Mark Fig.

I have noticed oil leaking from my '95 993. It just started a few weeks ago out of the blue (no track events or hard driving). I looked under the engine and it looks like it is leaking from the valve covers on both sides of the engine. Is this common? Has anyone had this happen and how expensive of a fix is it?

Thanks,

Mark Fig.

Robin 993DX

What's your driving habbit?

Is the car used as a daily driver? Or do you just put few miles on the car?

tom_993

Same thing is happening to mine. I think it's fairly common. I'm taking it in next week to get it fixed. If I learn anything of merit I'll report it to the board.

Mark Fig.

Robin (and list),

I drive it weekly, usually on the weekends...it has about 50K miles on it. About half highway miles from weekend trips.

Mark

tom_993

I think Robin might be thinking about the oil return tubes. They are right down there near the lower valve covers. They have a seal that needs to allow for the expansion and contraction of the engine as it goes through the temperature range. This seal sort of allows the tubes to slide in and out of the heads a bit. On cars that sit undriven for prolonged periods of time, this seal can harden and allow leaks. Weekly driving should be enough.

Robin 993DX

Tom,

Your thoughts are much more advnaced. I was thinking more along the line of because if the car is not driven regularly the gaskets around the valve covers and the timing chain cover will become dry and causes leaks. These gaskets gets fat when soaked in oil which in turn seals better.

johnsopa

Robin, I have some slow oil leaks at either the valve covers or head/cylinder area that get the head fins slightly wet.

As you know, my car has been driven very infrequently from 1/98 through 8/00 accumulating 2k miles. Ever since 8/00 when I purchased the car it's been driven daily.

Would the infrequent driving from 1/98 to 8/00 been enough to cause the gaskets to shrink and leak? If so, would retorqueing the valve cover and/or the head help fix this?

Thanks,

John

Robin 993DX

John,

I don't think retorque the bolts will help, it may even make it worse.

Even if you replace the gasket you will be dealing with the same problem not too long down the road.

As long as the oil leak is not major I will leave it as it is, since that's what come along with cars that are not driven much.

Randall G.

My lower right-side valve cover is also slightly moist, although I'm not sure if it's the valve cover that's leaking.

I'm not adding oil often, and I don't leave any drips in the driveway. Also, the head fins are bone dry. So, it can't be much of a leak.

I'm sorry to hear you guys have leaks, but must confess I find some consolation from knowing you do . I kinda' figured I had the only leaky 993 engine, and it had something to do with the installation in my 964 body or the engine sitting for nearly two years without running.

I suppose it's also possible that the moisture I've found on my valve cover is residual from my oil belching (overflow) incident last fall. In particular, considering that the left-side of the engine is bone dry. I just wiped the valve cover dry last weekend, and will be monitoring it for moisture.

Kai 96 993

happened to mine 6 months ago, oil leaking from the valve cover. do you see smoke coming out of the rear wheels when the car is really hot?

Not sure whether this is the same problem as yours, however, my mechanic simply replaced the valve cover and gasket and it is ok now. not expensive, ~US$500

Ray Calvo

Valve cover oil leaks? Surprises me; haven't heard much of this. And my '95 get driven about 10K+ miles a year and at 61K miles is totally dry.

And NO, you can't retorque the valve covers; will only make the leak worse. I haven't looked at the 993, but older 911s used special valve cover kits which included new valve cover gaskets plus a little seal under each of the nuts that seal the valve cover. Have to tighten the cover in a cross-wise pattern and be careful about torque (something like in-lbs if I remember).

johnsopa

Part of what prompted me to ask about retorqueing the valve cover and/or heads was the article in a recent Excellence or Panorama where the magazine took delivery of a new Boxster (yellow I think) for a long-term test. The author mentioned a small oil leak that was present upon delivery. They had a mechanic torque either the valve cover or heads (sorry, I don't have the article in front of me) and the oil leak stopped.

Since my head fins are moist on both sides, I'm assuming it's not due to an oil-belch in the past. I'm going to clean off the valve cover and heads with some simple green this weekend and see if the oil reappears.

I have no drops on the garage floor so I'm not too worried.

Mark Fig.

It does smoke out of the rear wheels when it is hot... I think it is the oil dripping off of the bottom of the valve covers on to the exhaust?

Thanks,

Mark Fig.

Edward

Mark,
At 51K miles, I too had smoke blowing off the the left wheelwell. I crawled under and sure enough, oil dripping from the valve cover onto the heat exchanger. The right bank wasn't dripping yet, but it did look a bit moist. Since I had to do the plugs, I went ahead and did both valve covers. If it weren't smokey/smelly, I think I would have lived with it. Go ahead and change those gaskets (I used a sealer with them) or have it done.
Edward

Ben in Plano, TX

Just to add to the chorus -

I have a similar small leak on the passenger side valve cover of my 97 C2S. Planning to replace the gaskets myself shortly.

It does drip on the exhaust when hot and give the occasional puff of blue smoke out of the wheel well.

Oil use rate ~ 0.5 qt/1000 miles. 39k on the car -drive it daily.

Does anybody have further recommendations on the use of gasket sealant? Good or bad and if good what brand?

Ben