Kriket users stand up and be counted
 

It took two different NAPA stores to find the tool because it wasn't in the book.

I asked the guy to do a silly thing and type KR-1 into the computer and the strangest look came over the guys face, the silly customer was right, they had it.

They had both and the only thing I could see different was the ears on the sides of the KR-2.

$3 difference on the price.

Of the two, which is the one you found to work better as I can't afford the P-car tool.SmileWavy

I will be buying one next time I do my belts. We compaired the kriket to the porsche tool at 944fest, they both read the exact same thing. I don't see why you wouldn't want to buy a kriket...

to reiterate bearone. it would definitely be useful to know the difference between the tools and if it matters for our application. the price is incosequential but knowing you have the right tool (or the better of the two) is what counts. anyone?

If someone would be willing to send the kriket tool to me, I can compare it against the 9201 - complete with pictures.

AFJuvat

If someone would be willing to send the kriket tool to me (obviously, I would send it back when I am finished), I can compare it against the 9201 - complete with pictures. Can try it against series 1, series 2, S, S2 and 951.

AFJuvat

I have the Optibelt. Like the Kricket different name. I found it consistent with the Cam Belt and all over the place with the balance belt and adjusted to "feel".

Juvy. Email me and You may use mine. I will be back in town Saturday if that is OK. I have the cal bar for yours if you do not already have it.

Rick

I'd do it in a heartbeat but haven't bought either yet.

Come on somebody, step up to the plate.

This is somebody offering a slick evaluation compared to the $$$$$$ unit.

Krikit 1 is the one you want. They are for different sized belts.

KR1 - 7/8" wide belts
KR2 - 2" wide belts
KR3 - 3" wide belts

If no one steps up, I'll do it, but I wouldn't be able to send it til next week. I need it Thursday and Friday :D

I can overnight one to you Juvy. PM me.

Hey Scott.

Your mailbox is full

Rick, Give me a call - we can test them on your car for the series 1 - killing 2 birds with one stone.

AFJuvat

How neccessary is the tool really? My original Porsche agent had the criticism about the new guy a bunch of us from the Porsche club are using, that he did not have the Porsche tool or kriket. I questioned the new guy about it and he says with years of experience on Porsches it is not neccessary, as it was not neccessary with other makes of cars. And this guy is highly respected,worked for Porsche agents doing GT2's,911's etc worth 20 times my car's value. Are there many of you guys out there doing the belts by feel?

I use my Krikit to set the cam belt initially. After that I only feel it with my hand. As my car is tracked, I change the belt every year. I feel it before I take the car to a track event.

My balance shaft belt is set by hand to just below the whinning point.

Others on this list don't use anything and set it by feel.

Sorry Juvy, I emptied it out.

i have used the krikit 1, for the last 2 or so years, and find that if you take your time, and recheck your results, to make sure you have the same reading/repeatability, then it does the trick.
i did look at finding an alternative to the factory tool, as basically, it is a dial gauge, with the means to calibrate. this is the problem with finding an alternative. you have to have the means of calibrating your gauge, to obtain the correct readings.
i dont doubt for one minute, that the 9201 is extremely accurate and repeats very well, but the krikit is quite repeatable, and i believe within the ball park, as regards the 9201's readings.
depends how "safe" you want to feel with your adjustment. its all relative, if you buy a belt, that has a fault. no matter what you use, or who does the job.
i tend to look at it this way. i was going to obtain my timing/balance belts from the local dealer. he wanted $57 for timing, and $167 for balance. i ended up getting from pelican for $12/ 34. were the "official" porsche belts any better, because they were more expensive??.
at the end of the day, its your call, and your engine!!. if you feel confident with the krikit, then go ahead. if not, then obtain the 9201, or get the shop to do it!
main thing i think, is regular belt maintainance/replacement.
good luck with your choice.
regards, bob.

so does this thing 'churp' or something? is it shaped like a bug? why is it called a krikit?

thats too funny! its quite a simple system actually. as you push the krikit against the belt, at a certain point, you hear a distinct "click", and that means "stop pushing", remove the krikit, and take your reading.
at the same pressure, it always "clicks", so you get repeatability.
as you push the gauge against the belt, an arm moves out, over a scale, that you read across. quite simple, but it works. i think it was originally intended for power steering /alternator belts, but i find i works out ok. there is one being marketed, with the actual settings for the 944 belts marked on the gauge. eventually, i will get this one too, as i feel it will be better than the krikit--not more accurate, just better for reading/adjusting to the settings.
hope this is useful to you,
regards, bob.

I have used the 9201 and the KR1. Practice is the key and while I had both on hand, I did the belt several times to get a method down. The KR1 is just as good as the 9201, though I'm sure that there are those who would dispute that. For me, the KR1 is entirely adequate. The key is to measure the same way, same place each time. Once I had that part down, I hit dead on the 9201 every time.

so yagi, what tool is the one that has the 944 settings on it?

ok, use your search engine,and look up "blaszak precision motorsports".
you will find all the info you require there, and a basic introduction, in how to use the tool.
he is marketing a tool, exactly the same as the krikit, but the settings for the 944 belts, are marked on the scale.
on my krikit, i scribed thick lines, where these settings are, and this works ok,but i think i'm going to get the one from blaszak, as an upgrade.
regards, bob.

Yagi- as in amatuer radio? I'm favorable to colinear stuff- like stacked 1/4-5/8 on 2m. Just curious.

CQ CQ CQ !! DE VE3PTC . nice to meet a fellow "ham" on this board.
yes, you got it in one! i have a klm kt 34a triband, 4 elemend yagi, and its BIG!! also, 4 element yagi for 6m, and a tri-band co-linear, for 2m, 6m, and 70cms. for the low band stuff, i use a 110' center fed dipole, with open line!
ha ha, i'm busted again!
regards, bob.

KE4PSE This is Kilo Echo 4 Papa Sierra Echo, now returning to net control. If you ever dx with WB4JIO or AD4LI, say hello. They hang out on 80m. My brother is KF4GWB, and a fellow 944 owner.

I was experimenting with a 4 element collapsible quad for 2m that fits in a backpack. I set it up to use with an Alinco handy and from mountain summits, the reach was downright scary for 2 watts. It was really fun to kick up mulitiple repeaters that 2m has no prayer of hitting any other way. The set up keyed up repeaters over 400 miles out. Some old timers wayyy out there weren't amused, but I didn't care, it was an experiment anyway, not something I would do on a regular basis. The next wild hair was to be a quagi along the same lines with some type of rear reflector. The house station is just a simple colinear with ground plane, I can hit quite a few repeaters with it, but the hams in my area don't seem to be very sociable. Man, I should upgrade my license soon. I haven't yet because I wasn't very interested in the low stuff. Ever see a 951 with a 2m rig?

77-KE4PSE

ke4pse de ve3ptc, hi dave, sounds all good !
quite a family of amateurs there! yeah, when i first got my license, i took my radio's into the car, and used either pro-am, or ham-stik antenna's, and they worked just fine. being in engineering, i usually make all my own antenna's/mounts, and even towers!
i have built multi-band quads {my favourite antenna}and yagi's, and of course, verticals. its fun to experiment!
i considered putting one of those "on glass" antenna's on the 944, so i could use 2m/70cms, but decided to just keep all the antenna's on the " beater" car--my olds 98 royal brougham!
good to meet a fellow amateur on here, and i cant even imagine a 2m antenna on a 951!!
73 de bob.

Jack, I don't quite think that's right. I just purchased the KR1 after looking at both the KR1 and KR2 at NAPA. they were exactly the same shape, dimensions etc. and the difference in the tools was that the KR1 is designed for belt tension measurements from 50 to 150 lbs and the KR2 was from 100 to 320 lbs. I'm not sure if that's what you meant but that appears to be the difference in the two gauges

I'm going to give it a try on my v-belts that I replaced a few days ago this weekend and see what I can come up with

thanks, I'll give it a try! I already bought the krikit gauge but I'll see how this one stacks up

hi ronin. hope the gauge works out ok for you. like an earlier post, the key is to place the krikit in the same location each time, to get the same reading. i have placed the krikit, at the top, the bottom, and it always gives reliable results. be careful when doing the balance belt. make sure that the underside of the "sliding arm" contacts on one of the ribs.
after hearing the distinct "click", which is the calibration point, you will have to carefully, remove the gauge, without catching on to something, as this will make your reading null.
i'm surprised that no one has expanded on this simple system, to allow for a reading, that cant be changed, until you press a reset button. just like on a digital vernier, or digital micrometer. peak hold !
anyways, for an inexpensive, simple device, it really does a good job.
happy tensioning!
regards, bob.

thanks Bob! who knows? perhaps I'll give it a go and make millions!! until then, I shall practice with my krikit

(click, 125lbs. click, 128lbs. click.....) :D