everything I have ever seen says it is a chain.

Hey folks - Can you share guidance on whether the 2000 Boxster has a timing belt or chain, and when the recommended replacement interval is?

I am pretty sure it has a chain but want to confirm (and not sure of how much, if ever, that needs to be serviced/replaced).
Thanks

The cams have chains, not belts, and the tensioners are hydraulic & self adjusting. Yours is a 5 chain system. 5-chain: Boxster thru 2002; 996 Carrera thru 2001
3-chain: Boxster 2003 and later; 996 Carrera 2002 and later

I have never heard of a replacement interval, but I have heard about premature wear on tensioners.

I will defer to others regarding whether it is a maintenance item.

Quote
bb1
Hey folks - Can you share guidance on whether the 2000 Boxster has a timing belt or chain, and when the recommended replacement interval is?

I am pretty sure it has a chain but want to confirm (and not sure of how much, if ever, that needs to be serviced/replaced).
Thanks

Paul answered the question belt or chain.

There is no chain service/maintenance or replacement called for by Porsche.

However, you "service" the chains (along with the rest of the engine's non serviceable hardware) by performing periodic and timely oil/filter services and using the correct oil.

A chain tensioner (the hydraulically operated piston) can fail. Bits of o-ring in the filter housing/filter element is a sign this has occurred. If this happens the chain tension can allow too much chain slack and this can result in accelerated wear even failure of the chain guide plastic cover. Bits (lots of bits) of caramel or dark/almost black composite plastic in the filter housing oil and filter element is a sign this is happening. The engine might, almost certainly will, manifest abnormal noise and not run as well as it might otherwise. A CEL can appear. If this condition develops and is allowed to go on too long the chain will eventually wear its way through the plastic cover and down to the aluminum guide rail under the plastic cover. Then the oil filter housing oil can show a sheen of what looks like metal flake as the chain wears the aluminum.

The tensioners are hard enough to get to. To replace all chain tensioners and the rails w/plastic covers, chains (and if they are worn enough to require replacement the sprockets need to be replaced, too) is an engine out and cases split job.

Fortunately, I have no direct experience with cam chain issues. I did have a VarioCam solenoid/actuator go bad in my 2002. Both were replaced. The actuator is essentially a large/fancy chain tensioner which is used to move the slack in the chain between the exhaust cam and intake cam from one side to the other to cause the intake cam to rotate and change its timing.

Thus there is a double chain guide which fits inside the exhaust to intake cam chain and either presses against one run of the chain or the other run whichever way the actuator moves the guide.

When the Porsche tech was working on my car's engine I asked him if he thought the other bank's actuator or even just the guide rails/plastic covers should be replaced. He said the wear on the actuator rails he removed was not bad at all and absent any sign the other bank was having any issues with the solenoid, actuator, or chain guides/rails he said there was no reason to touch the other bank. And there were no signs of any issues.

This was around 260K miles. At 317K miles when I got rid of the car the new (well, with nearly 50K miles on it) solenoid and actuator on the passenger side and the original solenoid and actuator on the driver side were just fine.

There was no sign of any excess chain play. The engine manifested the normal and short lived clatter at start and idled cold warn or hot ok and at all other RPMs manifested no signs of any issues with cam timing, chains, sprockets, or guides.

All the engine received was 5K mile oil/filter services.