Porsche 944 - Camshaft Assembly Oil Seal Replacement Tutorial 

Nice! I’m glad it helped out. Your engine thanks you for making it cleaner. 😁

Excellent, glad you got it done! 👍🏼

But then my engine will have one fewer commonality with a fine bottle of wine! 🤣

Very cool! Best of luck! 👍🏼

@@checkmate1996 Yep, agreed! I didn’t have an extra “someone” on hand in this case, so I just removed the entire housing to be safe. Cheers!

@@MrUglyDinosaur Did you torque it to spec? Should be 65Nm or 48ft/lbs. It doesn’t call for Loctite, but you could apply a little bit of blue if it keeps happening. Most people recommend replacing that bolt when rebuilding the cam tower.

@@NC944er I'll get the proper torque specs and if that doesn't solve it I'll follow your advice on replacing the bolt, thank you!🙏

Haha I am smacking my head right now. I don’t know how I even got this mixed up but I had installed a 32/47 seal on the front of the cam shaft instead of a 30/47. Obviously 5 bar of oil pressure will make its way out of a 2mm diameter mistake! I got the correct seal in (took about an hour now that I’ve done the job before)

Oh man! I felt the same way when the first head gasket job I ever did resulted in an external coolant leak. My first thought was, “I’ll sell this car before I do all that work over again.” 🤣 Those are some hard lessons learned, but make you a better wrench in the end. Glad you were able to regroup and push through. 👍🏼

Hey ch, no worries. Can you please clarify for me what you’re trying to determine? Are you asking about camshaft installation into the camshaft assembly or the timing and balance shaft belts? Are you asking about how the parts fit together or the direction of rotation? Want to make sure I’m tracking correctly to give you the right information. 👍🏼

@@NC944er yeah, sorry. I’m going to reseal the cam tower and upper balance shaft. I just want to make sure I have them in the correct orientation when reinstalled. Especially the cam so I don’t slide it in there wrong and screw up the valves and/or have them hit pistons. Thanks! Chance Deason

@@ch-lx2fl Ok, gotcha! Yeah, the camshaft and balance shafts have super close tolerances, so there’s really only one way to reinstall them correctly and if they’re not in the proper position, the housing and front cover portions won’t align for mounting.

@@NC944er thank you! I thought so; but only had the car two months. Erring on the side of caution!

Hey Stuart! The short answer is that it no longer serves a purpose and it’s removal won’t harm anything. The TDC sensor was used by shops back in the day to reference the TDC screw on the flywheel for diagnostic issues, but it’s not used anymore. It’s actually not even connected to the computer, just a stand alone sensor that diagnostics could plug into and read. The TDC sensor itself sits just below the speed and reference sensors on the bell housing. I cut the cable there and left the sensor bolted in place so that it wouldn’t leave an open hole for water and debris to enter, so I basically deleted the cable/port.

Thanks Seth! When installing the camshaft assembly on the cylinder head, the two mating surfaces will not be flush until the bolts are tightened down, this is completely normal and is the result of valve lifters 3 and 6 being slightly depressed when the cam gear is aligned with its timing mark. There will be a gap of about 1/4” between the two parts until you begin tightening the hardware. Just make sure the timing marks are correct and tighten down the bolts in small increments as you work back and forth / up and down so that the assembly goes down relatively evenly and you should be good.

@@NC944er you’re awesome! If I ever meet you in person, I owe you a 6 pack or something!

The torque value for the camshaft assembly bolts is 20Nm or 15ft/lbs. There isn’t a factory specified tightening sequence, but the general recommendation is to follow a similar pattern to the cylinder head, where you start from the center and alternate sides, working your way out on both sides. When you first place the assembly on the head, it will sit raised up because there are two lifters protruding out. These will essentially push those two valves down slightly as the assembly is tightened down, that’s by design.

It is common for the cam gear to move 1-2 degrees from the timing marks while tightening down the camshaft housing bolts as the valve springs push back on the two lifters that are partially extended. Once it’s all tightened down, you can use a wrench to move the cam gear back in time.

Sure, they can be problematic! Here is some information on removing the connector from the Head Gasket Tutorial: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1s0cSf_gas8.html It basically involves heating the retaining collar a bit to expand the metal and then a drill bit can be inserted into the opening and locked down with the rotor set screw, which is just for extra leverage. You can then use some pliers, vice grips, or channel locks to wiggle and twist it out. I have used tape on the pliers, but you could also wrap a bit of towel around the connector or something else to pad it against scratches from the tools.

I’d say there is a possibility of damaging the rear surface of the spacer sleeve with that method, and any irregularities in that surface would later damage the thin Mylar seal that sits behind it. Maybe a wooden dowel or PVC pipe of the proper diameter would work, which would reduce the likelihood of marring the metal surfaces.

Hey, nope… the intake manifold can remain in place, but the fuel rail/injectors would need to be removed as the assembly bolts to the camshaft housing.

Hey Dan, thank you! I believe that track is by Perfect Muse - “Black Goldie”

The surface of the shaft seal should be flush with the outer lip at the center of the rear cam gear cover where it’s installed. How does your seal look in its current position?

It looks flush to me. Is there any play in the camshaft position? If so should I take it back off to shift it?

@@user-pk7nk7vt2q There is a very small amount of front to back play in the camshaft, about 1mm. See if you can push the metal spacer collar in a bit and pull the camshaft out. When it’s in the right position there is about 2mm of clearance between the back end of the woodruff key and the front edge of the spacer.

Bien sûr, le couple spécifié pour les vis du cache-culbuteurs est de 20Nm (15ftlb).

And if the bolts don't have the plating, is it ok?

Are you referring to the M8x35mm hex head bolts that secure the camshaft assembly to the cylinder head? Check out part number: 900-067-214-01. They are still available from a number of vendors and typically come in yellow or white zinc from the manufacturer. You can save some money and go with an aftermarket option, but those usually don't feature the preinstalled wave washer like the OEM bolts. They would probably work fine, but the wave washers offer benefits of offsetting tolerance deviations and preventing loosening caused by movements and vibration. The zinc plating itself simply provides a protective layer against water and other elements in the air that cause corrosion. Here are a couple links to check out... OEM Bolts - www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/90006721401.htm Aftermarket Bolt Kit - 944online.com/intake-manifold-bolt-8v-aftermarket.html

@@MHSYCB For the camshaft assembly mounting bolts? The one shown here is an M6 hex, 5 inches in length.

I believe the track you’re looking for is Perfect Muse - Black Goldie - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i25fE-YFTas.htmlfeature=shared

Oh man, that’s bad news! You wouldn’t be able to complete a proper thread repair without removing the camshaft housing. How badly stripped is the top bolt? Does it tighten down at all? The torque value is pretty low on those bolts, you may be able to get away with tightening the lower two bolts to specification and the top one as best as it will hold, then test drive to see if it leaks. If so, you’d be looking at pulling the cam tower off to make it right again.

@@NC944er thanks for replying I appreciate it. It is not holding at all. I didn't try turning on the car to see if it leaks because I wanted to see my options. I guess we will pray for the best and see tomorrow morning. Thanks for making all these videos, they have helped me so much and gave me confidence to work on my car despite previously being scared to do things due to causing situations like the one I'm in now because I have little experience.

@@Nangado Yeah man, don’t give up! The best way to get that experience is through mistakes and it will make you a much better wrench all around. The stripped fitting is correctable one way or another, whether you pick up a timesert or helicoil kit and repair the threads on the housing or go the route of picking up a used housing (only $150-$200), it can be fixed. 👍🏼

Haha! Yeah, 944 lists have the tendency to do that, just take it one bolt at a time. 🤣 The glass bead blasting for the Camshaft Housing and Intake Manifold cost $120 and the powder coat was $161.

@@NC944er Thank you so much.

Yeah, I’m not sure I fully understand what you’re describing here. 😂 If you’re referring to the large green paper seal with metallic ends used on the bottom of the camshaft assembly (in between the cylinder head and the camshaft housing), I have seen people use a copper-type sealing spray on that gasket before applying it. I’ve also seen RTV silicone gasket maker used here, but mainly as an exterior patch to temporarily stop oil leaks. Neither of these methods should be required if the factory procedures are followed however. To date, I have not experienced any ejected seals like the one you described. Hope this helps!

The benefit of the hydraulic lifters (cam follows) is they are self-adjusting by design and they are all manufactured to the same tolerances. So from a clearance perspective, they can be swapped around and the engine will operate. When reinstalling used lifters however, Porsche “recommends” they be returned to their original valve positioning and this is mainly to reduce wear on the mating surfaces between the outside of the lifter buckets and the inside of the lifter channels in the camshaft housing. Over the course of many miles, the parts wear together based upon their pairings and the idea is that the highest engine performance will be achieved by maintaining those partnerships.

Ha! No sweat, and you’re definitely not the first, I’ve gotten hung up there myself. It’s recommended to keep them in order, but it won’t really “damage” anything if you don’t. As the lifters and cam lobes move together, they kind of machine themselves slightly for optimal mating, so there could be a tiny bit of wear that occurs as the new matches get to know each other. These particular parts are really well made though and not prone to failure (other than the lifters getting clogged for different reasons) so it’s not super likely that you’ll notice any difference in the long run. Just make sure there’s no damage to any of the buckets from falling and you’ll be good to go.

Thank you! I have purchased both of these parts “pre-owned” in the past from eBay, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right conditioned item to come available. You could also check with Plyhammer’s Parts. I have seen them available “new” from a couple vendors in the past, but they are generally pretty expensive.

944barn aka Elliott Grafton has some, no doubt. Great guy.

Hey Rej! I don’t have all the camshaft assembly seals listed out as I basically just purchased and used everything from the head gasket kit. Ian at 944Online has a Camshaft and Front Engine kit that’s a good deal, maybe this will help - 944online.com/front-engine-seal-kit-1.html You’d just need to add the larger gasket for the main housing.

@@NC944er First off thanks for replying! It rarely happens! Thanks for the link. I am new to 944's and picked up 2 today. I want to make sure they are all sealed up properly so they don't leak. I will keep watching your videos as they are some of the best here.

@@smoothwood10 Wow, two at once… you are a bold man! 😂 The engines are quite reliable when properly sealed, so you are in the right track. Some of the other major items are caring for any soft rubber parts that have hardened and crumbled with age, along with any sensors that may fail as you start to drive the cars. Best of luck!

Hey Louis, the powder coat was actually just a satin clear coat, no color added. I was going for a fresh aluminum look, which was a bit brighter white after blasting, the satin clear darkened it up a little and resulted in more of a titanium look, but it came out good overall. The cam gear housing/cover is just bare aluminum, I replaced those with a really nice condition used one I found on eBay, as the part is no longer available from Porsche… but those could also be coated as needed. My old one was heavily pitted.

Did you put anything on the cam gear cover to protect it since it is bare aluminum? The reason I ask is my powder coater had a hard time powdercoating the cam cover and gear cover. The powdercoat was off gassing to much even after he vapor blasted the items and high heated them to get the oil contaminants out. Now the items are clean but just bare aluminum.

@@louislocchetto3164 The cam gear cover I left bare metal in this case, just replaced my old oxidized one with the nice condition used one shown here. The camshaft housing was extensively glass bead blasted before powder coating. They didn’t have any off-gassing issues with these parts, but they did have a tough time with my brake calipers, ended up redoing them a couple times and still have a few bubbles here and there. I think some parts are just too far gone and heavily contaminated to take a clean powder coat. You could use a high temp satin clear coat paint to seal it up.

I’ve seen people use the timing belt in place when removing the camshaft bolt, but I would probably only do that if you’re going to be replacing the belt after, due to the stresses it could put on the belt. So, I would think of it more as a safety net in addition to the opposing force from a wrench on the retaining collar.

@@NC944er Yup that's exactly what I was thinking. I'm doing front engine seals along with a water pump and belts and I just wanted some extra security. Thanks a bunch

@@Owl-ge9jl Nice! My free tip on the water pump (based upon past failures) is to not over-torque the nuts as the studs WILL snap. The factory recommended values are very low - first torque to 6nm and then 8nm (or 4ft/lbs, then 6ft/lbs). Best of luck!

@@NC944er Oh wow that's way lower that I'd think. Thanks for the tip!

For this job I ended up replacing two of the valve lifters with some preowned ones I picked up from Plyhammer’s Parts, but it looks like they are currently sold out. Unfortunately the OEM lifters (928-105-311-08) can run $250-$350 apiece, which just gets insane if you’re replacing all of them. There are some INA ones available for a lot cheaper, but anecdotal evidence from the forums indicates they are not very good, I’ve not personally tried them though. Sometimes you can find full sets of used OEM ones on eBay for around $200. You can also check with 944barn and 944store to see what they’ve got.

@@NC944er Thanks for the information!I have a full set but do not know if they are any good? The previous owner tore the engine down due to a spun bearing. Is there a method on testing them?

@@SuperM1687 Sure, check out my other video that provides an overview on the lifters - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AVFOXIldlog.html

Never mind I found the whole kit at Lindsey racing!

@@tims_4x4_garage Nice! Yeah, the kits are really helpful in that area. In this case for mine, they all came with the head gasket set.

@@NC944er can I replace the front camshaft seals without removing the whole cam tower? Im really just getting in here to stop that leak. You didn’t specifically say that at around the 2:30mark but that’s how I understood it. Also, I am pretty sure I can break the triple square bolt loose with the timing belt still connected to the crank pulley. Thoughts on that?

@@tims_4x4_garage It is possible to do it that way. Pelican has a write up that I’ll include below. My experience has been, if one seal has failed in that area, the others are usually not far behind and it could be annoying to do all the work to get in there only to have to do it again in a few months. I’ve seen people use the timing belt in place when removing the camshaft bolt, but I would probably only do that if you’re going to be replacing the belt after, due to the stresses it could put on the belt. So, I would think of it more as a safety net in addition to the opposing force from a wrench on the restraining collar. pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Porsche_944_Turbo/78-ENGINE-Camshaft_Oil_Seal_Replacement/78-ENGINE-Camshaft_Oil_Seal_Replacement.htm