Boxster head gasket

Boxster head gasket

Author
Discussion

paultither

Original Poster:

1,320 posts

199 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
What are the sure signs of a head gasket problem on a Boxster? Out of interest obviously! hmm

noumenon

1,281 posts

203 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all

Usually a james bond style smoke screen out the back. If it's white steam, then that'll be the coolant, if it's blue and smelly, that's the oil.

paultither

Original Poster:

1,320 posts

199 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
Its white, I have been having trouble with the coolant. I've replace the expansion tank and passenger side radiator but still a small problem with it. Wierdly yesterday I filled it up and the light flashed like it was empty. Then I left the car till lunch time and the light had stopped flashing when I got into it.

Does anyone know of a site where you can look at the engine layout in diagram form? It would make my life a lot easier!

Edited by paultither on Friday 7th December 10:13

hartech

1,929 posts

216 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
Head gasket failure is extrememly rare and there is usually another explanation for overheating or coolant loss. Smoking is more usually due to breather or air mass sensor problems.

Some blocks were machined accross the face with a cutter that is not as wide as the top and leave a witness mark where two cuts were taken - creating a small ridge accross the combustion diameter - which could lead to leakeage over time - as the thin layer on the steel gaskets, becomes old.

The top of the block also distorts a little and drops a bit with stress relieving - usually at the outside edge on the end opposite the chain camshaft drive.

The interface between the Lokasil preform and the outer cylinder bore also suffers from a corrosive problem.

Most times the head gasket can be replaced with the engine in the car. Some early cars had smaller heads on the head bolts and although they are strong enough to tighten first time - the Torx bit you use to undo them often breaks when trying to undo them again and you then may need to remove the engine to drill them off. Later head bolts moved up to the next size Torx bit and are OK -but there seems no distinction in the spare part number designation.

Baz

paultither

Original Poster:

1,320 posts

199 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
If you look into the front air intake, what is the radiator looking thing at the front? I had one side radiator replaced but this part, which is in front of the main radiator is still old and full of dirt? Sorry for the rubbish explanation! Can you help me identify it?



Edited by paultither on Friday 7th December 10:30

Porsche Tech

102 posts

200 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
Air Con Condensor, and you won't hve bled your cooling system right if the low level light is coming on

paultither

Original Poster:

1,320 posts

199 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
So does the air con condensor use the coolant to? Cos thats definetly got a leak. Sorry for being dense, you can tell I'm not a mechanic

RT

919 posts

244 months

Sunday 9th December 2007
quotequote all
No - the aircon condensor has a very thin oil in it and gas.

They very often get hit by stones or corrode at the far corners where leaves and oher crap gets caught. There's a small gap between the air con condensor and the rad which is usually full of mulch!

When you say 'definitely has a leak' what do you mean?

You could just be describing an airlock.

paultither

Original Poster:

1,320 posts

199 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
The drivers side air con condensor has a leak. Probably through stones but if you look at it after a drive there is definite 'wet patch' from it. Just a small amount, I was wondering whether this was a contributing factor to the coolant going missing but obviously not if the two are not related.

It seems to have settled down at the moment anyway, fingers crossed!

TOENHEEL

4,501 posts

226 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
I believe that now and again smoke on start up is cused by oil lying in the cylinders which occurs due to the flat 6 design??

986Tom

1 posts

193 months

Friday 8th February 2008
quotequote all
Has anyone expereicned a big puff of blue smoke everytime you start the car up? If so do you know what caused it, and more importantly, how much did it cost to fix!!!