Please tell me this is not a head gasket leak. (w/ pictures)
05-26-2011, 01:40 PM
#16
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Be sure to check out the rest of the motor carefully, every 928 Head I have seen with a busted and/or leaking freeze plug had worse damage inside.
Last one I saw was Don Hanson's Mega Dollar Race engine...needed new head freeze plugs installed...along with new or repaired heads?? and another block, very sad :-(
Not trying to make you panic, just would rather check it out well if it were mine, before taking it out and driving the heck out of it, or continue doing so.
You can also buy an easy and inexpensive Head gasket leak tester for around $50 (multi use) that will tell you in just seconds if you have combustion gases in your coolant.
It is used and approved by Major Auto Manufacturers....for gas and diesel engines. UVIEW 560000 Combustion Leak Tester
Last one I saw was Don Hanson's Mega Dollar Race engine...needed new head freeze plugs installed...along with new or repaired heads?? and another block, very sad :-(
Not trying to make you panic, just would rather check it out well if it were mine, before taking it out and driving the heck out of it, or continue doing so.
You can also buy an easy and inexpensive Head gasket leak tester for around $50 (multi use) that will tell you in just seconds if you have combustion gases in your coolant.
It is used and approved by Major Auto Manufacturers....for gas and diesel engines. UVIEW 560000 Combustion Leak Tester
The "late" vehicles with uber low mileage are generally also "rolling" disasters..since they never got driven enough for anyone to even think about changing the coolant. Not uncommon to see these engines leaking coolant between the block and the heads....that's the first thing we look for on a low mileage vehicle.
Guess what they look like when they come apart? Can you say "new block and heads required"?
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The days of free technical advice are over.
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Have fun with your 928's people!
greg brown
714 879 9072
GregBBRD@aol.com
Semi-retired, as of Feb 1, 2023.
The days of free technical advice are over.
Free consultations will no longer be available.
Will still be in the shop, isolated and exclusively working on project cars, developmental work and products, engines and transmissions.
Have fun with your 928's people!
05-26-2011, 03:24 PM
#17
Drifting
I laugh when I see this discussion on the effect of old coolant on the 928 engines. Did you know that since Porsche started the production of the M96 engines (Boxsters and 996) they have used "lifetime" coolant that according to the service schedules never needs to be replaced. I replace mine every 3 years or so but I know fo some of these cars that are 10+ years old that still have the original factory coolant in them. Of course Porsche only provided a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty with the cars, too bad it did not include a lifetime warranty for the effect of the old coolant. I would hate to see the inside of come of these engines and believe that we will be seeing many more problems caused by old coolant in the M96/M97 engines.
05-26-2011, 03:38 PM
#18
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I laugh when I see this discussion on the effect of old coolant on the 928 engines. Did you know that since Porsche started the production of the M96 engines (Boxsters and 996) they have used "lifetime" coolant that according to the service schedules never needs to be replaced. I replace mine every 3 years or so but I know fo some of these cars that are 10+ years old that still have the original factory coolant in them. Of course Porsche only provided a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty with the cars, too bad it did not include a lifetime warranty for the effect of the old coolant. I would hate to see the inside of come of these engines and believe that we will be seeing many more problems caused by old coolant in the M96/M97 engines.
You'd have to think that Porsche knew what "lifetime" for the Boxsters and 996s meant. To get one of those cars that hasn't either had a water pump, water hose, coolant tank, or entire engine replaced is already getting to be pretty rare.
05-26-2011, 04:41 PM
#19
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Exactly. By the time there is enough corrosion to eat through a soft plug in a 928 engine, the acidic coolant has pretty much eaten the rest of the aluminum engine up. The "early" engines are really starting to see the effects of not changing the coolant on a regular basis/letting the coolant sit there. When I needed a replacement engine for my son's car, I took 5 engines apart before I found one that could even be used to build an engine from.
The "late" vehicles with uber low mileage are generally also "rolling" disasters..since they never got driven enough for anyone to even think about changing the coolant. Not uncommon to see these engines leaking coolant between the block and the heads....that's the first thing we look for on a low mileage vehicle.
Guess what they look like when they come apart? Can you say "new block and heads required"?
The "late" vehicles with uber low mileage are generally also "rolling" disasters..since they never got driven enough for anyone to even think about changing the coolant. Not uncommon to see these engines leaking coolant between the block and the heads....that's the first thing we look for on a low mileage vehicle.
Guess what they look like when they come apart? Can you say "new block and heads required"?
Cheers,
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05-26-2011, 05:18 PM
#20
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Exactly. By the time there is enough corrosion to eat through a soft plug in a 928 engine, the acidic coolant has pretty much eaten the rest of the aluminum engine up. The "early" engines are really starting to see the effects of not changing the coolant on a regular basis/letting the coolant sit there. When I needed a replacement engine for my son's car, I took 5 engines apart before I found one that could even be used to build an engine from.
The "late" vehicles with uber low mileage are generally also "rolling" disasters..since they never got driven enough for anyone to even think about changing the coolant. Not uncommon to see these engines leaking coolant between the block and the heads....that's the first thing we look for on a low mileage vehicle.
Guess what they look like when they come apart? Can you say "new block and heads required"?
The "late" vehicles with uber low mileage are generally also "rolling" disasters..since they never got driven enough for anyone to even think about changing the coolant. Not uncommon to see these engines leaking coolant between the block and the heads....that's the first thing we look for on a low mileage vehicle.
Guess what they look like when they come apart? Can you say "new block and heads required"?
[sound of Taps on bugle]
05-26-2011, 05:29 PM
#21
Race Car
As long as you understand that by "lifetime" they mean just slightly longer than the warranty period, you should be fine. Same thing with "lifetime" automatic transmission fluid.
Dan
'91 928GT S/C
475hp/460lb.ft
Dan
'91 928GT S/C
475hp/460lb.ft
05-26-2011, 06:11 PM
#22
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Ok...I am also a lurker on this forum but thought i would chime in since i have run into this problem before. Most likely the freeze plugs are thin at the rust spots so you will need to try and knock a hole in the plug or try a self tapping screw to make a hole. Next get a big flat screw driver and put it in the hole and try to pry the plug out. (this will take some effort but it should come out)
There is no room between the firewall and back of the head to knock in a new plug. So what i did was get the expandable rubber plugs sold at the parts store (i think these were 1 1/8 size if memory is correct) and installed in place of the metal plugs.
So far this repair has lasted 1.5 years and 5k miles with no over heating or leaking.
There is no room between the firewall and back of the head to knock in a new plug. So what i did was get the expandable rubber plugs sold at the parts store (i think these were 1 1/8 size if memory is correct) and installed in place of the metal plugs.
So far this repair has lasted 1.5 years and 5k miles with no over heating or leaking.
