Headgasket or Oil Cooler Seal?????

[sqgabriel]

My'83 944NA is broke!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have got water in the oil (emulsified) the car runs and does not seem to get hot, but it is freezing cold here in the UK at the moment.

The car will start fine from cold but after a few miles if you stop the engine and try to restart it fails. It will attempt to run and then cut out almost immediately. I am losing water and from what I understand from reading previous posts it could be either the Oil Cooler seal or the Headgasket. Is there an easy way to find out which has blown.

Please help me as i feel lost without my 944

( I think a compresssion test would work but don't have a compression tester or know how to use one)


Thank You


Shaun

[Gabrielm]

Where in the UK are you? If your down south I know of a couple of garages who could do the compression test for you.

As for the oil. Is the emulsion in the block or under the filler cap? I had some on the cap but it turned out to be only where moisture had condensed and mixed with residue. (the oil on the dipstick was clean and an oil change highlighted no problems.

Good luck....

[sqgabriel]

Thanks for your reply GabrielM, The emulsified oil is in the filler neck. I am about 10 miles away from you in bracknell so if you do know a good garage i would appreciate the advice on using it

thanks

Shaun Gabriel

[speed]

pop your plugs off, spin your engine and see which hole or holes is spitting out coolant...oh disconnect your coil, don't want a fire on your hands, that could mess up your day.

[88_944]

sqgabriel, Sounds like a bad oil cooler seal needs changing. Don't run your engine untill you stop oil and water mixing unless you want to do a main and con-rod bearing job soon. Those bearing job was my worst job ever!!! My previous owner of my 944 did this and I got stuck with the job later.

[Gabrielm]

Try Northways.

There just off the M4 J12 (A4 going to Thame) Can't recommend them highly enough, their url is:

http://www.northwayporsche.co.uk

What colour is your car? I may have seen you out & about. I'm driving a Black '86 turbo with black interior.

with regards to the emulsion.....

better to be safe rather than sorry and get it checked out.

[sqgabriel]

Thanks for that Gabrielm, unfortunatly i don't think my car will make it that far, i did try calling a rescue firm tonight but they reckon that they will not be carrying out any non essential rescue jobs for the next week or so because of the weather. Pickup my company car on monday so i guess it can wait. got to keep the 944 cant bear to part with it

[Gabrielm]

Know how you feel they are just so damn addictive!

[AFJuvat]

It sounds like a head gasket - is there a "chocolate malted" in your coolant tank?

AFJuvat

[sqgabriel]

Ok, I think i may have panicked yesterday. Managed to have a good look at my engine today when it was in the daylight and have found the following after a 20 mile drive:

Dont seem to be losing much water if any, could the cold weather have made the water in the expansion tank drop just a little??

The oil on the dipstick is clear with no signs of emulsification

The oil filler does have some emulsification but not as much as i first thought

The anti-freeze in the expansion tank is clear with no oil on the top


does anybody think that the emulsification in the filler neck could have been caused by the colder weather we are having in the UK at the moment, and that the restarting problem could be due to a seperate fault like the fuel pump or a sticking DME/Fuel relay.

your thoughts would be appreciated and thank you for all your responses so far. By the way a 20 mile drive never caused the temperature gauge to go any higher than halfaway (normal)

thanks

shaun

[ae1969]

The emulsification wouldn't be due to the colder temperatures..... I don't notice a difference at -20 celcius.

I would suggest you have a coolant leak at either one of the two spots mentioned. Compression test will rule out the head gasket.

Both of these can be nasty on your engine if not corrected.