Valve Cover torque specs?

Born2bwild1191 · 02-07-2009, 09:11 AM

Anybody know what it is? The hex bolts or allen bolts or whatever they are i mean. I'm pretty sure it's leaking ever so slightly out of there and i want to make sure they're tightened up. I have an 87 924S by the way. Thanks!

mikepellegrini · mikepellegrini's Garage

14-15 FtLbs (for a 944 - I'm assuming a 924S would be the same).

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/cam-02.htm

My 83 NA was leaking on the bottom just by No. 1 clyinder and tightening did help a bit.

Be careful, though: those hex-head bolts are notoriously easy to strip and if you overtighten them, it could be a problem if you end up having to pull the camcover off to put in a new gasket.

mattdavis11 · 02-07-2009, 11:09 AM

Set the hex head with an extension in place and whack it with a hammer before you tighten or loosen the bolts. This will firmly seat the allen socket and "wake" up the threads. It's a 6mm, IIRC.

Born2bwild1191 · 02-07-2009, 02:47 PM

So this is what happened: I decided to try to tighten up the crankshaft plugs. (29 ft-lbs the service manual calls for). I did the first 5, all were pretty darn tight. Thats good. I get to the 6th one, the one i thought was leaking oil. i went to tighten it, and it turned effortlessly. So as i continued, i realized it would not tighten up. I figured it was stripped, and wasnt very happy. Then, i heard a noise and the plug came right off. except it was only the top of the plug. the threaded part fell right into the camshaft cover. so now i had the head of a plug, sheered off right at the threads and the threaded part down in. Anyhow, we ended up getting glue on a hex stud and unscrewing it back out. Now we don't have to take the whole camshaft cover off. Thank god. So i decided to check all the other plugs. Pulled them all out, and EVERY SINGLE ONE was cracked at the threads, ready to break off! i guess the PO wayyy over-tightened them when he replaced the head. That leaves me to believe the head studs may be messed up too...Anyhow, thankfully it didn't happen when i was driving. I got some pics ill post up later.

Born2bwild1191 · 02-07-2009, 03:27 PM

This is the top of the plug that broke

Here's the other side of the same plug, where it sheered off

That's the other part of the busted plug after we got it out from under the camshaft cover. The yellow stuff is 3M super trim adhesive which is how we ended up getting it out.

The threaded part from a different angle

This is what all the other plugs look like. Notice the crack by the threads

That is the head of the other stud that miraculously stayed together. Its almost cracked in half.

A picture of my engine bay, just because

So anyhow i guess the lesson learned through all of this is to make sure you never over-torque stuff!

mattdavis11 · 02-08-2009, 07:28 AM

I thought you were trying to stop a leak between the head and cam housing. If the plugs were in that bad of shape, I'd be a little weary as to the condition of everything else. How about the bolts inside the cam housing?

Born2bwild1191 · 02-08-2009, 10:59 AM

Yeah that's what I'm worried about now too....I mean i looked at them and the heads of them weren't stripped or anything but that doesn't mean too much as i found out. I don't think i want to get into ripping those out though...it doesn't seem to be leaking around the head or anything so i'm hoping I'm OK. I seriously couldn't believe the plug sheered off like that....has this ever happened to anyone else?