931guru

timing gear installed backwards. ask me how I know.

(Oops, sorry, I was thinking of the 8 valve 944 engine.)

Zirconocene

For real? I have stared and stared at that thing and it looks totally symmetric to me.

How do I know which side is supposed to be facing the block?

Cheers

Gage

No, the tension created from tightening the crank bolt should not push on the oil pump gear. If it is pushing on the gear, the splines of the oil pump gear and the splines of the drive collar are not aligned / engaged and that would certainly cause a resistance to rotation.

Zirconocene

@Gage : Sorry, I meant that the crank bolt (via the balance belt and timing gears and other stuff on the nose of the crank) pushes on the oil pump sleeve, and it's that friction that rotates the sleeve, which then drives the oil pump. I found one of @harveyf 's videos that indicates this is the case. It's entirely possible I misunderstood, so if that's the case, how is the oil pump driven on the car?

I'm harboring the idea that either the oil pump sleeve is seized, or I have bigger problems with the oil pump itself. Either way, I'm looking at significant work to understand what's going on and my dream of getting this car running has been deferred

Cheers

harveyf

Zirconocene, when you get back into review my series of articles on rebuilding the engine. Just scroll through quickly until you see a side view showing the stack up of parts on the crank snout. That may help you out. Edit- sorry I didn't realize this was a 968. My articles won't be much help. That said, if you study the PET diagrams carefully, you can usually figure out the order of assembly.