Replacing all belts and rollers on 944S- what else?

Flormat · Flormat's Garage

I'm going to replace the belts and roller on my '87 944S. I know to replace the timing chain tensioner, the water pump but what else? Aren't there other items in there that need replacing I've read about? Something like J tubes? Any help is appreciated.

asudds · 07-24-2003, 05:02 AM

Oil feed tube to the chain tensioner, they have been known to crack

BallGoFar · 07-24-2003, 11:59 AM

Flormat,

It depends on the mileage and driving habits of your car. If your car isn't too much over 100K miles, then you probably only need to replace the camshaft chain tensioner plastic slide rail as this is the part that fails. It's only $25.00 and I got mine at Zims, http://www.*********** I get all of my parts there. Their prices are very competitive and they're a great bunch of guys. If you call them, ask for Kirk, he knows alot about our cars and has always been a great help to me. The part number for the plastic pad is: ZIM.105.049.RAIL.

What's the mileage and condition of your car? You might also think about the air filter and fuel filter while you're doing the other stuff. If you haven't ever done the belts and rollers, get somebody to help you with it that's done it. It's not hard but pretty time consuming the first time. You'll also want to think about the seals while you're in there, but again, it depends on the mileage and condition of the car.

Flormat · Flormat's Garage

My car has 102k miles on it and is in good condition. You're saying I probably don't need to replace the chain tensioner? I thought these babies were only good for 100k?
Thanks for the tips

924Sman · 07-25-2003, 05:20 AM

This is another time while there replace all! Do the seals too! Sman

BallGoFar · 07-25-2003, 07:38 AM

If you know the history of the car and it hasn't been run hard and put away wet and if the oil & filter have been changed religiously, then nah, you probably don't need to replace the entire chain tensioner assembly. If money is no object and you want total piece of mind, then go ahead and change out the entire assembly. I would go ahead and do the seals while you're in there. It's time for those.

I've never seen a case where the chain assembly has failed that it hasn't been the plastic ramp, though.
Look in the archives and around the internet, every time one of these cars craters, it's either the pastic ramp or the belt. I got so worried about mine, I bought a couple and changed it every 10K miles, but I'm a little anal.

Like I said earlier, it depends on the car. There's a lot of bad information out there about the 'S' cars. If properly maintained and you pay attention to it, it will last a long, long time and I always enjoyed how mine 'woke up' around 4K rpm.

Flormat · Flormat's Garage

Ok, one last question. Is the plastic ramp, the plastic slide rail, and the plastic pad all the same thing? Is the oil feed tube that asudds mentioned also the same part?

BallGoFar · 07-25-2003, 11:35 AM

Yes it's all the same thing, sorry, I didn't realize how confusing that could be.

Flormat · Flormat's Garage

I've been pricing all the parts I need to do this and I'm finding a large price difference for the plastic pad. Zims has it for $25 and other places have it for $2.69 and $2.90? When I called these 3 places I used the part number found on Clarks 944 Garage web page. How can the price for this part range from $3 to $25???