Puddle of coolant on garage floor
07-14-2012, 02:09 AM
#47
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Well I got it all removed!
I started a bit late and finished up about 45 minutes ago. Three things took me a long time:
- Believe it or not, one of the engine mount bolts! I torqued it but for some reason it was not moving. I had a breaker bar but it had a 1/2" shaft while my sockets are 3/8". So after trying to figure out a workaround for an hour I ran out to by an adapter and in seconds loosened the bolt.
- The "sixth" bolt on the intake manifold. Ugh! The AOS is tightly fitted up against it so you can't put a socket in there. I had to use a socket wrench and could only get about 1/8th of a turn each time.
- The second AOS bolt. This is an allen head bolt and it sits close to the intake manifold as well. Because of all the other stuff in there like fuel lines, etc. it's just difficult to get to.
But surprisingly I got the coolant tank out in maybe 10 minutes.
Now the fun part is putting it all back together again tomorrow. I feel like I just took half my engine apart, which I guess if you look at the garage floor I probably did.
Oh and I also found the source of my leak. On the top of the AOS is a thin coolant line. When I remove it the plastic just cracked in half. So it must have been cracked and leaking from there and when I put pressure on it, it just broke.
I started a bit late and finished up about 45 minutes ago. Three things took me a long time:
- Believe it or not, one of the engine mount bolts! I torqued it but for some reason it was not moving. I had a breaker bar but it had a 1/2" shaft while my sockets are 3/8". So after trying to figure out a workaround for an hour I ran out to by an adapter and in seconds loosened the bolt.
- The "sixth" bolt on the intake manifold. Ugh! The AOS is tightly fitted up against it so you can't put a socket in there. I had to use a socket wrench and could only get about 1/8th of a turn each time.
- The second AOS bolt. This is an allen head bolt and it sits close to the intake manifold as well. Because of all the other stuff in there like fuel lines, etc. it's just difficult to get to.
But surprisingly I got the coolant tank out in maybe 10 minutes.
Now the fun part is putting it all back together again tomorrow. I feel like I just took half my engine apart, which I guess if you look at the garage floor I probably did.
Oh and I also found the source of my leak. On the top of the AOS is a thin coolant line. When I remove it the plastic just cracked in half. So it must have been cracked and leaking from there and when I put pressure on it, it just broke.
07-14-2012, 03:35 AM
#48
07-14-2012, 09:27 AM
#49
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07-14-2012, 12:43 PM
#50
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As i did my AOS a few months ago...
While you are in there don't forget to replaced all the intake O'ring...o'ring filler tube,water pump and gasket and all the other gasket you can see.They are not expensive and if you don't, believe me you will soon regret it....
By the way a also like to do this job...lot easier then i thought
Good luck
While you are in there don't forget to replaced all the intake O'ring...o'ring filler tube,water pump and gasket and all the other gasket you can see.They are not expensive and if you don't, believe me you will soon regret it....
By the way a also like to do this job...lot easier then i thought
Good luck
07-17-2012, 11:00 PM
#52
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Here to write the final chapter in this book.
First off, I'd like to preface by saying I'm not a mechanic and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express before starting. But I'm always up for a challenge so I gave this one a shot.
When deciding to replace the AOS I figured while I was in there I would also do the water pump, thermostat, oil filler tube, and oil pressure sending unit. I think if I would have just done the AOS, things probably would have gone faster for me, but combining all of these at once was quite a job.
So I "started" on Thursday night but in reality didn't do much. Then Friday I got a late start and even had to run out to grab a tool I needed so not much happened there. Therefore Saturday was the day to really hit the books.
Everything actually went pretty well as I got to the AOS and removed it without much difficulty. Where I started running into problems was with the water pump. Since I have PSE and the Fabspeed cats, I had to remove them in order to get enough room to remove the pump. But what gave me the most trouble were the stupid hoses. It took me quite some time to get them off even with the clamps already loosened or off - they just wouldn't budge!
Eventually I got them off and started replacing everything. So far so good right? Well not so fast. I then start to put the intake manifold back together and lose two bolts because I accidentally bumped them when I had them sitting in the engine bay. They got lodged in a crevice that was almost impossible to get to. And of course my magnetic pickup tool broke during my coolant tank replacement. So I had to get my wife to run to Wal-Mart to get one. Once she got back I was ready to go again.
Now when installing the intake manifold I started having trouble with the final bolt in the back. Then that bolt gets lost. This one was completely GONE and I tried for what seems like forever to locate it. By now it's getting late and I'm so close to finishing but I'm not quite there yet. Out of nowhere I hear panting heading towards me. I thought it was a dream but I see three dogs heading my way! I run into my home and close the door because if my dog sees this he will go nuts. He doesn't wake up so the dogs slobber all over my things and eventually leave. Strange but true...I found out a neighbor had lost her dogs that night but they went back home in the morning.
Anyway, Sunday comes along. Still can't find the intake manifold bolt so I figure 5 of 6 is going to have to do it for now! I get the manifold on, coolant tank goes in no problem so now time for the alternator. That was a pain and took a lot of time and added to frustration. And then there are the vacuum hoses...I should have taken a photo as I completely forgot how they go.
Since I have PSE I have extra lines and couldn't make heads or tails of it. I figured at this point I'll just guess and go from there.
Get to a point where I can start the car and after a couple of cranks it starts! But it's idling like crap so I know the vacuum lines are suspect. But I figured let me let the car warm up and see if there are any leaks. I let the car run for a while and no leaks! But then at about the 15 minute mark it starts. It's just some drips but it's starting.
Now I just decide to throw the towel in. I'm done and taking it to the dealer the next day!
I take it in, ask them to clean my mess and get the diagnosis...I had a couple of hose clamps that were loose and of course the vacuum lines not routed correctly! While there they also found a fuel line fitting that was loose and they got rid of my PSE extra vacuum lines since I never intend to use the sport exhaust's "quiet" mode.
In terms of cost for approximately $450 in parts and $600 for the dealer to clean it up. It cost me a better part of my weekend too. Would I do it again? Well while I was looking for my lost bolts I was telling myself, "never again" but now that my car is working perfectly and I got all of that done for a little over $1k maybe I'd reconsider. With a little better preparation and more skill, this is really not a tough job - just frustrating because there is so much to remove and there are no shortcuts.
In the end, I'm loving my car again and look forward to many more miles with it. Basically at this point almost everything except the block is new so I should be good for quite some time!
First off, I'd like to preface by saying I'm not a mechanic and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express before starting. But I'm always up for a challenge so I gave this one a shot.
When deciding to replace the AOS I figured while I was in there I would also do the water pump, thermostat, oil filler tube, and oil pressure sending unit. I think if I would have just done the AOS, things probably would have gone faster for me, but combining all of these at once was quite a job.
So I "started" on Thursday night but in reality didn't do much. Then Friday I got a late start and even had to run out to grab a tool I needed so not much happened there. Therefore Saturday was the day to really hit the books.
Everything actually went pretty well as I got to the AOS and removed it without much difficulty. Where I started running into problems was with the water pump. Since I have PSE and the Fabspeed cats, I had to remove them in order to get enough room to remove the pump. But what gave me the most trouble were the stupid hoses. It took me quite some time to get them off even with the clamps already loosened or off - they just wouldn't budge!
Eventually I got them off and started replacing everything. So far so good right? Well not so fast. I then start to put the intake manifold back together and lose two bolts because I accidentally bumped them when I had them sitting in the engine bay. They got lodged in a crevice that was almost impossible to get to. And of course my magnetic pickup tool broke during my coolant tank replacement. So I had to get my wife to run to Wal-Mart to get one. Once she got back I was ready to go again.
Now when installing the intake manifold I started having trouble with the final bolt in the back. Then that bolt gets lost. This one was completely GONE and I tried for what seems like forever to locate it. By now it's getting late and I'm so close to finishing but I'm not quite there yet. Out of nowhere I hear panting heading towards me. I thought it was a dream but I see three dogs heading my way! I run into my home and close the door because if my dog sees this he will go nuts. He doesn't wake up so the dogs slobber all over my things and eventually leave. Strange but true...I found out a neighbor had lost her dogs that night but they went back home in the morning.
Anyway, Sunday comes along. Still can't find the intake manifold bolt so I figure 5 of 6 is going to have to do it for now! I get the manifold on, coolant tank goes in no problem so now time for the alternator. That was a pain and took a lot of time and added to frustration. And then there are the vacuum hoses...I should have taken a photo as I completely forgot how they go.
Since I have PSE I have extra lines and couldn't make heads or tails of it. I figured at this point I'll just guess and go from there.
Get to a point where I can start the car and after a couple of cranks it starts! But it's idling like crap so I know the vacuum lines are suspect. But I figured let me let the car warm up and see if there are any leaks. I let the car run for a while and no leaks! But then at about the 15 minute mark it starts. It's just some drips but it's starting.
Now I just decide to throw the towel in. I'm done and taking it to the dealer the next day!
I take it in, ask them to clean my mess and get the diagnosis...I had a couple of hose clamps that were loose and of course the vacuum lines not routed correctly! While there they also found a fuel line fitting that was loose and they got rid of my PSE extra vacuum lines since I never intend to use the sport exhaust's "quiet" mode.
In terms of cost for approximately $450 in parts and $600 for the dealer to clean it up. It cost me a better part of my weekend too. Would I do it again? Well while I was looking for my lost bolts I was telling myself, "never again" but now that my car is working perfectly and I got all of that done for a little over $1k maybe I'd reconsider. With a little better preparation and more skill, this is really not a tough job - just frustrating because there is so much to remove and there are no shortcuts.
In the end, I'm loving my car again and look forward to many more miles with it. Basically at this point almost everything except the block is new so I should be good for quite some time!
07-18-2012, 12:26 PM
#53
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Thanks for the update. Sometimes it is important to know when to say "when." I usually take a break from the project for a day or so, read up on all that I can, and then hit it again with a fresh outlook. This is not just for Porsche DIYs, but other projects as well.
Congrats on making a great attempt yourself. Don't be afraid to track down a Rennlister or PCA member for help if you get stuck on a project. I will never forget the PCA member who helped me replace wheel bearings late on a holiday weekend 25 years ago because I needed to get back to college. What a guy!
Congrats on making a great attempt yourself. Don't be afraid to track down a Rennlister or PCA member for help if you get stuck on a project. I will never forget the PCA member who helped me replace wheel bearings late on a holiday weekend 25 years ago because I needed to get back to college. What a guy!
07-18-2012, 03:37 PM
#54
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Thanks for the update. Sometimes it is important to know when to say "when." I usually take a break from the project for a day or so, read up on all that I can, and then hit it again with a fresh outlook. This is not just for Porsche DIYs, but other projects as well.
Congrats on making a great attempt yourself. Don't be afraid to track down a Rennlister or PCA member for help if you get stuck on a project. I will never forget the PCA member who helped me replace wheel bearings late on a holiday weekend 25 years ago because I needed to get back to college. What a guy!
Congrats on making a great attempt yourself. Don't be afraid to track down a Rennlister or PCA member for help if you get stuck on a project. I will never forget the PCA member who helped me replace wheel bearings late on a holiday weekend 25 years ago because I needed to get back to college. What a guy!
08-27-2012, 10:20 PM
#56
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