Billet CNC 16V Cam Cover

[Latitude48]

I've been trading some emails with Racing Custom Parts regarding their billet CNC cam cover for the 944 S2. It's a bit expen$ive as you can see in the link. My main reason to consider this item is to avoid having to repaint my original cover, which was powder coated quite a few years ago and has a lot of bubbles and flaws. Getting the new cover in black anodized finish would eliminate any future potential paint flaking.

I think it looks "pretty good" but does look a bit "rough around the edges" so to speak since I assume it's mainly aimed at engines used in racing.

Here are a couple of pictures. Let me know what you think.

https://racingcustomparts.com/produkt/p ... cam-cover/

[walfreyydo]

For almost $1400, yikes! Id spend that money on a set of cams.

You may want to opt getting your current valve cover sand blasted and re-powdercoated?

[Latitude48]

For almost $1400, yikes! Id spend that money on a set of cams.

You may want to opt getting your current valve cover sand blasted and re-powdercoated?

Yeah, it's certainly not cheap, especially with the exchange rate, PayPal charges, etc. so, I'm going to pass for now. When I do get around to changing my cam chain next year I'll strip the cover, have it glass bead blasted, and see how it looks. I think respraying with a high heat paint may actually be better than powder coating, which really hasn't held up that well.

So, what cams would you recommend, CAT? I'm not really looking for any big increase in power as I have other cars that fill that need, so I'll probably just leave it stock. The S2 does have a "chip" I got years ago; I think it's a Weltmeister clone. And the Cargraphic exhaust with 100 cell CAT probably helps too, so maybe I have 215-220 HP?

[walfreyydo]

Im only aware of CAT cams, which has a number of different grinds based on how aggressive you want to go (some of the more aggressive race cams require conversion to solid lifters and more aggressive valve springs).

From my research there were a few others made over the years, such as RSBarn (not sure how many of those are still available). There is also the S exhaust cam which allegedly provides a small upgrade over the S2 exhaust cam (which seems illogical but thats what Ive read).

On the 16V cars I think MAF conversion and cams are probably your best hp per dollar upgrades, besides going turbo of course.

[dr bob]

Things I learned --

I went through the refinish process x2, and learned some things along the way. The magnesium alloy covers need to be protected from air and moisture ASAP after bead blasting. They need an alodine or other chromate protection applied within a few hours if you are painting.

As much as I love powder coating for it's durability, you need to get going on it right away after bead blasting for the same reason. The powder coaters recommended using JBWeld as a surface filler for imperfections, because it would harden fast enough to sand smooth in the time between blasting and coating, and get the parts coated within that couple-hours window. The heat in the painting process helps cure the JBWeld too.

Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have the covers (and the matching painted intake on the 928...) blasted and alodined, then take my time with filling and prepping the casting imperfections before painting. There are plenty of good paint and clearcoat products these days that will take the engine heat without yellowing.

The original paint color on the covers for my 1989 car is Zermatt Silver. It looks amazingly not as 'gold' as the aged factory finish, mostly because of bleed-through from the chromate primer underneath. We looked at a new factory 928 GTS intake for some color targets. Ended up blending several powders to get the "right" color on mine.


The cam covers were originally completely alodine or chromate treated inside and out. Then filler and paint on the outside only. When you have the covers blasted, be sure to mask the gasket sealing groove, and do not blast the insides or risk breaching that original protective coating. Do a regular cleaning-solvent wash of the insides to remove any remaining oil film, but don't strip, paint or powder-coat the insides if you can avoid it. Mine ended up with the gasket grooves blasted, and I used a very thin film of Hylomar to hold the gasket in as well as fill any of the blasted pockets. The double-top-secret method for holding the gasket during installation is either super-thin mini cable ties through the bolt grommets, or thin copper wire strands. Set the cover in place, then cut and remove the ties or wires one by one just before you put the bolt in. The plug well seals got the same thin Hylomar treatment, plus a careful mini inspection mirror down the wells to 'look around' and verify that the seals were still intact and in place before any bolts go in.

Respect the torque limitations for the cover bolts. Later 928 cars have thin shim washer added under the bolt heads, above the umbrella washers on the lower bolts. The current recommendation is to use them on all the bolts, to add a little more pressure on the gasket and the plug well seals. We've all learned, hopefully, the the shims are the much better option to "just a little tighter" on the bolts when trying to solve a seepage issue. Use anti-seize on those bolt threads too, and a thin film of Hylomar on the upper bolt barrel where it will sit in the rubber bushings. 6 lbs/ft torque, no more.

Also, many 928 folks will plate the washers and bolts with yellow zinc, or yellow cad plating if they can find it. Those bolts and washers were never plated that way from the factory, and it's a deduct when I see them on an original-presentation or restoration car.

[Thom]

The extra "boxes" around the holes for the breather as used on 32V 928s is quite an interesting feature and probably helps a little against breather hoses filling up with oil as per the old issue of 32V heads filling up with oil under sustained high rpm/high load use.

[CEW]

Don’t use Alodine on magnesium parts…bad stuff happens. I believe Dow 19 is the coating for the mag parts.

[Petethepug]

No love for a 968.