Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

997 - Corroded rear coolant pipes

Pazuzu

Well-known member
Joined
29 Aug 2009
Messages
209
Hi all,

Had my new (to me) 997 in for a major service today and they identified corroded rear coolant pipes.

They are corroded at the join, pretty much like in the photo attached. The photo is from the web - stupidly I didn't take any photos of my ones when they showed me!

Apparently you have to drop the engine to replace this pair of pipes which is a pain! Also, my engine mounts are leaking so these will have to be replaced if we drop the engine.

My question is basically, are they all like this or is this a sign of imminent failure? It was noted that the joins are bone dry - no leaks.

Other than that I have a weeping brake tandem pump, a n/s diff seal leaking and a o/s/r drive shaft outer joint leaking.

Waiting on the estimate for all the repairs now so taking all bets on the £££s :)

Cheers,

Phil
 

Attachments

  • 997_corroded_cooling_pipe_731.jpg
    997_corroded_cooling_pipe_731.jpg
    33.4 KB · Views: 6,762
Phil, I had the same when my A/c pipes corroded just at the point where it goes over the rear axle , and yes an engine drop :eek:
this is the path I followed

OPC quote £2400 plus vat to do the leaking one :sad:
local Porsche indy £1400 to do the leaking one plus Vat :eek:

mobile fully trained Porsche tech £1000 no vat as he's not vat registered. to replace both the leaking one and the other one as its silly not to while in there.D :D

the pipes are only £100 odd quid

re the tandem pump and your cars a gen1- opc £800plus vat
Audodoc currently £299 but they do often have promos and I paid £275 for mine with free shipping, for the same part but stamped Pierberg who make them for porsche
dont worry the link doesnt say for the 997.1 it is the correct part many have brought it from here.

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/pierburg/7890260

the mobile tech also fitted this for me at a fraction of the opc or indy.

If you wanted to go that route he would travel to you for a job like that as its worth his time and fuel for a decent size job. let me know if you want his details.

hope that info helps
:thumb:
 
Engine mounts leaking .. they have totally had it but no need to drop the engine to replace them .

Tandem pump leaking .. it needs doing now before it totally lets go .

Diff seals .. yes they will need doing but i doubt its a major leak so can be left for a while ( lets face it they haven,t Just started leaking ).

Coolant pipe and really i need a picture to judge as depending on how bad it is will depend on wether it needs doing now or can be buryed in waxoil and left for a year or 2 .

Indy or Phil's guy for things like this .
 
Demort said:
Engine mounts leaking .. they have totally had it but no need to drop the engine to replace them .

Tandem pump leaking .. it needs doing now before it totally lets go .

Diff seals .. yes they will need doing but i doubt its a major leak so can be left for a while ( lets face it they haven,t Just started leaking ).

Coolant pipe and really i need a picture to judge as depending on how bad it is will depend on wether it needs doing now or can be buryed in waxoil and left for a year or 2 .

Indy or Phil's guy for things like this .

Great advise as always Iain :worship: hopefully Phil will not now have heart failure when he sees the opc quote lol .
 
:floor:

trust me .. these days " I " have heart failure at the OPC,s quotes !

Aww btw Phil .. my avatar , i changed it .. a bit over the top or acceptable ? .. i wasnt sure if haveing Mechanic was a good idear or not as it seems a bit pretentious .
 
FYI I had a coolant leak and when investigated it was from a rear pipe and others were weeping.

It is a known 997 design fault I am afraid.

I thought it was worth changing all the pipes leaking or not as the engine had to come out.

Sorry to tell you it is the most expensive repair I have had to date (not counting the full OPC engine rebuild under warranty) at £3K
 
A 997 gen 1 should qualify for the OPC Modern Classics rate for labour (£90/hr inc VAT which is £75+VAT). The parts all will be supplied by OPC as I'm pretty sure they are unlikely to be available from Euro Car Parts.

OPC quote inclusive of VAT. I have never been quoted any prices by OPC exclusive of VAT. I have never been quoted VAT inclusive prices by any Indy.
So please enquire with OPC and Indy recognising this difference and parts supply prices. The OPC work will carry a two-year no-quibble warranty.

No experience of mobile mechanics, so cant comment.

IF the engine has to come out, check rear brake pipes if they need doing. Also clutch (if manual) and consider a major service with spark plugs if its due shortly.

Let us know how you get on. Good luck.
 
Demort said:
:floor:

trust me .. these days " I " have heart failure at the OPC,s quotes !

Aww btw Phil .. my avatar , i changed it .. a bit over the top or acceptable ? .. i wasnt sure if haveing Mechanic was a good idear or not as it seems a bit pretentious .

Iain, I think the avatar is great mate , nothing pretentious at all about it , you are a mechanic and as there is no TOPGUN Mechanic avatar that will do the job nicely. :grin: :thumb: I like it .I think we should all have one that says something about us all, mine would need to be a fat bloke reading a technical handbook while someone else was under the car :floor:
guess there are only so many versions of beards and sandals as Avatars and the always useful Avatar of a head with a penis attached to the forehead :floor: with gone to pistonheads written under it.
then a few versions of bloke holding a glasses guide open on the aircooled page :floor: :grin: :thumb:
oh yes and I can think of one with just a pic of a bag with 25 written on it lol
but it would be funny to see some of them :grin: :thumb:
 
OP - you say the car is new to you. How long have you had it and did you buy it from a garage/dealer? You may be able to get the seller to pay for the repair work depending on how long you've had the car.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

The car was a private purchase but is generally in very good nick - I've no problem with this as I had a bork fund in mind when I bought it.

The pipes are currently bone dry - I will try to get a picture of my actual ones and post it on here.

The engine mounts would need to be changed if the motor is pulled but it would be silly not to I suppose.

Apologies for any confusion but the service was actually at an Indy over in Sussex rather than an OPC. I did consider OPC but this one actually had an £11k engine rebuild at this Indy 2 years/10k miles ago so I thought it would be good to keep it with them.

They were really good (not sure I can name them?) and had all the undertrays/wheels of and took time to show me all around under the car and explain the problems.

Once I've got the estimate I'll post it up on here and we'll see what how my options look :thumb:

Thanks,

Phil
 
£2.5k is the estimate.

Seems a little heavy in places.

Tandem pump alone is £780!

Pair of engine mounts £360 and that is with engine already removed.

7 hours to drop and refit engine. £250 for pipes and 1L coolant.

Diff seal and CV boot - £250.

Phil
 
The key detail needed is labour rate per hour inc VAT for Modern Classics at OPC. I'd be surprised if Indy labour rate is less than the Modern Classics labour rate at OPC. I assume the OPC offers this lower rate for a 997 gen 1.

Parts - most likely an Indy will advise OPC supplied parts - possibly some are not available as after-market via Euro Car Parts. So no saving there in parts (or little).

Moat of your bill is labour and that's where an impressionable saving can be made - if the Indy charges £50/hr + VAT that's £25/hr saving over the modern classics rate at OPC. For that 7 hrs labour to drop re-fit engine its sizeable saving - if you can find an Indy to charge £50/hr + VAT in that part of the world.
 
Demort said:
:floor:

trust me .. these days " I " have heart failure at the OPC,s quotes !

Aww btw Phil .. my avatar , i changed it .. a bit over the top or acceptable ? .. i wasnt sure if haveing Mechanic was a good idear or not as it seems a bit pretentious .

i think the part time pirate full time mechanic image suits you just fine Iain :floor:
 
I am with Cheshire on the maths,

my rough take on it

7/8hrs labour £50ph tech £400ish
autodoc tandem £299 free delivery
engine mounts £360 OE but might get cheaper
pipes and coolant £250 OE but might get cheaper
dif seal and boot £250 OE but might get cheaper

so £1559 no vat saving £1000
but even if you used an indy at £50ph and paid vat on the labour your still £850/900 better off.

These are only estimates but are going to be in the ball park and you really should be able to end up saving between £500 and £1000 on that estimate.
keep us posted on progress :thumb:
 
seeforez said:
Demort said:
:floor:

trust me .. these days " I " have heart failure at the OPC,s quotes !

Aww btw Phil .. my avatar , i changed it .. a bit over the top or acceptable ? .. i wasnt sure if haveing Mechanic was a good idear or not as it seems a bit pretentious .

i think the part time pirate full time mechanic image suits you just fine Iain :floor:

Ha Har me heartys thats no lie.

All hands on deck and ring that bell
I,ll be taking your car .. your wallet as well
To the OPC you should have run
Cause at the indy,s then youll have no fun
For a car to be fixed on the straight and narrow
Then the OPC,s wont cleave your marrow.

Tis the indys life for me !
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,354
Messages
1,439,450
Members
48,708
Latest member
JLav211
Back
Top