Cam cover fastening - Series 2

[iani]

I want to fit a pair of polished ali cam covers, I was about to start the swap when I noticed that the front, inner, fastening on my car is different. Instead of having a cyl head stud (C67272) I have a screw, as shown in this picture



I know my engine is original, albeit rebuilt by Forward in '89, is this cam cover fastening arrangement standard though, the parts catalogue says otherwise. Should I be able to just replace this screw with a cyl head stud & domed nut? I hope so, otherwise I've just wasted money on having these ali covers polished!

Ian

[1954Etype]

Ian, yes, just replace with the correct stud.

[Mark Gordon]

Angus, you must have come across countless ways that some previous "mechanic" has done a bodge repair job, but this one has to be high on the list of "what was he thinking?" How much more difficult would it have been to put in a proper stud that can be correctly torqued than to find a screw that would fit the hole? Makes you wonder what other gremlins are lurking in that head and engine.

[KingRichard]

Hi Ian,

I have the same Philip screws. They are original and replaced the domed nut during Series II about May 1969 from engine number 7R.36599/600, according to Haddock (p.189). Although my car is from april 1969.

Richard van den Brand

[1954Etype]

Angus, you must have come across countless ways that some previous "mechanic" has done a bodge repair job, but this one has to be high on the list of "what was he thinking?" How much more difficult would it have been to put in a proper stud that can be correctly torqued than to find a screw that would fit the hole? Makes you wonder what other gremlins are lurking in that head and engine.

Hi Mark, these screws are standard on this engine - just another demonstration of BL saving money. The fronts of the engines weren't polished either on the later S2s and they stopped painting the heads .

[Mark Gordon]

Again, I show my ignorance.

[1954Etype]

we all do at some stage, even Mr C!

[iani]

Thanks chaps, I'll get a couple of studs & nuts and see how I get on.

Ian

[PeterCrespin]

Thanks chaps, I'll get a couple of studs & nuts and see how I get on.

Ian

You'll need more than studs and nuts as the cover is countersunk and the oil will probably leak past a standard copper washer. A copper washer only has point contact around the edge/corner where it touches the outer diameter of the countersunk hole. Much goo or cement required.

This isn't a bodge and doesn't look bad with a clean screw. The only thing I dislike is having to use more than one tool to get the cover off, but by then there were Pozidriv screws used for the crossover and sundry other hardware attached to the top of the engine on E and XJ models in many markets. I think it was a clearance issue that led them to save half an inch or whatever - doubt very much it was for cost saving.

Pete

[iani]

The ali covers don't have a countersink Pete, they are flush like the other two on the front of my existing cam covers so hopefully ok.

Ian

[PeterCrespin]

Yup, sans countersink you should be fine. Odd. Maybe I'm remembering later XJ covers. Am in London away from my 70 FHC so can't check.

[iani]

I'm very pleased with the result:



The studs replaced the screws without any trouble:



I have a slight leak from the O/S cover, I only used a smear of RTV sealant, I'll try again with a little more. I think these covers look a lot better than standard and they can easily be refitted by a future owner so no lasting harm done.

Ian

[dal2.0litrefrogeye]

Hi , whilst on the subject , I'm thinking of doing the same thing , my question ? Are all of the cam covers the same where they mate to the head , I was chatting to a guy last week and he said when he put the cam covers from his 3.4 (this guy had a MK2 saloon ) on to a 4.2 he had fitted in place of the 3.4 , the area around the ends, the half moon shape , needed milling, anyone any ideas on this ?? the 4.2 he fitted was from a S3 XJ6