7B944

87 944 turbo: The lower balance shaft front housing seal and o-ring was leaking. I replaced the seal, metal top-hat spacer, onion skin and o-ring for both upper and lower shafts, as well as new crank seal, rollers & belts. The lower was still leaked, so I installed another new seal. The covers are currently off so I can see that there is still has a slight leak coming from between the back of the shaft drive gear and the front of the housing. Can't see if it's from perimeter of seal or between seal & spacer. I used the correct 48 mm seal and used mobil-1 on the seal. I believe it is completely seated and straight and seems to seal around the shaft. The spacer is tight on the shaft. I put green locktite on the sprocket bolt. Could the housing bearing be worn causing too much play on shaft letting too much oil get to seal?? I don't want to keep replacing seals if it doesn't fix it. Can anyone tell me the secret to stop this leak? Also posted to 944 turbo forum. Thanks, Dave

tkacki

Check oil cooler housing for leak.

Darwantae951

My oil cooler housing is leaking all over the place and I thought it was my lower BS seal, too. Make sure to check that. It'll be a pain to fix, but will probably solve your problem.

-Darwin

Shabba

If it leaks as much as you post, you should be ok.

SalzundPfeffer

Was your leak dripping down around the bracket behind the power steering pump? My leak seems to be coming from that area. It doesn't look like the front of the balance shaft is leaking. Pretty substantial when the engine is warm. The smoke pouring out of the hood at stop lights isn't cool.

btw, how would oil leak out of the oil cooler housing? Would it be around the filter? I would expect any oil leak to bleed into the coolant, since the heat exchanger is surrounded by it, but my coolant is clear.

Thanks!
-bp

84' 944 N/A

Mongo

The oil cooler housing leaks around the housing (insert DUR! here.) There is a metal gasket with rubber sealing bordering it. When this rubber wears thin, the oil cooler will start seeping oil out the edges. Due to the location of the oil cooler and aerodynamics at speed, oil blowback will confuse things a bit down there into make you believe something is leaking when it really isn't.

Clean the area off well. Jack the front up and secure the car safely, then start the engine. I would remove the passenger wheel so you don't have to stick your body directly through the front to look at the car and somehow critically injure yourself in the auxiliary belts. Looking at it from the side, you should be able to tell if the oil cooler is leaking, or if it's the rear seal behind the front balance shaft housing. This happened to me also.

Jay W

Yes my oil cooler was leaking oil there as well. I had cleaned off the oil and ran it in the driveway and watched it run down the forward edge of the oil cooler. Then I did what you did which was too look it up and see that really only antifreeze could leak from there based on the pictures I found. I bought a gasket kit anyway and did the work. Not a drop of oil since. But I do have to admit I did the camshaft seal at the same time so it is slightly possible the camshaft seal was leaking and dripping down. But it is unlikely since there was NO oil above the oil cooler and oil doesnt leak UP.

Toolmaster

A small 'shmear' of hylomar on the edges of the seal (in place of the motor oil) has done wonders in the past.

good luck!

SalzundPfeffer

My leak ended up being the oil cooler seal. Cheap part, but ended up being quite the repair. When I tried to remove the housing on the oil cooler element, I was unable to completely remove the housing from the engine. Just had to push it out of the way as best I could.

The two seals at the bottom of the housing weren't cracked at all, but very thin. The new seals in the new gasket are much larger and allow for a better seal. The CG writeup recommends using some grease to hold up the gasket on the block while you position the housing. I ended up having to use something with more tack (liquid gasket) to get the gasket to stick better while I positioned the housing.

I didn't use the alignment tool to position the housing. Instead, I used the oil pressure relief valve (3 piece type) itself to make sure no binding was occuring. I used one of those telescoping-pointer like magnets to push in and out on the valve while I positioned the housing. Worked really well.

To make sure everything was sealed well when I was done, I put a small amount of liquid gasket on the washers between the oil pressure relief valve bolt and on the oil pressure sending unit.

The car doesn't leak a drop of oil now!

-bp

'84 944 N/A

jbob

bump

I have what I think is a leak of the front balance shaft seals... but the oil seems to drip down like you guys are saying, a little behind where the balance shaft meets the back of where the belts are.

is there a photo of where the oil cooler seal is... not sure, and trying to get an idea of what i should be differentiating

how much more work is involved? is it fully removing the timing belt as well and a bunch more stuff?

can the lower balance shaft seals leak out the front, but not be seen inside the front of the timing belt cover, or is the only place it would leak is out the very front by the belts, which it isnt? its leaking right down the crevice between where the front end of the balance shaft compartment is and the back of where the belts are. does that sound more like balance belt seals or this oil cooler seal?

thanks