dmoffitt

well, what started as a simple burned valve (can that BE simple??) has turned into a rather major proejct. i figured, while i've got it apart, i might as well do......... a lot. i'm getting a new stage2 head and returning my core to lindsey racing, as well as their intake manifold, wastegate, and quite a few other parts (i'll post the full project, pictures, probably a video (which will eventually evolve into a documentary film) but anyway, as part of it, i'm replacing all of the belts. just did the AC delete, so i've now got a new timing belt, balancer belt, power steering, and the alt. only belt... anyway, my plan as of now is to put on the new head, run all new vac. lines and coolant hoses, reassemble everything else (new and cleaned / painted parts, we sandblasted and painted most of the hard coolant/vac metal pipes). so my question is, since i don't have that mad $$ belt tension tool, can i do the belts myself provided i can figure out the timing (i have a printed copy of that PDF factory manual)? i can order a tensioner (not sure which, my friend's dad's is getting one and is offering to buy it so we can use it here and he's gonna hang on to it, but the proprietary seeming porsche one is out of his budget / range of interest)?

so to rehash:

do i dare do the belts myself? or give up after spending days of reassembly and break down and have the local porsche dealer or a good shop do it (sorta frustrating, i've done all the rest myself)? if i CAN do it myself, do i have to us that tool mentioned in the manual? also, re: that tool, it seems the #s for tension in the manual aren't measured in any sort of standard unit, just "between X and Y on tool blab-blah" so even if i CAN do it msyelf, where do i find info on a standard unit of measurement that i can set the tension to?

TIA!
-dave

dmoffitt

TTT plz - i was hoping to do this tonight or tomorrow AM....

Danno

For the belt-procedrue, check out <a href="http://clarks-garage.com" target="_blank">Clark's Garage</a>. Be careful about the orientation of the balance-shaft pulleys, he explains that there. There have been quite a few shops that have gotten the pulleys reversed.

As for the belt-tension itself, a lot of people have had good luck with the Kricket-1 tool from NAPA. There was a conversion table someone posted somewhere that translates the numbers from the Porsche gauge to what you see on the Kricket. Can't find it in the archives, may be on the email-lists...

Danno

Ok, found the info on the Krikit tool:
<a href="http://hmc-international.com/krikit.htm" target="_blank">http://hmc-international.com/krikit.htm</a>

The corresponding tension readings should be:

balance-shaft belt: 28
timing belt: 40

dmoffitt

thanks a ton. we're gonna pick up a krikit tool monday, i think i got it 'bout right from what i felt before removing them, but it can't hurt to double check. i'm still going to get it tensioned @ a dealer or shop professionally, but we want to at least be able to start the car and test / check stuff before taking it there