gregeast

Planning on tackling the seals on my leaking oil cooler housing (the console that the oil filter attaches to) and have reviewed both the Clark's Garage and 924/944/968 FAQ Procedures.

I have the right seals and the proper alignment tool for my car, but I have a stupid question:

Do I need to drain the oil and coolant before I do this procedure??

Clark says to drain the coolant, the FAQ doesn't say anything and neither mention the oil. Any and all insight is appreciated.

Fingers crossed, if this goes well I may be able to finally get rid of that drip pan I've had in my garage for 11 years, lol.

Spidey944

I did not drain either when I replaced mine. It makes a bit of a mess, but draining everything out of the block is tough anyway

Tom M'Guinn

It's a mess either way, and I suppose you don't "have" to drain, but I drain both. You have to pull the oil cooler lines and there is oil in the housing etc. The more of it that ends up in a bucket, and not all over you and the floor, the better as far as I'm concerned. It's a bit dated, but here's another write up that may help:

http://members.rennlist.com/tom86951..._seal_repl.htm

gregeast

Thanks guys, that helps.

Thanks for the link too Tom, funny enough, I went to bookmark it and realized I already had...and then had forgotten about it.

I'm doing a turbo/belts/water pump/oil cooler extravaganza in the next few weeks but would like to be able to break it up a bit, thus the "do I need to drain" question.

Cheers!

Droops83

I would recommend draining the coolant from the block via the drain plug on the block. It will still make a mess, but a more controllable one than coolant gushing out from the oil cooler console passages.

An important note: there is a short metal sleeve with an O-ring at each end that goes between the block and oil cooler console. Be sure to note which way it goes, check this when you remove it! The O-ring grooves are at different depths for each end; if you install it backwards, the O-rings won't seal properly and you will get oil/coolant intermix! Ask me how I know this . . . .

Otherwise, ensure that you have the correct OPRV centering tool, and when you are installing the console with the guide tool in place, gradually tighten down the 4 bolts in stages, and make sure the tool slips in and out easily after you torque down the bolts.

Good luck.

Tom M'Guinn

Porsche updated that little part for exactly that reason. The new one, 951 107 152 03, is the same on both ends. You can use the old one if you're careful, but the new one is cheap...

FRporscheman

How the hell does one get that part out, anyway? Every time I try (well, two times), I damage it and need a new one.

I would drain the oil after removing the housing, so any water that made its way into the oil can be drained out.

mahoney944

I used vise grips with a rag and made it just barely grab and slowly worked it out. I'm not sure if there's an easier way but I didn't damage it. It took some time and patients

KevinGross

http://www.connactivity.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faqoc.html

Droops83

Hi Tom,

I looked at your excellent how-to article after I made my post. I must admit that I work at a Porsche shop and I had never come across this issue, probably because any of the cars that I had previously worked on already had the updated pipe---my '86 951 is a very early model. I regularly check TSBs on more recent Porsches, but with such an old model I guess we sometimes assume that we know it all!

Anyway, lesson learned, onward and upward!

Crazy Eddie

Same here... There was no way I was going to get that out without scratching it. I wrapped rags and everything around it it was a royal pain in the ***, so I just got the new one anyway, I had an updated version already because I have a newer car
If I remember my cheapo meter correctly, the part was like $11 at Sunset
regards
Ed

Tom M'Guinn

Put a wooden dowel inside and use that to rock it loose...

Crazy Eddie

Now he tells me !!!

FRporscheman

That's genius! I almost want to tear one down to try it. Almost!

Crazy Eddie

LOL