Q – I had the rear crankshaft seal replaced on the engine in my ‘91 Carrera 2 and it still leaks. I know, you are going to say, “Take it back and have them redo it”! I did. And it is still leaking. I am quite frustrated about this and Lynn wants to know how to get the garage floor clean. Now the shop is telling me that to fix it properly will require a complete tear down. – Fred
A – Fred, I understand your frustration. My wife isn’t too happy either when I park a drippy car in the garage. First the oil leak. On the C2, the rear most main bearing and seal carrier is sealed to the engine block with an O-ring. Surely the engineers thought that it would remain “sealed for life”. Ha! Now those same engineers say that when the O-ring fails, replace it. Oh, and to replace it, you have to split the case!
There was a time when Honda produced an engine that had a minor problem with a motor mount boss on the engine. The engine block would stress crack near the boss and start leaking oil. The resourceful Japanese created (with the help of Dow Corning, “better living through chemistry”) “Hondabond”, an RTV silicone sealant, similar to bathtub caulk. They thought that smearing a little of this miracle goo on the crack would take care of the leak, and it did. They also redesigned a more robust engine mount bracket. And the motor mount engineer is now designing sun visors.
What does that have to do with a Porsche? Well, after taking the rear of your engine apart again, (for the third time!), clean the gap between the engine block and “bearing bushing for bearing no. 8” with brake clearer, acetone, or an equally vile solvent to remove all traces of oil. Pack Hondabond into the crack and let it dry for 24 hours. Once everything is reassembled, I bet it won’t leak. And besides, if it does, think of how much kitty litter your can buy for the $10,000 that it would cost to fix it using the Porsche-approved method.
To clean the garage floor, try “Gunk Engine Brite” which is water-emulsified solvent for oil. Follow the directions and be patient, it may take two or three applications but eventually, the oil will work its way to the surface where a heavy duty floor soap can finish the job. – MC