difference between cam covers

[Sam-Q]

I have these two cam covers on me as pictured:

http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/dcimages/2/5/2/31467.jpg

one is off a bigport 4aqge and the other off a 4agze, nothing amazing there. What I did notice though when I was checking out how to make SR20 coilpack adapter is that the mounting point for the middle plate is different between the models.

As the 4age the mounting tabs hold the plate a little below the line of the top of the cam covers, and with the 4agze somewhere lower.

What I would like to know is the 4agze just the odd one out? if not which covers have which position? why did they do this?

[redsprinter]

the gze might be different because it had the coilpacks mounted onto the cam cover from factory . i noticed this too once when i was changing them over. and also GZE is the only one different . big port and small port i believe is the same.

ive got a couple of motors lying around at home ill check for ya tonight.

so interested in the sr20 coilpack conversion you got going sam . next year i want to do this too . so hopefully you'll have a plate sorted out by then.

[Sam-Q]

yeah ok that sounds promising but if you could double check it would be great.

Making an adapter plate looks simple enough, but for which version of cam cover would you need?

[jdm86gtz]

Never confirmed it myself but small port cam covers should be similar to the GZE covers as they run the plug leads under a plastic cover that is flush with the top of the cam cover. GZE cam covers are taller than NA covers note the differences where the sealing washers and cover nuts are.

[xero]

bigport have the plug cover at top flush with the top of cam covers. smallport, have them mounted about half way down as there is the plug lead cover as well. GZE's are similar to this due to coil packs.

could also be that the GZE covers you have are the later model smallport or AE101 covers.

[Sam-Q]

ok this is just getting more confusing by the minute. I have a smallport 4agze laying around I should have a good look at that one too when I near where it's stored next

[Nikkojoe]

All gze covers are like that because they have a top mount intercooler and there would be no way to have the leads that high in the valley, hence why they are shorter/half the size (the stems of the leads that is).

With exception to AW11 that has the top mount cooler offset past the covers, they are EXACTLY the same casting as all gze covers. The covers you have sam are from an aw11 gze as they were the only ones that got painted covers, where as later models were covered by the top mount.