Spent several month re-sealing the front of my engine and lower balance shaft cover.

I've replaced the following:
1. The 2 seals for each balance shaft and the collars
2. Rear cam cover gasket (cork)
3. Cam cover housing gasket
4. Sealed lower balance shaft cover with 574 locite
5. Rear seal for lower balance shaft
6. The 2 Cam shaft seals and collar
7. Cam tower large o-ring and small -ring
7. New oil pump drive collar, crank shaft seal and o-ring.
8. The oil filter housing gasket - used alignment pin to install oil relief valve properly

<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/951oilleak.jpg" target="_blank">http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/951oilleak.jpg</a>

Now the same oil leak is back!!!!! <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" /> I've followed the instructions in the workshop manuals and Clark's website. The large seals for the balance shaft are installed in the correct rotation. Every nut and bolt was torqued to the factory spec. What did I miss? Oil press is normal

Possible causes
1. I refilled with Mobile 1 15W-50.
2. Used seal kit from Zim's
3. Oil pan gasket - but the oil leak looks like it coming from the lower balance shaft.

After the re-seal the oil leak is back and the car smell as if it is burning oil - white smoke from exhaust header. I thought it might be the Hot-Jet coating that I had done while doing the re-seal.

What should I try next?

 

Hmmm. Donate for C4 testing?

 

I was chasing a leak similar to yours after doing and engine freshening/reseal. I had not torqued the oil filter down enough.

 

Is there any oil comming from the bottom of the belt cover, out of the weep hole?

 

On some of the balance shaft seals there is a little race that the seal sits in. On my car the races had to be replaced as well because they had deformed or worn over time. Did all of your seals fit snugly? If there were any that went in there loose that may be the problem. I would also pull the timing belt covers off to see where its dripping down from.

 

u sure it's not PS fluid? mine leaks that, always has, and probably always will. but just enough to annoy the F*CK outa me. not making dots on the driveway, just making a mess when I wrench.

 

I had the same problem as Mike S

My races had a nice little groove around them. They looked machined and I would not have guessed that the grooves were not supposed to be there.

Needless to say, the seals were leaking.

While I was having some AC work done, my mechanic went ahead and replaced the races for the lower balance shaft and the crank. I really did not want to go thru the ordeal of change the seals again.

 

Did you put the thin mica seal's back on balance shaft before putting on the collar that the seal rides on??If not oil can leak around the collar and look like the seal is leaking.Also the collars need to be smooth enough that you can feel ANY grove as you run your fingernail acoss where the seal rides...if it does it will leak soon after changing the seal.

 

928 fixer beat me to it, if you didn't replace the pink mylar seals then oil will leak between the shaft and the bushing and come out behind the pulley. You might also try removing the bolts for the lower bal. shaft housing, one at a time, and coat them with case sealer and reinstall them, clean the bolts and the holes with a fast evaporating brake cleaner before applying the sealer. Good luck, Mark T.

 

Thanks for replies!

I replaced the collar or race on all the balance shafts and Cam shaft. Also, installed new mica seals on the shafts as this was included in the seal kit. The lower bracket, the power steering bracket, felt tight when I installed the new outer seal into the balance shaft.

I'll pull the front belt cover off tonight to get a better look - re-check the torque specs and the oil filter torque.

Do guys think it is the oil pan and/or Mobile 1?

 

dlr944:

Looks like oil from the filter area at first glance. I would check the filter to be sure, clean the area thoroughly and then check it further.

There are two sizes of collars. One larger one for the cam seal and the other two for the balance shafts. Also, the large black rubber o-ring for the nose on the balance shaft housing must be replaced. Did you lube the seals with vaseline or something before installation?

 

I had the same problem a few years back. I and a mechanic I bought the car from swore that it was just in need of a front reseal kit. After I resealed the front of the motor, the oil quickly returned. Once I looked at it again I noticed the oil cooler housing had a small leak (I needed a mirror to see it) that was running across the balanceshaft cover and down the front of the motor. It was very hard to see where it was leaking from and it appeared that it was leaking from the front seals again. No mixing, just an external leak that I couldn't see. $45 later and it's all dry three years running. Good luck.

 

If none of the above, carefully inspect the oil cooler housing, it may be cracked. Had the same persistent leak on a 951 once and that was the cause.

 

are you sure that you got all the old pink seals off? Sometimes they stick to the bushings and sometimes to the snout of the cam or bal shaft. Did you actually look at the end of the shafts, possible a previous re-seal left part of one on and it has been leaking ever since? What did the sealing surface of the oil filter housing look like? I have seen some that were so corroded as to be unuseable.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mike S:
<strong>On some of the balance shaft seals there is a little race that the seal sits in. On my car the races had to be replaced as well because they had deformed or worn over time. Did all of your seals fit snugly? If there were any that went in there loose that may be the problem. I would also pull the timing belt covers off to see where its dripping down from.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">On further inspection, it appears that the leak is from the front seal on the lower balance shaft. Very odd since I replaced the teflon seal, the race and the front seal(CCW seal). I beginning to think the race included in the kit might be the problem. I guess all order a seal and race from Porsche and see if that works. If it doesn't the wife going to put me in therapy

Appreciate the help!!