1987 928 with vette engine
04-13-2009, 11:28 PM
#61
Race Car
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04-13-2009, 11:36 PM
#62
Rocket Pilot
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Fuel consumption and emissions. SAAB was the first car to pass the CA emissions laws years before they came into effect. The efficiency and lack of emissions of the B234 engine was years ahead of its time. It has a timing chain. I have one in my garage that has almost 200k miles and not even so much as a peep from the chain, and it was never touched. Also, these days auto-makers are pushed harder and harder on the efficiency and emissions fronts. Wouldn't that then be the perfect reason for a timing belt in a Cayenne? Instead it gets a double timing chain.
To incorporate other components with the timing belt? Why on earth would anyone want that... oil pump maybe, but water pump is just a stupid idea because it will fail and when it does, it will take the timing with it. There will always be other accessories that cannot be driven by the timing belt, so you will need at least one separate plane for those anyway. May as well put all the other accessories in that plane, no? IMO, driving the water pump with the back of the timing belt was THE dumbest thing Porsche designed into the 928. Again, look at the Cayenne engine, one plane for timing chain and another for all other components driven by a serpentine belt, including the water pump. Or look at an BMW M3 V8 engine, same thing. Is the M3 not a "sports" car?
It is just as easy to set cam timing with a chain as it is with a belt. I've seen it done. Also, I doubt Porsche expected more than 1% of 928 customers and/or their mechanics to be messing with cam timing in any way.
Also, designing in a timing belt system in the hopes that the car is maintained better, hmm I don't know about that one. Seems like there are many easier ways to approach such a task. Like I said, it wasn't only cheaper, it was also much easier to design a timing belt system. Many others are doing it right, so we can too
We all love 928's, otherwise we wouldn't be here. But this model is definitely not without its faults. If you think that Porsche put this system into the 928 for a good reason, you are fooling yourself. Whoever at Porsche decided to go with this system made a big mistake IMO. They should have done what Mercedes did, like with many other things. Maybe it would make the 928 not viewed as so maintenance intensive and it may have sold more, enabling Porsche to make it even better and maybe sell it longer.
Dan
'91 928GT S/C
475hp/460lb.ft
To incorporate other components with the timing belt? Why on earth would anyone want that... oil pump maybe, but water pump is just a stupid idea because it will fail and when it does, it will take the timing with it. There will always be other accessories that cannot be driven by the timing belt, so you will need at least one separate plane for those anyway. May as well put all the other accessories in that plane, no? IMO, driving the water pump with the back of the timing belt was THE dumbest thing Porsche designed into the 928. Again, look at the Cayenne engine, one plane for timing chain and another for all other components driven by a serpentine belt, including the water pump. Or look at an BMW M3 V8 engine, same thing. Is the M3 not a "sports" car?
It is just as easy to set cam timing with a chain as it is with a belt. I've seen it done. Also, I doubt Porsche expected more than 1% of 928 customers and/or their mechanics to be messing with cam timing in any way.
Also, designing in a timing belt system in the hopes that the car is maintained better, hmm I don't know about that one. Seems like there are many easier ways to approach such a task. Like I said, it wasn't only cheaper, it was also much easier to design a timing belt system. Many others are doing it right, so we can too
We all love 928's, otherwise we wouldn't be here. But this model is definitely not without its faults. If you think that Porsche put this system into the 928 for a good reason, you are fooling yourself. Whoever at Porsche decided to go with this system made a big mistake IMO. They should have done what Mercedes did, like with many other things. Maybe it would make the 928 not viewed as so maintenance intensive and it may have sold more, enabling Porsche to make it even better and maybe sell it longer.
Dan
'91 928GT S/C
475hp/460lb.ft
