[-tWv-]

Closed out this saga today (hopefully). Ended up having the bank 1 camshaft adjuster (996-105-051-58) fully replaced. Drove the car pretty hard for 2+ hours this afternoon with zero CEL codes and no hesitation at all. I was also hearing a timing chain rattle at startup that is now gone.

In summary the fix for this problem was 1) timing adjustment and 2) new timing adjuster/actuator. I also replaced o2 sensors myself to get rid of those codes. It seems like the bad adjuster allowed the chain to skip a tooth and just was not functioning properly due to oil starvation from the gunk in the feed port. Another big lesson learned here was never trust the first diagnosis of a problem, especially when said diagnosis doesn't make a ton of sense. If we would have gone with the initial Porsche dealer diagnosis I would be out $6k in catalytic converters and likely no progress made at all. Find a trusted indy with good reviews and they will likely be able to get it fixed.

The car is now running great and I'm very happy with the purchase. Was a bit more pricey than I anticipated getting this thing running, but well worth it in the end. Looking forward to enjoying the car for years to come!