LT Texan

Ever since I got my '78 back on the road this Summer, not a drop of fluid on the garage floor.

A few weeks ago, I was driving my daughter to the mall, and when I stopped at the off ramp, there was smoke coming out from under the right side of the hood.

I pull over, take a look and see there is oil on the passenger side manifold. Doesn't seem too bad to I drove her home.

Upon further inspection, it looked like the oil was leaking from the front of right cam tower onto the exhaust manifold.

I (somehow) tightened up the tower bolts. All were pretty tight already.

Seemed like that did the trick.

Then, I take it for a drive an notice a few drops of oil on the parking lot following me around. (It was lightly raining, don't you love the oily rainbows?)

Drove home and parked it in the garage.

Went out to the garage mid-week to get some tools, and there's a (big) puddle of oil under the car.

Great.

The only thing that I've done is change the oil to Castrol 20-50w synthetic for classic cars.

Here's a couple pictures of the front left and rear right cam tower. You can see oil between it and the head. The oil is making a mess and dripping onto the exhaust manifold and the clutch cover.

Anyone else have this experience?

Mrmerlin

I would replace the rear housing cam seal roger has silicone ones

LT Texan

dry as a bone there.

karl ruiter

I've had this happen before...when I got my '79 it was leaking buckets there. Changed the tower gaskets and I was good for 1000 miles or so and then they went again. Mine failed around the holes that carry the high pressure oil up to the carriers. I assumed that they needed to be resurfaced, but it could be there is a pressure problem of some sort.
Did you put your gasekets in dry?

Mrmerlin

OK, time for new tower gaskets then .
On the early cars, pay attention to the tappet guide gaskets that may be on the tower, if you use new style tower gaskets then you OMIT these figure 8 shaped gaskets otherwise they will lever the tower just enough to create a leak along the edge of the tower.
Note the figure 8 gaskets are very thin and they might not even look like they are on the tower try a fresh razorblade to peel them off

LT Texan

I did put em in dry

1000 miles or so sounds right.

more than happy to yank the engine and replace anything to correct this

LT Texan

I just rebuilt this engine, new gaskets were installed (obviously)


didnt use the figure 8 gaskets because I have newer euro s towers

LT Texan

what was your fix?

karl ruiter

Well, the plan was to pull the motor and do it again, this time using yamabond. But by the time I got around to pulling it I found a Euro S hybrid that I dropped in there instead. So I sold the old motor and never re-addressed this problem. However the motor that I dropped in there had to come out and be re-done and you can be I put yamabond on the surfaces.

jamesness

Dan,. I had a 85 944, with the same type of leak,back in 89 I sealed the gasket with aviation permatex.worked like a charm.Sold the car40k. miles later,no leaks. Jim

LT Texan

Well, there you go.

My '78 4.5 liter came out. And when all was said and done, a rebuilt 4.5 liter with euro heads and cams went back in.

So, I'll pull it out this cold winter and yamabond new cam tower gaskets

Honestly, I think that will be easier than trying to replace them with the motor in the car.

Thank guys. As always, the resources and knowledge on this list is second to none.

Mrmerlin

just an FYI you can use a feeler gauge along the edge of the tower to see if there is any clearance before you fit the tower back onto the head, this is done without any lifters or gasket installed it should fit flush but if there is clearance you will find it

hupp

I've been here before. I had pulled the engine and replaced the gaskets, soon after the leaking began in the very same locations. Front drivers side bottom, and rear pass side bottom - where the oil if fed to the cam towers. I did use yamabond the first time around after reading some tips here and would not advise this -- one simply cannot apply this consistantly or thin enough plus it just did not work for me.

I eventually replaced the gaskets with a newer version and these gaskets have a coating of graphite at each end to about two bolt holes toward the center. If I remember correctly, these were cross referenced to a 944. Anyway, I installed the gaskets dry with new lifter sleeve gaskets and used new washers at each bolt. A re-torque along the top was necessary because the gaskets are not relieved to accomodate the lifter sleeve flanges -- this area seaped a bit until I re-torqued. Everythhing has been bone dry for two years - knock on wood.

LT Texan

Thanks Scott. I see the updated gasket (944 part number) on 928 Intl's site.

I used the gaskets in the '78 4.5L gasket set.

Live and learn.

Mrmerlin

Scott you omit the "8" gaskets if you use the newer style tower gasket otherwise it will act like a fulcrum and lever the tower off the head and cause leaks