924Board.org

RedChar · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 32 Location: Pittsburgh, PA

I just picked up an '87 924s on 12-30. Loving it so far. She currently has just shy of 137k on her and the timing belt was replaced around 125k. As such, I have two questions:

1) I want to (and plan to) take it in a have the belt re-tensioned very soon. The two Porsche dealers around me (Pittsburgh, PA) are AutoPalace in Oakland/Shadyside and Sewickley Motors. Does any one on here have any experience with either of them or any suggestions for another mechanic in the area that can do a proper re-tension

2) While digging around in here researching my recent purchase (which I obviously went through with anyway) I remember seeing someone had a tool to decode the engine number. My 924s was manufactured on 06/87 and the invoice is listed as 07/07/87. I was wondering if said person could help me determine if this engine is one of the newer blocks with the "auto" tensioner without me pulling off the cover. The engine # is 43H13928

And while I am on the engine subject, the Porsche 924s owners manual lists the engine as having 158 hp, is this a typo left over from a copy and paste from the 944 manual or am I missing something in the model's history here?
_________________
'87 924s - Haven't come up with a good nickname
'07 - MINI Cooper, base
'85 - Mercedes 300td LeMons veggie oil car - The Frau

scm924s · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 296 Location: Gloucester UK

Your engine number is a 1987 model year, and as such probably won't have an automatic tensioner which I think was only on the 1988 MY. The 1988 MY developed 160BHP compared to the earlier ones at 150BHP(in europe)

RedChar · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 32 Location: Pittsburgh, PA

I will; tomorrow is motor mount replacement, hopefully some other work as well, but I am not scheduling anything beyond that. At some point during the next week of work I have scheduled I will pop it off and take a peak. Do the engines with the tensioner have increase specs as well (e.g. 160hp vs 150hp) or are they still detuned as much?
_________________
'87 924s - Haven't come up with a good nickname
'07 - MINI Cooper, base
'85 - Mercedes 300td LeMons veggie oil car - The Frau

joecitizennn · Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 2096 Location: no mans land

My 87 924s was made in January of 87 and it has the spring tensioner. Why don't you remove your upper timing cover and just look yourself?
_________________
87 924s
88 924SE gone
447 hp cgt clone
87 924S gone
84 944 sold
83 944 sold
89 turbo S LSD, ABS etc
86 951 white rocket
85 944 sport everything.
84 944 sold.
87 944 sold

RedChar · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 32 Location: Pittsburgh, PA

joecitizennn · Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 2096 Location: no mans land

Engine will still be a low tune 87 engine regardless of belt tensioner.

Given that my car was made prior to yours I will be surprised if yours does not have a spring tensioner.
_________________
87 924s
88 924SE gone
447 hp cgt clone
87 924S gone
84 944 sold
83 944 sold
89 turbo S LSD, ABS etc
86 951 white rocket
85 944 sport everything.
84 944 sold.
87 944 sold

scm924s · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 296 Location: Gloucester UK

Jrboulder · Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 30 Location: Boulder, CO

I believe the auto tensioner began with 43H01920.

gohim · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 4459 Location: Rialto, CA

At this point the car is 14 years old.

How do you know that the engine in the car is the one that it came with from the factory? For all you know it could have been replace five times.

I say to remove the belt cover, and whatever you find down there is what you have. My 72K mile 87 924S is gettting a block from a 87 944. Both cars were produced close to the same time, but the damaged engine in m my 924S did not have the spring loaded tensioner while the 87 944 block does.

The fact is, Porsche used up it's supply of low 150hp engines and engine parts on 87 model year 924S, putting the higher hp spring loaded tensioner engines in 944s starting during the 87 model year.