johnfm

After checking my engine a week after doing the valves etc, I have a better idea of where the slight weeps are.

Is there any harm in checking/re-torquing the nuts under there - or is that the height of wishful thinking!!

I notice that the RHS of the engine is dry, and the odd nut has oil around it. Are these just collecting points or sources of leaks??

I know this is vague, but expect Jeff Curtis & others have done this few times!!

springer3

John:

It is normal to find loose fasteners, and I have never had a problem taking them back up to the correct torque. I would be careful not to over torque in an effort to stop a leak, and I am always careful to get to every fastener in the assembly. Getting one nut tight when the rest are loose is an invitation to trouble, because the one you tightened carries most of the load, and you make the remaining fasteners even looser.

Good luck tracking down the leaks. Porsche has made a lot of progress since the early 911s, but leaks are a problem for any 10+ year old car.

Riccardo

John,

out of curiosity did you have any wet oil on the exhaust headers?

bj

John

When I did my valve adjust I went as far as to retorque the cam housing. I don't know if that helped or if it was the new valve cover gaskets which eliminated all the leakage above the head. The next time I do the valve adjust I'll have a 12mm Torx socket to retorque the head studs, in the hopes it will eliminate the sweating at the head to cylinder junction on cylinder 1.

Bill
90C2

johnfm

Bill

I saw those 12mm torx head studs and wsa VERY tempted to tweak them. I've closed it up now, but I think I will get back under and re torque every bolt I can see near oil.

What is the best source of torque settings - the workshop Manual I presume.

JasonAndreas

The Workshop Manuals have some errors, things like Cylinder Head Torque, etc. The Bentley book also has some errors related to torque. Have they published an errata? I have emailed them previously whenever I noticed something didn't match with the latest setting that Porsche has published. Before tightening anything around the engine I would check for any related Technical Service Bulletins and if you have them, supplements to the Workshop Manuals.
Maybe someone should create a web page with the correct torque settings for every bolt on the car? If nobody else does, I will start one on Monday.

bj

Hi John

I started a thread a couple of months ago before I did my valve adjust on this very subject. There's a lot of good info in there. If and when I do it (i.e. retorque the head bolts) I'd do it very cautiously in steps until I reached the bolt which has the highest torque. You can determine which one this is with the torque wrench by gradually increasing the setting on it and going around sequentially (i.e there is a specific pattern to tightening head bolts - you don't want to tighten in one area because this could put uneven pressure on the head and warp it) to each bolt. If the bolt your're attempting to tighten does in fact start to tighten - don't tighten it until you've checked all the bolts and determined the highest torque setting. Once this is determined this is your torque setting for all the other (i.e. looser) bolts. I would hope this torque is at least the initial torque setting before a fraction of a turn is added. The reason for doing this is because there isn't a specific torque setting listed. It's done by torqueing to a specific setting then adding another fraction of a turn thereby creating a certain stretch on the stud. Again I'd be very cautious, cause I don't know anyone who's attempted this and there is a potential of breaking the stud.

90C2
Bill

johnfm

I'm going to leave the head studs alone for the moment and concentrate on all the little bolts I can see from below. AS long as I don't over-torque, I figure I have nothing to lose.

Main leakage seems to be from chain tensioner cover (little black polastic looking thing hel on by thwo nuts.

Anyone know the torque setting for these and the main row of bolts along the bottom ridge which joins th etwo halves of the crankcase - can't find it in workshop manual.

Riccardo

John, did you see my post above?

johnfm

Oops, sorry Riccardo

yes, I have wet oil on the underside of the heat exchangers - quite where it has come from I'm not sure!! Its 'possible' that the upper rocker cover on that side (the rhs) is not sealed correctly. My LHS is dry. ( I think I got this the wrong way round in my first post!)

Glenn from Denver

BTW, those are NOT Torx cap nuts holding the head on. Torx is 6 pointed, these are 12 pointed. I found the right tool at my local auto parts store for not very much money. It's basically an insert for a 13 mm socket.

The Torx might work but, with 1/2 as much engagement, you might strip the head of the nut.

Riccardo

Thanks John, hmm, I think it is indeed the rocker covers, thats what they analysed on my car. £450 a side to fix apparently (or was that for the lot?)

johnfm

Riccardo

what are they claiming to do for £450? Are the rocker covers cracked or are they just leaking through the gaskets??

A gasket set is pretty cheap (less than £50) and the tools needed are minimal. In a day you could comfortably remove the exhaust system (not headers, just cat and secondary - the primary stays put), replace the rocker cover gaskets and re-torque it all. Also give it all a good clean while you are under there so you can see any other sources of leak.

Riccardo

John, I am not sure now, they just said it would be about £450 (+vat) to get it fixed. Well, its the new owners problem anyway now, I just wondered about it because the PPI showed it as a major issue thus I had to come down on price a reasonable amount.