Replacing left cam oil line-help

[Wil Ferch]

Hi guys:

I want to replace the left, horizontal, cam oil line on my 85 Carrera. It runs from the left cylinder bank banjo bolt connection...continues behind the distributor and a bit further to the right...still behind the dizzy. (It's the line that has a branch tee going down to feed the hydraulic tensioners on the left bank).

Anyway..I tried to gain acces to this line ( especially the right-end connection right behind the dizzy and up tight against the fan housing structure)...by taking off the heater blower ducting. I got the round duct off but couldn't get the flatter duct off, even when all the bolts are removed. It seems the flatter duct is part of...or locks into..the overall fan shroud.

Is there no way to get to this oil line without first removing the distributor? Is there a simple trick to this that I'm overlooking?

Appreciate any help or guidance.

---Wil Ferch

[North Coast Cab]

Wil,
I've got both new cam lines sitting in my garage waiting for an easy install. With all the work I've done, I just don't feel comfortable pulling the distributor. My research shows it needs to come out. Hopefully, someone will chime in with a brilliant idea and save the day.

JG

[john walker's workshop]

sorry, it has to come out. position the crank pulley to the Z1 mark for #1 cylinder. at this point, the distributor rotor will be pointing at the #1 plug wire, where it attaches to the cap. notice the small notch on the top edge of the dist housing, directly below the tip of the rotor. the plastic dust shield may have to be removed to see it well. the rotor needs to be in the same place when you slide the dist back in. there's no other adjustment on a carrera. the hold down stud hole is round, not slotted, so it's a piece of cake. it only goes in one way. as long as the rotor is in the same place, above the notch, you will have no problem. if the rotor is off one way or the other, slide the dist out a bit and turn the rotor to engage the next gear tooth, then slide the dist back in to check.

[keithlambert7]

Originally posted by Wil Ferch
Hi guys:

Anyway..I tried to gain acces to this line ( especially the right-end connection right behind the dizzy and up tight against the fan housing structure)...by taking off the heater blower ducting. I got the round duct off but couldn't get the flatter duct off, even when all the bolts are removed. It seems the flatter duct is part of...or locks into..the overall fan shroud.

Is there no way to get to this oil line without first removing the distributor? Is there a simple trick to this that I'm overlooking?

Appreciate any help or guidance.

---Wil Ferch

Wil,

It's certainly more difficult to get to that right side without taking off the dizzy, but is NOT impossible. The timing is set electronically on our 3.2's so removing the distributor isn't the can of worms it'd otherwise be. John Walker gives a good step by step on it's removal if you must. I did it without taking it off a few months ago on my '89. You need to take off both round and flat blower ducts, and the distributor cap, to got to it with an open end wrench but believe it or not you CAN do it. Was a stinker though...It's helpful if you have an offset wrench with a deeper bend than most wrenches.

Regarding the flat duct, there are (if I remember right) at least three bolts on the bottom (two in the back on the fan scroud that'll require a ratchet with a 8" extension, and another more difficult to see one way down at the bottom that'll require a flex ended socket. IT also WILL come off.

When you get the thing ready to go back together, make sure you are using NEW compression washers, and that you don't over-tighten the compression fittings. Also make sure that your car is fitted with the bracket kit to prevent vbration from busting the line again.

Keith

[makaio]

It's pretty easy on the 3.2, since you don't have to set timing like the others have said. Just make sure not to drop anything down the hole the dizzy goes in.

[SLR]

Yep just changed my oil lines on my 85 carrera, the dizzy will need to come off easy to take off and on. The end behind the dizzy was verey tight !

[Wil Ferch]

Thanks to all for the replies....
Keith, just for record, I have the anti vibration holders installed ( not stock for my 1985 Carrera...I believe they became factory around 87 or 88). I saw and removed 3 bolts on the flat duct. Are there more, as you suggest? One is at 9 o'clock, the other at 12 o'clock and a bit back, and another on the backside of the fan shroud around 6 o'clock. I couldn't find any more but the way in which it hung on indicates some others maybe located in the front-lower face where you ( natch) again can't see anything when the engine is installed in the car..
By new compression washers, I guess you mean the new aluminum washers that are above and below the banjo bolts on the cam covers, right? If so...got those, thanks.
With age , inspite of conscientious maintenance and such, the rubber piece in the middle of these lines will begin to seep, probably at one end or the other of the crimp connections. Then, either ( or both) of the horizontal lines...left and right bank of the engine, will have to be replaced. When you do, be careful of parts numbers and supercessions....there are a number of variations and routings...some combo's won't work together.
---Wil Ferch

[Wil Ferch]

Oh...John Walker..
On both mine and my friend's 85 USA spec Carrera, there is no Z1 mark ( as such) on the front face of the crank pulley. If I see two adjacent notches,....as I face the engine,is it the right hand one of the two that are close together? ( Someone once said the Z1 mark is on the backside of the pulley. Can this be?
--Wil Ferch

[john walker's workshop]

the area with two notches about 1" from each other is Z1 for either #1 or #4 cylinder on the left notch. the distributor rotor will tell you which one. as for getting at the fitting behind the distributor, you can just get a wrench on it, but the lower fitting that it attaches to, usually comes loose in the process, and then you have to yank the distributor to seperate the two. might as well just pop it out, and make life easier. it's like the effort some people expend in trying to get the oil pressure gauge sender out, when they can remove the A/C pump and bracket in 5 minutes for a clear shot.

[Wil Ferch]

OK...I'll pull the dizzy.

Any special washers or O-rings to replace when I go to put the dizzy back in?....

---Wil Ferch

[KTL]

There's a rubber seal on the bottom of the distributor shaft that you might consider replacing.

[Wil Ferch]

Update:
Thought I'd share..as I just now got around to this work on the car ( been busy in other areas).
- went fine by taking out the dizzy. Left round air pipe came off first, then the plug wires. I actually put two pen marks on the dizzy body...one when the rotor was pointed to #1 at TDC...and then another *just* as the dizzy cleared the engine housing..the pointer had moved just a smidge by the bevel gear angle. To re-insert, I lined up the second mark that was noted after the pointer turned slightly.
--Put a new distributor seal on. Oddly, the new factory piece is black whereas the old one was red. It stood tall just a bit more than the old one, so the re-insertion of the dizzy was awkward...didn't know how much was "too much" force...finally went in with a slight pop. Good, the pointer now lines up with the first, original mark, as intended.
--- because I'll be putting on the revised oil line restrictor bolt and screw-in housing later, I decided ( for now) to reuse the aluminum washers on both sides of the banjo bolt. As long as I cleaned them up with no debris, and reused them in the exact same position ( AND orientation....don't flip em), they worked fine too.--- the fitting closest to the dizzy came off without a hitch..although John Walker's advice was sound in that the nipple it screws into may have come off instead...in my case it didn't.
---- put in a new cap and rotor . My, my,.... the old one had grungy contacts, and ( for better or worse) I used dilectric grease on both the inside center rubbing electrode, as well as the six other points inside the cap. Also put this on the outside posts and terminals to make better contact with the plug wires and to help ease the boots off the next time.
--- runs great...thanks all !

----Wil Ferch

[ruf-porsche]

You can follow JW detail of pulling the dizzy, but the rotor is pointed at a very unusal angle with respect to any reference.

I rotate the engine until the rotor is pointed straight up or straight down, and then I pull the dizzy. As long as you don't rotate the engine while the dizzy is out all you have to do is put the dizzy so the rotor is pointed straight up or straight down and every thing should be back as before. For an extra measure of safety you can also put a reference mark on the crank pulley.

Did the right cam oil line on my this afternoon, will do the left when the memorial day weekend is here.

[KTL]

As far as the black color of the seal, i'm guessing it's made of Viton. Viton is not only green anymore. It's black too. Or black altogether? I dunno.

I don't know if the distributor seal is truly Viton, but I thought it might give you peace of mind.

[Wil Ferch]

Ruf:
Correct...you can index the rotor pointer any way you want to ..but the minor nuance to note.. is that as you pull the dizzy out...*just* as it clears the body of the engine... you will notice that the pointer will shift somewhat due to the bevel gear angle. This makes another "reference" point relative to the pointer's position on the body. It's then THAT reference that you use to get it back in...and sure enough...it'll rotate BACK to the first pointer mark when it was installed in the first place.

I guess I'm making a kinda big deal about this only because you could still end up off by one tooth if you're not careful...and if you run aggressive timing via chip or such...the original static timing that might be changed won't be compensated for accordingly.

Yep...the black O-ring duplicates what I recently found out about the two-oiece oil return tubes too...latest factory seals are black where I expected green. Thanks.

--Wil Ferch

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by Wil Ferch
Ruf:
Correct...you can index the rotor pointer any way you want to ..but the minor nuance to note.. is that as you pull the dizzy out...*just* as it clears the body of the engine... you will notice that the pointer will shift somewhat due to the bevel gear angle.

--Wil Ferch

I usually insert the dizzy and look at where it is point after it is seated. If it is not vertical, I would look at how far off from vertical, lift the dizzy up to clear the gear, rotate the dizzy and reinsert and check again.

From a reference point it easy to see if you are off if the rotor is not pointing vertical compare with checking it respect to number one cylinder and the Z1 mark.

[ChrisBennet]

I used to replace the distributor O-ring but the old ones never leak (as far as I can tell) and putting a new one in just makes it difficult to install or remove the distributor.
-Chris

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by ChrisBennet
I used to replace the distributor O-ring but the old ones never leak (as far as I can tell) and putting a new one in just makes it difficult to install or remove the distributor.
-Chris

Put a little bit of oil on the o-ring before inserting the dizzy back in, it goes in a lot easier compare to a dry o-ring.

[Wil Ferch]

I put mine in with a light coat of motor oil...still went on pretty hard. BTW..the original may have leaked...since one side of the dizzy body was fairly well grunged up...as if there was blow-by along the OD of the dizzy shaft.

-Wil Ferch