08 Boxster Base Oil Leak/ Fluctuating Overheat

[vza]

Well I thought I was done w/ my project car. Issue 1: In route to pre track tech inspection to track I was watching my temp guage and it was at 12 o'clock then pinned all the way right for 20 seconds...went back to 12 pos. Too and fro back and forth. I assume i have a some air pockets in my cooling sys that I recently changed( yes with venturi tool). So I'll try and get air pockets out by driving and adding coolant. Or emptying coolant and refilling w coolant.

ISSUE 2:

Upon arriving at pre track inspection the whole underside was splattered with oil. AOS was previously replaced.... looked clean. Oil dripping off L axle and R side coolant hoses near front of engine. From the top it looked like there was more oil on the R side but difficult to find the source of the leak. Any suggestions as to where to start.  Or most likely source of leak. Thanks V

Edited September 26 by vza

[JFP in PA]

Clean the engine off and watch to see where it is coming from; possibilities are almost endless................

[vza]

Did so. Not finding anything. Noticed the green rubber cam covers are missing. All 4. Is that a possibility?

Edited September 26 by vza

[JFP in PA]

Are you referring to the four half dollar sized green rubber plugs?  If they blew out, you have a pressurized oil sump........

 

[vza]

Ok what does that mean... When I first got the car I pulled the trans did the FW,RMS and IMS seal. Then ...checked the timing. I'm sure I put the plugs back in but I cant be 100% sure. Would that be the sorce of the leak I've read you can loose a lot of oil from here. I replaced 2 qts of oil and revved the engine while looking at the spinning cam ends but they were dry... no oil. 

Edited September 27 by vza

[JFP in PA]

The four plugs are there for using cam holding tools when removing the cam covers, they form both an oil and vacuum seal.  The AOS supplies a controlled vacuum source (`5 inches of water) that evacuates the oil sump, allowing the low-tension piston rings to proper seal; if the AOS fails, the sump can develop considerable pressure, which will pop out these plugs, which use a simple friction seal.  And before you ask, you should NEVER use any type of sealant on them, they should just be inserted clean and dry as they are the "safety" to prevent the front and rear main crank seals from blowing out due to over pressure.  And yes, if you blow one or more out, they will leak oil badly.

[vza]

Okay well the good news is I think I found my source then because all four were missing. I found 4 new plugs I ordered so it turns out I never installed them. I'm also reading that aftermarket AOS can cause an issue and that's what I used I think I used a Uro part. Considering i never installed the plugs i probably ok. Thanks V

Edited September 27 by vza

[JFP in PA]

ALL aftermarket AOS units are garbage, period.  We have never seen one that was any good.

[vza]

Off topic..Any harm in tracking the car with my variocam solenoids not activating. Not totally sure bout that....no CEL's I couldnt hear engine note change when trying to activate w Durametric. ...only when I jumped them w a 9v battery. Thanks V

Edited September 27 by vza

[JFP in PA]

Hard to say, as I have never tried it.  But even if nothing unexpected mechanically happens, the car will be running way below its potential as the Vario Cam adds significant performance to the engine; so, running it this way is much like a boxer stepping into the ring with one hand tied behind their back.  Personally, I see no real reason to even attempt it as I cannot see what you are going to learn from the experience......

[vza]

Yeah you're right just anxious to run it but it dosent make sense. I'll see what my options are. Thanks John

BTW I would never ask what sealer to use on cam caps. Regards V

Edited September 28 by vza

[JFP in PA]

16 hours ago, vza said:

Yeah you're right just anxious to run it but it dosent make sense. I'll see what my options are. Thanks John

BTW I would never ask what sealer to use on cam caps. Regards V

NONE, ZERO, NADA; THEY ARE INSTALLED CLEAN AND DRY................... If you sealed or glued in the green plugs, they wouldn't act as safety's and pop out when the sump went under pressure, then either your front or rear main seal would pop out instead.  And while I don't know about you, I'd much rather have to replace the green plugs rather than the main crank seals, but that's just my preference..................😉

[vza]

Joke ...I know no sealer..nada...niente...

Just to touch on the variocam. My previous DME was deemed faulty (I had misfires and was checking the Solenoids) and was replaced by Doctor ECU. Since the new DME  I have no CEL's but checked the variocam sys by trying to activate my cam adj with my Durametric and they still won't activate....they did however activate w/ a 9v battery. Today I was talking with a local Indy and he said the Durametric has always been glitchy (definitely agree) and if I'm not currently getting any CELS and the car isn't running badly I'm over thinking it and I don't have any issues. John you said the same here:

Would you agree? So it would be safe to assume I'm good. Correct??

Edited Wednesday at 03:19 AM by vza

[JFP in PA]

Two points; yes, if something was wrong the car should code.  Second, if the Vario Cam is not functioning, the car is giving up a lot of performance.  And while some have called the Durametric system "glitchy", it is still the best tool out there short of a PIWIS system, and if it says the cams are not switching position with RPM's, I would tend to believe it.

[vza]

How about this. Is there another way to look at the cam angle change(think thats what its called) like you said when increasing RPMs rather than just activating the solenoids. 

[JFP in PA]

7 hours ago, vza said:

How about this. Is there another way to look at the cam angle change(think thats what its called) like you said when increasing RPMs rather than just activating the solenoids. 

Durametric and PIWIS can both show that graphically as "Actual cam angle". 

[vza]

Okay Do I select.. cam pos 1 and 2 on the durametric? What is the spec? Is there a spec for % cam angle at a certain rpm? Thanks.

Edited Friday at 06:39 AM by vza

[JFP in PA]

Cam 1 & 2 are banks 1 & 2.  The VarioCam system is a pretty simple on/off setup. The exhaust cam position is fixed relative to the crank, and the intake cam position moves a fixed 24 degrees relative to the exhaust cam. 

[vza]

Hmm..explain simple terms. Select Cam1/cam2 deviation.

Rev engine and I should see a intake increase 24 degrees over what the exhaust cam is. Correct...sort of made that up. The cams don't adjust until a certain RPM 2000 ish?

[JFP in PA]

Select "Actual Value for Cam", rev the engine past 2,500, it should change value.

[vza]

Oh ok sounds easy enough. "Actual angle for cam shaft." I see it on the Pic you posted. So if the angle changes my variocam is functioning. Should I see change 24 degrees or am I just looking for a curve when revving. Thanks big help as always. 

[JFP in PA]

You should see one line on the graph suddenly jump to a different value when the Vario Cam goes active; if it doesn't change, it isn't functioning.