With the tensioner roller carrier on the car now, I'm still having doubts about washers as noted in the PET. See item #12 in the image below.



I didn't take this washer off (it wasn't there) when I removed the carrier.

Now, on the late model cars, I believe 87+, the Tensioner Bolt is replaced by the Tensioner Pin, which is affixed to the Waterpump before installing the carrier, with idler roller and tensioner roller.

The two plastic bushings go on both sides of the idler end of the carrier.

The idler roller slides (ok, presses) onto the carrier and only allows the idler roller to rotate. It doesn't wobble at all, but uses bearing action only.

The entire carrier, when pressed onto the WP pin, fits flush at the idler so that the support bracket (really late model) can be held in place by the 4mm tapered allen screw. If I put a washer between the pin's 17mm shoulder and the roller, the the pin won't be flush with the radiator side of the carrier, where the 4mm allen screw goes into the bracket.

The 17mm hex shoulder of the pin fits into the recessed inside end of the idler roller. Is this where a washer goes????? The idler is held onto the carrier by a circlip, which is not shown in the PET.

Engine-side of idler roller, with Circlip that is NOT in PET



Same view, with Pin partly pushed through the idler-end of carrier. Note that the pin's 17mm hex shoulder fits next to the inside bushing, just inside the carrier fitted end.



I removed the carrier, with rollers intact and placed a suitable washer (the actual part per PET is on backorder) between the inner bushing and the pin hex shoulder and ended up with the following at the front end.



Note there is now a gap at the front end, so the 4mm tapered allen screw, with the bracket in place, doesn't appear to be correct. Note the pin location in John Pirtle's writeupat Step 16 of Installing the Timing Belt.

With the engine-side washer (per PET) in place, it appears the idler roller is too far forward (toward radiator). This shouldn't affect belt tracking, but caused other alignment problems. (See below).



Note that the bracket fits flush against the outer bushing and that there is no place for an outer washer, as shown at #45 in the PET.



My own conclusion:

1. The later model cars, GTS, probably GT, which have the idler roller pin and bracket holding the radiator side of the idler to the WP, DO NOT have washers as shown in the PET.

2. There is a circlip, not shown in PET, which holds the idler roller to the carrier, on the engine side of the carrier.

3. The flat surface of of the 17mm hex has enough flat surface to fit smoothly against the flat end of the inner bushing.

4. With out the PET washers, things seem to line up correctly, as the photos suggest.

If I'm wrong, then I'll be back in soon enough.

Any thoughts???

 

According to PET, 87+ MY uses carrier # 928 105 489 02. The 85 (I didn't check all MY's) is #928 105 540 03.

So, the carrier changed when the design was changed from Tensioner Bolt (928 105 570 03) to the pin (928 105 570 05).

 

Got the center cover back on *** well as the damper so I could rotate the engine a few times. Went back and reviewed John Pirtle's writeup and found his photo of the backside of the idler, with the circlip! That was reassuring. Sot he PET is incorrect in not showing the circlip for the idler.

 

Where's Garth? He should know the answer to all this.

 

Bill:

Regarding your list of conclusions:

1. There is no washer between the tensioner arm and the pin in the water pump on any car that has the "supported" pin.

2. Of course there is a circlip. It is indeed not pictured. This too, is true for all models with the "supported" pin.

3. True

4. True

Porsche screwed up the PET. The correct pieces are all present on your car and you have correctly assembled the pieces.

greg brown

 

Greg:

Thanks for the input. When I undertook this project, I knew I would be pushing the outer boundaries of the number of hours this would take. Everyone on this forum has been great in offering their help. I'm a reasonably decent wrench, but the first time doing something as critical as TB/WP, I felt like I was doing surgery for the first time.

I've rotated the engine now about 10 or 12 times now. Will tension the belt and get this finished up this week.

 

And then going to SITM... right?

 

Andrew, SITM is still on my radar. I've got to Mapquest the route and see how far it is. I'll let you know.

 

Google maps says just under 7 hours, but that translates to about 4-5 hours in shark-years!

 

That's why I hate Mapquest. the time estimates are all wrong. I think it's closer to 5 hours, tops, using reasonable cruising speeds.