Ahsai

Beautiful!

Did you ever replace the AOS? https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post12486712
Also did you replace/check the water pump? From some past threads your engine seems to run hot?

If the leak test comes out negative, I would definitely check the AOS next. Unbolt it from the engine but leave the coolant hoses connected, then pressurize the coolant tank and feel/see for trace of coolant leaking out.

alpine003

Great looking lawn ornament you have there. Hopefully she'll be back in action soon.

Neto

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, I also have a 99 and I am praying I dont get this, specially after changing the clutch and other things... What mileage do you have? If its the cracked heads, this is a $1200 - $1500 repair job if you work on it yourself and send the head to a reputable machine shop... Member Dharn55 on RL had a similar experience and he sent his head to costa mesa machine R&D and everything turned out good for him. If you are going to work on the car yourself, I would do a flush ASAP to clean all the cooling system. Here is his post
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ad-repair.html

RRTEC

I changed the water pump, and it looked fine, the car never really got hot and the water temps were technically in range.

I didn't change the AOS as I was waiting for the clutch and transmission mount job I had planned in April. I do have the part.

Ahsai

Ok, will see what the leak test says then. Good luck with it.

Paul Waterloo

I just used the leak check last week....here is my write up with a few pictures.

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post13078602

Fingers crossed for you!

FRUNKenstein

Well, there's always insurance fraud, DIY write up here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...g-our-m96.html

Or, save yourself a lot of wrenching: sell the carcass for $6,000 and buy Gator's car for $16,000. If it happens again, rinse and repeat.

FRUNKenstein

+996 I sold my last project car last spring. After nearly 8 years of headaches, bitching wife (granted she was justified) and 996tt money invested, I never got it back on the street and finally sold it for $12,000. I will never ever have another project car.
What you've got yourself there is a project car. Sell it and let it be someone else's project car.
You're welcome.

roadsession

If you do a search you will see that a cracked head on early 996.1 is no longer considered a catastrophic event or very expensive to repair

There are some people that insist this is a full tear down and $10-$15k repair but the majority have done the head repair for $1.5k and have driven their cars now for ten plus years with absolutely no problems

Read up dharn55 post

If indeed you have a cracked head - consider it a relatively inexpensive repair that's pretty reliably resolved

5CHN3LL

It's cheaper to fix a cracked head than it is to retrofit the damn bearing.

RRTEC

Ok, news....

I performed the chemical combustion leak check.. And the car passed.

I let it run up to about 120 degrees and then performed the test, it came back clean, I tried to rev it a few times and did the test and it came back clean. The reservoir took 40 + ounces just to get to the min Mark. The oil has gotten much more coolant mixed in since sitting. The level is really high and milky... The coolant drained...

I am assuming I can assume from this test it is either the oil cooler or the AOS?

Insight would be well received. I have a glimmer of hope here. I have seen people say get it up to temp, but I am really scared to run it too long with compromised oil

RRTEC

Here is after the test... I did it multiple times.

rockhouse66

Water is not a good lubricant and I would be worried about running the engine with that "stuff" in it. I know that makes diagnosis difficult, but at the expense of the engine bearings, etc. I would not be running the engine. Just MO.

Ahsai

I think the next logical steps are leak test the AOS and the oil/coolant heat exchanger. Then leak down test on the cylinders (100PSI). You can disconnect the two corrugated air vent hoses connected to the AOS but leave the two skinny coolant lines connected. Then pressurize the coolant tank to 18PSI (don't go above that) and feel for coolant leak inside the AOS. Then you can remove the oil/coolant heat exchanger and bench test it for leak.

RRTEC

I am going to pull the motor on Monday. I wanted to do the clutch anyway, so might as well pull it for access. At that point I will bench test the AOS and the oil cooler. I am feeling a little better like it may not be the head..