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So I’m on to the Timing belt procedure ( changing to a PK tensioner ) when I have run into this…. I researched the old info online about possible resurfacing but I suspect replacements will be my future. I just wanted to get a few opinions before I commit the $1k.
I saw in the forums lots of talk about resurfacing etc… but seems like there were a few years when gears were NLA.
Thanks for any help/input.
Is that an S2? I'm not fully up to speed on S2 issues per se, so I might not be following your concern. If that were in my turbo, I wouldn't think much of it -- maybe just have the zinc plating redone with yellow dichromate. When you say resurfacing, is that what you mean? (I think of that word to mean machining the face flat, like on brake rotors and flywheels). Looks like a new one is under $300 if that wear bugs you though...
nagykurva wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 3:50 pm
Sorry my bad !
1988,S4
I heard that wearing down can be unhealthy for the belt … I’m super new to 928’s so bear with me.
Kevin
Oops, my bad, did not realize this was in the 928 forum. Paging @dr bob
I found a set of replacement gears from Roger at 928srus.com Better material and a much tougher bit of anodizing on them. I was looking at one of the refinishing options, as mine were still good with finish on the teeth intact. I ended up with his much better parts, and dropped the originals into the good used spares bin.
There's a very handy tool for indexing the cams, something you can order with the gears. Much Much Easier and Faster than going through the whole factory procedure with the covers off and dial indicator. The distributor caps and top belt covers come off to use the tool, and you can do the whole thing there. It gives you precision options for making cam timing adjustments, like a little more bottom end for my automatic car. At the expense of a little top end power of course. Point is you can play with the cam timing to better suit your own preferences. If you happen to be near central Oregon you are welcome to come use mine.
Hey DrBob ,
Thanks again.
I believe u mean the PK Bumpstick and the Porken timing tool. I’ve ordered it from Roger and just waiting for it.
I guess the right thing to do is new Cams … I’ll have to bite the bullet on this one.
Thanks
I just browsed the gears options on Roger's website, and scratched my head looking for the ones he sold me. They are nice and the much harder finish is a plus. My feeble memory hints that they might have been a batch or minimum-quantity offering at the time. Call Roger directly for a recommendation; he obviously knows the cars well.
Meanwhile, the gears you show have suffered from a too-tight timing belt for a long time. Since you are going to the Porken tensioner, many of those issues will be gone.
I'm still servicing the original on mine, mostly because I haven't figured out a way to retain the warnings functions with Ken's piece. Scroll to some older threads here and read about my recent fun, with a damaged wire and connection inside the center cover. It caused two -extra- belt changes before I finally figured it out. So, is the warning a blessing or a potential minefield? I'm sticking with "blessing" for now, especially since it's once again working as designed.
More:
I looked hard at Ken's Bumpstick when it came out, and I can see where it might be handy. For those playing along at home, this is a long-lever wrench for turning the crankshaft, bent precisely to fit behind the fan motors and make those minute position adjustments needed when setting cam timing the old-fashioned way. Handy but way less critical if you are adjusting them using Ken's 32VR cam timing setup instead.
Is checking and adjusting the cam timing important? It certainly is when you replace the gears, as we are discussing in this thread. The 32VR tool shortcuts the checking and setting process, and along the way give you easy options to tune the engine breathing to tailor it to the way you use the car. My 928 lives at about 4,000ft altitude, and much of the fun driving around here is between 3,500 and 6,000 feet. It's an automatic car, driven gently, so moving the torque peak down a little makes a lot of sense to me. Fitting the third belt, I decided to make a small (2º) adjustment, and that was plenty to add a noticeable improvement in launching from a stop, definitely more low-end (under 3,500 RPM) available. This is from the 5L V8 with an amazingly flat torque curve out of the box.
Having the two tools will make it easy to experiment, and tailor the drive to the way you use your own car. Easily under half an hour from start to finish for each adjustment.
