Oil sump gasket?

[kuehjo]

I think I'm understanding correctly that there is no gasket on the oil sump on the Boxsters - correct? It's a sealant job, rather than gasket job. Right?

I know that the 928's have an aftermarket neoprenene seal available - its not exactly cheap but it is a beautiful (and reusable) piece of gear. (and it does a great job of sealing the VERY large and very heavy pan back to the bottom of the engine) I haven't seen mention anywhere of such an item for the Boxster - is anyone aware if such a thing exists?

Thanks!

[tonythetarga]

Not heard of a gasket. Curil T sealant is what you want. make sure you clean all the old stuff off. We use a razor and solvent to get it clean but be careful not to cut or scratch the surface with the razor.

[JFP in PA]

LocTite 5900 is the best substitute or the Curil T; others have used many types, but we find the 5900 works the best.

Rather than use a razor to clean the surfaces, try some WD40 and a Scotchbrite pad, leaves them clean and without damage.

[kuehjo]

Thats what I thought. I read about the Curil T in the technical articles I think, and I remember in Wayne's book he was recommending the Loctite 5900.

That neoprene gasket - when I rebuilt the 928 I remember thinking, "Well thats a LITTLE pricey - but I don't want a leak (and the 928's are notorious for leaks because the oil pan is so heavy) - and when I installed it, I was SOOOOO pleased with it - just a great little piece of technology. A simple 1/8" thick neoprene gasket - lots of room to torque it JUST RIGHT. It was just one of those things that seem SO RIGHT when you do it - kind of like the fuses with the little LED that lights if the fuse blows.... They're pricey, especially to replace an entire panel - until one actually blows, and then its just such a dirt simple sort of thing to figure out its a blown fuse, and which one it actually is.

Or the Audi constant-tension timing tensioner that the 928 guys have adopted - not a cheap substitute, but SOOOO much better than the OEM - and it minimzes the risk of that super long belt getting slack and jumping timing.

I think Porsche engineers some pretty good stuff. But they aren't perfect (nor am I expecting them to be - just to own up and be responsible for the things that aren't). In medicine - when something goes wrong, we have a pretty critical self-review process - and the FIRST thing you ask is - "Would I do it again, and if I would, what would I have done differently" The IMS bearing should probably be a classic example. So when you identify a design defect, repair it. Replace it with something better. At least LN Engineering has given us that with the Boxster and the IMS bearing.

Well anyways - didn't mean to get on my soap box - I just really appreciate good design. I've said so before, but I love the Miata because they make SENSE. They are easy to work on, and you need a very small handful of tools to essentially do ANYTHING on the entire car. They used the same 4 or 5 fasteners to do EVERYTHING (ok - its a few more than that, but it is amazing how few tools you actually need.) Seriously. Kudos to the bean-counters for finally letting the engineers do their thing!

[adbm3]

I used Loctite 5900 when I pulled the sump to check for debris when I put in my IMS Guardian. Don't pull the plate unless you are aware of the torquing procedure and are comfortable working quickly due to the Loctite set up time. You will not find much willing help from anyone on the net on this subject. I outta know!

[kuehjo]

Thanks - I appreciate the heads-up on that. I've never used it before, and you may have saved me some real aggravation.