944 Oil Leak & Repair Advice Needed

[jeh1995]

Ok guys, I could use a bit of advice. I have a 1986 944 NA. I recently started having a cloud of oil smoke anytime I accelerated hard. I assumed it was a leaky oil pan. After I got everything cleared away (steering rack, cross member) I found the leak is on the passenger side, high near the #4 cylinder exhaust outlet. It must be "spraying" oil out a gasket. There is a clear track down the side of the engine....

I am also getting ready to replace a weepy water pump.

How should I attack this? Is it a common leak that warrants a new gasket? Is is likely there is something "big" wrong (like a cracked block). Given that I want to do the water pump would it be best to take the engine out and make it easy to work on?

I really appreciate the advice.

[JRMock]

The back of the balance shaft housings have a large aluminum plug and o-ring. My SWAG is that your oil is coming from here. If you can move the plug around with your hand...bingo.

You can replace the front seals, water pump, and these two o-rings with the engine in the car. The lower balance shaft is the hardest to get to, but possible. The upper balance shaft is easy once you remove the intake and fuel rail components.

If you already have the cross member removed, go ahead and replace the oil pan gasket while you have access.

Most "bottom end seal kits" have the the two o-rings for the back of the balance shafts, but double check. There are two large black o-rings that are on the front, don't let these be confused with the two smaller red o-rings for the back.

And...find the two o-rings for the 'oil filler assemply', they are two different sizes, don't mix them up.

good luck
JM

[TCMdocs944]

I am guessing front balance shaft seal as well. The oil tends to go back along the block and hit the exhaust headers.

If I were doing the H2opump and I didn't know when the front seals had been changed I would do the whole shebang. (parts are not that much $)