Porsche-O-Phile

In re-installing the oil cooler, the procedure states to lay a straightedge across the lip of the housing and measure the distance between the lip of the cooler element boss and the edge of the housing (should be 0 +/- 0.25mm) My problem is that the lip of the cooler element boss sticks ABOVE the lip of the housing. This is for an 85.5 n/a which is supposed to include the plastic shim/washer on the inside between the cooler element and the housing. Even without the washer (there wasn't one there during disassembly) the level of the cooler element boss is still slightly above the lip of the housing. WTF?

Anyone have suggestions? Anyone encounter this before?

tomrc

My guess would be that your not seating it properly.

Porsche-O-Phile

Nah, tried re-seating it several times (and yes I used some lube on the seals so they didn't tear up). I can definately feel it drop into place. I've got it such that the alignment is pretty close with no plastic washer on the back side of the cooler assembly. Since there wasn't one there to begin with I'm going to go without it, despite what clarks says. There's absolutely no way to make the thing line up with the plastic washer in place. Without it, it's within the allowable tolerance.

75ohm

I believe that the kit I got from Vertex had additional washers to shim in as needed, if yours doesn't need it, then you got it!

Porsche-O-Phile

Yea, the shims go on the outside of the cooler element if the element sits too far INSIDE the housing. I'm having the opposite problem where it's sitting a little high. Actually it's probably okay since the tolerance is plus OR minus 0.25mm so I'm cool as-is. The procedure on clarks is incomplete/incorrect on this as it says "on n/a cars, use the plastic washer (between the oil cooler element and housing)". Mine didn't have one in there originally and if I put it in now, the thing sits way too high (and crooked). I'm just going to run without it. It ran for 100,000+ miles just fine without one (original red seals on the cooler itself, that's how I suspect this has never been taken off before).

944driver

There was no washer in mine (hard to tell from the picture) when I did the job. I think you are alright with out it.

Granite 944

This is what I was trying to tell ya to watch for in a previous posting. IF you don't have the updated housing (and you sure don't), you won't use the one white washer. Its all stated in a TSB for these oil coolers. The updated coolers have that inside boss area machined down, thus requiring that extra white washer/seal. Thats why its always in the kit, since it will cover all applications that way. Use the metal shims if/as necessary, in order to keep within the .025mm.

tomrc

I also didn't need to use a shim when I did mine. It's been 9 months and no leaks so you should be fine.

Porsche-O-Phile

Cool, thanks for all that info. I wasn't aware of the TSB on it so that's good to know. Much appreciated. Hopefully I'll get this thing back together today.