Mrmerlin

looks like they didnt add them..... My car had them when i took it apart and the covers were original ????? 88 S4

Good thing is when you redo the covers you can add them to all of the screws, the complete engine gasket kit usually contains the 12 sealing washers.
We had a bunch of them sitting around at the shop so I did every bolt when i rebuilt my engine

Bill Ball

Maybe they deleted them in 89. The other cars I worked on were 90s.

Stan, how many hours is this job booked? It took me forever. The little things, like getting the bolt back in the bracket for the harness at the back of the passenger side head and the air pump bracket bolts were a lot of trial and error. I used a magnet to hold the bolts while I wedged my tiny fingers down there and tried to get them started. Eventually I got them in. I figure I spent 8 hours total on the gaskets. I'd rather do a timing belt, maybe even motor mounts.

Mongo

Sears also makes these.

Mrmerlin

I dont have a time for the cam gaskets but I do know its a PITA as the bolts on the accessories on the right cyl head make things more difficult.
I have usually dont this repair on motors that were already removed so its a lot easier to complete

Tails

Mrmerlin & Bill,

There are no sealing fitted to my 90 S4 and I would like to fit a set as I have some leakage into the spark plug apertures.

Do either of you have the dimensions of the aluminium sealing ring as shown on PET part 32A and Part Number 013811Z for the cam cover. I have measured the diameter of the body of the cheese-Hd screw and it is 10mm OD. The main dimension that I would like to know is the thickness of the ring, as I will turn up a set to fit on my car.

Thanks,

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

Bill Ball

Tails:

The factory aluminum washers are 10.3mm ID and 13.4mm OD. 928Intl includes them in its cam cover gasket kit, but theirs are copper and are 10.4mm ID and 13.7mm OD. Both are 0.8mm thick. Anything slightly over 10mm ID and around 13mm OD should work.

I have found the old plug seals to be pretty brittle when removed, so you know snugging may not help. Time to bite the bullet.

Tails

Bill,

Thanks for the very prompt reply with the sizes of the washers. I was considering copper washers, so I root around in my workshop and see whether I have some copper pipe that I can part off into washers. If not I will buy some aluminum round bar and machine them up. It helps pass the time whilst I'm home.

Appreciate the advice regarding the hardening of the rubber "O" ring and joint seal, but I will give it a shot with installation of the washers before I have to bite the bullet, however, I will check the condition of the "O" rings first.

If I have to replace the seals and "O" rings, I have an "O" ring making kit that I use with great success when I used to overhaul NSU RO 80 "Wankel" engines in my younger days when they stopped making spares. I may get it out as I have bunner rubber and silicone cord of various diameters.

Thanks once again,
Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

Tails

Bill,

Just an update.

Found some copper pipe the right size and made a half set of washers at 0.80mm thick to do one cam cover.

On removing the first set bolt I found the "O" ring still relatively soft, so installed copper washers to all bolts on LHS cam cover as all "O" ring still relatively pliable.

Cleaned up the oil in the spark plug holes and now I will see how it goes as I also had a slight leak at the aft end lower side of the cam cover just above the aft exhaust outlet.

The lower aft set bolt was a real PITA, but I have a long set of Allen keys with spherical ends, which enhanced the removel once the bolt was broken free.

I will do the RHS bank on Friday, as I will be putting a few kilometres on the car tomorrow.

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

Bill Ball

The part that I meant was brittle was the actual spark plug hole seal, not the bolt seal, although those can be brittle as well. The spark plug seal gets the full heat of the head. The leak at the aft end is the plastic cam end seals. You need to loosen the cam bridge to replace that (cover off).

Alan

Bill - you keep a 3lb sledge handy for working on Porsche engines... ?

Ha! - I never would have guessed that

I'm thinking that could be very dangerous in those moments of frustration.

Anyway sounds like it worked really well.

I think I'm going to visit Sears for some of those extractors - at $60 the Snap-On's look good - but I think that price is rather to good to be true for a repeat.

Alan

Bill Ball

Just to complete this thread... here is a document on the sealing rings that Stan discussed.

Jack Riffle

Jesus Bill!!!! And yeah, I think I mean it that way!!! Even under a time crunch, you took pics to help others in the future....YOU ARE THE MAN.