Cam Tower Damage

[Ovis]

I am getting ready to have my motor put together. This is a late '65 motor. There is some damage (pitting) in the cam tower rocker shaft bores. I am afraid that I will need new cam towers, so my question is, how much damage is too much? Is there anyway to repair the journals (bores), or should I start looking for replacements?

And, if I do need new towers, if anybody as some available for 65/66 aluminum motor, I'd be interested.

Thanks in advance!

[Jeff Alton]

Can you post some detailed pics so we can take a look?

Cheers

[Henry Schmidt]

Originally Posted by Ovis

I am getting ready to have my motor put together. This is a late '65 motor. There is some damage (pitting) in the cam tower rocker shaft bores. I am afraid that I will need new cam towers, so my question is, how much damage is too much? Is there anyway to repair the journals (bores), or should I start looking for replacements?

And, if I do need new towers, if anybody as some available for 65/66 aluminum motor, I'd be interested.

Thanks in advance!

Corrosion the rocker shaft bores is generally outside of the sealing area. Pictures would be helpful. Early motors had short rocker shafts so you might find better sealing with the later shafts.
Look carefully at the bores and see if you can ascertain if the corrosion will effect rocker location. As an added insurance, use RSR seals.
All that said, I might have a reasonable set of early, center feed cam towers.

[Ovis]

Thank you Henry and Jeff. Here are two pictures. The one I am most concerned with appears to be a pretty decent "hole", and not just pitting (first picture). Other than the rocker bores, the camshaft journals look great. Henry, you've been a great help so far obtaining parts for this motor, if it turns out I need new towers I'll give you a call.

[Cloggie]

I just sent my cam towers to Ollies on the grounds that they have done a million of them and would tell me if they were useable.

As it was, they came back flat, tube replaced ready to go.

I think it was $300 - fair price for peace of mind for these parts

D.

[Ovis]

Originally Posted by Cloggie

I just sent my cam towers to Ollies on the grounds that they have done a million of them and would tell me if they were useable.

As it was, they came back flat, tube replaced ready to go.

I think it was $300 - fair price for peace of mind for these parts

D.

These cam towers had been sent to Ollies already with the same expectation. I hadn't seen that hole originally, but when I went to check out the cam towers yesterday, I saw the hole and became concerned.

I showed them to my friend that is helping me with the motor rebuild, and he thought that it is a flaw in the casting, but we will be able to use them.

[PeteKz]

I think that's usable IF you add the RSR O-rings. They will sit inboard of that pit. And yes, it looks like a casting flaw to me. I don't see how that could have happened in situ.

[Ovis]

Originally Posted by PeteKz

I think that's usable IF you add the RSR O-rings. They will sit inboard of that pit. And yes, it looks like a casting flaw to me. I don't see how that could have happened in situ.

Thank you Pete....I definitely do plan to use the RSR o-rings.

[Jeff Alton]

Thank you for posting the pics.

Still hard to tell, feel like it "may" work. Lets see what Henry had to say...

Cheers

[Castro911s]

How does that even happen?

[Henry Schmidt]

It is still hard to tell if those anomalies will create an issue. You might try filling the craters with an epoxy.
Dab in some epoxy in the crater, oil up a rocker and slide it in. When the epoxy has hardened, tap out the shaft.
Side note: Those cam towers are not from a '65 engine. The 65 911 had center feed cams. Those housing have cam feed lines. Early 6 bolt valve covers with cam feed lines? My guess is '67 or early '68.

[Ovis]

Thank you for that Henry! I think that is what we will do with epoxy. As for the housing dates, I will double check, but I believe they are stamped late '65. Perhaps this is when Porsche switched from the center lube to the spray bar? Interesting none the less.

[Henry Schmidt]

Originally Posted by Ovis

Thank you for that Henry! I think that is what we will do with epoxy. As for the housing dates, I will double check, but I believe they are stamped late '65. Perhaps this is when Porsche switched from the center lube to the spray bar? Interesting none the less.

67 was the switch. They could be date stamped 66 but no chance a 65 came with those cam towers.