Seals in the rocker shafts???

[crashmy911]

Are there seals in the rocker shafts? When I dissassembled the motor there was no sign of them and when I reassembled I didn't put any in!!

[Wayne 962]

Only on the RSR engines, which used a slightly smaller shaft. I recommend installing them as a safeguard against leaks though...

-Wayne

[TimT]

those seals are cheap, about $2 ea. Its cheap insurance against oil leaks

[Wayne 962]

I don't even think they are that expensive...

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/autocat/load_page.cgi?page_number=2&bookmark=3&model=911M&currsection=enginC

$1.50 each in our catalog...

-Wayne

[Peterfrans]

It is very easy installing them. I still wonder why they were only originally used on R engines.

[Wayne 962]

They were used only on the RSR motors, because the RSR rocker shafts were slightly a smaller diameter. This was done for reasons I can't quite remember. I think it had something to do with the camshaft-fed oiling system, but don't quote me on that. Because the rocker shafts were slightly smaller, they leaked if you didn't use the seal...

-Wayne

[TimT]

Big deal, I said about $2 in any event its a whopping $12 savings.

Even if they seals were used by Porsche only on RSR motors. They are a good idea to use during any rebuild. The rocker bore can be damaged during rocker shaft removal. Unless you have a motor that has never been opened or rebuilt. You should use the rocker shaft seals. Its cheap insurance

[Wayne 962]

I agree, cheap insurance...

-Wayne

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by TimT
Big deal, I said about $2 in any event its a whopping $12 savings.

Even if they seals were used by Porsche only on RSR motors. They are a good idea to use during any rebuild. The rocker bore can be damaged during rocker shaft removal. Unless you have a motor that has never been opened or rebuilt. You should use the rocker shaft seals. Its cheap insurance

I think you need 12 of them actually. Marcesq did this a few weeks ago on his low-miles and very leaky 3.2.

[antares]

Does anyone know if you can put the seals in without removing the engine and if so hard hard is it?

Antares
fatnwide

[Rick Lee]

I'm pretty sure you can do it without removing the engine - theoretically. I would definitely R&R the engine for this job. Tightening the rocker shaft bolts is hard enough with the engine out and must be a real b!tch with the engine in.

[ersatz]

Yeah, it's possible, but it's a chore. I only did the exhaust half because that was the only ones leaking. You'll need a 5mm and an 8mm allen. The bolt has the 5mm head and that is the one you want to turn. I also used a piece of quarter inch copper pipe bent into an L-shape to help ease the shaft out of the bore without damaging the bore. I think all 911 engines should have these seals, at least on the bottom, exhaust shafts.

Marshall
75 911 3.2

[marcesq]

You need 2 per rocker shaft, therefore a total of 24 seals.

And my 3.2 dosen't leak anymore

[Doug Zielke]

Glad you got those seals installed, Marc.
It makes you wonder why the Factory just didn't install them in the first place.

[antares]

Well late than never. Finally got the car up and took both the exhaust covers and upper intake covers off. Thought it best to remove the side engine metal. The bottom rocker shafts ie. the ends of the rocker shaft and their perspective chamber are dry. No wet oil as a leaking rocker would be leaking in this area. The uppers appear dry as well except around one intake rocker which appeared to have some wettness around it's perimeter but no oil in chamber. Is this what a leaking rocker shaft looks like? I would expect more oil in the adjacent chamber. Externally, my dripping is at the head/cam tower junction. I am going to retorque the heads in a desparate effort to see if this will help. Otherwise I see no alternative to stop the oil migration. Perhaps the previous owner got the engine real hot and the head surface warped somewhat. Is this possible and usual? Otherwise I will drop the engine, remove cam towers and . . . yady yady yady
Anybody with input would be appreciated!

Antares
fatnwide

[LeRoux Strydom]

Antares

welcome to the club. I had the exact same leak you are describing (see post Do steel cylinder head studs break?)

In short, I re-torqued the heads, tightened the #6 exhaust rocker shaft slightly and replaced the covers with new gaskets. So far it seems dry, but needs more miles to verify. I am interested to know what you find on your engine.

LeRoux

[Wayne 962]

Really, the only way out of this boat is to remove the cam towers and reseal the heads. I have an engine that has this leak too...

-Wayne

[911pcars]

Check the cam oil line fittings. I too thought there was a leak at the cam housing and cylinder head joint. Instead, it was a loose fitting behind the distributor. Quarter turn tighter relieved me of all thought about how to stop the suspected leak w/o dropping the engine.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[brandett]

Anyone got the part # for those seals ? Would like to get them to my rebuild and the Porsche dealer near me cant find them.

[Peterfrans]

911.099.103.52 from page 118 in Bruce Andersons handbook. PET does not recognise this number though. You could also order them from our host, he should have no problems supplying them.