Is it "normal" for a 1987 Carrera to leak oil?
12-06-2020, 02:29 PM
#3
Let's say it is not uncommon.
Many oil leaks can be eliminated without removing the engine and tearing it apart. First thing to do is to clean off all the oil you can see. use wooden popsicle stick, then rags with degreaser, then rags with brake cleaner. Crawl under there and get it spotless.
Actually, I lied. That is the second thing to do, not the first.
First thing to do is in my sig. Go to that thread and check everything on it.
Many oil leaks can be eliminated without removing the engine and tearing it apart. First thing to do is to clean off all the oil you can see. use wooden popsicle stick, then rags with degreaser, then rags with brake cleaner. Crawl under there and get it spotless.
Actually, I lied. That is the second thing to do, not the first.
First thing to do is in my sig. Go to that thread and check everything on it.
12-06-2020, 02:39 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
Not uncommon but also not mandatory. My '85 has never had any leaks that reach the ground, following replacement of the oil return tubes soon after I bought it in 1996.
Some leaks are bigger problems than others. Some are easier to fix than others. Whatever you have, you won't be the first one dealing with the problem, so you should be able to find good info here or elsewhere on how best to address things. Could be as simple as the oil return tubes or valve covers.
In general, I would not get too worked up. You probably paid a lot for that car and expected it to not have any leaks. Perfectly expected. But it will probably be OK. Hope things work out for you.
Some leaks are bigger problems than others. Some are easier to fix than others. Whatever you have, you won't be the first one dealing with the problem, so you should be able to find good info here or elsewhere on how best to address things. Could be as simple as the oil return tubes or valve covers.
In general, I would not get too worked up. You probably paid a lot for that car and expected it to not have any leaks. Perfectly expected. But it will probably be OK. Hope things work out for you.
12-06-2020, 03:00 PM
#5
Not uncommon but also not mandatory. My '85 has never had any leaks that reach the ground, following replacement of the oil return tubes soon after I bought it in 1996.
Some leaks are bigger problems than others. Some are easier to fix than others. Whatever you have, you won't be the first one dealing with the problem, so you should be able to find good info here or elsewhere on how best to address things. Could be as simple as the oil return tubes or valve covers.
In general, I would not get too worked up. You probably paid a lot for that car and expected it to not have any leaks. Perfectly expected. But it will probably be OK. Hope things work out for you.
Some leaks are bigger problems than others. Some are easier to fix than others. Whatever you have, you won't be the first one dealing with the problem, so you should be able to find good info here or elsewhere on how best to address things. Could be as simple as the oil return tubes or valve covers.
In general, I would not get too worked up. You probably paid a lot for that car and expected it to not have any leaks. Perfectly expected. But it will probably be OK. Hope things work out for you.
12-06-2020, 04:11 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Believe it or not, driving the car can also help reduce leaks. Infrequent driving seems to cause seals to shrink. 2 cents
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Gdub (12-07-2020)
12-06-2020, 10:20 PM
#7
Racer
Did you have a PPI on the car by someone who knows air-cooled cars? It’s not unusual but it could be some pretty minor like oil return tubes or a sign of something more serious, like broken head studs.
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12-06-2020, 10:57 PM
#8
Advanced
I was wondering about this- do broken head studs actually cause oil leaks?
12-06-2020, 11:17 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
My 88 leaked a bit. Some say an old flat-6 that doesn’t leak oil is one that doesn’t have any in it. But I believe it’s very possible to get all those oil leaks fixed, even if it requires a lot of work to do so.
12-07-2020, 10:23 AM
#11
Team Owner
its by no means " normal" . but it depends how you define normal i guess., it certainly wasn't designed to leak oil out of the factory and if it did it under warranty back in the day Porsche would certainly have to fix it.
But as other point out it is not uncommon . There are many that are dry as a bone, but if it does leak , the costs involved in fixing it by a professional , or the work involved by a home mechanic just don't justify the few drops.
There are so many common areas of leaking , usually the valve covers get the blame or the oil return tubes, but in actuality these are just on the lower part of the engine and get the blame. Far more common area of leaking are the breather cover and rocker shafts.
but that is off topic a little . its really up to you on what you deem is acceptable as a leak vs what you paid, if I paid 75K for a car i sure wouldn't want it to leak , if I paid 35K , then ok that's the cost of entry .
Sounds like you were blown off by the sales guy though..
But as other point out it is not uncommon . There are many that are dry as a bone, but if it does leak , the costs involved in fixing it by a professional , or the work involved by a home mechanic just don't justify the few drops.
There are so many common areas of leaking , usually the valve covers get the blame or the oil return tubes, but in actuality these are just on the lower part of the engine and get the blame. Far more common area of leaking are the breather cover and rocker shafts.
but that is off topic a little . its really up to you on what you deem is acceptable as a leak vs what you paid, if I paid 75K for a car i sure wouldn't want it to leak , if I paid 35K , then ok that's the cost of entry .
Sounds like you were blown off by the sales guy though..
12-07-2020, 12:30 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Some leaks are serious others are not life threatening. Old INDY shop rated 1,2 and 3 leaks. All can be fixed for a price. Kinda like old Harleys and CH46 helo's-If its leaking its fine! No leaks NO fluids.
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Mike Murphy (12-07-2020)
12-07-2020, 12:37 PM
#13
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
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Check the fuel hoses in engine bay. Try to rotate the hose where it’s crimped to the steel end. If rotate, fix those first.
About the oil leaks, they can be easy to fix or major task. As suggested in earlier post, try to find the source of leak. Then ask here how to fix it if you don’t know.
Don’t let a little oil leak diminish the joy of driving a 911.
About the oil leaks, they can be easy to fix or major task. As suggested in earlier post, try to find the source of leak. Then ask here how to fix it if you don’t know.
Don’t let a little oil leak diminish the joy of driving a 911.
12-07-2020, 04:37 PM
#14
Racer
They can, but at that point there are usually other signs of an issue. There are quite a few air-cooled buyers today who've never had one, and don't know what a proper car should feel, run, and sound like. PPI is really important is you really don't know these cars well, particularly if you aren't dealing with a seller that has a rock-solid reputation with older 911's.
12-08-2020, 09:54 AM
#15
Team Owner
as pointed out above they theoretically can but very very rarely do ..
This is because the only oil leak it can create is in the base gasket between the cylinder and engine casing. the stud goes through the head, then through the cylinder then into the engine casing . for that base gasket to come loose enough to leak oil i imagine is very rare considering it has 4 per cylinder. Plus you have a cam housing that is bolted down to it all anyway .. if it were that loose you would definitely be having other issues.
now it is also theoretically possible to bust a stud, have oil travel down that stud channel from the cam housing and find its way out , which i imagine is more likely... but i had three broken head studs and zero oil leaks just to give you a reference point.
This is because the only oil leak it can create is in the base gasket between the cylinder and engine casing. the stud goes through the head, then through the cylinder then into the engine casing . for that base gasket to come loose enough to leak oil i imagine is very rare considering it has 4 per cylinder. Plus you have a cam housing that is bolted down to it all anyway .. if it were that loose you would definitely be having other issues.
now it is also theoretically possible to bust a stud, have oil travel down that stud channel from the cam housing and find its way out , which i imagine is more likely... but i had three broken head studs and zero oil leaks just to give you a reference point.