Fultonphoto

I have a 91 964 Targa and just had one of the belts in one my distributors break. The car only has 41,000 miles on it. Is this a common problem? Is the belt inside of the distributor replaceable or do I need to buy a new set of distributors?

I was quoted just under $1400 with a Borg distributor. Is this a fair price?

Guavanecta

Yes, this is a common issue if your car was not fitted with a distributor vent kit. The belt can be replaced without having to replace the whole unit. It's a single distributor with two caps, with the second rotor being driven by the first, hence the belt. The part is cheap, but it's a bit labor intensive.

Fultonphoto

Thanks for the info. I now understand how the distributor works. I was a bit confused. I am not sure if my mechanic knows this or not? Unfortunately I am in South Dakota and he is about the only person in the area that knows anything about these cars. He was able to diagnose the problem though. I would rather pay less for a belt and for a couple extra hours of labor than for a $1000 dollar part.

dfinnegan

Distributor belt replacement thread collection

Fultonphoto

Thank you very much for this write up. I just talked to the shop and they refused to do a belt replacement. I think that they don't want to make just labor on the repair. They want to sell me the part and make extra $$$ on the sale too. Good chance that I won't be taking the car back to them anytime soon. Not good business.

I am mechanically inclined enough that I may try replacing this part myself?

Thanks again, Sean

wellcraft290

surprised of their reaction because honestly is a pretty common occurance. I am actually shocked that pelican etc doesn't just do an exchange program and just refurbish a dist and you send them the old one.

jimq

isnt there a Guy in Atlanta that did them real reasonable?

Shamus964

I think Steve Weiner at Rennsport systems does rebuilds/belts - good bloke and an awesome Rennlist supporter

Laker

The guy in Atlanta is Marc Cohen markc123 at bellsouth dot net Did mine and it came back like new. I actually noticed a smoother spin.
$180 includes return postage and insurance

dfinnegan

You can certainly do it. I had changed the oil once, or twice on a car 20 yrs before I bought the 964. With the help of the good folks here I tackled the belt change within a few months of purchasing the car. Go slow, follow the write-ups and it'll be a rewarding project. Get the parts ahead of time and plan on a day.

If you get into any trouble, or have any questions, just post and lots of knowledgeable people here on the forum will be happy to help out!

Cheers,
Dave

Bearclaw

This is the guy in Atlanta. Apparently highly recommended, I found his name on many threads here. $150, unless the price has gone up recently.
Peeled from another thread:

"Mark Cohen who is on the 993 forum rebuilds them. markc123@bellsouth.net
(770) 365-1601. He does a great job."

Silvertarga

You also need to consider the bearings and the 20 plus year old lube in the distributor which is subject to alot of heat

I had Steve do a total rebuild on mine ...ran about $750.00, new bearings, belt, etc

Fultonphoto

I have plenty of patience and can make the time to do this. Just not sure if I would rather have the distributor rebuilt or do it myself? It doesn't seem too hard, just time consuming? Time vs $$$. The removal and installation seem more critical than anything. I will check into it further.

Fultonphoto

thanks for all the help

Laker

a) $180 done by an expert or b) a day of frustration. I went with-----> a)



easy enough to remove and replace as long as you line it all up and mark the spot