cam cover gasket replacement DIY

[phillipj]

99 996 C2

I have a small leak on the drivers side cam cover. Occaisionally when I get on it real hard a drop of oil will hit the exhaust and smoke real bad. Quite embarrassing.

My mechanic said it is not a threat to my motor but I need to address it relatively soon..

I did a search for a DIY thread but could not find anything. Has anyone done this job themselves?

I have heard varying opinions on difficulty and hours required.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, :renntech:

Phillipj

[Tool Pants]

On my Boxster 8 years ago I noticed a drip from the passenger side cam cover. Very minor. Snuged up all the bolts and the drip went away. Might try that first. The bolts are small so don't crank on them too hard or you can snap them.

Also check to see that the oil is not coming from the spark plug tubes.

[PAULSPEED]

Hi,

The cam cover bolts should be M6 and should

be torqued to 10 ft-lbs. I would tighten them.

Paul

[phillipj]

On my Boxster 8 years ago I noticed a drip from the passenger side cam cover. Very minor. Snuged up all the bolts and the drip went away. Might try that first. The bolts are small so don't crank on them too hard or you can snap them.

Also check to see that the oil is not coming from the spark plug tubes.

Tool Pants,

What if the oil is coming from the spark plug tubes? What does that indicate? There seems to be some oil on the tubes on the passenger side. No leaking on the headers or floor from that side though.

I have had the car looked at by two Porsche mechanics...

One is very practical and the other is very anal. The practical mechanic tells me not to waste my money. A little leak is not a big deal.

The anal mechanic says I need to do both cam covers. But he also wants to replace my clutch (which is fine), replace my tires (which have plenty of life) and do my brakes (they don't need it etc..)

Needless to say I don't see the anal mechanic anymore.

I don't really have enough Porsche experience to know what the right decision is.

Thanks for your input!

Phillipj

[phillipj]

Hi,

The cam cover bolts should be M6 and should

be torqued to 10 ft-lbs. I would tighten them.

Paul

Thanks Paul,

I'll try that.

Phillipj