996 c2 oil pressure problem!

[Punkd]

I have a 01 996 with a ton of problems, I'll start from the beginning.

I bought the car with a bad head gasket from some guy with a ton of intermix, oil in coolant, I had the gaskets replaced with a valve job done and of corse resurfaced heads. I Bought a new oil cooler just to be on the safe side. While starting up, about 30 minutes after we started the car, the oil separator failed (guy had left oil cap open). So he ordered genuine part from the dealer and replaced it. When I took the car out of the shop, I noticed the oil pressure was low but I'm not sure if it was low before I took it to them. I also got a secondary air code. They said it was probably the sender unit and assured me everything was fine. About 1500 miles later my engine seized. When we got there, I saw there was oil in the coolant and they assured me

It was residual. They took the engine apart and saw rod 3 bearing failed. Told me that was probably the reason my oil pressure was low. Bought a used crank, used rod and new bearings from dealer. Put my engine together and I still have low oil pressure. And I'm still seeing oil and the water. I was with the guys through the entire process so I thought maybe I might have a defective a/o separator that might be sucking oil out of the crankcase into the water tank causing mixing and low oil pressure so I changed it out myself and I'm still getting low oil pressure, mixing and still have the cel light. I'm so stuck right now. Can anybody give me some clues as to what's going on. I'm 90% sure we have no cracks in heads or engine block because they did a valve job, and the block was taken apart with no visible cracks. What can cause low oil pressure, oil mixing and possibly a secondary air problem.

Thank you!

[JFP in PA]

I have a 01 996 with a ton of problems, I'll start from the beginning.

I bought the car with a bad head gasket from some guy with a ton of intermix, oil in coolant, I had the gaskets replaced with a valve job done and of corse resurfaced heads. I Bought a new oil cooler just to be on the safe side. While starting up, about 30 minutes after we started the car, the oil separator failed (guy had left oil cap open). So he ordered genuine part from the dealer and replaced it. When I took the car out of the shop, I noticed the oil pressure was low but I'm not sure if it was low before I took it to them. I also got a secondary air code. They said it was probably the sender unit and assured me everything was fine. About 1500 miles later my engine seized. When we got there, I saw there was oil in the coolant and they assured me

It was residual. They took the engine apart and saw rod 3 bearing failed. Told me that was probably the reason my oil pressure was low. Bought a used crank, used rod and new bearings from dealer. Put my engine together and I still have low oil pressure. And I'm still seeing oil and the water. I was with the guys through the entire process so I thought maybe I might have a defective a/o separator that might be sucking oil out of the crankcase into the water tank causing mixing and low oil pressure so I changed it out myself and I'm still getting low oil pressure, mixing and still have the cel light. I'm so stuck right now. Can anybody give me some clues as to what's going on. I'm 90% sure we have no cracks in heads or engine block because they did a valve job, and the block was taken apart with no visible cracks. What can cause low oil pressure, oil mixing and possibly a secondary air problem.

Thank you!

If you have an M96 engine that actually blew a head gasket, it would be the first one I have ever heard of doing that; the M96 simply does not blow head gaskets. When these engine's suffer intermix issues, the three most common candidates are blown oil coolers, cracked cylinder heads, and cracked or slipped cylinder liners. Quite often, the cracks are very difficult to see without special procedures:

Normally, when we get in an intermix car, we pull the oil cooler and pressure test it. If it passes, we pull the heads and start searching for what has cracked. Putting the engine back together without proper checking for cracking was the wrong move, the coolant that reenters the oil really tears up the bearing shells quickly, usually ending up with spun bearings and/or a seized engine, as you have discovered. And not to pick on your shop, but if you have suffered and intermix, the sump should have been pulled and all "residual" mix flushed out.

I think you are still facing an engine with an internal crack somewhere.

[Punkd]

I have a 01 996 with a ton of problems, I'll start from the beginning.

I bought the car with a bad head gasket from some guy with a ton of intermix, oil in coolant, I had the gaskets replaced with a valve job done and of corse resurfaced heads. I Bought a new oil cooler just to be on the safe side. While starting up, about 30 minutes after we started the car, the oil separator failed (guy had left oil cap open). So he ordered genuine part from the dealer and replaced it. When I took the car out of the shop, I noticed the oil pressure was low but I'm not sure if it was low before I took it to them. I also got a secondary air code. They said it was probably the sender unit and assured me everything was fine. About 1500 miles later my engine seized. When we got there, I saw there was oil in the coolant and they assured me

It was residual. They took the engine apart and saw rod 3 bearing failed. Told me that was probably the reason my oil pressure was low. Bought a used crank, used rod and new bearings from dealer. Put my engine together and I still have low oil pressure. And I'm still seeing oil and the water. I was with the guys through the entire process so I thought maybe I might have a defective a/o separator that might be sucking oil out of the crankcase into the water tank causing mixing and low oil pressure so I changed it out myself and I'm still getting low oil pressure, mixing and still have the cel light. I'm so stuck right now. Can anybody give me some clues as to what's going on. I'm 90% sure we have no cracks in heads or engine block because they did a valve job, and the block was taken apart with no visible cracks. What can cause low oil pressure, oil mixing and possibly a secondary air problem.

Thank you!

If you have an M96 engine that actually blew a head gasket, it would be the first one I have ever heard of doing that; the M96 simply does not blow head gaskets. When these engine's suffer intermix issues, the three most common candidates are blown oil coolers, cracked cylinder heads, and cracked or slipped cylinder liners. Quite often, the cracks are very difficult to see without special procedures:

Normally, when we get in an intermix car, we pull the oil cooler and pressure test it. If it passes, we pull the heads and start searching for what has cracked. Putting the engine back together without proper checking for cracking was the wrong move, the coolant that reenters the oil really tears up the bearing shells quickly, usually ending up with spun bearings and/or a seized engine, as you have discovered. And not to pick on your shop, but if you have suffered and intermix, the sump should have been pulled and all "residual" mix flushed out.

I think you are still facing an engine with an internal crack somewhere.

Hey JFP, thanks for the quick reply. The shop I took it to are Engine builders. I assumed they would know what they were doing that's all. The mixing before I took it to them was extreme but it's pretty minimal now. The cylinders did have scratching but I'm 100% certain they're not cracked and as for the heads, it's possible as I hadn't even gotten into any detail about it. The oil cooler was changed, guanine Porsche cooler. I just believed them when they said it was a blown head gasket I guess :(. Would that cause my oil pressure problem?

[JFP in PA]

I have a 01 996 with a ton of problems, I'll start from the beginning.

I bought the car with a bad head gasket from some guy with a ton of intermix, oil in coolant, I had the gaskets replaced with a valve job done and of corse resurfaced heads. I Bought a new oil cooler just to be on the safe side. While starting up, about 30 minutes after we started the car, the oil separator failed (guy had left oil cap open). So he ordered genuine part from the dealer and replaced it. When I took the car out of the shop, I noticed the oil pressure was low but I'm not sure if it was low before I took it to them. I also got a secondary air code. They said it was probably the sender unit and assured me everything was fine. About 1500 miles later my engine seized. When we got there, I saw there was oil in the coolant and they assured me

It was residual. They took the engine apart and saw rod 3 bearing failed. Told me that was probably the reason my oil pressure was low. Bought a used crank, used rod and new bearings from dealer. Put my engine together and I still have low oil pressure. And I'm still seeing oil and the water. I was with the guys through the entire process so I thought maybe I might have a defective a/o separator that might be sucking oil out of the crankcase into the water tank causing mixing and low oil pressure so I changed it out myself and I'm still getting low oil pressure, mixing and still have the cel light. I'm so stuck right now. Can anybody give me some clues as to what's going on. I'm 90% sure we have no cracks in heads or engine block because they did a valve job, and the block was taken apart with no visible cracks. What can cause low oil pressure, oil mixing and possibly a secondary air problem.

Thank you!

If you have an M96 engine that actually blew a head gasket, it would be the first one I have ever heard of doing that; the M96 simply does not blow head gaskets. When these engine's suffer intermix issues, the three most common candidates are blown oil coolers, cracked cylinder heads, and cracked or slipped cylinder liners. Quite often, the cracks are very difficult to see without special procedures:

Normally, when we get in an intermix car, we pull the oil cooler and pressure test it. If it passes, we pull the heads and start searching for what has cracked. Putting the engine back together without proper checking for cracking was the wrong move, the coolant that reenters the oil really tears up the bearing shells quickly, usually ending up with spun bearings and/or a seized engine, as you have discovered. And not to pick on your shop, but if you have suffered and intermix, the sump should have been pulled and all "residual" mix flushed out.

I think you are still facing an engine with an internal crack somewhere.

Hey JFP, thanks for the quick reply. The shop I took it to are Engine builders. I assumed they would know what they were doing that's all. The mixing before I took it to them was extreme but it's pretty minimal now. The cylinders did have scratching but I'm 100% certain they're not cracked and as for the heads, it's possible as I hadn't even gotten into any detail about it. The oil cooler was changed, guanine Porsche cooler. I just believed them when they said it was a blown head gasket I guess :(. Would that cause my oil pressure problem?

I would pull the oil pump assembly and look at it; you could have some residual debris in the pressure check valve assembly, or if you see any unusual wear or marks on the pump gears, debris related wear may have reduced their ability to properly pump the oil.

Exactly what testing have you done that leaves you with such confidence that you have no cracks in an engine that is well known for cracking? In an engine with no cracks, there should be no intermixing at all............