Thanks for the info ... I'll be making a camshaft tool tomorrow out of aluminum and have a complete timing kit on the way. I guess I'll be doing right and left actuators and maybe the IMS if I have it down that long. Looks pretty easy to drop the transmission ... there is probably a leaky rear main seal that I may replace also ...

Keep us posted on what you find and how you go.
I am always interested in learning more about the Variocam system, related parts,issues and fixes.;)

Quick question about timing TDC. I don't appear to have the teardrop hole on my main pulley ... there is however a notch on the edge of the pulley that lines up with an arrow on the block. Is this #1 TDC? I will finally be installing my lockdown tool today and removing the head cover for a looksee and want to make sure I have it at the correct TDC beforehand.

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We have a Match
 

Thanks JFP. I was about 99.9% sure that the notch aligned with the arrow was TDC and that the alignment pin hole would be there also ... unfortunately I could not find pictures of the main pulley without the teardrop hole.

My main pulley does not have the teardrop hole, but has the notch ... see attached photos. It seems pretty simple to those who have worked on Porsche for years ... I have had mine about 2 months now and have never turned a wrench or driven one until now.

Just want to be correct before I start messing with the timing. Thanks again.
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Timing Chain Rail Guide Bolt
 

I now have the cylinder 1-3 head cover off and have found some wear on the timing chain rail guide from the IMS. Is there a way to replace this guide without removing the transmission?

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Issues Discovered
 

Pulled the 1-3 cams and found very worn and broken guides on the variocam actuator. Also the chain rail guides for the IMS chain are worn ... not as bad, but still worn. It looks like I can remove upper and lower so I will see what happens. As far as the cams chain ... I am not sure but it looks like it may have skipped a tooth causing some of the rough running. Along with the wear on the variocam guides ... when they activate, it was enough to cause my misfires and camshaft position sensor codes.

I have only seen a tooth skipped engine code once in my life and that was on a Dodge Neon. No low end but good high end torque with that issue.

So I will probably go down the mini rebuild road replacing items that do not require engine removal. See attached photos.
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[QUOTE=freserf;628151]Pulled the 1-3 cams and found very worn and broken guides on the variocam actuator. Also the chain rail guides for the IMS chain are worn ... not as bad, but still worn. It looks like I can remove upper and lower so I will see what happens. As far as the cams chain ... I am not sure but it looks like it may have skipped a tooth causing some of the rough running. Along with the wear on the variocam guides ... when they activate, it was enough to cause my misfires and camshaft position sensor codes.

I have only seen a tooth skipped engine code once in my life and that was on a Dodge Neon. No low end but good high end torque with that issue.

So I will probably go down the mini rebuild road replacing items that do not require engine removal. See attached photos.
[img]http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/IMG_20201223_12592116
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1608747841.jpg

[img]http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/IMG_20201223_1302331608747871.jpg[/im

Looks like you have been able to do all this work with the engine still in the car.
I see six links between cam timing marks. Six is the correct number of links right??
Or am I looking at the wrong head in the picture???

As far as I know ... 6 links between dots is correct. That is the information that I have read and seen pictures of online. I don't have a manual to give me a baseline ... my experience with manuals and specs is you can't trust them 100%. That's the main reason I like bouncing ideas off others in the forum and asking, sometimes boring, routine questions. I'll probably try removing the guide rails this evening if time permits ... will post about what I find.

Verified Bottom Guide Removal
 

Pulled the bottom guide for 1-3 without any issue ... apparently the top guide rail is attached in two places but it does not have any abnormal wear that I can see. Ordered parts to replace, but will have to wait until after New Years to install. Thanks for the help so far ... I'll keep you guys posted as to my progress. Have a Merry Christmas and a better year than 2020 next year :cheers:

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Yes, the number of the links is six. Looks like something got chewed up there and that`s what jammed your side rail. When my chain pads fell apart I found pieces that traveled to the other bank and got stuck at various points in the head. Did you look into the the other bank too?

I haven't opened up bank 2 yet ... I am sure that the actuator pads are worn. Almost afraid to open it up ... I had some luck on getting the parts for bank 1 from **************************** ... they will be here Monday so I will go ahead and put them in and run the engine to see if the misfires go away. Then when I return from New Years vacation, I will open up bank 2 and have a look.

Test Run Today or Tomorrow
 

Just wanted to give an update ... yesterday I was able to finish setting the timing without the tensioner alignment tool and replace the head cover using Loctite 5900. The tech articles on Pelican are very helpful but not exactly the same as my engine. For instance, my cam sprocket does not have the slots on the outside but sandwiched between. Not that it mattered too much, but it is the little things that tend to stump me sometimes. I am letting it setup for 24hours before I start it up. I ended up installing a new variocam solenoid ... the original tested ok, but it is covered for life now so it was worth the money.

Ran into a problem with the secondary oil pump ... it had a hard to turn spot. Opened it up and found scoring from previous metal running through it. It cleaned up well and is back on the head. Will keep it on the list of things to do if I do drop the engine in the near future.

After going through this engine in the car fix I think I am convinced to do any work like this with the engine out of the car. It might be time consuming, but it would be much easier to perform without trying to squeeze everything into it for example ... trying to keep the head mating surfaces clean while applying sealant and holding the head cover and your mouth the right way in order to install it ... performed several dry runs just to make sure it would go in without mucking it up.

Will update this evening or tomorrow on how it runs ...

Thinking positive here:D:D:D
Hoping your issues are corrected;)

Thanks for the positive vibes ... she purrs ever so nicely now. No Engine Codes, no chain guide rattle and no camshaft position errors. My best guess is the wear and breakage of the saddle guides with maybe a weak solenoid and probably skipping a tooth were the main problems. I also upgraded the radio to a double-din and it works also ...

Thanks for all of the suggestions and help ... I am thinking about getting the 101 projects book and see what I can do along the road.

For now, I will get it ready for the road and enjoy the ride.

Glad to hear you go it sorted;)

Just wanted to update what tool I chose ... I ordered the Foxwell NT520 Pro that says it has been updated to the NT530. I mainly need it now to reset the airbag light ... I made the newbie mistake of hooking up the battery with the passenger seat out of the car ... thanks for the recommendation.

Another variocam actuator problem
 

Hi all, I'm joining the Variocam actuator party with my 1998 2.5 which seems to have a list of problems that just gets longer.

The idle has never been great since I've owned it over the last few months, but the car drove well with no smoke, just a slight rattle on start-up.

Yesterday when going up a long hill, the engine lost power and the engine light came on - still ran, but a bit rough. Managed to get it home, but fault codes indicated misfires on bank 1, and the dreaded P1340 and P1531 indicating cam timing was out on bank 1 too.

A quick look underneath and it was clear to see the source of the problem - the variocam actuator wiring had come away, explaining my previous C1 fuse issues as the wiring presumably grounded.

I'm guessing in addtion to the actuator dying, bank 1 timing is also out too, although I've still to check the timing marks to confirm this. Durametric showed a steady 24 (degrees?) out for bank 1.

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