halti

I am in the process of getting my first 993 and am looking at a low mileage, very nicely optioned 1997 C2 cab. As part of my due diligence I ordered a PPI at the local Porsche dealer and he found a couple of oil leaks, one at the chain cover gaskets and the other at the throughbolt o-rings.
I understand that seepage is common in these engines but not sure how much of it to tolerate if any at all, especially since the owner is asking premium pricing for the car. I attached the pictures taken by the dealer and one can see oil accumulating around the chain cover and some oil residues at the throughbolts. The dealer recommended a complete reseal of the entire engine for some serious $'s. Your opinion and advice would be greatly appreciated.

goofballdeluxe

Well, oil leaks are common on these cars, especially around the chain cover gaskets. I'm sure the Porsche dealer would want a complete re-seal! Ka-ching! LOL!

That said, I wouldn't shy away from a car with a common oil leak area problem. But I'd probably use these leaks as a negotiating strategy to knock the premium price down some.

Good luck!

RS man

Thru' bolt O-ring needs the engine removed from the car so make sure you get a quote and negotiate price with the seller.

halti

thanks for the response!
I am working on the negotiation aspect but the question begs if either of these leaks are enough of a problem that needs attention now or in the near future or just live with it. It looks like the chain cover is dripping a little whereas the throughbolt merely seem to be seeping. I also did get a quote for a top down rebuild that would cover both leaks for about $8K.

Mike J

You can live with it until the oil starts to pool on the ground ...

The through-bolt, if its just seeping, is definitely a leave it item. That would require pulling the engine apart to get to the base gaskets and through bolt seals - very expensive, it can be done if and when you get a top end done.

The chain cover gaskets is very common, the rubber gets old after all these years (when you do one, the rubber donuts under each bolt seal are like rocks..the new ones are like firm rubber). Its a bit of work to fix, you need to remove the exhaust/engine carrier/crank pulley/AC mount/sheet metal, but it can be done with the engine in the car. Its nice not to leak, but as long as its not pooling on the ground it can wait as well.

$8K is about right if not a bit high if they plan to replace the base cylinder gaskets as wel as the O rings, and if they do that, you might tas well get a valve guides done... . Good value to use for negotiating.

Cheers,

Mike

osugasman

Huh? Seems ridiculous for a little seepage--at least with the chain covers. This shouldn't be an issue as far as I can tell. Definitely not warranting $8K in outlay.

95 C4 993

Try a 77 Bronco Sport---my last trip to the shop was "fix anything you see dripping or may start dripping"--gotta a few drops after thousands of $$$ of work last year. They are minor.

On the other hand, my 95 C4 is as dry as a desert.

Peter B

All my (minor) oil leaks disappeared after changing to Magnatec 10-40 but don't tell the vendor that!!

halti

thanks to all of your replies - it really sounds as if I should not worry at all about it - good! Had another chat with the Porsche dealer today and the mechanic who did the PPI said he wouldn't do anything to the car either since these "leaks" are so minor. I will go and check out the car in person the next few days and hopefully everything works out - thanks again!!!

osugasman

Peter makes a really good point. Brad Penn 20W50 oil is nice and thick--that's what I use. No leakage/some wetness. I've been told that if I switch to a full synthetic oil, I will probably see some leakage due to the oil being able to get through the seals better.

osugasman

See above.

berni29

Hi

It is very easy and cheap to change the little chain cover "o" rings that you can see and get to. Those are usually in the worst condition because they get cooked by the exhaust. Mine were so hard thet actually shattered on removal.

Berni

ericthepilot

Remember that sooner or later you will have to get into that area and adress the issue. And you will be driving around thinking of when that oil will disappear. The price quotes I got were from 5k for indie work to 11k at the P-dealer here. I would suggest to stay away from that car and find one that you can sleep better on and spend your cash on other goodies for that "new" 993 that you want so desperately.

EckFe1

My oil seapage is much more and it seems that the only oil my engine uses is the one that disappears through the cracks and seals. I now got 74k miles on the clock and I need maybe a quart in 4k miles. I asked the Pcar dealer about the wetness of the motor and they told me to just wipe it off every once in a while and let it be. I did the chain cover gaskets and the rear main seal when I moved to the LWF. The pictures you show is nothing to worry about. I run the engine long and hard every time I take it on mountain roads. 10W60 Oil from Castrol didn't change anything. I keep my engine shiny
I'd buy it. Maybe you can negotiate a bit but if you don't buy it, the next one will.
Ed

race911

Let's go back to the question at hand--premium pricing. Sure as hell should be bone dry if you're paying retail/retail plus. Whether you fix it any time during your ownership is a completely different issue.