For your viewing pleasure

[Porsche Monkey]

One of my projects for the week.  Thought some of you may enjoy this.



This car has an oil leak.  This means the engine has to come out because there is not much you can do with it in the car.





The culprit, a rear main seal. 

[Gator]

I see the problem, it looks like there is a tiny Monster in this engine....

[lethe]

What I'm assuming are cats look like suitcases. Talk about stuffing a lot into a little space. Is there really anything besides an oil change that you can do on those things with engine still in the car?

[Porsche Monkey]

I see the problem, it looks like there is a tiny Monster in this engine....

Yeah, its only a modded 900.     I get priveleged employee parking. 

What I'm assuming are cats look like suitcases. Talk about stuffing a lot into a little space. Is there really anything besides an oil change that you can do on those things with engine still in the car?

Actually those are the mufflers.  The cats are underneath them.  Overall when in the car, it is a very tight package. 

[acalles]

yep, glad I work on modern vw's..

whats the labor time for that repair?

I have customer who brings his TDI jetta in, he has a 91 carrera with the AWD, it had a rear main leak, I quoted him $10k to fix it.. he though I was crazy, so did I.. I didn't want to work on it and told him I wasn't comfortable working on that thing... porsche shop up the street quoted $10k, and they did the repair  (I really though I was way over on it).

I'm so glad I didn't do it. 2 months later the make the beast with two backsing thing started leaking again.

[Porsche Monkey]

Havent looked up the labor ops yet, but it will be somewhere in the 15 hour range.  I started on it this morning and had it out by 1 or so.  It will take a little bit longer than that to put it back in.

[lethe]

Havent looked up the labor ops yet, but it will be somewhere in the 15 hour range.  I started on it this morning and had it out by 1 or so.  It will take a little bit longer than that to put it back in.

Is it a pretty straightforward task or is it a real pain in the ass?
Just curious, not that I'm in the market for a Porsche but there is no way in hell that I'd pay 10k for what could possibly be done over the weekend with the right tools and enough workspace.

[NeufUnSix]

Pretty common problem from what I hear. That and the intermediate shaft seperating and obliterating the motor. Apparently it's been fixed for 09 - the IMS, dunno about the RMS.

[OverCaffeinated]

I'm not a huge fan of the brand. But that is one had ass car I wouldn't mind taking for a spin.

[Porsche Monkey]

Is it a pretty straightforward task or is it a real pain in the ass?
Just curious, not that I'm in the market for a Porsche but there is no way in hell that I'd pay 10k for what could possibly be done over the weekend with the right tools and enough workspace.

If it was on a Boxster or Cayman, maybe even a regular 911 you could do it at home.  We get around $1500 to do those cause you can just take the transmission out without the engine.  Older cars can get pricey but $10k is just way out of the ballpark.  You should be able to do a complete engine reseal for that.  On 911 Turbos and GT-3s the engine has to come out to remove the transmission so it is not really something you want to be doing in a driveway.  A lift is a necessity on these cars in my opinion.  

Pretty common problem from what I hear. That and the intermediate shaft seperating and obliterating the motor. Apparently it's been fixed for 09 - the IMS, dunno about the RMS.

Porsche has come out with a new rear main seal and installation tool recently.  It has pretty much fixed the problem.  A few years ago we would have had at least several cars a day that were leaking.  Now its getting rare.  Maybe one car a month.  There have been a few problems with the intermediate shafts taking a dump on some of the cars.  Usually it happens when the car is in warranty,(usually).  For 09 they did get rid of the intermediate shaft all together which made the engine a bit more compact and it can sit lower in the car.  

[NeufUnSix]

I know the IMS is becoming a real terror to people picking up Boxsters at bargain prices (though it affects the water cooled 911 too). Now that you can get one for well under 20K (I've heard 10ish in the US), a lot of people are getting them used. And when the IMS blows the motor outside of warranty and they need a 14K engine job, well, it doesn't make for a loyal consumer base.

Someone theorized the IMS problem as the main reason the 996 is worth less than a 993. Could be BS, but I have noticed that 993s are holding their values a lot better.

[lethe]

If it was on a Boxster or Cayman, maybe even a regular 911 you could do it at home.  We get around $1500 to do those cause you can just take the transmission out without the engine.  Older cars can get pricey but $10k is just way out of the ballpark.  You should be able to do a complete engine reseal for that.  On 911 Turbos and GT-3s the engine has to come out to remove the transmission so it is not really something you want to be doing in a driveway.  A lift is a necessity on these cars in my opinion. 

Well if I ever get a Porsche that would be just the excuse I'd use to finally put a lift in the garage.
Now I just need to find an excuse to buy a Porsche so I can get my lift.

[acalles]

If it was on a Boxster or Cayman, maybe even a regular 911 you could do it at home.  We get around $1500 to do those cause you can just take the transmission out without the engine.  Older cars can get pricey but $10k is just way out of the ballpark.  You should be able to do a complete engine reseal for that.  On 911 Turbos and GT-3s the engine has to come out to remove the transmission so it is not really something you want to be doing in a driveway.  A lift is a necessity on these cars in my opinion.  

his leak was at the rear main, but he wanted a quote for a total reseal, along with the seals on the transmission. if your gonna do all the work to take out that bastard drive line, and engine might as well do it all at the same time..

[Porsche Monkey]

Oh one more thing, this car belongs to the owner of my local Duc dealership. 

[Scottish]

I see the problem, it looks like there is a tiny Monster in this engine....

I just pee'd a little.