Mongo

Back in 2013, I converted my 928 over to the Porkensioner (one of the first generations, not the PKT-S) and have been worry free for over 6 years (yes I'm overdue for a belt). I'm going to be doing my timing belt again and I have some questions concerning what parts to change and mileage:

1) My car has less than 1,500mi since the timing belt change.

2) Should I replace both the Audi/VW hydraulic tensioner and roller? What about the lever?

3) Necessary to change my Laso plastic impeller water pump with such low miles?

Thanks!

FredR

Andy,

Why are you touching anything in the TB/WP area?

Schocki

I'm normally very, very careful and I change my TB every 5 years or after 30 kmiles (whichever occurs first). After 10 years WP, TB, tensioner roller and hydraulic actuator. BUT which such a very low mileage I wouldnt't touch anything before 10 years.
I'm running the 1st generation of PorKensioner too. This winter the PorKensioner and WP will be 10 years old and they'll have seen 40 kkilometers (or 25 kmiles). System is running on the 2nd Gates TB after a change in 2005, no issues at all so far. Just came back from a 2500 mile round trip to Germany and back. Car performed flawlessly and reached sppeds in excess of 165 mph on the A9 Autobahn.

Time for a complete change of all movable PorKensioner components, TB and WP during the cars hibernation period this winter....

Mongo

I did such a great job on it 6 years ago, so why not do it again?

There's also more stuff to clean!

Mongo

So are you implying I shouldn't worry yet? I know some of us like to party, but wow 10 years Shocki?

hacker-pschorr

Mongo - FWIW the Audi mechanics I know replace the roller and the hydraulic ram part with every belt change. Some do the hydraulic ram part with every other belt change. It's cheap enough I don't see any reason to re-use it.


Not to beat a dead horse around here, but taking off a belt and putting on a new belt with nothing else is rather pointless.

If anything, the one part in the system that could be re-used is the belt. Rarely does a belt just fail, unless it's really, really old or something else out of the ordinary happened. It's the rollers, tensioner, worn gears, locked up water pump etc.... that causes most belts to fail.

Next time you have one of those rollers in your hand just imagine this being made for only only a few dollars in some 3rd world factory, just a "squirt" of some generic grease on those bearings, spinning at X times engine speed. That grease it turning to cake frosting and those bearings will fail, taking the belt with it.

Over the years I've thought about Hill Engineering in England.
They produce their own rollers for Ferrari's that which are far superior to the OEM parts. It would be cool to approach them and start making these same parts for the 928.
I worry over time the quality of the OE/OEM parts is not going to be great.

Something like this:
https://www.hillengineering.co.uk/en...related/pt-355

In fact, I've pondered what it would take to adapt one of their rollers to the Porken tensioner.

FredR

If you enjoy dicking around in there [I did] then there is no harm inspecting everything.

I used to be more conservative about the timing belt life considering our high ambient temps and relatively dusty environment but experience suggests that was not needed. I have now settled on 10 years for the belt life and 50k miles for water pump life. I see no reason why you should replace the PKT damper or the water pump. A timing belt for $30 is not a big deal.

Mongo

I've had my hands on a 355 for a friend (which BTW, a DIY engine out on those really puts you to work). He had used Hill Engineering's product too. Impressive quality. I assume of the roller is made identical to that of VW/Audi, then it shouldn't be a problem. However, NTN and INA parts are so good, there's not much worry of failure with them. It's not like they are made by URO Parts...

Mongo

Fred I forgot you lived in Oman. I've always been impressed at how well sports cars are kept up and clean out there. I'd expect most cars to look like they were found in Saddam Hussein's garage after Gulf War II in 2003 with some bomb fragments and a ton of dirt.

FredR

Friend of mine purchased a 6 month old GTS way back when- it was in immaculate condition but it smelt of rotting fish would you believe! It took him another 6 months to get rid of the pong. Some folks look after their cars really well but I have seen examples wrecked in less than a year and that on cars that were not smashed!

I have sat in the driver's seat of a black 928 that was owned by the Shah of Iran and is now a museum piece- something like 300 km on the odometer. Needless to say he presumably took delivery a short while before he was chased out of town as it were! It was in pretty good nick but it was not running or so I understood. Potentially a time capsule as it were.

76FJ55

I ran 10 years and 60K miles on my 85 when the second run water pump failed, and that was with a Conti belt. I sut it down when the temp light came on. No engine damage, no issues with the tensioner or any of the rollers, but I did replace them when installing the new Gates belt along with new Laso pump.

Lizard928

I've seen too many belts shed teeth (mostly on other vehicles and 944s) to ever not do it. I've inspected some before and seen nothing wrong. Still recommended replacement due to age and then the teeth fell off.
Rubber ages and degrades. With that low of mileage, I would change the belt for sure.