CraigC

Ive searched and not found any good DIY write ups on replacing the crankshaft seal under the pulley assembly at the rear of the car. I have an anoying oil leak and if I can do it without removing the engine Im going to give it a try. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks!

JasonAndreas

There are two leak points in that area, the front main seal behind the pulley and the intermediate shaft cover & o-ring below it (circled area on the left).




To do this without removing the engine will require Porsche special tools 9290 (holding wrench) and 9285-1 (extracting bolt).



To undo the lower engine mount fasteners place your hydraulic jack under the engine and lift just enough to reduce the pressure on the nuts, you don't want to lift the car or anything.

When it comes time to reinstall the vibration damper there are a couple of spots that need to be degreased with acetone.

a) on the taper of the crankshaft



b) on the taper and bolt head's bearing surface of the vibration damper





c) on the threads and bolt head's bearing surface of the M14 hex head bolt (torque to 170 ft.lbs).

The other thing you need to remember is to check the pulley for runout with a dial gauge indicator after you bolt it back in place. The maximum permissible lateral runout is 0.5mm. If you have too much you can undo the bolt and try again or use a hammer to knock the inside portion of the pulley. I thought I had a photo showing how to do this but I can't find it at the moment.

garrett376

Just a note about the Porsche tool to remove the pulley - if you go to Kragen Auto Parts, they sell a "harmonic balancer" removal kit. The long, black, threaded part of this tool is actually a perfect functioning replica of that porsche tool - just thread it into the pulley, and it pops right off!!! It takes no effort at all! And I believe you can even rent the kit from Kragen for free. Just a tip

CraigC

Jason & Garrett,
Thanks very much for the info. I love this site, I live in the middle of nowhere and the closest Porsche service is between 4 and 6 hrs away. Without Rennlist and the knowledgable and helpful people here there is no way I would be able to own and maintain a 15 year old Porsche.

One other question, how difficult is it to remove and re insert the crankshaft seal, any special tricks?

Thanks again.