944 as my first car! timing belt. HELP!

[killerjustin94]

Hello all,

After reading countless posts on this forum for weeks i finally decided to become a member today. I am looking into buying a 1984 porsche 944 that has 70,000 original miles. Well today the owner told me it is still on its original timing belt and water pump!!!! I really really want this car but since I am a teenager I dont have the money to pay a repair shop over $1,000 to do the service for me. I have a garage and a lot of basic tools and some mechanical skills, but im not sure if i want to undertake the whole job. If anybody knows of a place where I can get a new timing belt and water pump installed for a low price that would be a great help. Or If you guys think that I should go ahead and try to do the job on my own any adive would be much appreciated. I just feel overwhelmed

Thanks,
Justin

[Jrboulder]

Don't worry. I'm 18 and have an 84 944 as well. I have had it 6 months and it has never been to a mechanic.

I think it is a great first project to dive into. just take it slow and take a lot of notes and pictures.
I'm sure you have been to clarks garage and that is a great resource.

YouTube - Porsche 944 Turbo Water Pump Change - part 1.wmv
That is a great video on how to do a WP job.

Jackson

[killerjustin94]

Hi, thanks for the response.

Yes i have been to clarks garage and read up on the install process.
That was a very helpful video but it sort of made me even more aprehensive to try it myself just because it looked so complicated haha.

[Jrboulder]

To be honest I would be more worried about the rubber centered clutch going out.

That video is little more complicated than the N/A

You could get it done in a weekend. Just start a thread about it and everyone here will walk you through the parts you get stuck on.

Jackson

[Arizona_928]

Keep looking. Find something that is already sorted, and a good running car.
I see a lot of well running 944, with new clutches, and all new rubber for three grand.
Remember there is nothing more expensive then a cheap porsche.



For example I bought my N/A when I was 16.
I have put into her about 3500$ in the last 3 years owning her, and I've only driven her consistently for about a year. They are good cars if they were maintained there whole lives. Since you're about as old as me, You're prolly better off on getting something that you can drive everyday, and have a 944 driving for fun.

[Marks924S]

Are you in Orange county NY or cali?

[killerjustin94]

Thanks for the input

It is a very well running car and my dad is co-workers and friends with the guy selling it. My dad was with him when he bought it from the original owner. So we know the history of the car and I know that it runs very well. Its just that with the mileage and years on the belts I know they should be replaced.

[killerjustin94]

I am located in Orange County California

[SolReaver]

Sheesh! I go away for a while and AZ porschekid steals my sig!

ORIGINAL timing belt and Water pump! wow. Yea, I would do that sooner rather than later. IF the clutch is original as well....Drive it until it breaks (and it will). Do a search on my posts and there is lots of timing belt water pump stuff. It MAY take you a weekend. Probably longer. How much it will cost depends on how much needs to be done while you are in there. ( duh) you WILL need special tools, again check my threads for details.

You COULD get a 944 all straightened out instead of fixing one up for yourself...But..What is the fun in THAT??? Be a man. Besides...they all need something.

Your call...Nice to know that the youth of today have an appreciation of old school german steel. Sooo much classier that anything your peers will drive. However...please be careful IF you get it. Don't drive like a teenager.

[Born2bwild1191]

Do it! I'm 19, on my second Porsche, neither have ever been to a mechanic. Between Clarks and Pelican, there's nothing you can't do to a 944.

And i totally agree with the above post - I may be a teenager but I dont drive like the typical moron. There's a fine line between driving fast and "spirited" and being a complete idiot. Every one of my friends has totaled a car, including one with a 944. Be the one friend that doesn't haha

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by SolReaver

Sheesh! I go away for a while and AZ porschekid steals my sig!

LOL that's where I remembered that from....

[Rasta Monsta]

Go for it, Justin. Just remember:

1. Be CLEAN!
2. Take your time. . .if you aren't sure, ASK. You'll get a response here very quickly.
3. No shortcuts. . .renew every seal, every roller with good quality parts. Use the correct tools.
4. Take pictures.
5. Be organized. . .plastic bags with cut up index cards as labels will save you time and mistakes in the long run.

Once you get into the project, I think you will find it is not very complicated. The belt system is mechanically INTERESTING, but not mechanically COMPLEX.

Good luck!

[SolReaver]

Yea, it is do able and in fact IMHO you are usually better off doing it yourself as I have seen too much ka ka doo doo work from shops in my time. The time consuming detail work, meticulous cleaning, and obsessive attention to detail takes too much time for a shop that can slam 3 toyotas, 2 hondas, and a buick in the time it takes for 1 TB WP job.

Yea, the 944 and its ilk can be dangerous for teens as it actually handles at speed. those drivers without internal regulation tend to get into a bit of trouble. It takes YEARS of experience to get good at driving.

OK, If you have a place to work on it, Some good tools, and a willingness to lavish inordinate amounts of time on the task(s) that will present themselves (there WILL be more) than go for it. However...in current state estimate that it needs 2K worth of work minimal (safe bet) and set purchase price accordingly.

Porschekid: No biggie, Glad to see that you are getting the word out there. Anyone who actually owns a Porsche and has fixed it up has the right to say it.

Rasta: gonna have to disagree with you on this one...The system is "beautifully complex" You only truly understand it when you take it apart and put it together several times. At first glance the normal reaction is..."what the Firetruck did they do it THAT way for?"

Notes: Replace hardware, use LOTS of pen fluid. Wake and shock bolts a LOT. CAREFUL! Read my posts, Other posts, Clarks, etc... ASK questions when unclear. As you really shouldn't run the car the way it is...treat the engine like unexploded ordinance.

Get off the fence...Be a MAN...Fix a Porsche. ( Hey, that could be a new saying)

[Jrboulder]

Originally Posted by Born2bwild1191

Do it! I'm 19, on my second Porsche, neither have ever been to a mechanic. Between Clarks and Pelican, there's nothing you can't do to a 944.

And i totally agree with the above post - I may be a teenager but I dont drive like the typical moron. There's a fine line between driving fast and "spirited" and being a complete idiot. Every one of my friends has totaled a car, including one with a 944. Be the one friend that doesn't haha

HAHA!

Most of my friends have totaled a car too.

It doesn't take much to total the cars they drive.

[mmagus]

Originally Posted by killerjustin94

I am located in Orange County California

Get to it man! When you get it all sorted come on down to San Diego and join us for a PCA Autocross!

[LSA]

21 here had my 944S for ~a year and a half. Ditto on the nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche, i paid $3400 for my 87S probably so far another $3400 but I haven't done all the work myself but I'm learning.

"what the Firetruck did they do it THAT way for?"
There's a lot of this like why the F is the tb for the S mashed behind the intake manifold and the back of the engine bay where it's impossible to get to..... also the oil filter location make me

Oc is a little far from me but I don't have any experience with belts anyway, up in Oxnard

[rlw]

If I was able to change the timing belt, trust me, you can to. Just read/do a step/read more/do another step/ask if not making sense. This forum is extremely helpful!
RW

[HondaDustR]

Yeah, as long as you do the work yourself, owning these cars isn't really that bad. It's paying someone to spend the time required for some of the inevitable repairs that's what drives the cost of ownership through the roof, which is why it's fairly easy to find a cheap one that needs a little work. Repairing cars is fast becoming a lost art amongst the general population. It's really not that hard, despite the fact some "pro" mechanics do crap work. The only thing my car has ever been to a shop for was to have tires put on.

The only difference between the 944 and any other old beater a typical kid can afford, is the 944 seems more expensive because it's actually worth fixing all the "old car" problems to bring it back to top shape. An old buick or ford is merely driven until the wheels fall off before it goes to the dump. I will say there are a few parts that induce mild sticker shock, though, but the used market for these is really strong, which has definitely saved me alot of money over the years.

[AA_Ezra]

If you were any closer i would invite you over. The Arnworx tool kit makes quick and easy.. I didnt use any special tools when i did my timing belt the first time and i made them too tight and never took it to a shop to have them check the tension. 3 years later the belt did give out lol. but i purcahsed the tools this time.

You may want to purchase the tool kit to do the job and if you're pops can help you wrench it would be nice.

Or maybe someone close on the board could lend you a hand for a nice BBQ dinner?

[TibetanT]

Justin:

First and foremost, "Welcome" to the Pelican clan!

Second, you did the right thing by posting here to get some advise from some of the good people whom live here on these forum pages.

Third, I am very happy to hear that you have chosen a Porsche 944 car as a first vehicle. There are no better than a German automobile. (And, I have driven many in my life time.)

Now, for some advise which I hope you will heed:
1) **Very important** Are there any records with this car? Such as service records, Porsche dealership records, maintenance records?

2) Do not buy the first Porsche car you see just because someone knows someone who owns it.

3) If there are records for this car, then read them...all of them! This will give you an idea of how good this car really is and what, if any, maintenance was done.

4) 70,000 original miles is a wonderful number for a car twenty-seven (27) years old....however, the original timing belt and water pump WILL FAIL...soon. Why you ask? Because, rubber is a material with a MTBF #, period. AND, if it fails on you the cost will be exponential as other components will also fail.

Now, while I will be the first to be skeptical about this car being pristine, I also will admit when I am wrong about something. And, I hope I am wrong about this car needing lots of work. I find that fact that the "original" timing belt and water pump being in this car as one of the following:
a) An out right LIE or b) someone did not maintain this car like they should have!
Belts and water pump should have been checked and replaced before 60,000 miles (Porsche factory scheduled maintenance fact).

The most important thing you can do right now, if you truly want to own this car, is take it into a Porsche shop and get a PPI (Pre-purchase inspection). That way, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt what this car is currently capable of, or whether there is some hidden problem lurking that no one has the good sense to tell you about.

If you do the PPI and purchase the car, do not drive it UNTIL the BELTS and WATER PUMP are replaced.

Once again, I really hope I am wrong with my assumptions here, but I have seen too many people get their hopes washed down the drain, due to other's greed.

Good luck with your endeavors and keep us all posted on your progress.

Cheers