Schnell Gelb

I'll translate for others.JFP is being polite and gentle with his assessment of my mechanical work.

I suspect that lubed or not I must have failed to seat the small,inner seal correctly. So they all must be removed and start over with new,new seals.

Interesting that you can use dielectric silicone grease but not silicone(or other) sealant. I emphasize this point because there is a lot of mention of using Permatex Ultra grey or black on the Internet but with other engines that have threaded metal spark plug tubes (Toyota for example).

Thanks for your kind and speedy response JFP.

EDIT: The short version is the aftermarket tubes supplied with the engine rebuild kit were under size at the inner end and out of round ! Details 12 posts below.

This is a request for ideas on what mistakes I must have made replacing the spark plug tubes and seals on my 2001 S.Yes. I searched and read lots of posts. I already have both the recommended diy tools for removing the tubes.With googling I found lots of successful installations but little discussion of stupid(me) mistakes !

I fitted all new spark plug tubes and seals when I rebuilt the engine. On an engine stand this is an easy job to do perfectly .Or it should be .

Some of the seals leak.Some don't . The engine has run no more than 1 hour since the rebuild was completed What did I do wrong?

All the tubes are set to the same depth int the camshaft cover.None are loose.In fact they are very tight and will be difficult to remove - the 0.90" washer+long bolt tool will help.The tubes are too tight for the transom plug tool to work.

The worst leak is not sufficient to get past the seals on the coil - yet. The inside of the worst tube has a thick coating of oil after no more than 1 hour running time since rebuild.

I know that (silicone)sealant is not recommended but read that some people do use  sealer on the  seals. They use 'sensor-safe" sealant a.k.a 'Form In Place Gasket" or Hardex. Good idea?

The vulnerable seal seems to be the smallest one Part # 999-707-343-41.The large ,orange seal at the outer end of the tube  is part # 999-707-25-40 and seems less likely to leak ? There is no significant pressure in the crankcase . So what is forcing the oil out ? Just a poorly seated seal allowing surface tension and gravity to leak?

Specifically what sealer is recommended for tube seals that won't otherwise seal? Permatex black Ultra? Drei bond?

I know if sealant is applied, only a very thin coating on the seal should be used. There are cautionary  comments on  excessive amounts of sealer drop off into the engine.

I'll pull the tubes and buy new seals but need to learn from your suggestions on how to avoid getting more leaks before I waste more parts and time.

Thank you for your ideas an help.

Interesting to note that this tube design was upgraded for the 2004 model.

Suggest you buy the replacement tank from a reputable source. There have been a rash of defective coolant tanks from the cheapo sources. The consequences are a big waste of time and materials - at best. And search for the updated coolant tank  cap with part number ending "04".Pelican has a good diy on this

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/33-WATER-Coolant_Tank/33-WATER-Coolant_Tank.htm

Check out Mayhew clamp pliers as suggested by JFP.

You need a complete diagnosis with Durametric or PIWIS. Until you have all that data ,it is just hit/miss/speculation. That said, neither diagnostic will identify specifically worn lifters. Worn/filing lifters is usually identified by ticking hot+cold with an electronic stethoscope.

O.K. if the part leaks, buy the replacement here:

http://www.sunsetporscheparts.com/

How did you confirm this is the source of the vacuum leak ?What code did you get - P0300 or another ? Is the rough (?) running worse at idle ? Fuel Trims?

There are several potential methods to locate and confirm  the leak. Which did you use?

1. Smoke machine

2. Propane

3. Carb cleaner/starting fluid(!!!)

4. Engine ear

Find a Boxster Indie near Naples. He will know all the answers. A good source of referrals would be Pedro Bonila who has a Florida+Boxster based blog called  "Pedros Garage". Pedro is an affable guy who seems to know everybody in the Boxster world.

look here for ideas"

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/62660-bypassing-clutch-safety-switch.html

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/93-ELEC-Pedal_Switches/93-ELEC-Pedal_Switches.htm

In addition, by this age/miles there are all sorts of - 'while you are in there' jobs to do !

Well done for finding an obscure fault and thanks for sharing.

I was a bit disappointed you did not report a successful repair of the cracked Vacuum Reservoir with JB Weld :-)

58 minutes ago, Locosaki said:

 

 "regarding a used engine, I've priced this up and it is the cheapest option but my worry is that 6 month down the line the replacement engine go's bad then I'm back to square 1"

But by then you will have rebuilt the original motor and can fit that - again & again & ..... !

That may sound factitious but it is probably closer to the reality of owning one of these cars than many will concede.  M96 ownership is a gamble and if you have $10K+ cash  and like playing the odds it is an exciting,high stakes game. Technically it is fascinating and if you have no other life it can be absorbing, even obsessional !

I suspect many of the cheaper 996 that are for sale  are what we call "flippers" - because the current owner looses their nerve for the gamble when they realize the  cars value vs repair cost is so unattractive. As soon as they get it running again, they sell quickly to avoid another big expense.

Craig,

Suggest you tell us your budget,skill and equipment level and reason for wanting the larger displacement.

This has been done but the difficulty  depends on how you do it. If you go for any DME 7.8 engine ,you need some very sophisticated engine management manipulation skills. It is way more than just Vario-cam Plus issues. And would such modifications pass your Smog Tests?

So better to stay with  the DME 7.2 you have and consider enlarging the existing engine as part of your rebuild. Hartech and AutoFarm could advise you.

A rebuild with simple upgrades ( if diy) is well over $7,000. If you increase displacement or need professional services it would double.

Your roller C4 may be a better candidate for a 'good used' engine than a massive expense? Yemv

The M96 is different.The word "usually" from the Mechanical Engineering lexicon does not apply.

Look at the oil circulation path for the M96, as I suggested earlier and you will see there is  short,direct route for FOM from the oil pickup straight to 5 & 6 . So debris from other wear components hits those bearings even if the car is stationary,in neutral  and the engine is idling. Tracking may cause 'sump' oil to slosh around an dislodge debris from previous incidents (like a failed IMSB from thousands of miles previously). Depending on which filtration system the engine has, the debris is quickly carried to bearings regardless of oil level or g forces.

Once there is debris in an M96 with a stock filter ,the most likely cure is a complete strip,clean and rebuild because that is the only way to remove all the debris. This is the mechanical engineering reality but it conflicts with people's emotional reaction to the cost and with their experience with conventional engines. So they dicker and deny.

The few rational people fit a deep sump, do UOA ,drop the sump plate,fit full flow filter and take many other seemingly needless precautions. Yes this is expensive but not compared to a rebuild.

Yemv and I hope it does.

It would be wise to follow previous advice to examine the "Y" cable, check for corrosion when the insulation is peeled back on the main cables at the battery.

I had a similar problem. 90k miles0n mine - yours?.Perfect service history.Mine was #5.Look at the oil circulation system ,you'll see why it is 5 &6 that fail first.Thanks Jake for that !

Mine had an LN full flow filter fitted and that caught all the debris from the bearing. There was also debris(like yours) in the pan. If you have the OEM bypass filter, the FOM has probably circulated beyond the filter. If so the only option is a total tear down, meticulous multi-stage cleaning and rebuild. Used engine may be a better option unless you are a total M96 geek like Ahsai & Schnell Gelb who lavished thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on a rebuild+upgrade.

Your old engine may have value to someone who wants the intellectual challenge of a rebuild+upgrade - if it is complete and not butchered during removal. Before you decide ,do the financial research and be sure to include any gearbox repairs that may be necessary (2nd Pop-out or bearing noise). You can easily spend $12k+ on such a project w/o upgrades  and it takes months. Roller ?

We'll help you through the decision making but it is rather brutal.

Let's hope it is just a loose spark plug !

I added the reply below to a similar thread we have here. I included it because it seems so many diy guides are great successes.Sometimes there are failures that can be useful to others who follow?

I made my own tool from a 3" pvc (not ABS) sewer pipe cap.Some mention 4" ,so take your old RMS as a sample when rummaging at Home Depot.

I drilled 4 holes in the cap ,not 2 because I tried a 2 hole system and screwed up ! Why? Impatience. I cleaned the metal surfaces with alcohol but must have failed to wipe off carefully(?) .The slippery surface allowed the new RMS to cant  over - ruined ! To remove, I used a pair of woodworkers gimlets by hand *No screw+slide hammer -too brutal !

I  marked the pvc cap at 13mm and cut out "Witness Windows".

As a precaution glued  in a piece of Sch.80(not 40) pvc pipe at the correct depth.This acts as a stop to prevent over-driving the seal. The Sch 80 has a small cut out for the roll pin. I doubt any of this was necessary !

The contraption was too deep to use the old flywheel bolts to pull the cap on to the RMS. You need  4 x M10 x 1.0 80 mm full thread bolts . I used 4 s/s washers for undertvthe bolt heads to spread the load on the pvc .

So ,if you can , borrow the correct tool or follow the earlier Instructions - not mine.

My system worked but is needlessly complicated.

Thanks for this useful guide.

I made my own tool from a 3" pvc (not ABS) sewer pipe cap.Some mention 4" ,so take your old RMS as a sample when rummaging at Home Depot.

I drilled 4 holes in the cap ,not 2 because I tried a 2 hole system and screwed up ! Why? Impatience. I cleaned the metal surfaces with alcohol but must have failed to wipe off carefully(?) .The slippery surface allowed the new RMS to cant  over - ruined ! To remove, I used a pair of woodworkers gimlets by hand *No screw+slide hammer -too brutal !

I  marked the pvc cap at 13mm and cut out "Witness Windows".

As a precaution glued  in a piece of Sch.80(not 40) pvc pipe at the correct depth.This acts as a stop to prevent over-driving the seal. The Sch 80 has a small cut out for the roll pin. I doubt any of this was necessary !

The contraption was too deep to use the old flywheel bolts to pull the cap on to the RMS. No problem ,I have a huge assortment of metric bolts. But not 4 x M10 x 1.0 , 80 mm full thread bolts . Quick order to Bolt Depot. They only sent 2 ! Wait for some more bolts. It may have been just as fast on the left coast to order threaded rod from China and cut to length. 70 mm is not quie long enough unless you start the rms by tapping.That is rather stupid because it is easy to get it canted and that is the whole point of the tool! To complete the task with 70mm shoulder bolts, you'll need 4 spacers(big nuts) for the final few millimeters because the 70mm shoulder bolts will bottom out before you reach 13mm.

So ,if you can , borrow the correct tool or follow the earlier Instructions - not mine.

My system worked but is needlessly complicated.

Justin,

I have had this issue and done a complete M96 rebuild as a result. I have no idea how anyone could say your noise is definitely a lifter based on an Internet recording ! There are many other potential causes. It requires careful diagnosis.See thread below. There are many similar ones if you search for "ticking" on this and similar Forums.

Thanks for the great explanation.

Anyone else tried this?

"The GT3 Motorsport seal (not a Porsche standard part) is the same bore size as the 996/997 seal but has two protective flanges at the rear. If fitted in reverse the inner flange forces itself to flip backwards and touch the outer flange which is already forced onto the crank with a spring. This prevents any oil from possibly leaking even if the bore is out of tolerance."

" VERY short trips with the DME unbolted and it hasn't acted up yet. "

WAG - there is a fault to ground inside the DME case. When you unbolt the DME case from the structure of the car, you cut the faulty ground path.

#14 here ?

http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-parts/hardparts.php?dir=986-97-04&section=107-10

Well done, and you passed !

So to fix an SAI system rediness-fault , the fix was a post-cat O2 sensor?

Just wanted to close the story because in the beginning this seemed like a very obscure and difficult case.

Before fitting a new tank, suggest  you check this:

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/59309-coolant-tank-lots-problems-fix.html

Just to clarify for a noob on the IMSB.

The bearing itself is a minor part of the total issue. It is the collateral damage from a failing IMSB that can damage the engine beyond economical repair.

I have a 2001 S in which this almost happened - possibly because of incorrect installation of the new ceramic LN IMSB by the P.O.I say "possibly" because how can you know with total certainty?There are so many ways to screw-up an IMSB install.

Once debris from a failing IMSB gets distributed in the engine,It is impossible to remove all the debris without total tear-down.Some of the oil-ways are extremely small. Without the total teardown and premptive rebuild, it is unlikely a suspect engine will last long. If the engine had an LN filter kit fitted prior to the problem,the engine may survive. Mine did (because of the LN filter?)but it was a very ,very expensive and comprehensive repair that eventually exceeded the value of the car because of my incidental upgrades .

The clue to the collateral damage(?) was c/s bearing failure within less than 1000 miles of the IMSB replacement.

YEMV -I hope !