928 79 SLC

On a scale of 1 (easy) to 10 (very hard do not attempt)...I'm thinking of changing the water pump and timing belt myself...I've changed water pumps and timing belts before on other cars before...but I'm alittle intimadated...I have a 1979 928...any thoughts, opinons or help would be greatly appreciated...also any websites that have detailed information.

rixter

it's an 8 maybe, you'll need the flywheel lock and tension gauge... it's a non-interference engine
take your time, clean EVERYTHING as you go.. douse the wp bolts with PBBlaster for a couple days before trying to remove them, heck douse it all for a couple days

Vilhuer

Instruction are for 32V engine but 16V is very close the same except tensioner is slightly different as it do not have bleed and fill screws or belt tightness warning system.

http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/tbelt.html

Mako 928

John Kelly has a great manual on '85 ' 86 timing belt replacement that is step by step W/ pictures which he sells for next to nothing. Should'nt be to far off of a '79. Do a search on Timming belt manual

Richard S

First time? Maybe an 8. After that a 5. Early car is easier than later models.

Rich

StratfordShark

The 1-10 is an excellent idea for rating jobs.

At risk of going off topic would anyone like to add their list of common jobs and assign a rating? At the end we could average out the ratings and get the wisdom of the group!

Maybe only experienced wrenchers should reply, which rules me out!

Cajun

I am glad that you made this post. I was wondering the same thing about my '87. I even went so far as to get the detailed instructions on how to do the job...

Good idea. If you decide to tackle the job yourself, be sure to post up your impressions & rate the job yourself!

Landseer

Just did my first, a 16V. I'd call it a 6. Here's some random thoughts.

If you've done timing belts before on overhead cam engines, then you can do this, no problem.

Slow and methodical is the way to go. Patience cleaning, inspecting, etc as has already been noted. Take photos for reference. Be ready to put it up in the garage for a couple of weekends if you are picking through it by yourself.

Replace anything worn. Gears, idler rollers & bearings, etc. Extensively search/read the experiences of everybody else (mostly 32V projects). Be ready to put the job on ice and wait if you get part way through and are missing a part that you didn't pre-stock prior to the job.

Expect to break a WP bolt or two. Be ready to surgically drill-out and extract the stud. Left hand drill bits, center punch, lots of light....
(In my case, I turned my back for 30 seconds, and my 75 yr-old dad got impatient and broke-off two of them.) Then, broke a drill bit in the bolt. End game involved a pair of helicoils, hopefully not in waterway bolt passageways.

You need a flywheel lock! Can't do this with a BA screwdriver. Crank bolt has over 200 ft-lb torque. I needed to buy a big torque wrench. I needed my 3/4 drive socket set and a pipe extension to break it loose. (And my dad pulling on it too. Not sure what woulda happened if I turned my back during this subproject).

Getting belt on, getting right tooth alignment, not hard. 16V is very forgiving in this area. I went further and took of Mickey Mouse ear cam end covers to replace a seal, two o-rings and a small thick little o-ring on each side to thwart an oil leak. Don't fret, it goes back together only one way, keyways on by 84 were not excessively wide so cam degreeing wasn't needed.

I think the real risk is NOT doing it yourself. Even on a 16V, you probably don't want a non-928 enthusiast to touch this. If you decide to do it, or you want a recommendation on parts, email me along the way and although I've only done one, I'd be glad to try to help.

karl ruiter

Do It. Since its a non interference motor there is not much you can really damage. Just don't overtighten the belt or you might break the drivers side cam. Usualy I just do the belt, the pump, and the plastic bushings on the pivot arm. But for what you will save in labor you can do all the rollers and what ever else while you are in there. If you are not in a rush to get it done you could start by just pulling the center cover and putting a little liquid wrench on the water pump bolts once a week for a few weeks while you are still driving the car around. This might decrease the risk of the biggest headache involved in the job.

Jim bailey - 928 International

This one has a low fear factor because of the none interference motor. Check and understand the cam and crank marks before you pull off the old belt. No need to fool with the 45 degrees off TDC on a 16 valve just do it marks lined up. Be sure NOT to turn the harmonic balancer around front to back or the timing mark will be way off. Take out the radiator . Be sure to not lay the fan face down or the fluid will leak out of the fan clutch. Use care to not loosen the cambolt by using a wrench when trying to line up the T-belt. Have new water pump bolts ready that almost assures that none will break

85fortheDrive

I chose to have this done professionally, but aminly because of the tools required. If you have done TB/WP work before, then you should be okay. Don't forget to have beer on hand and keep the kids away for when the cussing starts.

Shark Attack

I have done 2. its not really that hard unless the freaking pump bolts break. One word of caution.. follow some sort of directions and FOLLOW THE TORQUE tightness for all the bolts. one of them in there is only to go to 15# and will break if you go further with it.

The hardest part for me was getting the belt back on by myself. The cam gears do not want to stay put. (you will see what I mean) a friend is a big help here. I also suggest a good pressure wash of the front of the engine before you start. My first one took me 3-4 nights the second one took me an afternoon on a saturday.

special tools:
flywheel lock and if you do not have it, a 300ft# air impact
300# torque wrench
50# torque wrench
TB tention gauge.

fraggle

If you haven't been far into your car before, make sure to take care of all the "while I'm in there" stuff. Vacuum lines, wiring, everything in there is 30 years old, but almost all of it is still available. Replace everything iffy!

marton

I never did a TB & WP change before but it was relatively easy on my 16V non-interference motor. For complexity I would only give it a 5.
However, first time it does take a long time (that does not mean it is complex just that it is not designed for a fast change- just loosening and taking off the auxiliary belts takes for ever) and you have to read all the instructions available several times before you start.
If you have enough time then I would certainly DIY. As somebody said you do risk breaking WP bolts or damaging the thread; on the other hand if you are like me then you will benefit because you do a lot of WYAIT jobs at the same time that most garages will not do.
For example
cleaning all the components & surfaces involved.
putting anti sieze on all the bolts so it easier next time.
replacing all the WP bolts with stainless
Carefully examing all the gears involved and replacing any that are not 100%
Cleaning & rebuilding the tensioner
Checking the TB tension several times
Checking & replacing oil seals

Good Luck

marton

H2

With John Kelly's manual (he's a Rennlister) the job is relatively easy. The manual is very detailed and the best resource for this "how to" I've seen. You'll need a torque wrench that's good up to 30-50 lbs. The stronger torque wrenches are not accurate enough for small bolts you'll find in this job and many people strip these when using the "feel" method. A stripped water pump bolt is a PITA. Also the tensioner arm bolt is particularly important as with the large head it's easy to overtorque...possibly weakening the bolt for premature failure (not good!). An aluminum block is very different in "feel" than the steel block. You can hurt the job (or yourself) without adequate tools. Small tools that fit in tight places help too.

Harvey