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Clark's Garage944 · 924 · 968 · Turbo

944 8-Valve Engine — Tightening Torques & Wear Limits

Factory tightening torques for the 8-valve 944 engine — crankcase, balance shafts, cylinder head, camshaft, fuel and exhaust — plus key crankshaft and piston wear limits. Torque values switch between N·m and ft·lb.

Difficulty: Easy7 min readApplies to: 944

Factory tightening torques and wear limits for the 8-valve 944 engine, from the Workshop Manual (Engine/Crankcase, Group 10). Torque figures switch between N·m and ft·lb; clearances are given in millimetres, which do not convert. Where the manual specifies a multi-stage tightening or a torque angle, both steps are shown.

Tightening torques

Crankshaft and crankcase

LocationThreadTorque
Upper and lower crankcase sections, bolts (studs)M 12 × 1.530 N·m22 ft·lb, then 60° torque angle
Upper and lower crankcase sections, boltsM 1020 N·m15 ft·lb, then 50 N·m37 ft·lb
Upper and lower crankcase sections, boltsM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Upper and lower crankcase sections, boltsM 610 N·m7 ft·lb
Rotary body on compensating shaft (secured with Loctite 270)M 610 N·m7 ft·lb
Bearing housing, left and right, to upper crankcase sectionM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Oil separator to crankcaseM 820 N·m15 ft·lb

Balance (compensating) shafts

LocationThreadTorque
Cover for compensating-shaft housing — Model 82–85M 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Compensating-shaft cover, hexagon-head screw — Model 82–85M 815 N·m11 ft·lb, then 20 N·m15 ft·lb
Compensating-shaft cover, stud — Model 82–85M 815 N·m11 ft·lb, then 30 N·m22 ft·lb
Bearing bridges (nuts) of compensating shafts — Model 85 onM 815 N·m11 ft·lb, then 33 N·m24 ft·lb
Cover for compensating-shaft housing — Model 85 onM 610 N·m7 ft·lb
Compensating-shaft cover, hexagon-head screw — Model 85 onM 8 × 5515 N·m11 ft·lb, then 20 N·m15 ft·lb
Compensating-shaft housing, hexagon-head screw — Model 87 onM 8 × 5815 N·m11 ft·lb, then 33 N·m24 ft·lb

Cylinder head and camshaft

LocationThreadTorque
Cylinder-head fastening to upper crankcaseSee the cylinder-head procedure (Group 15)
Intake tube to cylinder headM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Inlet connectors (heating) to cylinder headM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Connector for water pipeM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Camshaft housing to cylinder headM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Aluminium sealing plugs to camshaft housingM 18 × 1.540 N·m30 ft·lb
Camshaft bearing to camshaft housingM 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Camshaft pulley to camshaft, Allen screwM 1045 N·m33 ft·lb
Camshaft pulley, screw with internal serrationsM 1065 N·m48 ft·lb to 70 N·m52 ft·lb
Console to camshaft bearingM 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Connector to driver (secured with Loctite 221)M 55 N·m4 ft·lb
Distributor rotor to connector (self-locking)M 44 N·m3 ft·lb
Transport strap to cylinder headM 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Spark plugsM 14 × 1.2525 N·m18 ft·lb to 30 N·m22 ft·lb

Belt drive, sensors and oil system

LocationThreadTorque
Tensioning pulley to belt tensionerM 1045 N·m33 ft·lb
Belt-cover fasteningM 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Console for generator to crankcaseM 1045 N·m33 ft·lb
Remote-thermometer sensorM 10 × 135 N·m26 ft·lb
Temperature sensor (NTC II)M 12 × 1.515 N·m11 ft·lb
Oil-pressure sensorM 18 × 1.535 N·m26 ft·lb
Housing insert in oil-pump housing (sealed with Loctite 574)M 68 N·m6 ft·lb
Cooler/thermostat housing to crankcaseM 820 N·m15 ft·lb
Sealing plug to oil/water-cooler housingM 18 × 1.535 N·m26 ft·lb
Coolant bleeder screwM 8 × 112 N·m9 ft·lb, then +3 N·m2 ft·lb
Pressure-relief valveM 20 × 1.545 N·m33 ft·lb
Oil filter20 N·m15 ft·lb

Fuel and exhaust

LocationThreadTorque
Diaphragm damper and pressure regulator to fuel collection pipeM 16 × 1.530 N·m22 ft·lb
Cap nut to fuel collection pipeM 12 × 1.512 N·m9 ft·lb
Sealing nut to catalytic converterM 14 × 1.530 N·m22 ft·lb

General fasteners

For screws and nuts not listed individually, the manual gives a baseline torque plus a small additional tightening:

ThreadTorque
M 68 N·m6 ft·lb, then +2 N·m1 ft·lb
M 820 N·m15 ft·lb, then +2 N·m1 ft·lb
M 1040 N·m30 ft·lb, then +5 N·m4 ft·lb

Wear limits

The factory Tolerances and Wear Limits tables for the engine (10-02). All figures are in millimetres and dimensions do not switch units. Where the manual gives a wear limit it is shown; a blank wear-limit cell means the figure is a new-part assembly spec only.

Pistons and connecting rods

MeasurementNew partWear limit
Cylinder/piston clearance0.008–0.032 mmapprox. 0.080 mm
Connecting-rod bushing, diameter24 +0.018/+0.028 mm
Piston pin, diameter24 −0.004 mm
Connecting-rod bushing / piston pin, radial play0.018–0.032 mm

Piston-ring side clearance is given for both ring makes; the end gap is the same for either make. Read the row for the groove you are measuring (groove 1 is the top ring):

GrooveSide clearance — MahleSide clearance — KSEnd gap
1 (top)0.05–0.082 mm0.05–0.082 mm0.20–0.45 mm
20.04–0.072 mm0.05–0.082 mm0.20–0.45 mm
3 (oil)0.023–0.137 mm0.023–0.137 mm0.38–1.40 mm

Crankshaft and engine block

MeasurementNew partWear limit
Crankshaft runout0.04–0.06 mmmax. 0.08 mm
Connecting-rod bearing journal, diameter51.971–51.990 mm
Connecting-rod bearing, radial play0.034–0.092 mm
Connecting-rod bearing, end play0.100–0.400 mm
Crankshaft bearing journal, diameter69.971–69.990 mm
Crankshaft bearing, radial play0.020–0.098 mm
Crankshaft bearing, end play0.110–0.312 mmmax. 0.40 mm
Cylinder bore, out-of-round0.010 mmmax. 0.020 mm
Bore for balance-shaft bearing shells (crankcase + cover), diameter35.000–35.019 mm
Bore for bushing in bearing housing, diameter34.000–34.019 mm
Balance shaft, diameter30.975–30.991 mm

Cylinder head and valves

MeasurementNew partWear limit
Cylinder-head mating surface, distortionmax. 0.08 mm
Valve seat width — intake1.7 mm
Valve seat width — exhaust2.0 mm
Valve seat angle (intake and exhaust)45°
Valve seat outer correction angle30°
Valve seat inner correction angle60°
Valve guide, inside diameter9 +0.015 mm
Valve stem diameter — intake8.97 −0.012 mm
Valve stem diameter — exhaust8.95 −0.012 mm
Valve guide / valve stem clearance — intake0.8 mm
Valve guide / valve stem clearance — exhaust0.8 mm

Compression pressure: 10 bar145 psi or more at the starter-cranking speed.

Tags:technical datatightening torquewear limits8-valveengine data

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