2.5 engine reassembly help

[tony2fingers]

Jake, thanks for the quick reply. The ims was just trash when i got around to looking at it. dont know the reason, but most likey the same reasons that they all go bad i guess. not enought oil and poor design. Just my bad luck that i found out about it after i got the heads and everything on and couldnt get the rough timing in since the ims was slipping btween the sprockets.
Yes, i pulled all three tentioners before i started work on it. I made this post before i checked out your websight and after reading up and looking at the install steps you have pictured, i think i can wiggle my way in. the note about using gravity is very usefull.
Just a shame that you have to spend over a grand in tools to get it assembled correctly though. i may just take it to a shop like yours and pay to have them assembled. thanks

[tony2fingers]

Jake, one question about the chain tentioner tool. It seems to me that the tool positions the exhaust cam so that the flat keyway on the end of the cam lines up the edges of the cover/head gap when the motor is locked in Cyl #1 TDC and all tentioners set tight to prevent slack.
Am i correct in assuming that the tool just moves it to a certain position when all other variables are in a known locked position?

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by tony2fingers

Jake, thanks for the quick reply. The ims was just trash when i got around to looking at it. dont know the reason, but most likey the same reasons that they all go bad i guess. not enought oil and poor design. Just my bad luck that i found out about it after i got the heads and everything on and couldnt get the rough timing in since the ims was slipping btween the sprockets.
Yes, i pulled all three tentioners before i started work on it. I made this post before i checked out your websight and after reading up and looking at the install steps you have pictured, i think i can wiggle my way in. the note about using gravity is very usefull.
Just a shame that you have to spend over a grand in tools to get it assembled correctly though. i may just take it to a shop like yours and pay to have them assembled. thanks

Few Porsche shops have correctly assembled these engines .. You can count on both hands how many people in this country have done complete builds without having issues with them, including dealerships..

We rent the assembly tools and will be providing them with our rebuild/ update kit program soon.

To answer your qquestion, the tool is NECESSARY to set the cam timing as the positions of the cams changes when torquing the units into place.. You cannot just eyeball it and hope for the best, its not that simple.

I have done this without tools, using the split overlap method of degreeing the camshafts, to do this you'll need some experience, a degree wheel and a dial indicator.

DO NOT reinstall that IMS without upgrading it's bearing or the entire shaft.. Doing so when you are so close to the assembly is just not smart and you'll pay the price when you become a statistic...

The IMS issue is not as much of a design issue as a material and application issue. We have the retrofit bearing you need.

[Cloudsurfer]

While it doesn't seem like the tool does much (if you follow camshaft allocation properly, and drop the cams in correctly, you'll look at it and say "man, I'm spot on," but then you grab the factory timing tool, and though you can't see it by just "eying it up," you're not quite on the money), I really don't see how you could do it without. Unless you have the dial indicator and know how to use it, you're not going to get this right without the factory tool.

Jake- I'm going to have to drop you an email in a week or two regarding timing a Variocam Plus engine....