What about running redline synthetic oil? anyone have experience with it?

Not to beat a dead horse - but is it true for NAs that the cover will come right off? If so - I guess I'll be working on the gasket.
I've read that it's important to use a pliable sharp edge to remove the old gasket - any hints?

OK, check it out! This is what I found! I took the cam cover off again, and I found a tear in the corner of the gasket and it located right were it was leaking! Thats good news! Also, even better news is that my HEAD IS NOT STRIPPING!!! I clean out the holes in the head with a "Q" tip. Then I took the bolts that I thought were definatly stripping and screwed them into the holes. I noticed that there wasnt any excessize play to the bols while screwed half way in. I also screwed them in all the way and nice and firm. I noticed that the threads "looked" like they were full and hardly stripped at all! I think because this is my first kind of engine work, i didnt take into consideration that there is a rubber gasket between the cover and the head. Thats why I thought it was stripping. I didnt turn the bolts alot when I cranking the cover down the first time. I just said that I couldnt get it over 15lbs. Well, what I learing from this is,... check everything! Well, I ordered my new gasket and valve stem seals? This(Valve Stem Seals, 944S, 944S2, 968, 4-valve engines only, 928 4 Valve),... these are the rubber rings that keep oil out of the spark plug area? Thats why I have oil in by the spark plugs. Well I will keep you updated when the stuff gets here. You know yesterday when I was sleeping I had a nightmare about this ****! I had a nightmare about my head being stripped! What is that! If this car doesnt physically kill me on the road, its going to kill me in my dreams! I'm doomed!

Oh I forgot to tell you guyz that I found some epoxi on the gasket too! I found a nice bead of it where the tear in the gasket was. I guess they tried to fix it without having to purchase a new one? If im not mistaken but I think I paid like 13 beans for a new one? Hey, is this why its a good idea to do all the work ourselves? So we know that our cars arent held together with duct tape and epoxi? Just wondering!

On our porsche engines its normally not necessary to add any gasket sealant if you replace it every time you open the cover and retorque it to specs since the gasket is so cheap.....(the one for the 944na is like $5).

?Why couldn't the NA engine been designed like the S engine with the cam cover so easy to remove :( (no timing belt issue)

Yeah that sucks! Mine, I can have it out within 5 minutes:) I'm not going to use the sealant unless i absolutely have to use it! I mean that is was the gasket is for, right? Dude, $5 for a NA gasket? Damn, I paid 13 for mine, not that im complaining, but geeez!

Both Overkill and ae1969 seem to be confused about cam box and cam cover gaskets.

944 8 valve engines use a paper gasket that doesn't need any sealer. This engine has the cam inside the cam housing.

944 16 valve engines use a neoprene type gasket that does need sealer at the four edges where the sealer was previously.
This engine has a alloy casting covering the camshafts.
The seals are meant to "aucoustically decouple" the cam cover form the engine to reduce vibration (apparently??)

If you are replacing the gasket, make sure you also replace the rubber seals on the bolts too. And DO NOT OVER TORQUE the bolts!!!!

BTW also check the length of those bolts. I don't know if you just pulled them out and mixed them up, but there are 2 different lengths, make sure the proper length is in the proper hole or the cam cover will not seat properly. Follow the proper torqueing sequence and you'll be all set.

Cheers,

Wel, I kept the bolts in the right order. The gasket needs a sealant? Like RTV? I had saw this epoxi looking crap on it.

Yes, it uses sealer...
The factory used some white stuff, any good rtv should work.
It only needs to be applied at each corner and not too much either. I use a small amount of grease on the rest of the gasket to allow it to settle onto the head surface.