964 Front Crankshaft Seal Replacement

[rickster2]

How difficult is it to remove and replace the front crankshaft seal (pulley side)? I have my pulley removed as part of timing chain cover seal replacement job.

It looks like I have to hook the old seal to pull it out and press in the new seal after oiling the seal lip. Anything else I should know?

Thanks

Rick
1993 911 RSA

[lucittm]

I think you got it. I was unhappy that the replacement seal I used came from China and I voiced my opinion to our sponsor.

Just be careful not to scratch the crankshaft. Mine came out with a seal puller (hook) and the new one pressed in with my fingers, I drove it home with a large socket and a few light taps with a BPH.

Mark

[sml]

Originally Posted by lucittm

I was unhappy that the replacement seal I used came from China.

do you mean that you could see or feel a quality concern with the product?

(of course china can make high quality products depending upon what their customer requests & is prepared to pay for).

[lucittm]

My car is made in Germany. Many of the tools I use to maintain my car are made in Germany. When I go to the repair shop for the occasional use of the "Hammer" or a A/C service, my mechanic is from Germany. Why would I be happy with a seal made in China?

China is very adept at reverse engineering parts that have traditionally been made in America or Europe. When you buy those parts you are contributing to the theft of engineering and OEM manufacturing. Also, I cannot determine the accuracy of the dimensional specifications or quality of the materials used to make the part because it is not OEM.

Finally, I paid for an OEM part. I did not discover it was made in China until I saw the box. This is the most frustrating part. I hope everyone feels the same way I do. If I wanted Chinese parts, I would have bought a Chinese car.

Mark

[RSTarga]

How do you know OEM is not chinese? Most of our computers are Chinese, heck almost everything we buy is Chinese. It all depends what is the quality control of the buyer.

[sml]

Originally Posted by lucittm

Finally, I paid for an OEM part. I did not discover it was made in China until I saw the box.

So let's say Bosch is the OEM for the part .. and they close their manufacturing facility in Germany and move to Portugal or China .. what happens then?

As for the huge aftermarket auto parts industry, i guess you do your research before you buy and ultimately have a contract with the party from whom you bought the part.

[sml]

Originally Posted by lucittm

my mechanic is from Germany.
I hope everyone feels the same way I do.

what difference does the nationality of your mechanic have to do with anything? are amercian porsche mechanics not very good?

nope .. i believe in the economic fundamentals of globalisation as do the many countries that are trying to pursue free trade agreements ... manufacturing is China is awesome.

[lucittm]

I don't really want to turn this thread into a political debate, but to answer your question the seal I removed from my engine said "GERMANY" on it.

Also, I should have stated, "My mechanic was trained in Germany (by Porsche)." Of course his nationality does not matter but where he received training to work on my car does. These threads are full of tales of woe from owners who now wish they had used factory trained mechanics.

I'm not saying anything about the manufacturing in China, just that I expected OEM and didn't get it. I paid the current price and received a product that may be just as good but probably cost less to make than the one I would have received 2-3 years ago. I am willing to pay the difference to keep my car OEM, some owners are not, simple.

BTW, you misspelled America.

Mark

[Britwrench]

Many ORIGINAL parts from Porsche are not made in Germany.

By the way, the Boxster and Cayman have been manufactured in Finland since their introduction, using parts from all over the world.

Some Porsche dealer technicians received their training in the county they live in and have never been to the factory. I'm assuming you meant "Porsche trained" technician.

[sml]

Originally Posted by lucittm

I'm not saying anything about the manufacturing in China, just that I expected OEM and didn't get it. I paid the current price and received a product that may be just as good but probably cost less to make than the one I would have received 2-3 years ago.

You mentioned China and now you are saying that China manufacturing is not an issue. So that's fine, we have clarified that point.

Was the brand stamped on the part? How do you know it is not OEM?

Subject to your answer to the above question, it could be OEM .. and it could be the same quality ... so if the manufacturer is smart enough to reduce costs and still charge the same price which you agreed to pay, then there is no issue.

I still do not understand your issue with the supplied part.

[Hamptonsam]

Sml - Free trade (including agreements) only exists in economic text books that we were given in school. There are too many assumptions such as freely moving currencies that never happen in reality.

[rsr91128]

FYI

I ordered an OE front seal for my 993 from another source (I ordered plenty of stuff from pelican too ) and it came in a bag with the Porsche sticker on it so I can only assume it is from Porsche (the other parts were anyway).

According to the name on the seal it is manufactured by KACO a German company.

If I were paying for OE I would expect OE not a Chinese knockoff. However if both were offered and there was a price difference than that is OK with me and it is up to the buyer to choose.

[lucittm]

sml,
Let me see if I can spell it out for you. I chose to overhaul my engine due to mildly excessive oil consumption, low compression on one cylinder and two readings that I considered a bit high on a leakdown test.

Are you with me so far?

I ordered $5,984.93 worth of parts, supplies, and service from our sponsor and other local area (to me) suppliers.

Still tracking?

EVERY single engine part I received was made in Germany, except one. The crankshaft seal. It is a no-name seal unless you can read Mandarin, and it says "China" on it so I assume it was made in China. Now, is it neoprene or viton? What are the temperature ratings? Is the spring 316 stainless? Are the dimensions +/- 0.01mm? I don't know, I will never know. I can't trace it because I don't know who made it. There is a lack of accountability with Chinese knockoff parts. Maybe that will change some day, I don't know.

How are you doing?

This much I do know: The seal I took out was made by Elring Klinger AG, a Germany company, the seal was marked "Germany" and "30x50x8". The part number is 999-113-290-41-M30. Do you know what "M30" means? It is the manufacturer code, M30 is Elring Klinger AG (not what I received). I paid $19.75 for the Chinese seal in November 2008 and today the price is $12.75. I don't know if that is because of the valuation of USD currency, supply and demand, or maybe it is a lower cost part and our sponsor is passing the savings on to us.

Still with me so far?

The grease came from Germany. The gaskets and o-rings came from Germany. The engine mount came from Germany. The piston rings came from Germany. Even the M8 nuts came from Germany.

Are you starting to see a pattern? I used Porsche part numbers and simply wanted to replace the German parts I took out with German parts to put in. Why? Who cares? My car is all original and I would like it to stay that way. (OK, so I made a few changes. But I still have the original parts and they can go back on there tonight.)

Erik, gets it. Thanks Erik.

Mark

[sml]

Location Changchun | ElringKlinger AG

Location Suzhou | ElringKlinger AG

Location Qingdao | ElringKlinger AG