Arnoud

Meaning the driver side yellow-zinc coated water-jacket cover. According to PET this is part # 900 036 014 02 "cover", which is definitely on the passenger side - but not on the driver side.

Erkka has never seen one like this before on any MY 1993 or MY 1992 GTS's, and this looks like a real factory piece. My engine is a very late MY 1994 exchange engine, engine block cast date is from 94/24 (meaning week 24 of 1994).

Anybody ever seen this part?

White Lightnin'

A screw-in freeze plug?

Vilhuer

Yes but completely different design than what earlier 32V engines use.

James Bailey

The same on both heads ??

Vilhuer

We didn't check other head yet but very likely yes.

GregBBRD

Yes.

Not sure when the change occurred, but all the 1995's I've seen are like this. I'll start paying attention to the 1994's that wander in.

You got that water pump out, in the nick of time, judging from the scratch in the block!

Arnoud

Thanks Greg, for confirming that this is standard. We'll check the back of the passenger head later today and report back.

Regarding the water pump: last time it was replace during February 2008 and 29K km ago (I have the bill and I visited and spoke with the actual mechanic in Germany who did that job. He is a car repair shop owner, who used to work for an official Porsche Zentrum for many years on 928's before setting up his own shop). The water pump that came out is an official Porsche part and has a plastic impeller, it did had a little bit of axial play on it by now.

Am I correct that a plastic impeller can not cause any of that scratching (if so, then that scratch was there already before 2008)?

worf928

Yes. Plastic impeller will get eaten by the block vollute surface. Have seen more than one 'mini-impeller.'

Dave928S

My 95 has them on both heads ... build date May 95.

Arnoud

Thanks Dave for that confirmation. I was not able to get any proper look at the back of the passenger side head, as it is too close to the firewall and too many other items in the way currently.

And now I seem to hi-jack my own thread: I had a very close up and long look to the waterpump block area, and there is no single scratch on it (almost needless to say I am much happier now!).
The photo that I posted on post #1 is taken from that angle and flash reflection that it appears as been eaten away from the block, but it is not: that is actually the cast coarser part of it. Hereby two photo's that hopefully shows this better:

GregBBRD

This engine certainly should have always had only plastic impellers, so I was indeed confused how that scratch could have gotten there.

Certainly confirms that you can't always trust a picture. I went back and looked closely at the first picture...sure looks like a huge scratch!

the flyin' scotsman

the plug is on the passenger side cyl head early 92 GTS......different plug: