BC

What about some sort of planing on the sealing surface of the cam carrier, AND the top surface of the heads? Making it perfectly flat and shiney - I would think that would help sealing.

Bill Ball

Small hands help as well.

GregBBRD

The coating on the ends of the "new" gaskets is absolutely like greased owl **** (French for: "Very, very slippery".) I'd guess that you want a slight amount of "tooth" on the pieces for that gasket to grab. I got so tired of these gaskets slipping around and splitting, when I did a lot of early engines/944's, that I actually had one of the gasket suppliers custom cut me out a batch of gaskets without this coating. Used/sold a boatload of those.

People like to use some sort of a sticky substance (Gasgacinch) to stick these gaskets down to the heads (you need about 6 gaskets to successfully install 2 cam carriers onto 2 heads, when the engine is in the car, if you just leave the gaskets loose. The 4 extras are to replace the ones that rip.) That is the kiss of death. If the gasket can't grab onto the aluminum, it slips out of there like stepping on a cat in the dark.

BC

I have stepped on a cat in the dark. It did not feel nice for me or the cat.

I have relinquished ALL of my 2V stuff in an attempt to stop the nightmares. But when I did have that stuff and was staring at it, I though maybe putting the cam covers on dry would help. As in, lifters in with not enough oil to work properly if it was running, nearly dry, flipping it over on the head with the cam carrier surface dry, nothing on the heads that is liquid, and WITH gasgacinch (pray you don't have to take it off) and THEN add all the oil through the screw caps in the carrier. If you grease up the lifters before installation of the carrier, its almost a lost cause. Its ready to leak before you even ever turn the key.

GregBBRD

I coat the lifters/cam with a pretty thick moly engine assembly lube, so there isn't any oil running down, and then change the oil filter after the first bit of running to make sure the moly doesn't plug it up.

Eric Buckley

I turn all of the lifters so that the hole is facing up (towards the valley). With the carrier on the bench and all the holes facing up I then use heavy rubber bands to hold all the lifters in. Once I get the carrier roughly seated on the head I cut the rubber bands and slip them out. I try to put the rubber bands so that they do not cross the centre of the lifter, so they will slip out easier. It is also critical to slip the rubber bands out when you only have a couple of the fasteners in, and they are not at all tight. Sometimes I need to rotate the cam slightly to help one or two rubber bands release. I also go crazy on getting all residual oil out of the carrier itself, before reassembly. I have had pretty good luck keeping the sealing surfaces dry during assembly this way. On the gaskets; I, too, have had the new (black ends) style gaskets start to leak after a relatively short time in service. Last time around I used some aftermarket gaskets I got from 928 International that are completely black from end to end. I think I like the completely black gasket better. I have never tried any sort of sealant here, I always install these gaskets dry.

Fogey1

?? What's that about? <MORE>, please.

Rick Carter

Is this the issue? Nothing on the cover to hint that it is.
VW & Porsche October 1985
Code: VWPO198510
Price: $11.95
Available: 1
Dimensions: 10.875 x 8.375 x 0.125 inches
Publication Date: October 1985

Description
# 1986 16-Valve Scirocco
# Slant-Nose 911SC Kit
# Beetle Camshaft Tips
# Porsche 924 Carrera Replica
# Street-driven Porsche 935

danglerb

I don't have it in front of me, but thats the magazine and date. They do show up at better prices though.

GregBBRD

OK. I think I've finally got some pictures to post about this project.

This is my son, Kyle, working on removing the engine. Berkeley hair.



Here's the engine in the car.



Here's the engine out.



Kyle disassembling engine. Note the haircut.



That will put water into the cylinder...need another block.



Next engine...worse. That green stuff is actually alien eggs, which grow in old acidic coolant. When they hatch, they begin eating through aluminum. That black spot in the cylinder at 12:30 is actually a giant hole.

This is what is happening inside those low mileage engines that have never had the coolant changed.

928 obsession

It's great to see more restorations involving fathers and sons. My father and I also restored my '82. It was a great experience that I will always remember and was well worth the father/son bonding. Since we've done extensive work on an '82 an '83 is very similar, feel free to ask any questions if you have any. Best of luck on the restoration

AO

Similar thing happened on my heads. PO never changed the coolant. Bad ju ju.

BTW, how'd you convince him to get the haircut? I'm trying to get my 11 y.o. son to get a haircut, but he refuses.

928 obsession

Tell him he doesn't get the Porsche if he doesn't get a haircut. I would have a buzz cut in an instant!

Imo000

If these are the rear cam carrier caps then BTDT too. I just pulled the brand new slipped cork gaskets and cut a pair out of a regular graphite gasket material. I think it was graphite (dark grey think cardboard). Been on the car for over 10 years and no leaks.

GregBBRD

This is on the gasket that goes between the cam carriers and the heads.