bebbetufs

As per the title. Is this achievable if I drop the engine? If not I won't drop the engine. I'll just change the cam chain pads.

Ahsai

So your car is a 996 with a 2.5L boxster engine in it?

bebbetufs

No, it's a 986 with a Boxster engine. Sorry for being unclear.

Ahsai

I'm sure you don't have to on a 3.6L. I think your 2.5L should be the same. You may want to check with folks in the Boxster forum and also on renntech.org...very helpful Boxster experts there.

Atrox

Boxster or 911?im confused

bebbetufs

Boxster. I thought the engine cases were almost identical so I thought this was a good place to ask.

Slakker

It was definitely worth a try. The. 996 forum has some of the best engine "experts" of any forum around. We are really lucky.

Noz1974

Yes you can the tensioner blades are located inside the chain boxes accessed by removing the heads, you may need to remove coolant housing with oil pump to get to the securing bolts on the front of the engine, you can do the vario cam pads in the heads too they get the most worn, why are you wanting to do this?

bebbetufs

My cam deviation is way out of spec and I've ordered the pads for the tensioners. Then it struck me that perhaps other pads are worn in a similar way and that I should probably change as many of the pads as possible when I'm at it.

I just realized I should have asked "without removing more than the valve covers" because I'm not going to remove the heads.

Ahsai

I don't see why you need to remove the heads. The blades are held in place by either one or two bolts, which are all accessible fron the engine case, on the flywheel side and the main pump side. Like Noz said, one of the bolts is blocked by the front coolant console (where the main oil pump mounts onto), which needs to be removed or at least undone and seperarted from the engne case.

bebbetufs

Thank you for wanting to help.
The way I read Noz' post was that the heads have to come off to be able to pull out the blades.

Is this recommended for maintenace, or would you wait for when it's time for a complete rebuild?

On the 996, would you drop the engine for this, or would you be able to do this with the engine in the car?

speed rII

Drop the engine. If I remember right, the 1-3 chainrail bolt is behind flywheel.

bebbetufs

I'm removing the flywheel to inspect the IMSB anyway, but on the boxster that is easy to do with the engine in the car. I guess once the transmission is of It's not too much work to drop the engine. It will be much easier to keep contaminants out with the engine out of the car.

I'm clutching at straws 'cause I would like to wait for the off-season before I drop the engine. This is a dedicated track-day car so I need to ensure the engine doesn't blow up during the season though.

Noz1974

Ahsai is probably right I did a full rebuild on my engine so they went in before the heads but you will have to at least take the cams and vario tensioner off to access the top of the chain box to get them out but you can do the vario tensioner pads while your there they get the most wear mine had deep grooves but the rest were not too bad light marks, I'm not sure which pads cause cam deviation the most Ahsai do you have any idea??

Ahsai

I believe the variocam pads are the ones most responsible for cam deviations.

OP, I would suggest removing the engine for this work and also check out this thread. Someone else posted this today helping another poster.

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/615351-996-ims-timing-chain-guide-transmission-pinion-bearing-and-misc-items-diy-project.html