944S timing belt problems and making the automatic shift higher &faster
 

Hi there,

You might remember me from before where I was going to convert my '88 944S to a callaway turbo:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-924-944-968-technical-forum/347157-need-callaway-turbo-kit-installation-manual-my-944s-automatic.html

Well I sold off the turbo parts after deciding it was to much of a project for my high school advanced shop class. Besides my 944S needed a lot of maintenace!

My grandpa bought it new and it had 90,000 miles when Igot it and the timing belt was never changed. I changed it in my first quarter in shop class...the belt was rotten and had a couple belt teeth missing! Good thing I changed it in time. After I put the timing belt back on the engine vibrates a lot more now. Maybe I didn't get the timing belt back on right and its misfiring. It seems to have good power still...I'll figure whats wrong out next quarter. I need to take the belt off again anyway as the water pump is leaking now.

Also next quarter I want to rebuild the automatic transmission. I have to shift myself thru L-2-D to get decent power from the car...it shifts by itself at 4000RPM even if you floor it! The transmission is slipping now and it needs rebuilt according to my shop teacher.

My car has the "S" package with 16 valves and has no power on the low end. How can I adjust the transmission to shift at a higher RPM on its own? Also, is there a "shift kit" for this transmission so it shifts harder? Right now it really sliiiiiii...des into each gear. The shop teacher has a 2002 Camaro with a shift kit and it barks the tires when it shifts!

Thanks for any help or ideas. Pablo

Very strange.

Your 944S should not have come with an automatic transmission, as that was not available on that car.

All 944S, 944S2 and 944 Turbo cars came with manual transmissions only.

Well my grandfather said he had to special order it that way because of his bad left knee and that no dealers had one in stock. When I looked up the value on the kelley blue book site it gave the option for an automatic. I don't think it was modified...my grandfather picked it up at the factory in Germany!

How about a picture of the engine bay, or your VIN number???;);)

Did you sell all of the callaway stuff? If not I'm interested in what you have left.

Yeah thats extremely interesting about the automatic tranny in an "S".

Regardless, sounds like the new vibration is your balance belt being a bit off. Its extremely easy to get it misaligned while tightening it. The good news its an easy fix.

Or it could be the motor mounts. They are one of the things that are known to go bad around that milage.

Yeah, I've heard the S is kind of gutless in the low end , at least compared to the 8 valve motor.
You probably wouldn't want too hard a shift, since the transaxles in these cars, except for maybe the turbo, are a bit fragile and will pop the final drive ring and pinion if harshly abused.