blown 87

Here are some pics of what my cam gears look like after 70,000 miles with Kens tensioner set up.
I am not sure if this is the highest mileage on one of these units or not, so speak up if yours is a high mileage unit.


This is my second timing belt change, and it has had regular inspections along the way, i started at 5,000 miles and have worked my way up to 15,000 miles before pulling the covers off to look.

This started with all new gears and a factory belt, the idler pulley has been changed twice, the tensioner itself looked and felt good the first time I did a belt at 30,000 and in most normal apps they will go 120,000-180,000 miles before they start to get 'loose'.
When I say loose I mean that they are easy to push in by your thumb when off the car for maybe the first 2-3 32nd of a inch and are easy to push in with a vise, this one was what I call loose on my car.
when I say that i do not mean it was in any danger of failing, but it was due to be changed.

I have no idea how many of the hydraulic units off of other cars i have replaced in the last 20 years, but it is hundreds, if not in the four figure range, so i have a pretty good feel for what is a good one or a bad one.

In a nutshell, the good is, well just look at the gears, they look pretty good for 70,000 miles on a car the gets beat on like mine does.
And the test goes on, heck they may look like this at the next belt change, we will see.

The bad, until we get more users with higher miles on them I would not go past 50,000 miles on the hydraulic part or the roller on a system that started off with all new parts.

Sorry for the pic quality, my flash took a crap.










The rest are just some of the other pics of the timing belt and water pump job.
















You guys have fun.

ROG100

Awesome and I guess those are the old "Soft" gears not the new hard gears?

blown 87

that is correct.

you can see in one pic where it looks like a grain of sand got picked up and ran past the gears and marked them.

the flyin' scotsman

great stuff........I have had my Pkensioner on the S4 for many years but not that many miles......no issuses.

Did you observe any change in the water pump when you change the belt both times?

blown 87

No, not that was related to this part of it.



I felt a little radial play in the bearing so I changed it this time.

the flyin' scotsman

Perhaps a better question; when you started with all new gears, belt and Pkensioner was the WP new?

if so, is it the latest Laso?

blown 87

No, it was rebuilt Porsche pump with a plastic impeller, at the time Lasso only offered a cast impeller unit.
i had had a new one (at the time, which was years ago) get into the block with less than 3000 miles.
thanks to Roger Lasso has got the pump to use now and the one i put in was a new lasso unit.

the flyin' scotsman

thank you Greg...........I ask as Im about to exact same on my GTS using all new gears, Pkensioner, Gates belt and Laso WP

toofast928

Nice product Ken!

blown 87

i did not use a gates belt.

Jadz928

Thanks for the data point Greg!

Lizard928

Good stuff Greg,
Thank you for the update.

I had 42k miles on an 86.5 motor (one of the first test brackets), all components were still in perfect shape and had no wear.
I then took them off that motor, and installed on another engine that has now done around 45k miles with them on. I just took them off and still all are in very good shape, no play on the bearing, tensioner still has loads of pressure, and everything moves as it should. I will be changing the tensioner, but reusing the rest as there is nothing wrong with them!

Tony

Reassuring info....thnx for sharing. I will probably replace mine based on time not mileage....dont do near the miles you do.

PorKen

Subscribed...

928Shane

Great info.Has anyone used the kempf tool to track any tensionchanges as the miles go on, or does this system change it enough that the tool no longer gages properly?