Jon Usher

OK, time to retension the timing belt on my 86 951. The P.O. just had the belts changed before I bought it and now I've put 2000 extremely fun miles on them. I budgeted enough to buy the Porshe tool when I purchased the car (Especially with Vertex Auto selling them for $375). The question is: am I really better off with the Porshe tool or is the Blaszak tool OK?

Thanks,
Jon

Bri Bro

I have used the Blaszak tool with good results. I have yet to see the reason why the Porsche tool is so expensive, It must have solid gold in it somewere.

Scott Heckert

I was in your same shoes. I was going to buy the Porsche tool but I did not. I bought the Blazak tool and it works fine. I had to do it 3 times before I got it right but once I listened to tool was telling me everything was OK. I kept making the belts too tight. The only thing you have to be carful about the Blazak tool is when you are pushing on it that the belt does not hit anything to messup your results. I have been driving on my new belts and have done a track event with no problems. My best advice to use the Blazak tool and do what the gage is telling you. The balance shaft belt to a touch feels very loose when tensioned correctly. Timing belt is tighter but feels loose to a touch. One thing you have to remember is the motor expands alot once it heats up. Good luck!!!! <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

Alpine951

Its the same tool sold at NAPA. Its called the Cricket II. About $8. <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

KW951

Well I just did this job, I was able to borrow the Porsche tool from Tabor. The Porsche tool is a very precise instrument. Unfortunatly the tolerances in the belt system make an instrument like that pretty pointless in my eyes. A degree or two of turn on the tensioner can result in huge changes in the belt tension. And until you turn the engine over you have no idea what it's going to come out to. After doing it once with the Porsche tool, and then doing it again with the clicker tool I don't see the need to spend that kind of money.

Jon Usher

Just got off the phone with Blaszak. What a nice guy!
Very informative chat - his knoweledge of the 944/951 is amazing and he took the time to explain it all (turbos, waste gates, controll arms, DME chips, etc.

His tool is on the way. I figure with what I save on the tool I can afford to do the control arms.

-Jon
86 951, Guards Red, SFR 3" Cat back

Matthew West

Please note that the above post contains some missinformation. Here is a correction from another post:

[quote] You bought the wrong Kricket tool, just like I did. I had to return it back to Napa and get the Kricket 1 tool (KR1). I didn't find this out until a few days before actually requiring usage of it, but caught it in time to exchange it for the one with the correct tension range (30lbs to 100lbs?). You probably read the same post I did where the guy recommended the KR2 product instead of the correct KR1 tool. <hr></blockquote>

ColoradoBill

Wher can I buy the Blaszak being discussed here? And hw much should a fair to middlin' (at best) home mechanic fear doing this job?

Bri Bro

Here it is;
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/blaszak_precision/" target="_blank">Blaszak</a>
No problems reported so far.

Mike S.

Colorado Bill,

They did belts at a 944 tech session in my PCA chapter last year. Of course the guy who did it was an expert and well, made it look easy. Having the benefit of seeing it was done gives me enough confidence to do it myself (with the aid of a shop manual) when that time comes. And the big thing, that was mentioned by others, is the lack of sensitivity in adjusting the tension. I watched our expert take about 4 shots until he got it right. It was a bit of a hit or miss attempt each time.

By the way, our PCA chapter has the tension tool for members to borrow. If you're in the PCA, maybe you chapter has one also.

Mike