Daniel5691

This post is an update of the series of glitches which "seemed" to follow a belly pan strike which cut my AC belt and was "followed" by a passenger front engine oil leak.

Prior to the leak, and actually prior to the belly pan strike, I had topped up my engine crankcase oil to the top of the normal range on my dipstick. I wondered if I had inadvertently over-filled the engine and caused some sort of overflow situation, for lack of a more precise term. So, I completely drained the engine (but did not remove the filter) and measured 8.75 quarts total of oil.
I also found a little surprise on the end of my magnetic drain plug at the time of the measurement. I do not know that this loose washer found in the pan was related to the leak.



I bought an inspection mirror and a bright light. This is a photo taken looking up from below the passenger side, orienting the location of the oil leak coating the exhaust header. (Front of car is to the right side of the photo)



Here the source of the leak is visible in the inspection mirror, near a bolt and washer attaching the passenger side cam housing. (Front of car is now at the bottom of these images)






Wow, this is really back in a tight area, and I am puzzled as to the proper approach. It's a tough spot from above, and from below as well.

Could you please share your strategy/plan of attack for correcting a cam housing gasket leak such as this in a 16V engine?

I look forward to your advice and suggestions.

Thanks!
Dan

LT Texan

My strategy.....pull the engine. Again.😢

Seriously, I don't know of them to just start leaking at that oil passage high pressure point.

Mine did after new gaskets out of an overhaul gasket set.

Fix it by installing Greg Brown's aftermarket gaskets.

Good luck

SeanR

If that location is indeed the leak then you are looking at a really large job as that would be a cam carrier gasket leak. Basically you are looking at tearing down the front of the engine so you can unstring the timing belt and removing the gear and the plate behind the cam gear. All of the smog tubing and valves will have to come off also. Then comes the fun part of removing the cam carrier to replace the gasket which will take various lengths of hex keys/sockets etc.

That washer actually looks like one of the washers that goes on one of those hex bolts.

soontobered84

Those are real bastards to torque. Pull the engine.

LT Texan

Do not. I repeat do not use the stock cam tower gaskets.

Daniel5691

The more I read, esp from the experiences shared here, the more obvious that my engine is coming out.
Right now, I am in the "logistics" phase.
Today I have copied out the section 10 from my WSM CDs, as well as the torque specs from the WSM. I am 'spring-cleaning' the garage to make plenty of room on the shelves for organizing parts, etc.
I ordered a set of LiftBars today. I have been using my JackPoint stands up until this point, but I am not sure if the JackPoints will give me enough room to squeeze my weak fat hideous blubber body back to get the bellhousing, etc etc.
(future news report...... the year is 9928... archaeologists have found the mummified body of an ancient fatso jammed beneath an ancient torture device known as a Nine-Two-Eight...)
I am now internet shopping for an engine hoist and a sturdy engine stand as well.
And I will definitely avoid the stock gaskets, as advised.
I am eager to work, and eager to learn!!
I really like driving the 928, so far that has been a rare and brief joy. But I also really like working on it too, so I guess it is win-win. My goal is to take my time, do it right, and turn this old car into a real road warrior. I can't imagine anything more fun than taking off cross-country in the 928 someday. Something to look forward to!
Dan

Daniel5691

And just a quick clarification, when you guys refer to "cam towers".... that is the same part that the WSM calls the "Camshaft Housing"?

Dan

Doug_B_928

I had a leak that looked exactly like that, in terms of how it ran down the exhaust manifold, after replacing the o-ring that sits in the housing behind the right cam gear with an incorrect o-ring (there was a TSB to put in larger o-rings for my MY). As soon as I replaced it with the correct o-ring the leak was gone.

awaino

That looks a lot like a leak I found yesterday on mine... Update this when you can, I'd love to see how the repair goes.

Landseer

Removing cam gears and backing plates in order to access and replace the O-rings behind the backing plates, along with the Orings associated with the cam snouts that are prone to leaks is pretty simple, same day job on 16V.

I can't tell from the pictures where the leak originates. If it is the cam cover gaskets, sorta like valve cover gaskets, then I understand the concept of pulling out the engine. If it is the O rings, though, leaking as they do, running along the edge of the cam covers --- then removing the engine is a massive waste of time.

Daniel5691

Landseer,
thanks for the input. I am certainly interested in checking those o rings first, especially considering the possibility of solving the leak "in place". Is it of any diagnostic use that the 928 was essentially leak-free, and now there is quite a volume of oil leaking rapidly? I had completely and carefully cleaned all the oil from the header prior to taking those photos, and the engine ran less than 3 minutes total to leak all the way down to the exhaust pipe connection. Thanks in advance. Dan

GregBBRD

You need to confirm where this oil leak originates from, regardless of the effort required. Remove the A/C compressor, if necessary, to be able to run the vehicle and see where the oil leak is coming from.

While the original cam carrier gaskets worked very well, the "replacement" stock gasket absolutely sucks. If you need to replace these gaskets, do yourself a favor and don't use them.

OTR18WHEELER

Well, as it is, curiosity kills the Catshark. Got under my car last night, looking for reference to the OP, to find a slight coolant seepage along a oil stained head gasket, just above the exhaust manifold on the driver side.

GregBBRD

The head gaskets are frequently "seeping" in all of these engines that have not been apart. Actually, it would be a surprise not to see coolant seepage around the perimeter of an original head gasket!

Paper, regardless of what is done to it, will not last forever...and "forever" for "virgin gaskets came and went many years ago.

I'm frequently seeing cylinder "flame rings" completely separated from the other portion of the head gaskets...retained only by the clamping force of the cylinder head.

SeanR

Yep, I was a amazed when I pulled a low mile '91 apart to find the fire rings sitting nicely on the cylinders while I had the rest of the head gasket in my hand.