Some of you lot can be amazing at times.
I write something serious to advise what I have discovered and it turns into a debate about things I never said or mentioned plus lots of nonsense while others got it right first time and understood correctly and defend my posting superbly.
Let's put the record straight "" I never said that a corroded head gasket needed changing because it would fail to seal the cylinder compression or leak coolant. My warning was that the lack of proper rear cylinder coolant circulation could result in the seizures we have seen particularly in S2's (as rightly pointed out due to reduced piston taper and coolant block depth).
I said that it would probably only become a problem with spirited driving (which more S2 owners indulge in than 2.5 or 2.7 owners due to the additional performance available)
I suggested that IF THE GASKET HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED and you are anyway due new belts or a water pump "" it might then be worth the small additional cost to replace the head gasket.
The idea that it can be just as cost effective to buy a spare block and then if it seizes "" it is as cheap to rebuild an engine with new piston etc as to replace a head gasket - is utter nonsense.
Even after 4-6 years old a high performance sports car need a different approach to maintenance checks to keep it in good condition because items wear and can fail that would never be put in an owner's handbook. Perished rubber, brake corrosion, suspension settling changing geo, etc etc "" all start to need looking at and with the 944 range at least 20 years old "" however little it is driven "" following the manufacturers original check list is misinformed and dangerous.
That is why "" as Porsche's age "" often Independents see more of the older cars and provide not only better service check regimes but also can remanufacture or re-source more suitable parts at a lower cost.
Preventative maintenance is the answer to all reliability issues (unless the product has a known random weak spot which the 944 range don't).
There may well not be a lot of problem cars out there so far but most of the head gaskets that have never been changed will now have these rot holes inside but still be running OK and those still driven with gusto will eventually start to damage pistons and bores "" especially in S2's.
It is so easily forgotten that when we first advised against not changing the S1, S2 and 968 cam chain (as Porsche listed it as a "service for life item") we had the very same doubters and arguments as now. Typically people hadn't heard of a problem "" so there wasn't one - yet not a single buyers guide report will ignore the issue now and countless people have been saved from the huge expense that early failures cost those innocent owners.
Similarly with the Boxster and 996 issues "" 5 years ago we were apparently scare-mongering about IMS bearings and cracked liners "" now it is a relatively common and accepted problem.
I particularly like those who complain that I only told them about this after they have just had the belts done "" but what am I supposed to do about that "" it is inevitable that whenever someone understands a problem and warns others about it that some will just have had something similar done and wish they had known beforehand "" so should no one ever provide these warnings in case it catches the minority out?
With planned maintenance you do replace most things (yes oil, coolant, brake fluid, belts etc etc) actually long before they are going to cause a problem. How else could you do it? You couldn't advise people to run until the point where some fail and there is always exceptions that lower the failure point much lower than most of the product will experience. Anyone undertaking planned maintenance will never know if they needed the part when it was fitted because that very change prevents you finding out "" there is nothing new in this and it will always be the same. No one can ever say "it's a good job they changed my brake fluid as it was about to boil and cause a crash next week "" or that the recent oil change prevented my number 2 big end failing". As the cars get older the list inevitably increases and this item should properly be put on that list now for all 944's "" I REPEAT that have not had a head gasket in the last 10 to 12 years!
Good planned maintenance delivers reliable results but there is obviously a cost. You can take your chance and risk it and many will be able to run a 944 for 10 years and 100K without ever changing the oil, belts or anything "" but quite a lot will eventually blow up.
I don't think you would fly with your family with an airline that has a record of one flight crash/year because they run longer service air mile intervals "" would you?
I understand that as these old cars age and are cheap to buy "" often owners cannot afford the level of maintenance they probably deserve and they take the risks associated with that but my advice was merely to suggest that IF you want to keep driving in a spirited way and IF you have never had a head gasket change and obviously IF you can afford it "" then this information suggests a head gasket should be on your list "" especially if you have other maintenance being done that has duplication to minimise the cost.
What you do about the information is entirely up to you. We do not seek 944 head gasket jobs "" they are priced competitively and with corrosion of exhausts etc become very time consuming - they are not particularly rewarding "" but please don't start suggesting that the gasket deterioration is not ever going to cause a problem and don't complain if you end up seizing a piston.
As per my original advice - if you want to keep the car and enjoy driving it as it was intended and you have never had a head gasket change - especially if it is an S2 - try and afford to have it changed for the security of not wrecking the engine.
Baz
I write something serious to advise what I have discovered and it turns into a debate about things I never said or mentioned plus lots of nonsense while others got it right first time and understood correctly and defend my posting superbly.
Let's put the record straight "" I never said that a corroded head gasket needed changing because it would fail to seal the cylinder compression or leak coolant. My warning was that the lack of proper rear cylinder coolant circulation could result in the seizures we have seen particularly in S2's (as rightly pointed out due to reduced piston taper and coolant block depth).
I said that it would probably only become a problem with spirited driving (which more S2 owners indulge in than 2.5 or 2.7 owners due to the additional performance available)
I suggested that IF THE GASKET HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED and you are anyway due new belts or a water pump "" it might then be worth the small additional cost to replace the head gasket.
The idea that it can be just as cost effective to buy a spare block and then if it seizes "" it is as cheap to rebuild an engine with new piston etc as to replace a head gasket - is utter nonsense.
Even after 4-6 years old a high performance sports car need a different approach to maintenance checks to keep it in good condition because items wear and can fail that would never be put in an owner's handbook. Perished rubber, brake corrosion, suspension settling changing geo, etc etc "" all start to need looking at and with the 944 range at least 20 years old "" however little it is driven "" following the manufacturers original check list is misinformed and dangerous.
That is why "" as Porsche's age "" often Independents see more of the older cars and provide not only better service check regimes but also can remanufacture or re-source more suitable parts at a lower cost.
Preventative maintenance is the answer to all reliability issues (unless the product has a known random weak spot which the 944 range don't).
There may well not be a lot of problem cars out there so far but most of the head gaskets that have never been changed will now have these rot holes inside but still be running OK and those still driven with gusto will eventually start to damage pistons and bores "" especially in S2's.
It is so easily forgotten that when we first advised against not changing the S1, S2 and 968 cam chain (as Porsche listed it as a "service for life item") we had the very same doubters and arguments as now. Typically people hadn't heard of a problem "" so there wasn't one - yet not a single buyers guide report will ignore the issue now and countless people have been saved from the huge expense that early failures cost those innocent owners.
Similarly with the Boxster and 996 issues "" 5 years ago we were apparently scare-mongering about IMS bearings and cracked liners "" now it is a relatively common and accepted problem.
I particularly like those who complain that I only told them about this after they have just had the belts done "" but what am I supposed to do about that "" it is inevitable that whenever someone understands a problem and warns others about it that some will just have had something similar done and wish they had known beforehand "" so should no one ever provide these warnings in case it catches the minority out?
With planned maintenance you do replace most things (yes oil, coolant, brake fluid, belts etc etc) actually long before they are going to cause a problem. How else could you do it? You couldn't advise people to run until the point where some fail and there is always exceptions that lower the failure point much lower than most of the product will experience. Anyone undertaking planned maintenance will never know if they needed the part when it was fitted because that very change prevents you finding out "" there is nothing new in this and it will always be the same. No one can ever say "it's a good job they changed my brake fluid as it was about to boil and cause a crash next week "" or that the recent oil change prevented my number 2 big end failing". As the cars get older the list inevitably increases and this item should properly be put on that list now for all 944's "" I REPEAT that have not had a head gasket in the last 10 to 12 years!
Good planned maintenance delivers reliable results but there is obviously a cost. You can take your chance and risk it and many will be able to run a 944 for 10 years and 100K without ever changing the oil, belts or anything "" but quite a lot will eventually blow up.
I don't think you would fly with your family with an airline that has a record of one flight crash/year because they run longer service air mile intervals "" would you?
I understand that as these old cars age and are cheap to buy "" often owners cannot afford the level of maintenance they probably deserve and they take the risks associated with that but my advice was merely to suggest that IF you want to keep driving in a spirited way and IF you have never had a head gasket change and obviously IF you can afford it "" then this information suggests a head gasket should be on your list "" especially if you have other maintenance being done that has duplication to minimise the cost.
What you do about the information is entirely up to you. We do not seek 944 head gasket jobs "" they are priced competitively and with corrosion of exhausts etc become very time consuming - they are not particularly rewarding "" but please don't start suggesting that the gasket deterioration is not ever going to cause a problem and don't complain if you end up seizing a piston.
As per my original advice - if you want to keep the car and enjoy driving it as it was intended and you have never had a head gasket change - especially if it is an S2 - try and afford to have it changed for the security of not wrecking the engine.
Baz
