1973.5 911T - No Camshaft Seal?

[Chickenstrips]

This is probably a dumb question. I know that the camshaft flange has a paper gasket and an o-ring that seals the flange to the cam tower/housing. I am a little stumped on something, but have a theory and was looking for correction or validation. What I don't get is what seals the oil between the rotating camshaft where its is in contact with the fixed flange cover? I see the 1974 MFI camshaft seal that I think serves this purpose, but I don't think I saw them on mine. Is it because there is no oil seal needed between the camshaft and the fixed flange because oil just spills into the chain housing, which is already an oil containing area that is sealed? I see references to oil leaks when the paper gasket leaks, but wouldn't it just leak onto the chains? There is something I am not getting, but maybe I will see it once I get parts cleaned up and reassembled a bit. thanks!

[Jon B]

Is it because... oil just spills into the chain housing, which is already an oil containing area that is sealed?

Yes, as long as the oil remains inside the engine, it's fine.

Jon B.
Vista, CA

[Jon B]

I see the 1974 MFI camshaft seal that I think serves this purpose, but I don't think I saw them on mine.

Engines with MFI require an oil seal where the injection pump belt is driven by the camshaft.

Jon B.
Vista, CA

[Chickenstrips]

Thanks! I broke off two of the 3 cam flange bolts on one side trying to remove them and was very paranoid about getting this back to perfection- they were unbelievably corroded to the cam tower with brownish whitish powder. I really really did not want to gamble on buying another cam tower. The cam towers are too big to fit in my mini vertical mill or drill press, so I machined up a drilling guide that fits in the camshaft bore, and let's you insert bushings for different drill sizes. It sits with .002" clearance the camshaft bore and allows fine adjustment rotationally and on distance from the camshaft bore. And it works!