I bought a Laso which I will have installed soon. But I barely put any miles on the car so we'll see how long it lasts.

 

Arash, if you aren't changing the hydraulic tensioner at each or every other belt interval(highly recommended), you are setting yourself up for incorrect belt tension. The tensioner is a sealed unit with hydraulic fluid that experiences the same forces as the belt does. The fluid breaks down as it heats up and will affect the final operating tension. If you like to "chance" things then go for it. I myself, do not chance anything and replace the hydraulic pin type tensioner at every or every other belt interval. 15-30 k. Hope this helps

 

Can those motors be backdated to the early manual tensioner?

 

I would think not, since the 16v engine came out in '87, so they all had auto tensioners. I.e. there is no manual tensioner roller that is wide enough.

That would be another interesting project - to scour some websites, catalogs and parts stores for an eccentric tensioner roller that would as an S/S2/968 manual tensioner.

 

Last year I worked on an S that a PO had removed the spring from the tensioner so it was in essence a manual piece. Cleaned it up and used new locking hardware to keep it in place.

 

The rebuilder that does the work for Zims has an impeccable reputation around the classic car world.
He is trusted with the water pumps of some very expensive cars that no longer have a "new" option.

I spend several hours on the phone with him talking about Porsche water pumps, the guy knows his stuff.

I would trust his work over any new pump. Quality control on new units is very questionable these days.

At $100 it's the best deal on the planet for 944's and 928's.


One thing is for sure, you couldn't pay me to run a plastic impeller, ever.

 

My luck with rebuilt pumps is 50/50. had one bad out of the box. I plan to rebuild the next one for our turbo motor. anyone have good source for the rebuild parts?

 

Kev, what do you mean "hydraulic tensioner"? The late tensioner is just a spring and a threaded rod (threaded for adjustment of the spring pressure).

 

Van, I'm referring to the hydraulic tensioner on a 968

 

Ah, gotcha!

 

Or you could convert to an electric water pump. The pump should/will last longer than the engine. Also timing belt changes are at 60k and only cost a fraction of the original (by using a Honda timing belt). Over the long haul you save money, and time. Also if the housing starts leaking you just buy a new gasket and reuse the housing again because the weep hole and where the pulley goes is welded up.

 

So a little OT but is it possible to fit the spring tensioner the late 944's had to a early 86 block? My 87 924S had a auto tensioner, and my 86 doesn't so I'm a little worried about doing the Tbelt

 

Doing the timing belt on a 944 without the automatic tensioner is still pretty easy.
I actually think it's easier.

 

Spring tensioner complicates the belt change by a fair margin. Takes about a half hour extra wrestling to "get it right, get it tight" versus a few seconds for the early style. That spring is not to be trusted.

 

The manual tensioner of the '83-'86 cars is the best. The 968's hydraulic system is pretty bulletproof, but there are more (moving) parts involved. V2, that's a cool trick with converting the spring tensioner to manual, I'll remember that one.

Hacker, thanks for the post, that's good to know. I'd like to try out a Zim's rebuilt pump, then. I wonder why they're so cheap.

Nashio, I did think about an electric pump but I thought it would be too crazy. So you're saying to take an old water pump and gut out the impeller, shaft, bearing and pulley, and weld it shut with a stud for a regular roller bearing, then mount it to the engine as an empty water passage, then install an electric pump? Where does the Honda timing belt come in? Unless you also know of a Honda balance shaft belt, I'll just keep the two belts the same.