911 Turbo Cam Seals...DIY???

RJ Gilliam · 11-10-2002, 10:00 AM

Have had this leak in my car since I bought and and it is finally bothering me to the point where I am thinking about fixing it. Took the car to my wrench and he says its the cam plugs... estimate $1700.00 ouch... Is this something that can be done on a DIY basis, or better left to the pros? HE said he does not pull the engine to do it so I am a little hesitant to even consider it.. Input?

TIA (Thanks in Advance)

logician · 11-10-2002, 07:54 PM

Hi RJ,

What do you mean by "cam plugs?" I just finished doing a reseal on my '86 930 engine, and one of the leaks that I fixed was on the camshaft end plates -- the ones in the cam housing, right behind the cam shaft sprockets.

I did remove the engine in order to do that and other repairs. I had to remove the exhaust system, engine mounts, and shrouding to get at the cam housing covers. It's a lot more involved in a 930 compared to non-turbo engines. It might be possible to do the procedure with a partial engine drop, i.e. lower rear of engine 6" without disconnecting the transmission mounts. But it might just be as easy to remove the whole engine because it will make the repair work easier. The endplate reseal procedure also requires retiming the cams, since the sprockets must be removed. You might also want to adjust the valves and do a major service while you have the exhaust off.

Regarding DIY, I did it myself, and I'm not an experienced mechanic. Last time I did this much wrenching was 30 years ago when I changed the clutch in my '64 Corvair (couldn't afford a Porsche back then). However, I had the support of my mechanic, my local Porsche club buddies, and the Pelican BBS. Without this support, I don't think I could have done it successfully. It also took me 4 weeks to complete, because everything took me at least three times longer than it should have due to inexperience. Also, as I took stuff appart, I kept finding other stuff broken, so I had wait for additional parts along the way.

Overall, I saved very little money, as I had to buy additional tools. I'm lucky to have "earned" minimum wage on the project! However, it was very enlightening, and I now feel somewhat empowered by understanding my car much better. If you've got the time, and you're brave, I would recommend the adventure...

-Juan

Doug Zielke · 11-10-2002, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by logician
Overall, I saved very little money, as I had to buy additional tools. I'm lucky to have "earned" minimum wage on the project! However, it was very enlightening, and I now feel somewhat empowered by understanding my car much better.

That may be the best answer I've ever heard to a frequently asked question.... "How much money will I save if I rebuild my own motor?"

As the bills start to add up on my own project, I can see I'm already in the hole. But I'm learning a lot and having fun doing it!
And most importantly, success (or failure) is in *my* hands.