Yummybud924

Actually I'm pretty sure. I noticed an oil leak all over my crossmenber and on the bottom of the oil pan area. I thought my front oil seals may be leaking because oil was around the rear of the timing cover (outside the belt area).

I removed the belt covers and it's completely dry in there so no oil leak there. I also checked those rear balance shaft seal and the don't seem to be leaking.

then I used a light and I was looking at the oil pan gasket and I noticed in one area (around where the oil cooler is), the oil pan gasket is bulging out pretty bad. so I touched it and pulled on it and I was shocked that I could basicly pull the oil pan gaset out at this area.... it's basicly bulging out, however only like a 8 cm area of the oil pan gasket is bulgin out but I'm pretty sure it must leak here and it's probably getting the oil all over the place.

first I thought that maybe I didn't install the lower balance shaft housing and it might be leaking where big O ring on the housing goes into the block and this would not leak into the belt area.

however I'm stilll pretty sure it's the oil pan gasket.


now to replace this, I don't think I have the skill to do this on my own, I don't have an engine lift and I've never used one so I think I should leave this to a professional.

anyone how many hours a shop would charge to replace the pan gasket? I'm guessing 10 hours? also should I get the bearings also replace if I get a mechanic to do this?

thanks.

Chris_924s

Its a pita.. always follow the torque sequence. IIRC the last ti 14 #,, It took me 8 hours on a gravel driveway... HTH.

apierce918

you dont need an engine lisft, just an engine support going over the shock towers, and drop the PS rack, control arms, and crossmember as one unit to get access to pan

Yummybud924

still that sounds pretty complicated. I have no idea how to support the engine, I'm scared I'll do it wrong. also dropping the ps rack / controll arms and crossmember doesn't sound easy to do.

the only thing i've done so far is replace the belts/ water pump / front oil seals.

I think I'll just have to pay for a mechanic to do it.

Techno Duck

apierce918

mine was similar, 2x4's up on end to reduce flex



and dont be so negative, my old 944 was the first car i dug into where i was really turning a wrench, rennlist proved itself priceless on many accounts, and last winter i tackled things i would have never expected because i wanted my engine to go from this -



To this -



and i replaced all of this, and then some for the first time ever -



but it doesnt matter since i dont own that vehicle anymore. I wont get into painting one for the first time, but my car was pretty nekkid

if at any point you get into trouble, snap some pics and beg rennlist for help, never fails

Mike C.

I did the exact same way Wizkid! Good old 2x4's....

hpservertech

I'm doing this right now. There are many steps, but it's not all that difficult. Doing the timing belt scares me more then doing the oil pan. I't just a pain and time consuming. But it's also a good time to do the motor mounts if they need to be done. All told it will take me about 10 hours, with many, many breaks in there too.

If you can do the water pump & belts, you can do this. Everyone here has helped with any issue I have run into so far, which wasn't much. I'll have mine complete this weekend.

go for it!

Yummybud924

what scares me is lifting the engine or supporting the engine. I have no idea how you support the engine. like where do those chanins connect to on the engine? I really have no clue.

I don't want to screw up and have the engine fall on my head and crush me.

also can you do this whith the car on ramps? I don't like jack stands I feel safer with ramps.

IF I can do it safely I would do it in spring when I have time. also to replace the motor mounts (which I need to do ) wouldn't you have to lift the motor and not just support it?

Techno Duck

There are two engine hoist rings, one on the cam tower and one infront of the top balance shaft housing.

Can be done on ramps, but i would want the car much higher than that if i was dropping the pan.

Yummybud924

do you have a picture of this hoist ring?

and are you saying that you don't need an engine lift to do the oil pan and motor mounts? haynes says to lift the engine to take the weight off of the motor mounts before removing them.

Techno Duck

The entire purpose of the two different sets of pictures above was to show you do not need a engine hoist to support the engine from above. Once the engine is supported, you can drop the cross member. The motor mounts come out with the cross member or you can leave them on the engine legs. So yes...you can change the motor mounts without an engine hoist.

I would just take the car to your mechanic.

Yummybud924

I'm going to think about it.... not in a hurry right now. I'm just trying to figure out how hard it is to do (for me).

also can you buy a support that is meant for this purpose rather than making your own?

I might want to use an engine hoist because like you said ramps may not provide enough clearance to get the oil pan out.

and anyone have pics of where the chains connect to the motor? I looked in haynes and it doesn't show.

if I decide to do it myself I won't do it until april because I'm too busy right now or I might just get a mechanic to do it......it would save me a lot of time.

apierce918

one is at the back of the cam tower, cant miss it, and the other, go strait down from the throttle body pretty much, i dont have a better pic to show it right now. you cant use ramps because your spindles will be floppy once you remove the crossmember/control arm assembly

Yummybud924

ok thank. If you can't use ramps I probably won't do it myself. I've never used jacks on the car (don't feel safe with them) and I've no idea where the proper spot for the jack stands are. It looks like someone has jacked my car from the floor rails because there is a big dent on one.

do you know what I should expect to pay to have this done. albour is $99 / h at the porsche shop here and they know what they are doing, I would have my car back in one day rather than spending way more time trying to figure it out myself