Replacing the Coolant Reservoir on a MY99 996

[niacal4nia]

Just figuring out how to post pictures.

I had tried to insert this picture in an above post; for some reason my desktop will not complete the upload process, but my laptop will...

Computers and coolant expansion tanks will be the death of me.....

It looks like my 2002. I would unscrew the fuel bolt to give more room. Very little fuel will come out that you could catch with a rag. Any way if you can't figure how to do with 2 screws, then go with the one left screw as I did. Take the support off the body pannel and slided half way in on the tank with a help of a friend and position the left screw align with hole with a flash light and 10mm long extenstion tool, once you got it tight , then slide the tank all the way in and connect all the hoses and other stuff. The left engine mount is easy as long as you have 2 jacks , one to lift the rear and one to support the engine. the left motor mount screw is below the round metal cover straight down just lower it about 2" on the engine support.

[niacal4nia]

Just figuring out how to post pictures.

I had tried to insert this picture in an above post; for some reason my desktop will not complete the upload process, but my laptop will...

Computers and coolant expansion tanks will be the death of me.....

Beware of the tiny round valve inside the fuel bolt when you take it off. Mine came out and dropped inside the engine and I got lucky using a magnet to fish it out. I used the one screw method in order to have the car running so I would save on a flatbed tow ,but then found out it was as good as 2 screws.

Edited July 25, 2009 by niacal4nia

[venturawildes]

I just got done with my 2002 C2 Cab. Not fun. Well not fun until Loren gives you the info. Ok folks, the only way you can change a CR on a 2002 is to lower the engine, both nuts have to come off and the engine has to go down about 3-4 inches. And then is is a snap.

[lotecredneck]

I just finished changing the tank on '02 Cab and I used most of the tips on this thread, but I did some things a little differently. Instead of draing the coolant at the bottom of the engine, I bought a $5.00 siphon that had a bulb in the middle like an outboard motor primer and draind most of the tank with it. I then used an old turkey baster with a 2' piece of 3/8" fuel line on the end to finish removing the remaining coolant by sucking it out with the bulb on the baster.

When I disconnected the bottom hose on the tank I inserted a wine cork in the end of the hose to keep it from running out. This worked well and I didn't have to "burp" the system when I re-filled the tank. This took just a little longer, but was much easier than draining the system underneath.

I then dropped the engine as far as it would drop with the nuts removed from the rear engine mounts. This would still not allow the tank to be removed without the fear of breaking the mounting bracket as the lower hose connector on the tank would hit the fuel rail. I removed the two bolts holding the fuel rail and lifted it up to unseat the connectors then pushed it below the mounting bosses. This worked very well and the tank would then fairly easily slip out of it's mount and then out of the engine compartment. This is a tight fit, but it is very easy this way.

Also, I removed the tank sensor before I tried to remove the tank by turning it clockwise and then simply taking it out and I didn't install it until the tank was back in its holder and I had the hoses connected.

This was easier than changing the oil sender.. ;-)

I hope this helps.

Tony

Edited August 18, 2009 by lotecredneck

[Orient Express]

This last weekend I was up in the Sierra with my 2002 996 driving pretty fast in 100+ weather at 8000 ft. Needless to say I was surprised to find a puddle of coolant under the expansion tank the next morning.

(My apologies for having such a filthy engine compartment, but we just came back from a 1K trip.)

So yesterday, I R&R'd the coolant tank, and here are my notes.

1. It appears that the car is built around the coolant tank, so everything works much easier if you completely remove the airbox, and the secondary air pump to get at it. They are very easy to remove. I also drained some of the coolant out using the drain plug on the engine. I ended up taking out about 1 and a half gallons of coolant out.

2. Even after disconnecting all of the coolant hoses, removing the tank sensor, and the fuel injection rail end plug, I still could not get the tank out.

3. So I ended up sticking my jack under the engine, removing the 2 motor mount lower attachment bolts, and lowering the engine about 2 inches.

4. This gave me enough room to cleanly remove the tank.

5. After that, it was a breeze to install the new tank.

6. When replacing the coolant, it is best to pour the fluid through a sieve to catch any crap that may have found its way into the coolant.

Hope this helps.

[mtorr]

Great input! But how do you keep your engine that immaculate? Do you use any special cleaners? Thanks.

mtorr in LA

[Tool Pants]

Gary, with all the free engine replacements and other stuff, I am suprised you could not score a free coolant overflow tank replacement.

[Orient Express]

But how do you keep your engine that immaculate?

I just use highly diluted Simple Green and a pressure washer on the engine and under carriage.

I did get quite a deal on the replacement tank, never pay retail!

[toofunky18]

hi guys, firstly id like to say all your write ups have been immensely helpful and i wouldn't have even thought to tackle this problem without reading this post. Ive got a 2002 3.6 targa which was dripping coolant every so often to the point where i didnt even want to drive the car. I decided after reading this post to change it myself, i followed all the steps and managed to wiggle the tank out, but putting the new one back in was a headache. I ended up crackin the front part of the black mount which holds the tank up, so when putting it back in i decided to saw the mount in half. there were 6 tabs in total and i just sawed the mount in half to leave me with four, and screwed it back into the body, it was the half which is closest to the body. i found this allowed me to have alot more room to put the tank back in and it was held just as firmly as it was before i took the broken one out. this made the install a breeze as i had dropped the engine mount nuts too. a big thanks to all of you on here, saved me a few quid from the dealers. thanks !

[MJH1]

Hello all, well just finished replacing mine in my 99 C2, thanks for all the help posted here, if you need to replace yours go for it, it was not bad at all, take your time while getting the old one out and again while getting the new one back into the right spot and you can do it. Total time was about 4 hrs, I did order the following

Tank 996-106-147-56 $205.22

level switch 997-641-503-00 $22.95 (I did break the old one getting it out)

Press in nuts 999-500-078-00 $5.90 (only needed one as the other bolt threaded into a hole in the body that was threaded)

Thanks again (saved a lot of money)!!

[Mattbradders]

Thanks to all the input on this site I have just managed to replace the coolant tank on my 01 C4. The original tank had turned yellow and was cracked. The tank is also much bigger than the replacement tank. The old tank was a huge pain to get out, I had to drop the engine about 3 inches and eventually got it out. The new tank being much smaller went in really easy. I hope the smaller tank doesn't cause any problems.

I used the airflow 2 vacuume fill tool to replace the coolant. Great tool. It also pressure tests the system.

Matt

[blk996]

2002 996 C2 65k mile, coolant tank replacement

1) Use method of your choice to remove coolant below the coolant tank.

2) Remove air cleaner, air pump.

3) Lower engine (really not that bad) basically put piece of wood on jack. jack point the small 2 rectangle shape behind the oil pan, jack up slightly to put load on the jack. (lift the car suspension up 1" or less NOT the car tires stay on ground)

Unbolt the two 18mm engine mount bolt. Make sure the jack is solid, you can stack something on the both sides under the oil pan (old phone books, wood ..) just in case your jack gives out.

IMPORTANT: Unstrap rubber holder to power steering fluid hose top right engine compartment get pull down when engine gets lowered.

Slowly lower, make sure the catalytic wires on the right aren't being pulled, the driver side wires aren't an issue either is the ac hose is ok. You want to lower it as much as you need but still have the jack holding the engine. I think around least 3 - 4 inches.

The engine will be easy to move side to side so be careful.

This will give you more room to disconnect the coolant hoses.

4) Only need to disconnect the hoses that connect to the tank and the small one on the T couple. You don't need to remove the hose to the aluminum pipe in the back. I used slip joint pliers with closer grip mode, but tool would be easier.

5) Remove coolant level sensor from tank 1/4 turn clockwise towards the front car and pulls out, then disconnect wire put safe place.

6) Now Tank you now should have enough room to slide off the black tank mount, move vent hoses around to give you more room to move around.

Now the trick is to remove black mount there are two 10mm bolts, left is easy once the tank is moved to left, but the one closer looks not possible.

But if you push the tank to left front corner tilt it, this will give you just enough room to put a 1/4 inch drive 10mm

socket and universal joint adapter. It's not on too tight should come off easy you just have to be patient.

After black mount remove the coolant tank will be much easier to remove and install. The job is still a pain in the *** but very doable don't need to break black mount and only install with one bolt.

IMPORTANT: I don't think you need to remove the big fuel rail bolt 19mm as other post suggest. Very important from the porsche workshop manual you need to counter when loosen and tighten. 'Counter' meaning hold 18mm bolt on the bottom of the 19mm the fuel rail is made of softer metal brass if you crack or break this would be bigger and costly problem.

Reinstall engine mount jack up the engine and lift up the suspension slightly this will make sure the engine is flush. Now put bolts on and tighten bolts 63 ft lbs.

63 ft lbs for tightening engine mount bolt

8-10 ft lbs for other should be good.

22 ft lbs for fuel rail bolt

General Tip: wear long sleave shirt, so arms don't get scraped up, tape loosely hard to reach bolt to socket when mounting.

Edited November 24, 2011 by blk996

[blk996]

2003 C2 Cabriolet.

I'm having a problem getting the new tank back into place.

I cheated in removing the old tank...it absolutely refused to surrender its position; nothing like a Dremel and a sharp cutting bit. Unfortunately I can't repeat that step to install the new tank.

Like Niacal4nia, I only had the one bold ontop of the fuel collector; I've also removed the air pump and all of the hoses. But that tank just wont fit into that spot. Unlike Niacal4nia, I am uncomfortable removing an engine mount bolt and lowering the engine.

I was able to insert the tank into its proper place by removing the tank support; but that leads to the problem of getting the tank support into its spot while the tank is sitting there. Specifically, how do I attach the two bolts, each sitting inside what I would call cups that are accessible only from the bottom, the space which the tank is occupying.

I attempted to include some pictures, but the attachment/upload editor isn't working; if anyone can clue me into how to include pictures I have a whole bunch I can share.

Anyone had any experience doing this with an '03? My car, which I rely upon as a daily driver, is sitting in pieces; I could really use some help.

If you remove fuel rail bolt (the fuel injection rail end plug) 19mm it's very important from the porsche workshop manual you need to counter when loosen and tighten. 'Counter' meaning hold 18mm bolt on the bottom of the 19mm the fuel rail is made of softer metal brass if you crack or break this would be bigger and costly problem. I only read this in the workshop manual afterward nothing bad happend but it could. 22 ft lb tightening torque.

Edited November 24, 2011 by blk996

[deanslist.us]

Would a996-106-157-03 fit in place of the 996-106-147-56 that my 99 996 C2 is supposed to have?

[Loren]

Would a996-106-157-03 fit in place of the 996-106-147-56 that my 99 996 C2 is supposed to have?

Probably not.

996-106-147-56 is for MY00 and older cars and 996-106-157-03 is for MY01 and newer cars.

As I recall the 996-106-157-03 is larger and will not fit older cars.

Even the right size is a PITA to get out and put back in.

[deanslist.us]

hmmmm, friend of mine has the larger one in stock, offered it to me dirt cheap if i can fit it. it is longer, i will try it tonight and report back my findings. i hope it works because the summers here are often over 100 and the car has a hard time staying cool with the a/c on, seems like holding more coolant would help..., also because it is brand new and dirt cheap.

[logray]

Curious to see how this works as I've wanted to try the larger tank myself (because it's cheaper). Do tell!

I'm nursing a tank leak with some 2-part epoxy.

Edited April 26, 2012 by logray

[j-mann]

I would add the following to help others attempting this ... please read the above and the below completely BEFORE starting your work. You'll thank yourself !

Getting the tank out

1. I'd remove the air pump instead of tying it to the side as above. Its very simply and takes 30-40 seconds. It gives you room you REALLY need. Plus you won't break the air hose by bending it too much.
   NOTE: There are two screws that hold the air pump in place - at the bottom. In my case I found out that the nut thse screws go into had fallen off during removal. The nuts are 'suspended' in a rubber tube and age/temperature had made the rubber brittle and the nut had just fallen when I took the screw out. I simply got new speed nuts (2x : part number: 999.500.078.00 : $2) and used them to fit the air pump back again. Its worth taking the air pump off even if you now need to buy $2 more of nuts when ordering your tank - it gives you a lot of room you need !
   
2. To remove the coolant reservoir easily out of its harness, slide it towards the engine (i.e. move right) by around 1/2 to 1 inch. Then move it DOWN and out of its rail/holder. There is no need to slide it COMPLETELY (3-4") towards the engine completely as it first appears. The railings have tabs and gaps to facilitate such removal/installation. You probably won't even have that much room to slide it out completely !
   
3. When draining the coolant from below the car, you'll need a bucket to keep most of the coolant and may need to empty the tray below into the bucket. Use 2 trays so you can empty one when the other is below the car. The coolant drains fast, so you can't use just one without making a mess. Also, there is a lot of coolant, almost a bucketfull.
   
4. Coolant is a corrosive liquid - keep it off the paint. If you drop some on the paint, don't panic, just wipe it off with water and a cloth. Use gloves if possible.
   
5. The drain plug for the coolant is close to the rear bumper, don't search too deep inside near the transmission etc !
   
6. There is a coolant level sensor at the bottom of the coolant tank. Its deep and tough to see and you may break it manupulating the tank of get it out of the engine compartment. I'd recommend you reach down and remove it as follows.
   - when reachable, turn the sensor by 1/4 turn from towards you to towards the engine.
   - pull the sensor out from the bottom (it needs 2" to fall out, its 2.5" tall).
   - keep it somewhere !
   If you do break it (likely), its around 10-18 bucks, so don't panic !
   
7. Lastly, be patient in getting the tank out. Its not difficult but simply time consuming. Be careful not to bend/break other hoses while you try getting the coolant tank out.
   

Putting the new tank back in place

1. When installing the new tank, I found it easy to first install the sensor at the bottom and then twist-lock it (1/4 turn). The electrical connection should point towards the right taillight.
   
2. First try to get the entire tank in the volume reserved for it in the engine compartment. Don't try to directly fit it in.
   
3. Make sure you don't leave any tubes/connectors behind the tank during installation. The last think after installation is to realise you need to get it out to rescue a forgotten tube.
   
4. Now you want to get the tank back in its harness. The harness' as well as the tank's railings have gaps to ease removal/installation. What worked good for me was
   1. 
      
   2. rotate the tank anti-clockwise by 10-20 degrees when inside the cavity/volume of engine compartment
      
   3. position the right most tab of the tank sticking out of the harness while keeping the other two tabs (on the tank's top) positioned to fall in the gaps between the harness' tabs. Try feeling the gaps with your finger to know where the tank's tabs should land.
      
   4. Slide a 1.5" diameter metal tube at the bottom (running front -> back) slightly to the left (or right?) so that the level sensor wouldn't be obstructed upon rotation. It should gently slide out of its holder.
      
   5. Now level the tank (i.e. rotate it clockwise by 10-20 degrees). The tank's tabs should have fallen where the harness' gaps are and the tank will be one tab sticking out (out = towards the engine)
      
   6. Finally move the tank gently away from the engine, in its final installed position
      

[*] Slide the metal pipe back into its clamp

[*] Connect everything else just the reverse as removal.

After everything is installed

Once you have the new tank in place, you will need to refill it with coolant and 'bleed' the coolant system. Fill the coolant tank with existing/new (porsche recommended) coolant to the max level and close the coolant tank lid. I simply filtered my existing coolant with a old (but clean) cotton t-shirt and poured it in using a funnel. Then, to quote Loren, "Lift the bleed valve."

"Start the engine and allow it to get to full operating temperature (I also ran the air conditioning to force circulation). The coolant warning light will likely start to flash. Shut the engine off and WAIT until the engine and coolant has cooled enough to remove the coolant tank cap. Then add coolant to the tank and repeat the process. You made need to do this 2-3 times. When the coolant level fails to fall then the system is bled and you can close the bleeder valve."

About bleeding the coolant system.

• Close the bleeder value after about 40 minutes (total) of good driving. You shouldn't ride with it open for more than this (my Porsche tech told me this).
  
• You MUST wait for the coolant to cool between your 2-3 tries, else you won't be filling the tank completely (coolant contracts as it cools). I've had to wait for over 3 hours to cool. If you try before this then the coolant will spill off when you open the cap.
  
• You may get a coolant light even with the bleeder valve closed after a few days. This is ok and doesn't mean you cracked your tank or something again. Basically there was some air trapped and the car "burped" it into the coolant reservoir, triggering off the coolant light. Wait for 4 hours for the car to cool and then top off with coolant+water (replacing a lot) or just water (replacing just a little).
  
• If even after 3-4 top offs/"burps" you need to keep adding coolant, have it checked for other leaks in the coolant system.
  

In the end, once you've done it, please pat yourself on the back !! Great job :thumbup: !! Even my service tech. at the local dealership said its not a simple job. Its worth doing it on your own if you suspect you're losing coolant.

:cheers:

Sid

[j-mann]

Are there any differences between the 99 in this DIY compared to an 01 cabriolet.

[jasonradner]

Help....in middle of tank change and I cannot get tank out! The lower male hose connection is contacting the fuek rail(i believe it's a rail). I removed both fuel lines but cannot get tank pat rail to wiggle out. Is there a secret !!!! Help Fast...running out of curse words and beer!

[Loren]

Help....in middle of tank change and I cannot get tank out! The lower male hose connection is contacting the fuek rail(i believe it's a rail). I removed both fuel lines but cannot get tank pat rail to wiggle out. Is there a secret !!!! Help Fast...running out of curse words and beer!

Did you read the early posts in this thread? They have several tips...

[jasonradner]

yeah.... ican get the tank off the bracket but I cannot get past fuel rail. what should i do?

[Damien McGrath]

Problem after replacing coolant header tank!!!!

I have just replaced a cracked coolant header tank on my 2000 996 Carrera, with only a few scuffed knuckles for my trouble, however I had to disconnect 2 fuel lines to make the tank easier to fit/remove.

 

Since rebuliding, the engine is noticeably lumpy/misfiring and the engine check light has come on/flashes! 

 

Has anyone got any ideas if this is a simple fix or will I need to visit my local indie for assistance???

 

Thanks Damien

[Ahsai]

Any chance that dirt/coolant got into the fuel lines when they were open? You need to at least get the car scanned for error codes to see what tripped the check engine light to diagnose it further. Sounds like misfires. How are the conditions of the coils and spark plugs?

[Damien McGrath]

Tried my best to keep everything away from fuel lines, plugs are newish, not sure the coils have been replaced while I own it (6 years)??

 

Best not to drive her then, AA may have to come to my rescue.