Cam and balance belt tensions , how can you set them ?

[slowdriver]

Gents, have to replace balance belt and cam belts on my 1989 S2, but have read that getting the tension right is a "specialist" job because they have to be "tighter" than more normal cars ( i.e. just twisting them to test tension won't do) and special tools are required to get it right? Also I have been advised that the automatic tensioner cannot be relied upon to set the correct initial tension.is not

The specialist tools seem to be very expensive, so is this a job I need to take the car to an independent porsche specialist for ( that's a 90 minute plus drive to get there) or are there other ways of setting/checking the right tension that a local garage can use?

I expect a number of members would do this job themselves and just wondered, how / what you use to get the initial tensions set right

Any help/ advise much appreciated.

[Waylander]

Don’t believe everything you read

The belt tension is the same as any other car, the only difference is the balance belt is far looser than you would expect, the cam belt needs to be set with a pre load on the spring and when correct you should be able to twist the longest run of the belt 90 degrees in you fingers, do them tight like you suggest you have read, as the engine expands they get even tighter and could snap

The process is in the manual

[scam75]

As Martin says..........

[tr7v8]

You don't need expensive tools, I bought a Krikit & also the full set of ARnworx tools. I never used the ARnworx just used to use the Krikit. The Krikit is 50 dollars or so from the USA. When I first set them up I did them by twist & only reset using the Krikit just before I buttoned the covers up.

[tr7v8]

You don't need expensive tools, I bought a Krikit & also the full set of ARnworx tools. I never used the ARnworx just used to use the Krikit. The Krikit is 50 dollars or so from the USA. When I first set them up I did them by twist & only reset using the Krikit just before I buttoned the covers up.

[slowdriver]

Waylander, Scam 75 and Jim, many thanks for your advice.

It seems that it may not be a "specialist" job and could be done by a competent mechanic, (probably not me as I'm a bit of a bodge merchant when I can't get things undone)

I'll print off the manual pages and probably take it to a local garage whose work I trust and use for the bits I don't normally feel comfortable tackling on the drive (he runs a 600bhp 4 wheel drive golf he built, with a Volvo 850 R engine at Santa pod, great with fabrication, welding and all other mechanical car work, but has not done belts on a 944 before.)

thanks for your help