Crank Oil Seal?

[the_big_1]

Hi All,

Been advisd the biggest problem Boxsters suffer from is the crank oil seals?
If this is true, what do you look for to chck if it is ok, not ok when buying?

Carl

 

[johnk]

you seem to have a fair few questions regards boxster, your best bet is to get a ppi done before hand just to put your mind at rest, porsche rear main seals do leak although they have brought seal after seal out to combat it they still do have a minority of cars that don't seem to want to stop leaking.
If you insist on looking at the car yourself you need to look where the engine and gearbox meet and look for oil residue, a sweat of oil is usually ok but if it as drips it needs doing, the other problem is what is called the intermediate shaft seal which can also leak and give you the same result under the car...

you have numerous thing to look at when buying boxster i.e rads at front are free from leaves and debris, oil leak around gearbox/engine area, your tyres are all n rated and the brakes are all ok and not corroded to death

 

[the_big_1]

Thanks for all your help.
I have always checked my own cars out and up to now, had no issues.
I always like to get an idea of potential weekness incase the cars has the problem now or if it could develope in the future.

 

[Black80XSA]

Suggest you read as many buyers guides as you can - Rear Main Seal (crankshaft) can be a problem but is more of an annoyance and not all cars suffer. £500 to replace at an Independent. Your biggest concern should be intermediate shaft failure which is an engine rebuild or replacement - afflicts a small percentage of cars but is a very costly repair !

 

[the_big_1]

Is the intermediate shaft seal failure easy to spot, I mean can it be confused with the crank one failing or are they opposite engine ends?

 

[Black80XSA]

The intermediate shaft and crankshaft seals sit in a vertical line one above the other. You can't see either without splitting the engine and gearbox apart, but you will be able to see whether, and how much, oil there is at the joint.

If you look at private cars for sale, check garages and driveways for signs of drips - centre line of car, just ahead of rear axle line.

 

[the_big_1]

Cheers!
When I go to look at the car again I will check if there is any sort of oil marks, drips etc. I presume there is quite a drip when failed so should be signs along the under side of the car.

 

[johnk]

you will never be able to tell if the int shaft is going to fail as when it does it takes the engine with it...

if you have a lot of oil under a car then assume they are both leaking.

they only way somecan tell if you need a new int shaft is that when they take the seal off the shaft there is play in the shaft bearing,if there is it requires a new shaft which is an engine rebuild.. and costly..

 

[the_big_1]

Got ya!
So really any sign of oil leaking, above normal wear and tear should keep clear of.

 

[Tool Pants]

You look for oil where the transmission bolts to the engine. Look in the area of the metal safety cable. The intermedate shaft seal is just below the rear crankshaft seal. Both are common sources for leaks. You cannot tell which it is until the transmission and flywheel are removed for a visual inspection.

 

[kenparker]

the picture above, what are we looking at for the amount of oil. I would say that is alot of oil to lose for a modern engine. So was this a seal that had worn?

 

[berty987]

Porsche have chased this problem with redesigns and tech bulletins since the M96 engine was introduced. The problem affects all boxster and 911 engines , save the units fitted to the GT3, GT2 and Turbo as these have a different block. You are more likely to find a low mileage boxster has RMS problems than a higher mileage one , as it seems that infrequent use can cause the seal to dry out. Some cars have a number of RMS seals replaced during their life, others never need one , so I dont think its all down to the design. There is also a suspicion that some engine casings and assemblies were not perfectly aligned during manufacture , in which case the seal will never last a significant period before requiring renewal. Check to see if the car has a leak and then ask if the RMS has been done before. If its low infrequent mileage and never been replaced before , chances are it will only need doing once. The seal can usually last out until the clutch needs replacing even though its weeping.