hupp

It's been over 10 years since I've had to deal with a cam tower gasket leak, but all good things come to an end. Has there been any improvements in gaskets, after market products or replacement techniques in the last 10 years?

I've searched the forum and found a few posts describing new gaskets (Greg Brown gaskets ??). I've also read that one should re-install the cam towers with the figure 8 lifter sleeve gaskets removed.

Im interested in taking advantage improvements, but not much detail when searching the forum.

Would be grateful if some Rennlisters can share more of recent cam tower gasket replacements. Thanks.

hacker-pschorr

Yes use Greg's gaskets (Roger @ 928's R Us sells them)

Do not leave out the figure 8 gaskets.

hupp

Great! Thank you. GB gaskets, fig 8 installed. Trim to fit around lifter sleeve flange - correct?

GregBBRD

Yes. My gaskets are designed for use in later engines, without the separate iron lifter sleeves. However, they can be modified for use in the earlier versions with these lifter sleeves.

The figure 8 gaskets are there to make the lifter sleeves "taller" than the cam carrier itself....so they do not move. These need to be present.

Trim my gaskets so that they do not touch the lifter sleeves. My gasket touching the sleeves plus the figure 8 gaskets are too thick!

There's a quick trick to doing this...a bit less tedious than trying to do it by hand.

Clean a cam carrier and the sleeves. Place my gasket on the cam carrier. Insert a sleeve. Once the sleeve is touching the gasket, smack the sleeve with a rubber mallet, while holding the gasket exactly over the holes for the bolts with your fingers.

The sharp sleeve acts like a paper cutter and will slice off a very nice uniform "moon" shaped chunk.

When done doing all eight holes, remove the gasket and "kiss" the edge of the cuts with a round (fine) Dremmel barrel sander just enough to ensure that the edge of the gasket can't reach the sleeves when installed.

You will end up with a perfect gasket. (Be sure to remove the "moons" cut off and now under the sleeves!)

I always suggest that people buy an extra gasket or two...in case they tear a gasket during installation. (The gaskets are cheap....waiting for another to arrive is frustrating and the shipping is usually more than the gasket, itself.)

hupp

Thank you Greg. The support (and innovation) is very much appreciated. I plan on ordering at least three from Roger tomorrow.

It's hard to believe that I've been doing mostly driving (not wrenching) since I pulled the engine to restore 11 years ago. The passenger side gasket recently started leaking at one of the typical spots - bottom side bolt closest to the firewall (right by oil port).

I'll be keeping an eye on the drivers side.

GregBBRD

Pay close attention to the installation instructions and you will not have any issues.....other than the tedious part of getting the cam carrier on and off.

hupp

I have been able to install the new cam tower gasket and all went according to plan. The gasket remained bone dry for about three months but I have recently noticed some seeping in a couple of areas. Certainly not running out like before and I'll plan to keep an eye on things. I'm wondering if I've lost some torque over the last several months. I'm tempted to torque down again but hesitant given the sensitivity to over-torque. Is retorque after some heat cycles necessary?

GregBBRD

Should never need to be touched.

I've certainly never re-torqued any, nor have I ever had any clients that needed to re-torque.

What is the history of the hardware? These allen headed cap screws are very different animals, being grade 8.8. (Most all allen headed hardware is a minimum of grade 10.9 and usually 12.9.)

Porsche doesn't say so, in the Workshop manual, but some people insist the hardware is a "one use only" affair.

I replace the hardware each time....

hupp

I did not replace the hardware since the last gasket job. The bolts are about 13 years old.

hupp

The leak is located on bottom side of passenger tower, rear most bolt at the oil supply. Just a drip. I haven't messed with it yet. Wonder if removing and replacing with new and retorque will do the trick.

GregBBRD

I've had so little problems with these gaskets for the past 20 years, I'm a bit dubious that is what is going on....although anything is possible.

The rear cam block off plate gasket will seep and leak around the edge of the cam carrier, depositing oil onto the rear bolt.

The difference is that there will be oil around the bottom of the head of the bolt, instead of between the cam carrier and the head.

hupp

I don't think it's a gasket issue, more like an install issue. I'm going to check the torque when the car has had a chance to cool off. I'm starting to regret not replacing the hardware. I also don't think the issue is complex, after all, the last gasket set lasted 13 years with the moly coated ends (with new hardware).

hupp

Put a torque wrench on the one bolt and got about 1/8 turn. Ran the car on ramps for 10 minutes (Rev'ing, etc) and no drip. We'll see what happens from here once I put some miles it.

GlenL

I wonder if there are differences in installation approaches. The torque sequence is in the WSM. With the springs loading-up, there's a lot of work to get everything snug before doing that pattern.

After getting a couple of bolts in, I start them all and then nurse the tower down slowly by turning each bolt a bit at a time. Takes time but I think the final pattern starts from a consistent situation. I also wonder if the cam towers can get bent by just cranking down 2-3-4 bolts and not using the 14 (?) that are around the tower.

Thoughts? WWGD?

GregBBRD

I do exactly what you do.

I sneak up on the torque using all 15 of the bolts.

My "learning curve" on cam carriers came courtesy of the 944 engines. Much easier job! When that graphite sprayed only on the ends gasket was first introduced, I had some cam carriers off 5-6 times....if there was room for studs and wing nuts, I would have considered that.

Yes, I learned how to install cam carriers using this gasket. I never was able to achieve near a 100% success ratio, however I had little choice due to the lack of options.

This made me seek out an alternative gasket, which has worked, for me, 100% of the time.