I shall try to remove the camshaft cover with the engine in situ. I am currently trying to research the subject . For others following this Thread, if you have a 'while you are in there' list of engine&trans-out jobs, it is an easy decision - take it out. But I have just had it all out and did everything .Or so I thought.

My hack idea is to remove the front engine mount, both transmission mounts and both headers while the engine is supported from above and below.I shall then try to push the engine over to create the space to remove the camshaft cover. The car is up on a Mohawk 2 post lift and I'll use an old Wudel transmission jack and the HF engine support bar.

I have never read of anyone doing this. There  may be a very obvious reason for that. Hopefully JFP will give a quick verdict on the proposal.Others have mentioned just lowering the engine a little by removing the front engine mount and rear wheel.

Grateful for any shared experiences for this procedure.

This link I just found suggests less fuss required than I had indicated above:

All those test harnesses came in useful.

1. connect a multimeter to one Bank wiring harness at the solenoid connector(NOT to Solenoid side of wiring) set to 20vdc scale

2. connect a Noid light with another test harness to the other Bank.

Connect Durametric ,key on engine off. Activate Bank 1 & /or 2. Nothing. Ugh !

Start engine -nothing.

Run engine for a few minutes.Accidentally leave Durametric Activating Bank 1 & 2 camshaft advance. Blip throttle to 3000 rpm. The Noid lights up (4 ohms btw) and the Bank 1 voltage spikes to 13+v.

So we have no DME problem and no wiring harness problem. We(I) did have a misunderstanding about the ability of Durametric to operate the Camshaft advance key on Engine Off.Others who follow this please note that you have to run the (my?) engine for a few minutes before the Camshaft advance circuit ' wakes up'.

Still no click when I use an external 12v source to activate Bank 1 Actuator.Solenoid on Bank 1 still reads 13 ohms.

So one problem is the actuator .When I remove the Camshaft cover perhaps others will be revealed.

Since the Solenoids are more likely to fail (except for me!) than the Actuator, I'll buy a new Actuator+solenoid and keep the old(good) solenoid as a spare. But only after I bench test the old Actuator.

Thanks for hanging with me on this guys.

3 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Any chance to try the 2 tests I suggested above (12v test on pin 1 and light bulb test)?

Yes.Thank you for the gentle reminder to be systematic.

I'll postpone the dreaded dismantling and do that .Logically your hint makes great sense. I have a Noid light that will fit into one of the many test harnesses I made because the Noid has EV1 type pins.

The test with the MOM switch+external 12v power source direct to the solenoid was a failure. Repeated pulsing of the MOM switch produced no response on the trace from Durametric  Actual Values. I am reluctant to operate the MOM switch for more than a few seconds in case the 12v overheats the solenoid. It is intended to operate at 10.5v (iirc a post by Ahsai), not 13v from a motorcycle battery.

The only new data point is that immediately after one restart in the MOM-switch tests , The Deviation on Position 1 was much reduced - just  9 degrees instead of the 'usual' 14.9 degrees. When I operated the MOM switch , Deviation jumped back to 14.9 deg. & remained(as usual) rock steady.

It seems unavoidable to remove the camshaft cover for Bank 1 and inspect. That is a very tedious task that  I can enjoy over the weekend and report back.

I try to predict the surprise that will be revealed in such cases because it is a good (or humbling) test of your understanding of an issue. I cheated by researching many other posts on the "1341" but none had a hint of what this specific issue is. The root cause is probably  engine assembly error !

To recap , there are 2  related issues on Bank 1 only - Bank 2 is perfect on this just rebuilt engine:

1. Deviation of 14.9 degrees at idle at Position 1

2. No change in Actual Values of Camshaft advance with increasing r.p.m. or Activations/prompts from Durametric or an external power source.

For those following this in future, this is the stage to order the oddball left hand threaded studs and nuts to compress the Actuator for my 2001 S. Older cars had right hand thread. Also prepare your 'while you are in there' list - spark plug tubes,oil pump seal,coils(?) ,plugs. And if you are working on Bank 1 - the AOS and it's corrugated tube. Mine are all new.

The difficulty in refueling is a common problem caused by possibly a vent valve malfunction. Suggest you search for the diy for that.Pelican have one iirc.

Thank you both. I'll get to work this evening with more tests and report back.

If the fault was the Crankshaft Position Sensor, that would produce  problem on both Banks not just Bank 1 ? Unless it was a wiring problem.

The DME theory - that 'should'? also cause the same problem on both Banks? Unless it was a wiring problem.

An interesting  test -  I have a 12v source to connect direct to Bank 1 solenoid.It has a MOM switch & fuse on the test harness that I can operate and watch the Durametric trace. That may indicate I have a lazy/sticky actuator? The Bank 1 solenoid reads 13 ohms but produces no "click" from an external 12v source like Bank 2.

I am trying to be thorough and systematic with the tests because once I start dismantling things - it is too late for some of these tests.

This time I'll let the engine warm up at idle ,no revving to 3000 rpm to activate the cam advance. That should give a better observation of the peculiar camshaft deviation readings on Bank 1. Then I'll stop the engine and connect up the MOM switch harness and observe the trace for Bank 1 Actual Angle. I speculate it will be a small saw tooth profile as the solenoid struggles to move a sticky/plugged/leaking Variocam actuator. All idle speculation without more diagnostics.More later today I hope.

I did the test that JFP suggested above and Bank 1 looks perfect.So why is there a cam deviation at idle of 14.9 degrees at Position 1? Surely that would be visible?

Fortunately I kept lots of notes and diagrams from when I rebuilt the engine so I was able to compare the orientation and position of the 1/2 moon and notch now to my previous records. I tested the positions of the Exhaust cam  notches and the Inlet notch over 4 successive rotations to make sure.

For anyone trying this with the engine in the car - you need a rack and very good inspection lights.It is very obstructed unless you take off other parts(exhaust for example).

Tomorrow I'll fit new green plugs and do the electrical tests that Ahsai suggested. Then we'll have some useful data to work on.

The suspects are :

1. Variocam actuator +/- solenoid - very expensive and requires major ,awkward dismantling. - but at least it can be done without removing the engine :-).

2. Wiring harness to Bank 1 ( I did some clumsy electrical work on the SAI harness and perhaps I damaged nearby wiring).

3. Camshaft position sensor, Bank 1. I have not read that these fail  so this seems unlikely'.Is it possible to make a mistake assembling the cam position sensor ?

The combination of Code 1341, no cam advance but a huge cam deviation (14.9 degrees)at Position 1 is a weird combo of symptoms.Bank 2/Position 2 is perfect per Durametric.

Thanks for any suggestions as always.

10 hours ago, Ahsai said:

You're welcome! Yeah, Imo was able to fix his problem by replacing the transistor inside the DME. Based on the 0v DMM reading, that sounds like a DME/harness problem. Um, that's strange...unless you truly have two problems. With key ON engine OFF, do you get 12v on pin 1 of the bank 1 solenoid? The DME grounds pin 2 to activate the solenoid.

Thanks Ahsai. I'll do the test work this afternoon .So many details of life seem to interfere with Porsche repair time :-).

Thanks JFP. Here is a link to help others see what we are referring to on a 5 chain M96.It is a Thread started by Insite on camshaft allocation with excellent photos and descriptions:

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/26418-diy-setting-cam-timing-m96.html

This is one of several YouTube videos showing the work & tools that may be required:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE_X27JSTyE

Duncan, Thank you for your suggestion. I remember your epic thread with Imo in Canada and the burnt transistor in the DME.  He even located and fitted a replacement transistor iirc. Incase anyone following needs the "IMO" transistor for the DME, it is very difficult to find as a spare part. Here is a link for it - a BIP373 Coil driver:

https://www.diyautotune.com/product/replacement-bip373-coil-driver-q16/

I have not completed the exact test you propose, so thank you for the suggestion.

I did make a special harness with a modified EV1 connector . It fits on the connector for the solenoid . This is hardwired to a dedicated pair of leads to a cheap MultiMeter. With the MM set at 20vdc ,Bank 1  never shows any voltage on the MM, regardless of engine speed or coolant temperature.The same test on Bank 2 shows  10v when the camshaft timing advance kicks in. The custom harness is long enough to reach into the cab so it is easy to read and idiot-proof. But I'll certainly try your test with the 3W bulb to simulate a resistance.

In previous Threads you explained an external 12v supply test.This makes the Bank 2 solenoid click. Bank 1(with the suspect timing 15 deg off) is silent. I made a dedicated harness for that test also.

I made a 3rd test  harness to go from the solenoid connector on one Bank ,across the engine directly to the solenoid on the other Bank. I try that also.

As you suggest , I am trying to eliminate DME and wiring problems by substitutions.

JFP's test suggestion will be embarrassing if it confirms I got the timing perfect on one Bank and failed on the other. Regardless, I'll confess so others can learn from this.

Thank you both for your helpful suggestions.

Thanks JFP That is a great start.

Btw it s a 2001 S - so a 5 chain. So I need to look for 1 slot or 2 ,please?

I fixed the +/- 6 deg mistake in my Post.Thanks.

 I need some advice on what further tests to do before I start disassembling the camshaft.

The code is "1341 = Camshaft adjustment Bank 1 below limit value."  But I think this is misleading. Normally , this would be just a failed Solenoid or Variocam actuator. Btw ,these comments apply equally to a Bank 2 fault.

But if you look at the Durametric data below ,there is a hint of a cheaper but much more stupid error.

I recently rebuilt the engine. It runs beautifully. But has only run a few hours because I can't get rid of the 11341 fault code to get a Smog Test.

The Actual Values alone are clear but not when you look at the Deviation, not so much. All values are with a warmed up engine(fans kicked in several times)

1,  Actual angle at idle rpm, Bank 1, 0.3 to 0.8 deg. At 3000 rpm  only 2 degrees ! Bank 1 solenoid measures 13 ohms(perfect) but will not activate with Durametric , nor with the Ahsai 12v battery test.

2.  Actual angle at idle rpm, Bank 2, 0.02- 0.2 deg . At 3000 rpm 20 degrees - perfect. Bank 2 solenoid can be activated by Durametric or by the external 12v source.

3, Deviation Position 1 at idle is 14.9 deg and stable  - it should be +/- 6 deg !

4. Deviation Position 2 at idle is zero  and stable- 0.00 ,nada .

Please check my logic/knowledge here because I need help.

My theory is that I must have failed to time Bank 1 correctly. It is so far out that the Camshaft Advance will not activate ?

The stable deviation is because of new chains,IMSB , chain rail pads and tensioners.

So I need to re-time Bank 1. If it seems to be perfectly timed - look for a Camshaft Position Sensor problem ?

I'll bench test Bank 1 Actuator to see if it has a firm 1/16" 'jump' .If it is doubtful I'll replace it because of the time involved.

Fortunately I have the cam tools and Insite's helpful classic post on timing the M96.

Before I start dismantling , what else to test?

Maybe connect between the Bank 2 harness and Bank 1 to try to activate the camshaft advance (Jake Raby suggested this in a related Thread)

I get no reading on the Multimeter when I connect to the Bank 1 harness but do get the correct voltage (10V) on Bank 2 . No, I did not connect to chassis ground(thanks Ahsai!)

This is an interesting example of needing to use 2 different(but related) readings from Durametric to make an accurate(??) diagnosis. If I had just fitted a new Actuator +solenoid($1000 ! ) ,the basic fault may still be present.And I would have to repeat all that dismantling again !

So thanks for any suggestions of more diagnostic tests.

Thanks Mike, As I suggested previously " Just buy from Sunset ! " Just phone them .Give the VIN & No problems.

The difficulties began with Interchange/crossover numbers.Same story with Heat Exchanger seals and O2 sensors.

For what I spent on this one simple issue I could have bought at full retail from the local Porsche dealer several times over ! And not to mention the time .

Hopefully others will benefit from my experience and measurements- if the tubes are under-size and out of round there is no seal  that will work ! Utterly useless parts .

I now have 3 sets of spark plug tubes and seals. So I measured them all carefully to identify the cause of the leakage. The leaking tube+seal combo is under-size and out of round at the inner end. The groove in the leaking tubes measured 26.45mm at the inner end - over 0.5mm smaller than the OEM item.Obviously this measurement varies according to the location in the groove you choose because it is out of round ! It is somewhat oval in cross section and fits into a perfectly round hole in the camshaft cover! No amount of seal swapping could have corrected these 2 defects at the inner end of the leaking  aftermarket spark plug tubes.

At the outer end, the groove was oversized by an even larger amount. No wonder I had a hard time removing the tubes !

Just buy from Sunset !

" Also found the temp sensor had been taken out of its holder on the right side of the intake. "

There may have been a reason for that .

In doing so, it ensured the engine compartment cooling/purge air fan came on at a lower temperature and stayed on for longer. I am not recommending this but have read that it is a popular hack/mod with some others. The temperatures under there are so high during heat  soak, I presume that accelerates the  degradation of some plastics that bedevils the older M96. And there are a lot of inaccessible ,crucial plastic parts under there as you've recently discovered!

Ah yes, Battery terminal spreaders.

If the seals are new (like mine) or have sealant on them, it may be impossible to remove the tubes with the transom plug. I had to use the 'bolt+washer" tool because the outer orange seal was so tight. If you crank up the transom plug too much with brittle tubes ,they may break.Then you have the anxiety of extracting all the broken plastic .

Some have mentioned that the 1" transom pug was too small in diameter. Wrapping it with sandpaper is reported to be helpful.

The washer+bolt method is not mine. The first diy guide+photos I noticed was in a post by Healthservices here:

http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/52150-spark-plug-tubes.html

I just did a similar job. 2 suggestions. Check the spark plug tubes for oil leakage from the inner seal. Or you will have to repeat all the work. The seals are cheap and quick to fit when the coils and plugs are already out. There are some helpful comments.cautions and explanations from JFP here:

If your new tubes leak 7/or are hard to remove, here is the reason i found. The inner end of the tubes may be out of round ! The outer end may be oversize. I used the aftermarket tubes that came as a part of a "Conversion Set'. The replacements from Sunset were perfect.

The other hint is to examine the coils in very bright light when they are clean and dry. Only after this step did I notice the beginnings of hairline cracks on all 6 coils.They were also a little discolored. The resistance test that Loren kindly mentioned previously showed the coils were electrically perfect. I had misfire on all 3 cylinders on Bank 1.The new coils+ plugs+tubes fixed it.

There is an upgrade to the old coils that also requires longer bolts - the 'head' of the coil is thicker. So I just replaced them on a 'while you are in there' basis .

For guide pins - you can also use high grade metric all thread but be aware the threaded holes in the crankcase halves are not all the same diameter. I left the threaded rod in place (with green or maybe blue  loctite) and then fitted deep , high grade nuts (+ green Loctite)

The other oddity is that the OEM bolts are significantly shorter than the threaded depth of the holes allows. So my custom studs are significantly longer than the bolts were. But do not let them bottom out in the crankcase. Good idea to chase and clean the threads before you put the threaded rod in.

The other little aid was to very lightly 'dress' the leading edge/corners of the input shaft to help it slip in.

And if you didn't get the centering of the friction plate absolutely perfect , none of this will help !

" All I needed was a ~4 in long 10mm ring-wrench "

Thank you for taking the time to show us what special tool worked. The Pelican kit should include such a peculiar wrench - then there would be a really useful "Pelican way" ! The correct terminology may be a "Stubby" 10mm wrench -Mac Tools have one : MXS102KS

How many of the "leaking spark plug tube seal" complaints are caused by fitting the 3,2 seals  to a 2.7 and vice versa,I wonder? Or out of spec seals.

The vehicle is a 2001 S., so 3,2l engine.This is the appropriate Pelican page:http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/1048/POR_1048_ELIGNT_pg1.htm#item3

Pelican lists the same part number & dimensions a for a 2001, 2.7l engine. I mention this to alert others to a potential problem.Pelican sell both an aftermarket product(Victor Reinz) and a Porsche part.

To help others follow JFP's advice, the PET reference to the seals and tube  I just found is :

Page 001, KAT 20, UPD 248, Illustration # 103-00. The Position numbers are 28 and 29.

The part numbers I found are below but please verify.  I have noted in brackets the dimension of the groove each seal fits into on the tubes- so you can see how much each 'o' ring is stretched when new. My large O rings were a sloppy fit after less than 1 hour run time ! The inner seals were tight but possibly too thin. Sunset Porsche time!

999 707 343 40 (inner) 25,07 x 2.62mm  - (27mm)

999 707 215 40 (outer) 27.94 x 5.33mm  - ( 29mm)

Here is a link to Sunset Porsche at which you can use your Renntech Member discount(must donate to Renntech to get this member benefit/discount).

http://www.sunsetporscheparts.com/porsche/911/99970734341/2002-year/gt2-trim/3-6l-h6-gas-engine/engine-cat/engine-parts-scat/?part_name=flange-o-ring

I hope this helps others avoid the waste of time and money I incurred.Thanks to JFP for supplying all the missing knowledge.

Thank you for the details JFP. I appreciate you taking the time to share with us gems that must have been hard-won. These gems certainly do not appear in Bentley or the FSM !

Tool - I used the all-thread+ custom sized washer technique.It was not elegant. Prying on the end of the hack tool is not very controlled use of force in a rather confined space.  An upgrade to the tool I used would be to insert the end of the thread through a large(42mm) socket, then attach a washer+nut. Tighten the nut to progressively extract the tube. Must be something wrong with this simple idea to modify  the much discussed bolt+washer tool - or someone else would have proposed it long ago ?

The new large orange seals on my new tubes had already begun to enlarge. they were no longer tight in the groove on the tube. Yes they came as part of a rebuild kit with which I have already had a similar problem (Heat Exchanger leak).

The spark plug tube seal dimensions are a puzzle. On the Pelican site they give seemingly odd measurements for their Victor Reinz seals. Maybe that is their trick part? Use a smaller internal diameter but thicker seal so it fits tighter but has the same effective o.d. when stretched into place in the groove on the tube? I am not doubting their measurements - just noting they seem odd when spec'd to 2 decimal spaces in mm .Certainly not  generic 'o' ring sizes

Outer Spark Plug Tube O-Ring, 27.94 X 5.33

Inner Spark Plug Tube O-Ring, 25.07 X 2.62

Here is a link to their page: http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/1048/POR_1048_ELIGNT_pg1.htm#item3

For those searching for Renntech  threads on this subject - I found lots in the 996 Section that also apply to the Boxster in general terms.

Dennis, So what is your verdict on the Uro tubes and seals ? Any leaks?