austin944

I have an '84 NA and it seems like every 3-4 years, I find that coolant leaks out past the oil cooler gasket (?) and I have to replace it. Everything else is fine, no coolant/oil mixing. I use the alignment tool, replace all seals while I am in there, and torque the housing bolts with the required value from the 944 Tech Booklet/FSM. I don't think I used any sealant on the gasket the last time I did it. Is that a "normal" replacement interval? I wonder if there's something wrong with my installation. I drive less than 5000 miles per year.

V2Rocket

dunno, mine was solid for over 9 years and still wasn't leaking when i pulled the engine out last month.
no sealant necessary. are you torquing to NM in ftlbs values (under torqued)?

austin944

I am pretty sure I am not mixing NM and ft/lb values. I was using an inexpensive Sears Craftsmen click-type torque wrench and it's never been calibrated since I bought it more than 15 years ago.

harveyf

Proper torque is key.

It's a pain in the *** to even access those 4 bolts. That said, the next time you tackle the job, be sure and clean out the tapped holes in the block with a thread chaser (see here https://newhillgarage.com/2018/05/05...build-part-ii/) to ensure that your torque isn't being adversely affected by gunk in the holes.

One of the car mags did a test on a bunch of torque wrenches. The results were all over the place. Yours sounds suspect. So I'd say it's time to get a new torque wrench. Just saw this company in Hot Rod magazine. Looks interesting: etork.com

Also, I would supplement the connection by adding some blue Locktite to your threads. Just a drop is all you need. If using the Locktite, clean the threads (bolt and tapped hole) with solvent to remove oils and grease.

The cooler cover is a pretty complex torqued connection. That gasket Porsche used is a step up from a standard paper gasket. That said, I also have never had one go leaky on me.