My 1993 960 station wagon stopped, died just like that as I was driving home. Ran codes, replaced O2 sensor, ignition modules, still nothing.

Decided to look at the plugs, see if there's a spark. Instead I see this, and know it's not a good sign. So I remove the timing belt cover. Sure 'nuff, missing teeth.

So, what do I do next?

 

Feel for you, buddy. AZ kills most everything elastomeric/plastic; and the East Coast governments try to rust it all to bits.

Looking back, I recall my time living down there in "Hell" (well, Hell is actually cooler sometimes) with a Fiat 124 Spider.

In this particular case, the kind Italians deigned to make their cam gears out of some kind of hard plastic; resulting in the analog of your scenario on one of the cogs. Since the rest of the car was a joke anyway, I decided just to finish the sweaty rebelt job and just roll the dice over a missing tooth. I won on that bet; but the nasty little car had its way, and eventually stopped moving for good due to a cracked diff pinion. After it all, I actually let out a laugh mixed of relief and madness from the interminable years of "duct tape motoring."

Haul away was good therapy; and the motor was still smooth as could be...

Anyway, digression aside, you don't necessarily lose these interference engines to belt breakages: Tooth shear will happen as well in settlements where living tissue can roast.

Now, in our case, a civilized solution would've been for Porche to have built these "white blocks" with valve pockets in the piston crowns. Would've been no extra trouble at build time, and would've had the effect of keeping a huge swath of these cars on the road over the years.

But wait a minute! There's the point of it all: Gotta keep the steel moving to the landfills, and gotta keep the cash moving to the big fish.

Good swimming to us all...



Take care; and better times to you --

 

Yeah, thanks. I've come to that sad conclusion that's really all that's left at this point. Repairs are more than the car is worth, even if I do half the job myself. I know my limits.

The cogs were so hard and brittle, I thought they were pieces of metal at first.
Bought the car used 3 years ago for $3K, so I got my use out of it. But gotta know when to fold 'em.