Worst auto task in 30 years...

[JFairman]

Reusing the nylocks and aluminum washers could and will eventually result in oil leaks.
The nylon ring in a new nylock keeps oil from seeping along between the stud and nut threads, and the aluminum washer seals in the oil between the nut and rocker cover.
Rocker cover nuts only go on snug not tight, so the nylon ring in the nylocks keeps them from coming loose from vibration.

No problem reusing them right after servicing so you can use the car, but replace them asap when you can.
One at a time without removing the cover would be easy.

[burgermeister]

Thanks JFairman - I'll give it another shot as soon as I can weasel a few hours away ... I'll post the improvement (hopefully!) in speed and accuracy when I'm done.

[tmctguer]

changing the starter on my 1989 911 Speedster. OUCH !

The horror..........

[mca]

Originally Posted by JFairman

Reusing the nylocks and aluminum washers could and will eventually result in oil leaks.

I have heard this many many many times. I have oil leaking through the bolts ... no leaks where gasket meets the valve cover. I went ahead and bought / installed new nylocs / washers all around when I did my last oil change ... STILL LEAKS!!!!

I do not believe that the nylocs and washers offer much in leak protection. I believe that it has to do with how the cover gasket seats with the cover and the bolts at their base.

I say reuse and let us know how it goes. Could be a nice experiment to see how long they last without leaking.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

but so far I'm a backside fan. It just suits my personality better.

Exactly. Thank you 2.7RACER (Doug).

Ian

[dshepp806]

Make damned sure the covers are true....baseline start...go from there (insofarsas leaks..)


Best of luck

[ZOA NOM]

I have reused the sealing washers by flipping them over. If you look closely, you'll see the indentation made by the nut. The nylocks should be OK to reuse a couple of times. I wouldn't trust them after a couple of times.

[burgermeister]

Just finished 2nd valve adjustment. 4 hours, and I think I got it reasonably right. Mostly backside method, unless the valve was way out of whack. I made some feeler gage stiffeners / extenders that made the task much more "pleasant" (for me anyhow)...



A few of the old nylocks are indeed drooling oil - garage smells yummy....

[dshepp806]

Yep,..I've passed on this task...didit,..felt ok with it after learning the nuances (and access headaches)..weird working "blind"......SO: decided to budget out the required costs for this task, to be done by the pros....decision made....

I can sleep at night now...

Best,

[dshepp806]

Damn!! I wonder why I look for Zoanas' posts...that frikin' avatar is the best out there..

Holy smoke!!

[rusnak]

I have a tool that makes adjusting 911 valves easy and painfree. It's a retired Italian mechanic named Tony who spent his entire working life repairing Porsches.

I give him $80 and it's done in less than 3 hours.

[Dixie]

Update: BACKSIDE RULES!

Finished the valve adjustment today. Went through every valve one last time using the backside method - again. All of them checked out. Buttoned everything up, and gave the key a turn. The car fired right up and it ran perfectly. Not a single ticking valve. Not a single oil leak.

Of course, then I noticed I have a major fuel line leak. So now I have to fix that…