Coolant Pipe replacement

[flyingpenguin]

A nice surprise. The dealer is telling me that this particular failure isn't covered by the CPO warranty. I'll ask them to show me when I'm there picking it up but I'll be ordering parts tonight.

EDIT: I called back asking them to make sure this isn't covered under warranty. After a few minutes on hold they said it was. Apparently the CPO warranty for anything bought after August 2008 is bumper-to-bumper. I think the service writer thought I had bought it earlier than that cut off. So mine's under the knife, free of charge. :)

Yippie!! It happened to me today. Have CPO until Aug 2010 and was hoping the pipes would crack before it ran out. Flatbedded my 04 CS to Porsche of North Houston and they took care of it free of charge within a few hours. They said it was their 2nd this week....

You gotta love CPO!

JP

[rsfeller]

Guys, I'm looking into this repair for a family member that was quoted about $3000 to fix this...I'm really not seeing this being beyond 3-6 hours other then some stuck pipes.

I"m looking at the two part numbers and one ends in 04 and 05 (for the pipes) with a suggested retail of $90 and $190 with the later saying stainless...but I keep reading aluminum pipes. Is the $90 aluminium or orignal plastic...I'm understanding that they most likely don't even offer plastic anymore due to the failure trend. Can you offer some insight on the parts I'm seeing?

Lastly, have the parts dropped dramatically on these over the years as I'm seeing some saying they spent $800 in parts and I don't see this being but a third that.

I"m still researching this project w/o even seeing his ride yet...so I could be way off in my understanding. Thanx.

[Loren]

Guys, I'm looking into this repair for a family member that was quoted about $3000 to fix this...I'm really not seeing this being beyond 3-6 hours other then some stuck pipes.

I"m looking at the two part numbers and one ends in 04 and 05 (for the pipes) with a suggested retail of $90 and $190 with the later saying stainless...but I keep reading aluminum pipes. Is the $90 aluminium or orignal plastic...I'm understanding that they most likely don't even offer plastic anymore due to the failure trend. Can you offer some insight on the parts I'm seeing?

Lastly, have the parts dropped dramatically on these over the years as I'm seeing some saying they spent $800 in parts and I don't see this being but a third that.

I"m still researching this project w/o even seeing his ride yet...so I could be way off in my understanding. Thanx.

Actually 06 is the newest part number for the pipes.

Talk to the folks at Sunset Porsche - they put a kit together for this.

[rsfeller]

Actually 06 is the newest part number for the pipes.

Talk to the folks at Sunset Porsche - they put a kit together for this.

Thanks Loren, I was hoping someone would say they did a kit for this!

Edited August 27, 2010 by rsfeller

[rsfeller]

Additionally...

I now see the starter is tucked in there..how cute!

Are some people getting $3000 quotes as they are doing preventive maintenance that the starter has been damaged from the water leak?

I know your average vehicles starter can take a moisture beating but maybe this one is fragile since it was supposed to be dry all it's life? Should this be replaced as it is sure to fail soon or should it only be replaced if he has money to burn?

[Marsella]

Hello Folks,

I am thinking of adding a MY 06 Cayenne S to keep my MY 99 997 company. I am going to assume on all the cars I see that the pipe change has not been done, but it would sure be nice to find an SUV with this done already. Is it possible to visually inspect to see if this has been done?

[lclevert]

My coolant pipe let go on the wife Friday and she got the Low Coolant warning. Luckily she was only a couple of miles from the house cause she just drove it home. She thought that meant something was wrong with the air conditioner, so she turned the a/c off. Wow!

Took everything apart and found a 2 inch long split in the big plastic coolant pipe. I have the coolant repair kit on order. Should be here on Tues.

Can someone tell me the torque specs for the following:

Thermostat housing plate (the part the 3 pipes attach to toward the front).

Intake Manifold

Thanks

Skip

Edited September 11, 2010 by lclevert

[deilenberger]

Just curious - somewhere there is a thread on how to identify if your Cay has the aluminum or plastic pipes.. and it involved removing the rear plastic body cover and perhaps the auxillary air pumps, and using a mirror and/or camera to try to see that end of the pipes. I tried that with an amazing lack of success.

Today I was poking around my '06 using a CSI flashlight (Maglight-tm) - and noticed that if I look between the intake runners on the top of the engine, I can see what appears to be a large black plastic pipe. Doing this was MUCH easier then the contortions required for the other method. I've gotta get my camera out and take a few photos.. but I *think* you can see the plasic pipes with the use of a bright flashlight without any contortions required.

Just a FWIW, and mebbe I'm all wet (well - not yet, but I do seem to have the plastic pipes..)

[lclevert]

I think you are seeing the bottom of the intake (it is black plastic also). If I remember correctly, the intake is a solid piece at the bottom and you can't see what's under it, which would be all of the coolant pipes.

[deilenberger]

I think you're absolutely correct. Looked at it again as I was cleaning the throttle body - and there is no way to see down through the intake assembly. Bummer.

Thanks!

[deilenberger]

I think you're absolutely correct. Looked at it again as I was cleaning the throttle body - and there is no way to see down through the intake assembly. Bummer.

Thanks!

Quoting myself..

Got carried away at Harbor Freight and bought their remote camera boroscope tool. On sale for $80 - has a nice little 2.5x3" LCD display screen, and a probe mounted close focus CCD camera with LED lights to light things up. Wiggled it around behind the intake manifold and I can now authoratively state that I still have the plastic pipes (bummer!)

If anyone in NJ is curious and wants to look at theirs - I'm in the shore area. PM me.. free even!

Edited June 27, 2011 by deilenberger

[Erik_on]

I just had the coolant pipes fixed on my 2004 CS

The mess from the leaky coolant pipes was pretty bad, but not as bad as some photos I have seen. Based on photos they took of my car, they did an excellent job of cleaning everything up and installing the new aluminum pipes.

While they were at it, I changed the starter, spark plugs, coils, ignition coil, water pump, drive belt, thermostat, air filters, and the right cornering light was burnt out.

When they put it back together, the end result is the car runs very poorly. No pickup, what little acceleration is left is not smooth, and the RPMs surge up and down around 250 rpm at idle. Furthermore the gas mileage has gone through the floor (estimate 5 or 6 per gallon). I hear a ticking sound that was not present when the car is idling with the hood open.

Prior to the repair (cost $2700 on top $650 worth of parts that I supplied) the car drove very nicely - with NONE of the above mentioned problems.

The check engine light is not on. I have driven the car around 100 miles since the repair and consumed an entire tank of gas in the process.

Before taking it back to the mechanic (had to make another appointment) I would like to glean some insight about what they could have possibly screwed up the car so badly.

Any comments welcome!

[993BillW]

First off, my parts kit didn't include the small o-ring that goes in the front of the T-stat housing (for the coolant line that goes down to the alt), should it have been part of the kit? I would recommend replacing it. Also mine didn't include the gasket(s) for the thermostat housing, I would definately recommend replacing that.

I have a Macgyver solution for removing coolant ect from the small crevices of the engine, only wish I had thought of this before I started the tube replacement. Of course one of these days I'm going to buy a fluid extractor......

Using a wet/dry vac insert a 2' piece of clear vinyl tubing (apx 3/8" dia) into the crevice tool of the vacuum cleaner (my tubing stayed held in the crevice tool just fine), DO NOT TAPE or otherwise close the rest of the opening, there's plenty of suction going through the tube. Use the other end of the tube to vacuum up the coolant. It can also be used to extract coolant from the other openings in the engine. It worked superbly for me, only wish I had figured it out earlier. I have a photo I'll post later.

I used a Dremel MultiMax tool to cut the coolant pipe, it worked fantastic. I have a suggestion for getting the large pipe ends out that doesn't involve trying to cut the inner sleeve. I had a hell of a time getting that sleeve out of the rear crosssection.

Leave apx 1.5" of plastic pipe on the ends when you cut them (both ends). Then drill 1/4" hole through both sides of the remailing pipe, as far back as you can go w/out damaging the insert area. Have about a 9" section of light link chain. Next take a long handle philips screwdriver and slide it in the hole then through the chain end and then through the other side of the pipe. You should be able to rotate the pipe end about 45 deg. with the screwdriver. Insert a pry bar through the other end of the chain and brace the pry bar against one of the ribs on the head/block. Now pull on the pry bar at the same time as you use the screwdriver to rotate the pipe end, the pipe end should "walk" out of the receptical.

Do much the same for the pipe piece in the thermostat housing. I thought of this after I had removed both pieces but I did something very simular on the t-stat housing end and it worked great.

Edited March 7, 2012 by 993BillW

[nhirsch]

This is the support topic for the DIY Tutorial Coolant Pipe replacement. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

[#10TUT007] That tutorial doesn't exist!

[Loren]

This is the support topic for the DIY Tutorial Coolant Pipe replacement. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

[#10TUT007] That tutorial doesn't exist!

Apparently Ray_huge removed his.

There is another coolant pipe DIY here

[Dustin Wilkinson]

OK, guys, so I've been chasing a coolant leak on the back side of the engine on my 2004 Turbo.  I bought this thing about a year ago with 82k miles.  I knew the car had the metal pipes already so I suspected the plastic tees were the culprit.  I snooped around with a scope but couldn't really tell where the leak was coming from. 

 

I finally bit the bullet and tore the intake manifold off and pressured the system up and located the leak - around the forward clamp on the rubber adapter hose on the main distribution pipe.  The hose definitely looks swelled up so I'm assuming the clamps dug in and cut a hole it the hose or something.  I ordered that hose & clamps obviously.  I'm going to replace the plastic tees while I'm in this deep, as well as the thermostat. 

 

 

My question is has anyone ever heard of the adapter, hose, or metal distribution pipe going bad?  Obviously now would be the time to change them (and I know when I pry the hose out I'll see if there are any visible issues).  Just hoping someone might have some words of wisdom. 

 

Also changing the valve cover gaskets while I'm here too.   

[Loren]

Looks like two leaks to me. I would remove both and lean the aluminum end and the hose - then replace the clamps with screw type clamps

That is what I would do.

[Dustin Wilkinson]

Obviously the heater lines are weeping, and I'll definately do as you've suggested.  However the main drip/stream I've identified is from one of the clamps circled in red.  Just wondering if you've ever heard that hose adapter going bad.  I can't get to either hose clamp to tighten it either...

 

I bought a new one (with new clamps) so it's going to get changed in any case. 

 

[deilenberger]

There were some kits sold back when this was endemic that were made up by a vendor, who didn't use all Porsche parts - and that coupling was known to leak. I forget what company it was...  but that's a known leak spot with the aftermarket kit.  I believe it will require R&R of the upper pipes to fix.  I vaguely seem to recall some people unbolting and lifting the cover for the thermostat housing (where the 3 pipes go into the front of the engine) up to replace that coupling, that avoids having to pull the 3 pipe assembly out of the housing cover and replacing those O rings sealing it in.  Since you have to replace at least the clamps on the rear rubber pipes to the aluminum, your situation may be different.