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YOUR RESEARCHCam cover gasket change
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Reported cause
We had to pull a varicam plus cam chain off for gear work (the inside pin was sticking that acuates the variocam) and what a PITA that turned out to be
Leading evidence: 'be' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'be' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean *** off' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Reported cause
The problem was the right valve cover flange so i replaced it.
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Porsche says Dreibond 1209/Loctite 5900 but any good quality RTV will work, I use Permatex Copper.
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Suggestion
you will need to clean your *** off to get the old stuff off too and that muffler bracket is removed via "faith" wrenching - cant see the bolts on top
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Reported cause
We had to pull a varicam plus cam chain off for gear work (the inside pin was sticking that acuates the variocam) and what a PITA that turned out to be
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How hard is it to change cam cover gasket? And how much would a shop charge to change? I have a small leak that drips on driver side header pipe and stinks and smoke a little. It only seems to leak when I run the rpm"s up hi. If I drive normal it dosnt seem to leak. Any help? Thanks
Sounds like a spark plug tube o-ring leak. I had one too. Had the dealer take care of it.
Found a similar post for you.....
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...side-rear.html
I don't know how difficult it is for a DIY though.
Good luck!
cover removal requires a tool to hold the cams in place as the race are built into the cover so when you remove it the cam should be held in place (IIRC) - still thinking about that one because there are 2 bearings that are clamps not tied to the cover
I can drive normal all day and no drip. But when I run it hard thats when I seem to get a drip on the header. No drips at all on garage floor. Seems like when rpms are up it pushes it out some where. I thought it might be cam covers. But not sure.
tubes are $15/ea
labor - a couple hours (guess)
whats involved, remove muffler (10 minuts if its been done before 30+ if not) remove coilpacks (quick job) remove plug and tibe (can be a PITA) add how many need replacing plus how many cracked coild found at $XXX /ea and you will be $500-1000 (wild guess)
now if its an AOS you are looking at 4-6 hours shop rate plus $150-200 in parts
solenoid seal is a 15 min job and they cost $25/ea
if this only happens on hard running I am still guessing AOS
edit - how full do you run the oil level?
It was around $125 this past fall. I knew I had the leak when I had my PPI done but it was very minor. It eventually started a drip on the floor and it was time to fix it.
It is probably not the AOS that far back. Are you sure it is oil, not antifreeze? Have you had to add any water to the tank? Cracks in the expansion tank are not unusal. And that is where it drips when it starts to leak.
Sounds like the spark plug tubes. Low-Med difficulty for DIY. Replace plugs at same time. The tubes are ~$5 each, but if you careful they will probably be fine. All tubes on mine were fine @ 101k, but seals were stating to leak. The seals are about $2ea, you need 6 of ea. (inner/outer)
Im sure its oil. You can smell it after a hard ride. It drips on drivers side header pipe closest to the rear bumper. Then it smokes a little and smells like oil burning. But the oil level is good. On a hot day this wont cause a fire will it?
I dont think a couple drops will cause fire
any chance of a picture
99% sure your tube seals have just been in there too long. Pop over to the house and we'll change them out over beers
Just as a clarification, there are no gaskets on the cam covers. It is a metal to metal fit with a sealant. Porsche says Dreibond 1209/Loctite 5900 but any good quality RTV will work, I use Permatex Copper. Take a look under the engine to see if there is oil on the cam cover. You should be able to see if it is only on the edge of the cam cover, which would indicate a leak at the cover, or whether it is dripping down form the tube area.
Replacing a tube is not that difficult, but resealing the cam cover is a lot of work. Not only do you need a hold down tool (which you can make pretty easily), but it is very difficult to get the cam cover off with the engine in the car. It is possible, but very difficult. You need to remove the muffler bracket and the upper bolts on the cover are hard to access. If you lower the engine 4-6 inches is it a lot easier, but there is some work involved with this.
on the 3.6 the cam alignment tool from LNE will not fit the 1-3 bank without removing the cats and rear motor mount bracket (the big one) on the 4-6 bank the suspension is in the way and thats even worse. We had to pull a varicam plus cam chain off for gear work (the inside pin was sticking that acuates the variocam) and what a PITA that turned out to be
like dhard says, you can fab up a bracket to hold the cams in place, but the seal is just glue... you will need to clean your *** off to get the old stuff off too and that muffler bracket is removed via "faith" wrenching - cant see the bolts on top
FYI, there are no gaskets on the M96 valve covers or oil pan. It's sealant.
Apparently you don't have to remove the engine to reseal them, but I would think it would be best for a clean job. You don't want any excess sealant breaking loose and floating around in the oil clogging ports.
But it would be a lot easier if you remove rear bumper, side heat guard, muffler, spark plug covers, coils. Lowering the engine a bit really helps. Actually it helps in many of the engine fixes.
Then you need the camshaft tool as mentioned eariler.
And you use an unbelievable small amount of gasket sealant when you replace the cover.
Ask me how I know.
There is the old saying when you hear hoofs, don't think zebra. In this case, unless the cam cover was recently removed, don't think cam cover.
Bingo. I was going to say there is no gasket but sealant. I've got a valve cover leak that once in a while leaks down on the exhaust during exercising the rpms in quick order. My leak is in the rear drivers side. I don't loose and noticeable oil except for the now rare smoke puffs while nailing it or after doing so and getting caught agh!!!! at a light.
In other words the valve cover leak is likely and not an instant AOS repair job.
I wanted to top up my coolant yeterday (getting everything ready for the DE) and I was out!!
ran down to my indy and flew in the door before they closed and said, "I need some coolant for my car"
He smiled and handed me 2 qts of Brad Penn 20w/50 - Here ya go !!
hahaha - true story
no leaks in my car, but when driven properly they tend to use a little
OK, "no leaks" is a bit of a stretch... but I call those "weeps" not leaks
To be honest I just gave each a quarter turn. *GASP*, der sphinkter latent krauten das torquen! It's a valve cover guys, it's not like INTERPOL is going to show up at my house for violating Porsche torque specifications.
Well, no it is not a valve cover but a camshaft cover and the cover makes the top or outer half of the camshaft bearings. The other inner half of the bearings are in the head.
The cover wants to be tightened down properly and without any twist so the camshaft bearings are not compromised.
Sincerely,
Macster.
i had the same problem to my 996 4s. Mine was leaking from pasengers side. The problem was the right valve cover flange so i replaced it. The car dont stop leaking and my mecanic change something like oil valve (uper area from valve cover) and snugging up a little more the cover bolts.
When he do that i have no leaks isues...... Total cost 500 euros not in PORSCHE DEALER
This is kind of a old thread but I just got the same leak on my 00 carrera. Mike99 what ended up being the issue was it the cover or the spark housing? How much did it cost? How long did it take?
Everything about resealing the cam covers is a complete nightmare!... just pull the motor... 1st getting to the exhaust brackets is ultra tricky but can be done 2nd getting the exhaust out without pulling the rear bumper is no fun 3rd 5 of the 10 exhaust manifold bolts broke off due to electrolysis drilling up and metal coming down really sucks... eventually you'll be pulling the motor so might as well get it over with... I am actually replacing the vvt solenoids... or was... now I'm replacing the rear main seal cam cover seals exhaust bolts pcv/crankcase vent valve and clutch... this is what you can expect...
I recently had the Bank 1 Valve Cover off to do the variocam actuator. I did not drop the engine out of the car but I did drop it down in back off of the aft mounts and supported it the engine mount bracket with a wood block. Getting the header bolts out IS scary as many have reported them breaking in the head.
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