new to water cooled: failed PPI

[juanbenae]

I posted a couple shots of an 02 turbo I was very interested in requesting an ID on some wheels. well, after driving the car I fell in love and had a PPI done before considering my offer. it was very over priced per my recent research, but the consignment seller appeared aware of this.

I had the PPI done at a shop 40 miles or so from my hood and was pleasantly surprised with the shop's owner and staff. was reluctant to use another shop other than RMG near my home, but was glad I found kahlers in Dublin.

after the enterior & exterior walk around the car went up. while looking at the motor area dennis, the tech doing the inspection gave out the uuutttooohhh bellow suggesting I should come over and take a look at this.



sorry for the crummy phone pic, but what you are seeing is where the cast water race/manifold at the base of the cylinders appears to be leaking. it was not from any of the head gaskets seeming to leak from a breach of some sort. it was all crystalized and looked like calcium from a leaky sink.. finger wiped most of it away and could only narrow down where it was emanating from with no visible crack or hole in the casting. the car was warm having idled for 20 minutes before it went up on the lift and no sign of moisture was present at the site. this was on the driver's side bank between two & three cylinders. let the oil return line at the case orientate you.

neither the shop owner, or the tech had ever seen anything like this they said. car had only been driven 400 miles a year for the last 7 and still had the "gen 1" green coolant in place suggesting it had never been flushed. could old coolant and inactivity cause the corrosion to eat through what im being told is a 3-4mm thick part.

discuss? interested in hearing your takes. off tomorrow to drive another 996 turbo.... loving these cars.

t