jonnybgood

Since misery loves company I would like to know how many others have suffered a belt failure. I personally had a counterbalance belt failure that dislodged the timing belt so I am including that in the poll. I have also seen three other 944S websites that show pictures of cam chain tensioner failures so I am including that.

I have been thinking about my event. There was an initial pop of the counter balance shaft breaking. For a few seconds before the engine quit, there was the buzzing sound of what I now believe to be timing belt teeth rubbing the broken counter shaft belt or something stationary. My boy I wish I had done that is this, suppose at the first sign of trouble I had depressed the clutch and switched off the engine? I did have time to do that, would I have saved the cost of a head rebuild? If just that balance shaft belt broke and I had stopped the engine in time the valves would not have hit the pistons. What do you think?

SidViscous

None for me.

But shutting off the engine definetely would have saved it

Porsche also should have run the waterpump off of the Balance belt rather than the T-belt

jonnybgood

Sorry about that. I wanted to separate out the 16V cam chain tensioner failures from the rest of the data. You can only select one item.

Fishey

I put - Does your engine have 16 valves?
because I was thinking you were asking if all my valves were ok (also known as no I have had no problems)

jonnybgood

Good that way perhaps we can get a percentage failure rate. Lets see, you wouldn't have a cam chain tensioner failure if you didn't have a 16V car...

Oh well I hope it is interesting.

Friendan

Heh, I recently changed my belts, water pump, and front end seals...I discovered they hadn't been done in 10 years (car was in long-term storage) When I took it in to have the belts changed, the balance belt had already snapped...lord knows how long I was driving around like that...and the teeth were just starting to peel on the timing belt.

Man, I'm a lucky bastard.

thedyingiraffe

Cam chain here...

You forgot to put rod bearings in your survey

pete944

I have a 16V. No failures but it had a leaky waterpump when I bought it. I changed it out right away and this spring it's getting new belts. The belts are in good shape now but I need to do the front seals and it's worth it to put new belts on since I'll have it all apart anyway. The car also has a new chain tensioner pad and the PO gave me a spare new one (thanks, Joel).

jonnybgood

I wanted to only look at belt/chain failures.

GOBOGIE

No failures with either car, yet I addressed the issue prior to driver either car.

SamGrant951

timing belt for me, waterpump locked up. that was in 1997.

Dave

None of the above , but everything ELSE

Highway T

Didn't want to answer in case I jinxed myself but nothing broke yet (touch wood).

Chris

P.S. Who says I'm superstitious????

Bones944

On my N/A, when I first bought it the PO told me he had just done the belts and produced the receipt for the parts (he worked as a tech at a Porsche dealer). A few months later I was driving it and it had a sudden loss of power. I parked, opened the hood, and saw belt "powder" around the timing cover, so I called for a flatbed and had it taken home (100 miles away). After opening it up, I discovered that the PO HAD changed the belts, but never replaced the rollers and tensioners, ( he bought 'em, wonder what he did with 'em) resulting in a frozen balance shaft belt roller, which shredded the teeth from the belt. Fortunately no damage to the timing belt so I just ordered the kit from paragon and replaced everything at one time. Hope he did a better job on customers cars...........

major

One timing belt failure. About $2800 to have head rebuilt. Happened at idle at stoplight but still bent valves all to heck.