Replacing a cam cover gasket on a '74 Carrera

steve meltzer · 03-26-2019, 06:02 PM

Is it difficult to R&R the cam cover gasket on my '74 Carrera? Leaks. Any specific caveats or pearls? thanx steve

proporsche · proporsche's Garage

Steve ,do you mean this one camshaft cover gasket and o ring?It is doable without timing the cams but only if you are familiar with this procedure.There is a risk if you not know how that you cam moves ...so i would only suggest to you to do it with the camshaft timing included.For that you need to know how and you need the tools...
this gasket and o ring 29+30?
Ivan

steve meltzer · 03-27-2019, 05:08 AM

Ivan, i'm kind of in a hurry this AM and can't shoot a picture, but oil appears to be leaking from the nearly triangular piece and the very rear of the engine. (nearest the rear bumper). About 6-7 nuts on this piece. thanx. i may have misnamed this item, sorry for my ongoing ignorance here. steve

Jonny042 · Jonny042's Garage

Probably more often referred to as the timing chain cover..... the leak there could also be from a pressure fed tensioner line or one of the oil fittings or sensors from above.

Nothing terribly tough to do. I'm sure there's a technical article somewhere about installing pressure fed tensioners. So that would help you determine if you have them or not, and give you at very least an idea of how to R&R the cover.

BEWARE THE SLIPPERY SLOPE!!! Next thing you know you'll be pulling the motor to do a few other things while you're in there, and pretty soon you'll be staring at a bare metal tub

Jonny042 · Jonny042's Garage

PS - something to be said for originality with a Carrera..... so even just installing collars on the old-style tensioners might be an idea.

Trackrash · Trackrash's Garage

Yes, we need a picture. But to access the chain cover, you will have to remove the muffler and rear engine tin.

Those gaskets aren't usually a problem, except for some seepage perhaps.

I would suspect the cam oil line as the culprit.

steve meltzer · 03-27-2019, 07:32 AM

thanx Jonny042..it's the timing chain cove....my error. let me do some more detective work and see what i want to do. Unfortunately, I too, have had experience with the ever-sucking vortex. steve

proporsche · proporsche's Garage

Steve as mentioned above we need picture.Do no clean the area so we can see it.Sometimes the culprit is this.Camshaft oil line has a fitting on which the cam trough bolt holds the camshaft line.The fitting could be loose .....this one...never mind the set up it is hydraulic feed unles you have that too.The black arrow points to the problem area...
Ivan

T77911S · 03-27-2019, 09:35 AM

it can be the location as stated above, it can also be the oil line itself or it can be the seal between the chain housing and the cam housing,
i have had all 3,.

i do suggest pressure washing the area very good and then drive it to find the exact location.
oil can blow around in that area and you may diagnose the wrong place.

i did the chain housing with the engine in the car on my 930.
i removed the bumper and lowered the tail end of the engine.

the is a rubber O ring and a paper gasket, replace both.
i put the pin back in the same hole it came out of on the cam sprocket but i also rechecked the cam timing, very easy and quick. it was stick correct. BUT i also checked it before i did the work.

when mine leaked where PRO is pointing to i always had a drip on the front nut of the lower valve cover.

proporsche · proporsche's Garage

wash the are or not wash the area?...it is up to you.
For me ,i like to have it with original dirt around so i can see the trail of oil, so if you like take a picture for me and then wash it ;-) i will gladly look at it;-)

Ivan

steve meltzer · 03-27-2019, 10:06 AM

thanx again, guys. picture(s) clean or dirty, this PM. thanx steve

steve meltzer · 03-27-2019, 05:02 PM

OK, as is obvious, and, in the spirit of transparency, this is the first Porsche i've worked on in my life. I have mediocre mechanical skills, having started foolin' with this sort of stuff 20 years ago. So, please pardon my ignorance and accept my thanx for the help. Here are a few shots of the left timing chain cover. I put a red arrow on the drop of oil about to hit the ground. Also, you'll note some rust perfs in the exhaust system...that's how I got started on this project...R&R the heat exchangers and muffler. Also you'll note the torn heater hose, which brings up this question. Are the heater hoses in the rear of the car, the same as those attached to the heat exchangers further forward? Sorry the Bursch muffler and assoc. pipes is blocking our view.

And while I've got you by the 'nads, suggestions for a muffler? Going with SSI exchangers. Any other thoughts? thanx steve

nomore · 03-27-2019, 07:33 PM

Hi Steve, those don't look like bad leaks at all. Just put on the SSI's pressure wash the engine and keep driving! If you get to a point that it really bothers you or gets worse, maybe pull the motor and fix whatever is leaking. My 74 targa engine looks very similar to yours when I got it. It now has SSI, turbo valve covers triangle of death etc. I only fix what I can in a couple of hours so I can keep driving. Good luck, John.

Trackrash · Trackrash's Garage

Looks like the oil line fittings for the Carrera tensioners are seeping. Tighten all the fittings and clean up the residue and see if that helps.

steve meltzer · 03-27-2019, 09:17 PM

thanx again, guys, for all of the help. steve

proporsche · proporsche's Garage

Hi Steve
it is not the oil little line but i suspect this...on top ....Again as mentioned above if it does not bother you too much clean it and do not worry.If it was me i fix it;-)look at this fitting alu.seal or if it is loose...as i marked it the red circle -there is a block fitting -behind is a alu.seal and in front.On your pic i see it is dripping along the side of the camshaft housing cover on left-shiny spot...and also ends on bottom of the camshaft housing on bottom...blue arrow..also possible someone over tightened the 10mm wrench nuts and crashed the gasket-check the nuts too if they are loose.
Ivan

T77911S · 03-28-2019, 04:19 AM

you HAVE to pressure wash it to find the leak. you cant tell with all that old oil on there.
wash it and look for "fresh" oil and where it is coming from.

that may just be the timing chain gasket, but you cant tell until you can trace it back.

me, i like to keep my engine clean anyway and also i DO NOT like working on a dirty engine.

you may try checking the nuts on the chain box cover

Jonny042 · Jonny042's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

you HAVE to pressure wash it to find the leak

Or a couple cans of brake cleaner......

steve meltzer · 03-28-2019, 04:53 AM

thanx again, guys. any answer to the more mundane question about if heater hose re:
is the hose at the rear of the heat exchanger, the same material and diameter as the one in the front portion of the the exchanger? thanx steve

proporsche · proporsche's Garage

t77..i do like to work on clean engines too.But,to recognize an oil leak you need to have a original oil- trail ,that you can`t see from clean engine..it is what i learned since i work on 911`s from the 1980`s;-)

Steve, the front hose you have mentioned is the same diameter but the material is different.The front on heat exch.are flex rubbery hoses the one you need is basically alu. and paper hose.

Ivan

would you just wash your engine for..G.sake??;-D
to clean the bottom the best is to go to car self wash. use a tire cleaner choice ..that will make nice and clean .........