Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Still looking for the right 928 to buy. I've found a one that meets my requirements but the owner doesn't know when the cam belt was last done (which worries me somewhat).

How much would a cambelt and water pump cost to change, including labour, on a 86 S2?

Advice greatly appreciated, as always.

Hi

From an OPC ...around £1200 lol

From Paul Anderson around £500...

All the best Brett

How long has the seller owned the car for?

How many hours should it take to change the belt and water pump out of interest? (if anyone knows)

Hi

I would guess around 4 to 6 hours.....

All the best Brett

But at least if Dr A is doing it - then you can be certain that its done properly

My local Porsche guy quoted me £300 plus parts and VAT....close to £500 all in. Fortunately mine had recently been replaced by the seller and just needed tightening.
I'd be a bit worried if the seller did not know when it was last changed. However as it's not failed you could just budget £500 to get it done.

Thanks All,

Will get this done before the paintwork then. Although who knows what the MOT will bring up!

Out of interest ... while I would like to get Paul A to do it, it would be a lot easier to get my local garage to do it as I have no MOT or Tax.
If you are a half decent mechanic I assume there is nothing difficult to do?

Just don't really want to put it through an MOT without the cambelt being done, and if sent to Paul A would need to trailer it.

Regards
Paul

Well, it's not rocket science. Any competent mechanic should be able to do it, just make sure that a new water pump is fitted and the tensioner has a new seal kit.
Clearly it is always good to take a car like this to a 928 specialist, but if there's no tax or MOT what are you going to do? Plus if the cam belt is an unknown you don't want to be driving it further than you have to.....if it snaps your car is effectively landfill.
I've never worked on a 928 before, but easily got the covers off the cam belt in half an hour to check it, using information from this forum. If I had the right tensioning tool I reckon I could replace the belt/water pump myself, and I'm not a trained mechanic, just an enthusiast.

Hi

Ummm...this is a cambelt 7 feet long...I would NOT even think about your local mechanic doing it...

If he gets it wrong , which he probably will, hes going to bend EVERY valve in the head plus possible piston/head damage

He also will NOT have the tensioning tool...

Paul is the answer, he knows which pumps work and fit, which parts of the tensioning system etc etc...

To be honest I would rather drive mine into a brick wall than let a local non Porsche mechanic do a 928 cambelt....as I would have more chance of it being drivable afterwards....

P.S Paul can get it Mot`ed at the same time for you...

All the best Brett

Why would he probably get it wrong? It's only a belt and pulleys when it comes down to it. As with any timing belt change everything has to be timed correctly, but a good mechanic should be able to do this, using the workshop manual if necessary.
I stress a GOOD mechanic though, and I suppose that is where the problem arises. How do you know he's good...

Hi

Its hard to explain this to a non pro mechanic, but a cambelt or chain for that matter is the MOST difficult thing to get right on an engine...

Its NOT just a belt lol

You get it wrong by ONE TOOTH and the engine is toast ....

Your local mechanics heart will drop if hes never seen a 928 belt.....its too big and too many pulleys etc when hes used to a 4 cylinder belt system...

He wont have a manual as apart from the genuine Porsche set of 11 books which usually go for around £400 plus....there are no others....


All the best Brett

Fair enough. It's probably not worth the risk. Have seen enough disaster stories on the 928 sites in the last few months.
I think like Lightning it should be ok to be done by a local mechanic, but for the sake of a trailer run up to Paul A's place it does seem silly not to do it.

Now if I can only get him to come back to me on it

Night everyone!
Paul

That was spooky, just got an email from Paul as I sent that!

Relieved Paul A has come back to you.

Have to say agree with Brett. How likely is it that general local mechanic will have:

- workshop manual...
- flywheel lock...
- tensioning tool...

...for a 928? Job can't be done properly without them. This is before even considering specific knowledge of the quirks of 928 belt and tensioner. Without such knowledge at best you'll be paying a lot more for time he'll take, at worst you could lunch your engine.

Yesterday I met the guy whose 928 S2 was wrecked after a dodgy belt change by not a general mechanic, but a Porsche independent (no names, no lawsuits) who lacked specialist 928 experience. If a Porsche guy can get it wrong, what price someone even less qualified/equipped?