John 944S2

I am looking into changing cars into possibly a 964 turbo2 (3.3 or 3.6). I have heard many stories on oil leaks and that they are expensive to fix.

Can anyone advise what oil leaks one should check for and some indication of repair cost.

Secondly, it is possible to undertake the valve clearance adjustments by a do-it-yourselfer like me with limited mechanical experience.

Thanks

John

Thanks

Riccardo

Hi John,

Like you, I too am looking for a 964 and have heard much about the problem.

Apparently a good way of checking if this problem exists on a potentialcar you are vieing you should remove the engine under tray and if there is oil to the touch then there is an oil leak.

One car I saw was on the owner's driveway, where he always parks it, and there were quite a lot of oil stains on the floor, just behind the rear wheels. This could be a thing to look out for.

As for the valve adjustments there is a great site with good detailed information on how to do this. Just follow the link below

Brian's webiste valve adjustment

Jay H

John / Riccardo:

It's my understanding that the 1991 and 1992 3.3 Turbo's don't have the same cylinder to head oil leak problem as the 3.6 liter motor found in the 1989 - 1991 normally aspirated 964. The 3.3 motor is a carry over from earlier turbos and is a very good motor. I can't comment on the 3.6 liter motor. That Turbo motor is based on the NA 3.6 motor.

Regarding the cylinder to head leaks on NA 964's, that problem seems to be overblown. Few cars do actually leak due to this reason. Please check the archives. There are many posts in the archieves that go over this potential problem and what can be done about the problem. Bruce Anderson's book 911 Performance Handbook also outlines the cause of the problem and the fixes available.

Remember that these cars are getting to be over 10 years old and seals and hoses age, causing them to leak.

Good luck,
Jay
90 964

horst

Jon, have you removed the underside plastic cover, so you could have a look? If you have, then I would recommend that you jack the rear up, (put jackstands under the shock mounts), and, if you have a pressure washer clean everything you can. If you don't have a pressure washer, then do the best you can with a couple of cans of degreaser, or take a garden sprayer and put kerosene in it, sparay all over, and used a garden hose to rinse. This is obviously messy. Run it a couple of days, and jack her up again, and you will be better able to spot where the drips are coming from. Don't forget the top of the engine- look as best you canespecially in the region of the oil pressure sending unit near the front (as you stand behind the car) and a bit right of center of the engine. If the undertray has been on, you will know very little. Leave it off, permanently, or at least while you investigate.

Bob D.

Jon, could you clarify a bit what you mean by a "shield?"? Is the engine undertray still installed on your car? If so, remove it and check for oil there.

If you are not using an undertray (and more leaking oil is not being hidden there), then, while not ideal, IMHO the extent of leakage you describe doesn't sound like anything requiring immediate action.

Planter91C2

i had an oil leak since i got my car last year. about two weeks aho i removed the undertray and cleaned the bottom of the engine. it won't be that dirty because the tray protects the engine. no need for pressure washers or kerosene in a sprayer as previously mentioned. after i cleaned the area i noticed the oil dripping from the rear studs and the rear plate. i tightened down the bolts and the leak stopped. it could be that simple.

John Miles

Hi John,
I have a 90 C4 for 8 yrs. Always been as dry as a bone.
You can adjust valves yourself. Check out the Technical page on my site for a link to instructions.
Join us!
John

Kevin

Hello
After reading some of the posts regarding the 964 oil leaking problem I quickly registered. I have a 93 RSA & 92 C2 Cab.
As a hobby I turn the wrench on several other 911s. I feel that there has been to much caution given to the 964 oil leakers. Most of the Cylinder to Head problems that Bruce Anderson makes reference to have been taken care of, Right?
Cars that have this problem can not run for extendended period, without having this problem fixed. The cylinder heads get pounded, similar to the head studs breaking. I have seen many leaking 964's My 92 was a good canidate for this. With the engine undertray removed, one can see that most of the leaks come from the Cam Chain Housing Covers. One per bank, the nuts can be tightened, another area to look at is the Flange or Bridge as Porsche calls it between the chain housing and camshaft housing, this black crossover bridge has O-ring seals that need to be replaced sometime. The 964 is a really nice car. As someone mentioned, they are aging. Oil leaks will show up. I am apologizing for this long post. Thanks