Fender to oil cooler seal replacement ?

[88911cs]

Hi Guys ,
I've had a new gasket/seal for the oil cooler in the right front fender of my 88 911 for a while and need some advice on how to change it . The car has under 15,000 miles on it and has never seen rain in nearly 26 years of ownership , but the seal ( foam ) is turning to dust . I thought the grill ( stone guard ) slid over the oil lines , but closer inspection reveals that it is held to the cooler by 5 clips that are under the seal itself . Removing the 3 nuts/washers for the rubber mounts does little in the way of offering any movement of the unit so it appears I'm going to have to break the lines behind the cooler in order to slide the unit rearward ? I have the added issue of the car ( Clubsport ) being one of 5 built w/o undercoating so everything in the wheel well is sprayed with wax . There isn't any corrosion on anything so I guess it would come apart w/o too much hassle , but if I didn't have to remove the lines I'd be thrilled . Any ideas ?
Thanks in advance ,
Bryan

[ganun]

I would try and stuff the seal in, its soft rubber, without disturbing the fabric covered oil lines.
I wouldn`t sweat it. It could turn into a nasty job if the threads on the lines are stuck, then the issue with the absurd double studs on the lower rubber mounts not allowing the cooler to be pulled out, they tend to break......see the link below, it has good tips if you want to go and remove the cooler/fan assembly.

OTOH..... IMO that seal is not critical as long as the car is moving. Even if stuck in traffic I seriously doubt it has any effect on the oil temp since the fan is at the bottom of the cooler and the air exits the cooler in a downward direction just to be sucked up again by the fan a few inches away in a closed loop fashion, remember the seal is at the top.

oil cooler fan t'stat and switch installation

[zippy_gg]

Related to the original question: what do you guys used to "glue" the seal onto the edge of the cooler? Any product better than another?

[wildcat077]

If i remember right,it just slips over the edge of the panel ... mine has held for the past three years and i don't remember using any adhesive !

Cheers
Phil

[DRACO A5OG]

Sorry to write, but it requires disconnecting the lines (which is a biotch) and removal from fender to fit properly

[cashman]

^^^^^ That's the only way I could do it. No chance doing it while installed on mine.

[88911cs]

Thanks for the responses guys ; given the construction of the seal itself which seems like a combination of a Land Rover Defender door seal and foam there doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough room to attempt forcing it on . There are certain areas of the perimeter where it might be possible , but in some spots the seal is compressed to the point of there being very little space to work . I think you've confirmed what I suspected - need to remove the lines to allow the unit to move rearward.
Appreciate all the input .

[azhodge]

you might consider changing the thermostat, and upgrading the fan while you are in there. lots of threads on that subject. the two short oil lines are cheap. I replaced them also. don't forget the foam seal that goes around the two oil lines as they enter the cover.

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by azhodge

you might consider changing the thermostat, and upgrading the fan while you are in there. lots of threads on that subject. the two short oil lines are cheap. I replaced them also. don't forget the foam seal that goes around the two oil lines as they enter the cover.

That was my approach as the oil cooler seal is available from our host,
and not expensive.


^^^^^
Also, I changed out the 248F factory thermostat with a Nasson.

210F-On
197F-Off

It is a bit of work, but you will be very pleased.

Good luck,

Gerry

pm me as needed

[88911cs]

Hi Guys ,
Thanks for all your suggestions and comments . Today I took the lines off at the end where they meet the cooler , removed the 3 nuts/washers from the rubber stud mounts and was able to move the whole unit back 3 inches or so in order to change the fender seal . I lost a few ounces of oil so no big mess to deal with either . I'd say the worst part was trying to get the unit back in place over the 2 lower studs given the awkward position you're working in , but it went together OK and managed to do so w/o damaging the new seal . The Genuine Porsche seal is cut exactly to length so I started by installing the seal on the lower inner edge and worked around the cooler. I was able to move the cooler around enough as I went to allow space for pressing the seal on . Appreciate the time you guys took to offer up help .
Regards,
Bryan

[shadowjack1]

86 911 Targa:
Do you have a part Number for the Nasson part. And where did you purchase it.
Thanks