James Bailey

Your oil pressure is about 9 bar which will pressurize the radiator and blow coolant out the overflow tank if the oil cooler inside the radiator is leaking. I think your head gaskets were fine and the dealer made a huge mistake and did all that work for nothing....well not exactly they got paid well. Over the years I have know of this happening to several 928 owners and the story will be that NOW you need a radiator BECAUSE the problem with the head gaskets ruined the radiator....which is just the dealer trying to cover their ***....They misdiagnosed the problem but remember water is somewhat new to Porsche techs.

Dave928S

Yep ... I'm thinking the same thing (it'd be interesting to see the old gaskets). The reverse happens with the autos ... water jacket pressure forces coolant back into the auto transmission after shutdown and trashes the internals. That's why I regard any radiator heat exchangers as trouble waiting to happen.

venetian928

dave, james and merlin- sorry if i seem to be mechanically illiteret but do you guys feel that the oil cooler should be the problem. i pressurized the coolant tank to 10-12 psi and i think the pressure loss is coming from the upper fitting that has the small hose on top of the radiator above the top oil line fitting. do you guys feel that the oil cooler is still leaking internally? i love this car and after probably getting hosed for $5,880 at the dealer and 5-10 minutes later after leaving the dealership i'm overheating again and open the coolant tank and there is oil heavy into the coolant i'm at my wits end. and they say the oil cooler is ok and that the block is cracked and if i want to find another motor , they'll put it in for another $1,000. when i pulled over after paying the bill and checked the oil it was down 2-3 qts and i feel that a cracked block would not leak oil that fast, that much. can i be wrong there?

928 at last

Where are you located?
There may be experienced help close by.

James Bailey

...... simply stated there probably was NOTHING wrong with your engine. The oil cooler inside the radiator leaked and oil at 9 bar pressure mixed with the coolant and forced coolant and oil to blow out the pressure cap on the coolant reservoir. You are correct a cracked block is not likely to have that much loss that quickly. So yes looks like you got hosed....The oil cooler inside the radiator side tank must be checked at 120 lbs pressure and it should hold the pressure !

Dave928S

That's a good question. It's difficult to think clearly and make good decisions when you're wondering if you've been shafted ... and how serious a problem is.

Having an experienced lister have a look at it for you will give you the information to make the right decision as to where you go from here. I'm probably a bit too far from you ... but I'm sure someone can help you sort the facts from the fiction.

Mrmerlin

venetian928 you probably need a new radiator,
once fitted and the cooling system is flushed out with Tide ,
and fresh hoses and coolant installed your car should operate normally

venetian928

guys, i'm located in central new jersey. are there any guys near me who could possibly look at this car or recommend someone knowledgeable and fair to check it out? thanks for any help. jeff at (908)692-7339

Mrmerlin

Look around for Gary Knox he is in the area possibly near Phila Pa.

venetian928

does anybody have gary knox's phone or email to see if he could look at my car or recommend someone? thanks jeff

AO

PM sent

jthwan22

Jeff, it looks like dealer change the head gasket for nothing. Well, not that almost $6k is nothing since it did not fix your problem. You can get a new AL radiator for about $855.
http://www.928motorsports.com/parts/alumradiator.php

CPT Earl in PA is pretty good with 928. If you are handy, we can knock this out at my house in a day.

James Bailey

You can take out the radiator and have it tested at a radiator shop just be sure to tell them to check the oil cooler at high pressure. Then if it is leaking get a written statement that the cooler is leaking. Armed with that go have a long chat with the dealer service manager. Then get in touch with PCNA, Porsche expects their dealers to be accountable for their work. There is always small claims court and odds are you would win if it was only the radiator/cooler problem all along.

Dave928S

I think you need to be careful of doing work on the car yourself and possibly compromising the strength of your claim. You're talking about a lot of money, so it's important that you get an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and document the proof, if you are likely take action. Have an expert determine the exact nature of the problem, maybe with your help .

If, as we're all thinking, the dealer did make a monumental blunder, calmly give them all the facts and give them the opportunity to do the right thing. If they're reputable .. they will.

If they stonewall you, then you have other options.

jthwan22

Shouldn't the dealer do a compression then a leak down test before replacing head gasket?