if worn.
Use the advice from mytrpleseven to remove the front crank bolt.

Waterpump
Check the waterpump for leaks in the rear seal area and front shaft seal.

Grab the pulley and tug, pull, lift to check for any hint of movement. There should not be any movement.

When were the belt rollers changed?

GL
John

River

I cannot stress this enough:

If you do now know when, change it. Change it all. Had I not have done a full kit, my oil cooler seal would've failed and I would be swearing more than I do now.

The problem is, if you just change the belts to new...then you have new torque on the water pump, which adds stress to it, which can cause it to fail/seize.

Other side to this is the rollers, which are a TOTAL sore spot on our cars. New belts, extra new tension on rollers=snap, swear and a pop.

I bought mine from here: http://www.944online.com/cgi-bin/ASI...ystem-944turbo

Cannot stress this enough, CHEAPEST and BEST place to buy a full kit. No one, not even two parts suppliers I know, and a Porsche Dealership with my discount couldn't touch it.

When you do the kit, you get everything for the front of the engine, and some serious peace of mind. The "While you're in there" is some of the coolant rubber hoses that do get cooked after years. I do think LR or Vitesse sell silicone ones...which I would rather have then rubber, for me at least.

Call Ian, and he might cut you a deal if you order a kit with tools. The tools helped big time. Also, I didn't need/use it, but the oil cooler alignment tool will be ordered for my next job. Again, just a peace of mind thing to know I did the job right.

check out one of my vids on youtube about that oil cooler seal (eversent77). SAVE MY ***!! LOL!

xsbank

Go under there with Simple Green and spray/wash everything before you get started so you will not get as filthy and it will be cleaner for the re-install. I thought I had a power steering leak and it turned out to be years of incompetent oil changers not cleaning up after replacing the oil filter. I did change the reservoir and a return line.

divil

Wow thanks guys lots of great info.

I am not sure when the rollers were changed but I wouldn't dream of changing a timing belt and not changing those - the water pump was the only thing I was in 2 minds about. I need to call the place that serviced the car for the previous owner to find out when it was changed.

Keep the tips coming!

River

I feel dirty even suggestion this, but...it should be said.

Check the condition of your water pump studs...or, god forbid...you snap one on the way out pulling the pump. I'd buy the studs and just have them on hand, that way you're not going too crazy and they're there to use just in case...