Robert Collins - 96 993TT

OK guys, I will be the guinea pig on the Steve and John's "please give complete info" request. Here goes:

I need opinions from you guys on whether or not to fix this right now. Inevitably it will be fixed sooner or later, but since it is a non-threatiening issue to the life of my engine I am not sure whether to do it now or wait. If I wait, it won't hurt anything. It will just continue to make a pristine, clean, low mileage TT engine oily and dirty. If I do it now, the only thing I am really fixing is the messyness of the leak. My mechanic even said if it was his car, he would just wait.

So here goes:

1) 1996 Porsche 993 TT

2) 22,393 miles on the colck (not a lot for a damn oil leak)

3) No mods to engine or brakes. Mufflers removed with Fabspeed muffler bypasses is only performance/sound mod (other than removing the engine tray which adds at least 50 HP and has been off for a year). The rest of my mods are cosmetic, interior or stereo.

4) Oil leak is coming from the left (driver's) side of the engine towards the back (closest to the rear bumper near cylinder #1) and dripping down onto the left heat exchanger from above both sides of #1. My mechanic said he cleaned poil off of the top of #2, but he truly believes that was just blown up there by wind. Although no oil has hit the ground yet (slow leak), I can smell a STRONG oil smell with the heater on if I get on it pretty hard.

My mechanic said it is a fairly slow leak, but I am broken hearted that my car developed a leak at 22,000 miles. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it has 11 years on it and that is the problem.

We have eliminated the base gaskets, the left turbo, the upper and lower valve covers and the doughnut gaskets for the bolts that hold on the chain cover. Logically, my mechanic thinks that the only thing it really can be that leaks oil would be seepage from the chain cover and there is something he described (beyond me) where they drill a hole in something at the factory to thread it and then fill the hole later. I have no idea what I just said, but that is as close I can get. Anyway, he said it is likely the chain cover gasket and or a hairline fracture in the cover itself, but he said that can always be fixed with epoxy (and that mysterious hole can be filled with epoxy too, whatever hole he is talking about).

One more thing, the hose that connects the intercooler to the Turbo did have some slight oily residue as if oil has been running down the tube, but not alot. I don't know if this matter or not, but it would seem hard for it to leak enough there to make this oil appear, and it would seem hard to find it's way down above cylinder #1.

5) Recent maintenance: Oil change a year ago, and my mechanic pulled the intercooler, etc... off about three weeks ago just to put on new engine lid shocks. I found the leak the next day by smewlling oil after driving it about 40 miles. It was also the first time I used the heater since pulling off the engine trey a year ago.

SO, after hopeffully disseminating enough info to the gurus here, here are the questions:

1) Is there anything on the left side that we haven't eliminated that could leak oil over time on a car with mileage this low? It's not valve covers, base gaskets, turbos, donut gaskets, etc... so is it the timing cover?

2) If your mechanic says he can fix it for under $1,000, do you go ahead and do it to keep the engine clean or stop being **** about the car and just let it ride?

SO there it is, my first attempt at complete disclosure!!!

Thanks for any help[ guys. Just want to do the right thing for a car I feel I have kept perfect to this opint.

Robert Collins

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

view of leak before it got worse, barely seen leaking down the inside of the left heat exchanger around both sides

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

more of a close up shot. This picture of the leak was from 3/2005 and the leak still hasn't hit the ground yet. So it is very, very slow.

atan888

had the same problem at 39k miles. 2 problems found. sweating oil from timing chain gasket and power steering line. Got them fixed and also did a 60k service while there at it. even solved my ticking noice caused by a loose spark plug

Kevin

I bet that it's the chain housing to engine case gasket. At the top of the housing, you have the main oil feed galley that provides lube for the camshaft and turbocharger.

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

That is exactly what my mechanic just called and told me it was. You are smart man, Kev. (but we all already knew that). I am going to look at it now.

So would you fix it if it as been leaking for three years and never leaked a drop on the ground? Will it eventually get worse, or will it always be a slow seeping leak?

I'll report back

Kevin

I wouldn't touch it!! Wait till you need a topend overhaul...

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

Crap! I just told him to do it and he is planning on doing the chain housing gasket, the internal o-ring, the left valve cover and all new doughnut gaskets plus on oil change for 1,000-1,200. I think that's a great price, so why would you not do it now? Am I opening up a can of worms by doing it now???? Tell me quick!!

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

It is BARELY BARELY BARELY leaking and took three year to accumulate enough to smell it....

Kevin

I would wait. Please realize that your camshaft needs to be "pinned" The chain and cam gear needs to be removed to get the chain housing off.

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

Kevin, that is correct and he acknowledged that. He stated he does that all the time and has the proper equipment to do it, and with his level of expertise I believe him. Nonetheless, from your recommendations I have decided to hold off and just watch it over the next year. If it took this seep/leak three years just to get where it is dripping on the heat exchangers, then I think I am probably fine.

Thanks again for all of your help, and a special thanks to you Kevin.

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

The good news is he did completely clean the areas where the leak is/was with brake cleaner, so maybe I'll be good to go for awhile!

WHB Porsche

Robert, glad to hear you got this sorted out!

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

Thanks, Charlie. I just went and picked it up, but I'll be darned if the oil level isn't pointing a 2:00 now. i am going to have to take some oil out to prevent any issues. My wrench said that it was pointing at 3-4:00 when he checked it, but he might not have driven it long enough.

One thing after another...good thing I love my car!!! :-)

WHB Porsche

To drain a little bit of oil without risking dumping it all, use a turbo sump. You can idle the car to speed things up.