88bender

Hi Guys

Porsche 968 has a timing belt or chain?
Anything to be aware , careful off when looking at one?
Any known / common issues?

THANKS

MAGK944

It has both and its advisable to do the chain and rails when you do the timing belt. <Clarks Garage> has everything you need to know.

neunfünfeins

Hmm... okay so there's a coupe at a shop near me parked/not running due to some fuel system issues, I'm told. I left a note with my contact info in case the owner just wants to cash out of it.

Now I'm wondering if I really want them to call...

carlege

i could have sworn doing the plastic guides on the chain tensioner was a 1 in 100k mile thing. Where are you guys getting replacing the chain?

V2Rocket

chains not a bad idea every other pad change, and they are cheap 20-30$.

88bender

the car is that unreliable and expensive to own ?

touareg

This is what happened to my car when the chain stretched... Getting the cams rebuilt now.

touareg

I would not say unreliable, but back in 1990-91 when the 968 was nearing the end of development, they made some mistakes in design perhaps?

VarioXxxx anything was new to Porsche, stricter emissions standards. The 968 was the first Porsche to have variocam which is similar to V-Tech on Hondas, etc. Not a lot was known about longevity and there were no other cars that had it at the time in Porsches line up.

I got my first 968 in 2002 for cheap sum of $6,000 with 250k on the clock, I bought it as a beater for the winter. Then I heard rumors of variocam chains snapping, heads clashing and bells ringing. On the internet, there was ZERO information back then about it. Just worn pads and snapped chains.

I sold it 1 year later since I did not want to deal with it at the time (plus it was a tip) I bought it from the original owner, perfect body, interior and all records, but nothing ever done with the variocam.

Now days I think the knowledge is out there, we know what to check and if you are active on the maintenance, as I was, and caught it sooner rather than later, you should be OK.

V2Rocket

Guys...
The 968 is the MOST reliable of all the 944 cars.
They had all the kinks worked out learned over the previous 10 years of 944 production.
They really don't need all that much work.
Do the timing belt, water pump and chain pads every 60k miles, and the chain every 120k.
It will reward you with long reliable life if you keep up with it. It's really a trivial amount of work for what, 5-10 years worth of driving?


Odurandina is just ****ting on another thread that doesn't involve an LS-swap.

RajDatta

I would strongly suggest taking a few posts here with a grain of salt. 1st off, you are better off posting in the 968 specific forum found here.
There were no design flaws but service items that would need to be addressed like any other car. Your best bet is to post under the right forum, ask questions, read up on posts, do your research and decide. Once fully sorted, these cars a extremely reliable and only need a timing/bs belt every 45-60k or 4-5 yrs. The cam chain is supposed to be a 60k item but Porsche never made it a service item.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. You are much better off buying a well sorted car and not having to deal with the headaches unless you like to wrench and want to connect with the vehicle.
Many here have bought, high mileage, neglected vehicles which can start adding up in fixes very quickly.
Regards,
Raj

RajDatta

+1.
Well said, especially the OD part.

touareg

Agreed, not sure if this was directed at my post, I just was pointing out the fact that in the beginning, not a lot was known about the variocam, and the chain, pads and tensioner like any other maintenance item (does Porsche say it is?) if left deferred can cause issues. If folks didn't know this had to be inspected, I am sure there were more early failures. if I recall, you could not even buy those pads 15 years ago, it only came with the tensioner, but maybe was found that the 928 parts were the same.

As for 10 years of working things out, the variocam was new, having a variable tensioner, putting extra strain on the chain, was not something worked out on the 944 that I am aware of.

Did Porsche ever release any sort of long term recommendations on the chain for the 968? Or the S2 for that matter, our older sibling 16v engine?

Wish I had this guys skills! Snapped chain tore of his tensioner, no valve damage.

jeff968

+2, I've owned 5 and just purchased my 6th. fantastic and reliable Porsches. Easy to work on, unique, fun and fast. They have it all covered.

chudson

Here's the main problem. When compared to American and Asian models, European cars are noticeable more expensive to maintain and repair. And once a European car depreciates, the cost (if paying retail shop rates) of maintenance and repair can seem astronomical. We've all seen Raj comment about the "cheap" 968 find and I agree with him. Buy a well worn 968 for 9 or 10 grand and if you can't do all the work yourself, prepare to put in another 10+. Even if you can perform the labor, the quality parts aren't cheap.

IMHO, labeling them as problematic is gross misstatement. This was state of the art technology in its day, so a 968 will always need more attention than a Camry. Labeling them as expensive can be somewhat accurate, but compared to what? If we compare to any 20+ year old Asian car then yes. If we compare to any 20+ year old European car then no. You have to pay to play friends. Enter this and any other European arena well advised and don't be afraid to pay up for the well sorted example.

touareg

So true. A 1992 Toyota Camry XLE, top of the Line with 150k on a 3.0V6, leather, ABS, all extra is worth $500 in running condition and no major damage.

Not sure how many people want to spend ANY money on Camry of the same vintage. These cars a lifestyle choice, not a primary commuting only vehicle.