Dwayne

I'm getting ready to take the intake, cam covers, wather bridge, oil fillter neck in for powder coating on "Virginia". But I'm having difficulty removing the PCV elbow fitings from the passenger cam cover. Here's a pic:



I've searched Rennlist, some of the other Tech Tips sites and the WSM and Service Info by Year sheets but no explanation how to remove these PCV elbows. The elbow is threaded and secured using an unusual nut from underneath the cover. It looks like the nut is locked into place by a tab that is bent up to lock into one of the notches on the nut (above at the 9 o'clock position).

I'm assuming I have to "bend" the tab down so it clears the notch and then I'll be able to take the nut off and thus take the elbow out?? Is this correct?? If so, how does one bend the tab down?? There doesn't seem to be enough room to get a screwdriver or other tool in between the tab and the nut in order to pry the tab down. How have others done this?? Any advice would be appreciated. THANKS!

BTW, I'm taking them tomorrow (Friday) morning first thing. If I can't get them off, I'll ask them to powder coat with the elbows in place and try to mask them off. TIA.

jon928se

Yeah you have to bend the tab out of the way - start with a very fine screwdriver or seal pick to wedge in to open the slot a bit so that you can get a bigger more robust screwdriver in to use to lever the tab back.

Undoing the Nut can sometimes be done with a pair of long nosed pliers - I made my own tool from a piece of tube with "two very large pieces of pie" cut out from one end to leave two "prongs" to push into the slots in the nut. Turn the tube with Visegrips.

Dwayne

THANKS, Jon, for confirming I'm on the right track - just have to work it some more.

RyanPerrella

the later cars (at least the 1990 models) have a plastic cylinder around that nut. Its a bear to get the thing off.

In the end i used some locking type needle nose plyers at a very specific angle to grab onto the nut and remove it.

YOU MUST REPLACE THE O-RINGS IN THERE. I didnt the first time because the elbows where a pain to remove. But the next time i had those cam covers off i made the effort to remove the elbow and replace the o-rings. Also pull the plugs on the other side and replace those o-rings aswell.

Dwayne

OK....got 'em off. Noobism strikes again!

I was afraid of pounding on the cover with a screwdriver and hammer to pry the tab away from the locking washer but as it turns out, the tabs are soft and easily influenced. I used a small screwdriver and a small hammer to lightly tap the screwdriver and the tab came away.



Then I used needle nose pliers to take the nut off.


Ryan,
Thanks for the tip on the o-rings. I will definitely replace those as well as all the other rubber on the cam cover. Now it's off to to the powder coater.

THANKS for the help!!

Tom in Austin

Hey, how'd you get the inside of that cover so clean? Don't tell me it looked that way when you took it off

mark kibort

Thats what happens when you use Amsoil (or good synthetics)

Rob Roy

I used an old socket of the appropriate size (can't remember what now) and ground down the edges to leave legs that fit in around the nuts

worf928

That plastic cylinder is what Porsche calls an air-oil separator.

It's on the firewall end of the right-side cam cover. It was under all 87+ right-side cam covers from the factory. (Unless Hans and Franz were drinking that day...)

the flyin' scotsman

I believe the convention was reversed Dave..........."unless Hans and Franz were NOT drinking that day"

worf928

Then were did they put it? Maybe under the left-side cover where there's no breather elbow?

Hmmm... Germans do drink beer at lunch. Perhaps it's a case of a morning build or an afternoon build?

the flyin' scotsman

The drinking convention and yes they do drink at lunch time.

worf928

Yessiriebob they do sometimes. It's best to hold meetings that require all brain cells operational before lunch.

the flyin' scotsman

I spent a few years of my career in France and initially couldn't comprehend their work hours. When I figured out the whole country shuts down for their 2hr lunch all made sense.

On topic; good to see this thread.............I'll be going in very soon for gaskets and a broken bolt.

worf928

Get yourself a set of the extralong needle nose pliers. Not only are they generally useful, but you can use them to twist off the lock nut in the dark bottom nether regions of the air-oil separator - modulo Hanz Und Franz of course.