NJPhoto

*I posted this in the 964 forum but reposting here where it should be, can a mod delete the other thread?*

Hey Guys, I have been lurking on the forums while I try and find my first Porsche.

Last weekend I checked out a 91 3.3 turbo and all in all its condition was not too bad but a bit of freshening up would be needed. I had a PPI done today and it didnt tell me much that was not obvious on seeing the car myself except for the amount of oil leaking from the motor. I could tell it was leaking a bit but I was unsure how much.

The report says "Oil leaks from engine at various areas, side rocker covers, left side cylinder head base and front of engine areas need washdown to identify all sources." The photos they sent me are below and it looks like the casing in the first photo has been chewed up a bit (car has been lowered) Is this much oil normal for a turbo 911 of this age? I know the 3.6's are known for leaking like a tap but I am not sure if this is normal for a 3.3. I do plan on spending some time getting this car back into a good condition but should I be running for the hills? Would It be a full engine rebuild or maybe just some new gaskets and some tidying up? I know its not really possible to diagnose an engine by looking at some photos but im just looking for a rough idea. The car does not blow any smoke and was running fine during a drive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanjermyn/7247331670/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanjermyn/7247331670/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/nathanjermyn/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanjermyn/7247332348/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanjermyn/7247332348/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/nathanjermyn/, on Flickr

Thanks for any help you guys can give me, so far these forums have been a godsend in doing my research.

-Nathan.

NJPhoto

nobody?

Sharker

Nope, I guess no-one got up between 4 am and 6 am to answer you

NJPhoto

Ok fair call, but its not 4-6 everywhere in the world ( I'm in Australia) and plenty of people have viewed the thread

Sharker

Just kidding with you, I though NJ was New Jersey. Losta good guys on this side of the pond, I am sure someone will give you a hand. I have only had my turbo for a month, and it was very clean when I got it, so I am no help

gr1275

On the one hand, it doesn't appear to be too bad. However as the PPI noted, until it is cleaned up and the source(s) are accurately identified, it is difficult to assess. There is dye that can be put in the oil to help identify leaks. There are people on this board that are far more knowledgeable that I am sure will share some expertise.

NJPhoto

If only I could find one in the condition your is in! I have been drooling a little over your pics

Thanks for the input, anything is a help at the moment. I need to decide soon.

Boeing 717

Its hard to say without having the car for awhile to see how much (or the rate) it is actually leaking. Most of them do leak some or at some point they will start. My car had 130,000 miles when I bought it and it just seeped oil, if i parked it in garage I would see a drop or 2 in a week or so. If it is leaking from many areas instead of just one I would be concerned; however, rocker covers not really a big deal you can easily replace the gasket. Cylinder base leak would be the most concerning to me. All in all you can probably live with some oil leaks but I would be more concerned with Engine Internals, make sure and have a leak down and compression tests done and if possible an Oil analysis.

NJPhoto

Thanks for the tips Jerry!

NJPhoto

Probably should have mentioned it has done 106799 km or 66361 miles

TT Surgeon

Prolly a VC gasket, if the leakdown is ok don't sweat it, use it as a bargaining chip....

Frank 993 C4S

Without cleaning the engine, it is pretty much impossible to tell how bad the oil leaks are. What was quoted to you are some rather common areas that are easily fixed. It seems that cars that are not driven much tend to leak more oil as seals and gaskets tend to dry out. Oil leaks are not an indication related to a possible engine rebuild. Get a leak down and compression test done. That is by far more important.

The casing has been chewed up because they used it to lift the car with a jack.

ralt

PPi should give you compression and leak down numbers. Oil leaks may not be all that bad. As said above clean motor first. Low compression and poor valve sealing on leak down IS BAD!!

NJPhoto

I am not sure if a proper leak down test was done, its stated on the report that an Engine condition vacuum test (far more accurate than any compression test) and a Engine compression gas escape test were performed. They are their words not mine. The report only gives a good/average/fair/poor rating not actual numbers, of which they gave the car an average for both. :S

Frank 993 C4S

That's pretty vague. Leak down results are usually expressed in %.