removing the valve cover on 944

[Beirut944]

I've just noticed that i have a little oil dripping on the exhaust manifold down pipe, where it levels out.
Is this typical? And how easy is it to take the valve cover off and check the state of the gasket? Or is there another place which could leak oil at that rear section of the block?

thanks for your help

MJ in Beirut

[M. Murphy]

I can't speak from experience but I do know it's much more involved than most cars because you are removing the cam carrier and the lifters as an assembly. Thankfully my 83 is leaking no oil in this area. Take a look at Clarks Garage site.

[dgcantrell]

It may only be a loose bolt or two. Especially the lower (exhaust side) row. Re-torque them and see if the leak stops. Also there are bolts inside that need to be tightened. They are accessed by removing the six round plugs along the intake side (above the Porsche script). That usually helped on mine.

[OK-944]

There is also a small cap at the rear of the camshaft cover - and its not uncommon to have the gasket of this cap fail, with a typical result of oil dripping on the exhaust pipe. A bit tight to work back there, but very doable to remove this cap and replace its gasket.

[dgcantrell]

Yep. I forgot about that OK-944. Check that too. Replacing the gasket on that should be easy to do if needed.

[Beirut944]

Originally Posted by dgcantrell

Yep. I forgot about that OK-944. Check that too. Replacing the gasket on that should be easy to do if needed.

would you tighten the cam housing nuts (inside) when the engine is hot or cold?

[dgcantrell]

I'd do it cold.. The torque specs for engine assembly are for cold assembly.

[djnolan]

Originally Posted by dgcantrell

I'd do it cold.. The torque specs for engine assembly are for cold assembly.

Always cold.

[88Silver924S]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcOWZV7RK4I

[Fast Freddy 944]

Um, not to be that guy, but 944's don't have valve covers, they have cam-boxes. just saying. You might need a new gasket, or perhaps a bolt is loose.

[dgcantrell]

We understand that but go along with it anyway. LOL

[Rod Schneider]

Originally Posted by Fast Freddy 944

Um, not to be that guy, but 944's don't have valve covers, they have cam-boxes. just saying. You might need a new gasket, or perhaps a bolt is loose.

Unless it's a 944S 16 Valve, in which case it does have a separate valve cover...........

[BoulderGeek]

So leaking valve stem guides would require removal of all of the upper-end rotating gear?

[dgcantrell]

Yes but leaking valve guides? The reason you might lose oil through the guides would be bad valve seals. But the only way to test to see if the guides are worn would be to pull the head. You can replace the valve seals while the head is still on the car but you have to be carefull not to allow the valve to fall out of the guide and into the cylinder. Bringing the particular cylinder your working on's piston to TDC would help prevent that. Having said that, if you're going replace the valve seals, you're already about 30-45 minutes away (removing the intake) from pulling the head anyway and doing basically a top end rebuild. A head gasket kit will have all the seals from the head gasket on up so......

[pfarah]

I had two loose bolts toward the rear cam cover; a simple re-torque cured the problem.

[dgcantrell]

Yep.. Had the same thing happen on mine a time or two. The last time I had the cam tower off to replace the gasket (it blew out on the intake side a little bit), I thoroughly cleaned those bolt holes out with brake cleaner and use some thread sealant on those lower bolts. Not had a leak yet.. Well, there anyway.. LOL

[Fast Freddy 944]

Originally Posted by Rod Schneider

Unless it's a 944S 16 Valve, in which case it does have a separate valve cover...........

The gent didn't specify, but a shot in the dark its an older 944, with the cambox configuration.

[Rod Schneider]

Originally Posted by Fast Freddy 944

The gent didn't specify, but a shot in the dark its an older 944, with the cambox configuration.

No doubt!! Just trying to cover all the possibilities.....

[Lapponia]

Hi!
I had the same issue in my 1984/944 few years ago. Exhaust wetted with one ore two drops of oil on the header at nbr 4 cylinder (front). Smoking for couple minutes and was annoying until burned away. This happend every week until I discovered a very small leak between cam housing and cambelt housing. Remedy, a cotton rope sling around that area sucking the leaking oil until fully saturated and then changed to a new one. That rope will last at least a year between changing and diameter of rope is 8 mm.
Check oil saturation of the rope regularly or the issue will repeat itself.
Best regards
Lapponia

[kaotik]

Pelicans
New to 944
Got a 82000 km 1991, s2,
small oil leak in THE morning on engine number
Seems to be coming from THE front
Oil drips on exhaust manifold and smokes for 6 minutes
Smells kind of funky
Oil leak is so small that it does not leave
Any mark on THE ground
Whats the fix, retorcking first, then changing gasket, then the rope trick?
Which gasket Exactly, part #
Retorcking is THE easy fix i guess
Thoughts?