cruise98

Do not put sealant on the seal. Oil the inside lip with engine oil. Here is a parts list for comparison...
944 8 VALVE FRONT ENGINE SEALS, BELTS & WATER PUMP PARTS LIST

From engine # 43E 14859 (1984) thru engine # 43F06994 (1985) 8 valve engines

Camshaft

1 each Belt 944.105.157.04
1 each O-ring 999.701.602.40
1 each Woodruff key (optional) 900.117.045.00
1 each O-ring (onion skin) 944.105.321.00
1 each Spacer 928.105.139.04
1 each Seal 999.113.349.40
1 each Bolt (optional) 999.510.022.08
1 each Toothed roller 944.105.027.04
1 each Stud 944.102.216.01
1 each Nut 944.102.243.00
1 each Smooth roller (for updated pump) 944.105.241.03
1 each Rubber seal 928.105.184.00
1 each Locknut N 022.149.2


Crankshaft

1 each Seal 999.113.331.40
1 each Sleeve (oil pump drive) 944.107.161.02
1 each O-ring 999.707.283.40
1 each Woodruff key (optional) 900.117.036.00

Balance shafts

1 each Belt 944.102.219.02
1 each Seal (upper, cw rotation) 999.113.282.40
1 each Seal (lower, ccw rotation) 999.113.281.40
2 each Spacer 928.105.139.02
2 each O-ring (same as cam) 944.105.321.00
2 each O-ring 999.701.652.40
2 each Woodruff key (optional) N 012.708.2
1 each Tensioner roller 944.102.025.07
1 each Smooth roller 944.102.277.06
2 each Locknuts N 022.149.2

Water pump

1 each Water Pump 951.106.021.10
1 each Block off plate 944.106.313.00
1 each O-ring 999.707.283.40
2 each Bolt 6 x 20mm N .014.704.1
2 each Washer N .011.524.7
1 each Thermostat 944.106.019.00
1 each Support Washer 900.234.160.00
1 each T-stat O-ring 944.106.929.08 or 944.106.929.05
1 each Guard rail (for updated pump) 944.105.210.01
2 each Lock nuts (for guard rail) 999.084.092.02

This is a list for the '84 engine and you have an '83 so the crank seal at least, is most likely different.

Stan944

Joe, what you call a metal bushing is what I called 'sleave'. I put new ones.
In my last question I thought it might leak between this metal bushing and the shaft itself. I'm wondering if you put some grease there? If I remember correctly, I put hylomar.

On another note, it's so unfair you never had a leak after a resealing job, rebuild, etc...

Stan944

I put bearing grease (read bout it somewhere), and the list of parts looks mostly familiar.

M758

Nope No grease it there at all. There should be a paper thin clear plastic washer that goes over each balance shaft.

Stan944

Here is my next thought:
although I put the plastic washers in, I remember there was along-axis play in the balance shaft. Considering the play, maybe the washers do not do a proper sealing job? Did you have similar play in the shafts?

Granite 944

I believe you should never HAVE to apply sealant to the OD of ANY oil seal, IF, it is of the plastic/rubber type (like these balance shaft seals are), AND, there is no damage (scratches/scores/pitting/ect) to the seals outer diameter bore.

You should not need to apply sealant to the shaft/spacer mating surface either. Thats what the mylar seal washer is for. Pulley/sprocket bolt leaking.........I'm really lost there.

I've used bearing grease, vasoline, oil to ALWAYS lubricate the inside lip of seal, that rides ON the seal spacer or shaft directly, to give it the "intial" startup protection it needs, so as not to heat up and wear out before the oil pressure from the engine can get a chance to get there and lube it. I think vasoline is probably the best thing to use, but have used others. I've also recently had the same problem as you, with this seal leaking. My conclusion. bad/defective seal. I've seen this before, (not in THESE cars, but in several other oil seal applications.......plant maintenance mechanic for over 15 years, and replaced a lot of oil seals).

GOOD LUCK!

hy944

Check the balance shaft carrier housing O rings. I've done a couple of these, even on my 83. The orings don't usually get done when they do the reseal as it is on the engine side. The O rings get hard and brittle just like the shaft seals so I would recommend replacing these as well when doing the frt seals. 3 bolts hold the housings to the block, after all the gears are removed. remember to do the upper and lower.

M758

That play is normal.

You do know that the upper and lower balance shafts use different seal rings.

one is 30x48 and the other is 30x47 and are designed to rotate in different directions.

Stan944

I know about different sizes of the seals.
I placed th ebearing grease on the lips of the seals, not on the outside.
I put new orings too, new everything.
You guys made many good suggestions, but still nothing that is obviously wrong in my case.

Another thought, the metal sleaves (=races=bushings, etc) were coated with something. I didn't clean it as I thought that's the way it was meant. I wonder if this coating layer could make a bad seal.
I got the kit from Zims, which is consider a reputable distributor, and I doubt the seals were defective.

hy944

Sounds like the rust inhibitor they put on machined surfaces, should clean it off before installing then coat the seal surface with assembly lube.Now wether it would destroy the seal? Hmmm......depends how thickly coated it was. I would still check those orings on the carrier housings because they would cause a leak behind the plastic inner belt cover. Mine had 98000m and the orings were cracked. I did another one at 143000m same thing. Make sure it's not the oil cooler leaking externally, had that happen too. Leaked at the frt lower corner but that should be more evident.

Stan944

The oil cooler doesn't leak - at least here I did a good job.

Porsche-O-Phile

Keith - nice summary. Probably one of the best I've seen. . .

Do you happen to have the source for that as well as other models / years?

Stan944

I'm considering redoing the front-end sealing job. Any thoughts/recommendations from which distributor I should buy the kit? From the dealer would be probably very expensive; I wonder if it would actually be better?

M758

Don't buy the kit. Just buy the seals that are leaking. The rest are fresh.

If it is just the lower balance shaft then you just need that seal, O-ring and thin plastic ring.

User 41221

Zims is good, as is Paragon, Pelican and 944Online. They are pretty much all selling from the Worldpac inventory, to the best of my knowledge (altho you shoul dask them that directly, I don't want to speak for any of them), so I think you are getting the same thing regardless of who you order from. Porsche dealerships sometimes have VERY competitive pricing on stuff like this and they have the "first run" materials, so you might try them as well.

Regards,