Stan944

I resealed (tried) the front end in the beginning of winter, and it still leaks. Mostly around the lower balance shaft. I don't know what I did wrong, I put a new seal, new transparent gasket, a new race, and used bearing grease during assembly. Anybody could suggest what could have gone wrong?
There was some along-axis-play in this shaft that I noticed during assembly, and maybe this is my problem?

Honestly, I don't feel like redoing it, because it's necessary to remove the rear plastic cover to do it (and also the main sprockets, etc..). It's not just the look that bugs me. Oil dips all over, and fan drives oil everywhere, including the right motor mount, and I suspect it will ruin the motor mount soon.

Is there an easy solution for an OK fix?, e.g. would using (mineral) 20W50 oil instead of 10W40 (in the summer) help? Or maybe some old additives for old engines?

Thanks

threesticks1

When I did my front seals for the first time I had a leak that came from the lower balance shaft area. I replaced the seals again and it still leaked. I then tried running the car with out the front cover on and found that the leak was comming from under the head of the bolt that holds the pulley onto the balance shaft.

There is an aluminum plug inside of the balance shaft that can be seen when the bolt is removed and you use a mirror to look down inside the threaded hole in the balance shaft. My plug had loosened and allowed the oil to come out between the threads of the bolt and shaft.

I fixed the problem with a little green Loc-tite. I found the problem about four years ago and now when ever I remove those bolts I put green Loc-tite on both of the balance shaft pulley bolts. So far no leaks. I guess that the best solution is to remove the balance shaft and replace the plug but the Loc-Tite is a whole lot easier.

Hope that this helps.

Stan944

This sounds intriguing. You're saying there is a plug inside the balance shaft. Is it a threaded plug, sort of like a set screw? My car is early 944, I wonder what year is yours (i.e. is it the same design)?

cruise98

Can you tell where it is leaking from? If you did not replace the spacers and onion skin o-rings along with the seals, that would explain it.

The factory manual says to use a sealant on the bolts holding the gears on.

CurlyDE

I had a similar problem ... it was corrected by replacing the sleeves on the balance shafts. I neglected to notice the groove that had formed in my original balance shaft sleeves.

Porsche-O-Phile

Also check the oil pump drive sleeve (at the crank). This is an easy place for oil to start seeping.

threesticks1

I can't remember how to add that kind of info to the bottom of my posts.

I'm not sure if there are differences between the years of our cars balance shafts. The plug in the end of the balance shaft appears to be of the swaged type. I can see the marks from the punch used by the original assembler in the plug. It looks like the same kind of plug as used to block the oil passageways in the crank.

I thought about re-staking the plug but that usually makes it leak more. I also could have drilled it out and installed a new one but the fans and radiator were in the way. Thats why I used the Loc-Tite.

Stan944

- do you think I could remove the bolt (that holds the balance shaft sprocket) to inspect it without taking off the balance belt? I don't know what 'swaged type' is, but probably it will be obvious when I see it. This Loc-tite you're talking about, was it a thread sealer type?
- The oil pump sleeve - I installed a new one, new o-ring, etc., and it's dry out there.
- the sleeve on the balance shaft: it's probably what they also call 'race' - I put a new one.

cruise98

You can remove the bolts without disturbing the belt. The loctite is a flange/thread sealant type.

Stan944

Thanks, I'll definitely try it. But probably not this weekend - don't want to do it right before an autoX event on Sunday; just in case something goes wrong...

camelot

Thanks Threesticks, I've got the same problem. I replaced everything also and still have a leak also. Gonna check mine too! Boy that will be an easy fix!

Stan944

Unfortunately the aluminum plugs in the balance shafts wasn't my problem. I sealed it a few days ago, and inspected yesterday: it still leaks oil. It actually was dry underneath the bolts holding the balance sprockets.
There is an oil mess under the belt covers, and it's hard to tell now where it leaks from.
I wish there was an easy fix...
I'm thinking about some silly temp fix, e.g. mounting vertically a sheet of metal to the underbody cover to provent oil from dripping onto rubber bushings and the motor mount. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm not going to redo all the seals, unless I'm convinced I did something wrong. I must have missed some problem, but redoing it doesn't mean it will be any better.

User 41221

Its not going to fix itself. Only solution is to do it again, and just make sure you follow Clarks Garage write up step by step. No shortcuts on this one, sorry, but the good news is the second time goes a WHOLE lot faster.

Regards,

Stan944

A question:
when installing new metal sleaves (races) on the balance shafts, did you apply a sealant between the sleave and the shaft? I wonder if lack of the sealant there could be my source of oil leak?

M758

Stan,
Once place these things can leak even after a reseal is the balance shaft bushing. This it the metal bushing that the seal rings ride on. The wear down and these can form a groove. If deep enough the grove wil leak oil and even new seal will not fix it. The metal bushing will need to be replaced.