My 1996 C2 993 is dumping oil all over the engine and it's dripping onto the exhaust. My mechanic said he thinks the valve cover gaskets are the source, but it's such a mess, it's hard for him to tell for certain.

Anyone have any info about changing out these gaskets? I'd like to see a 'how-to' if it's available.

Also, I'm wondering if in fact the valve covers, themselves, are warped out of spec and if even changing the gasket will resolve the issue. I saw this post and was curious if these replacement covers are a reasonable fix..

thoughts?

mtf

 

get under there with a rag and wipe off as much oil as possible, then take the car out for a drive long enough for the oil to warm up.
then look under there again and find out where the oil is coming from.
if it is the lower valve covers, oil will be dripping onto the heat exchangers.
you have to remove some items to get to all the bolts for the lower valve covers, but its not a difficult job.
you could order the rubber gaskets for replacement, then once the covers are off lay them on a flat surface to determine if they are warped.
there are some diy instructions out there, just do a google search.

 

It could be the lower v/c gaskets, but these engines can leak from other areas. It is advisable, in cases where there is a great deal of oil, to pressure wash the engine externals before making a judgement on what is actually leaking[the most]. If you feel the engine lost a lot of oil, make sure the oil is topped up before running the engine! Lower v/c gaskets are a piece of cake and pretty common,....but there could be more so just check it out/make sure your mechanic checks it out!

 

Recent oil change? It's happened: a shop or dealer does not get the oil filter cover on tight enough and under pressure oil goes everywhere. Just one more thing to check before the wrenches come out.

 

STEP ONE: degrease/clean under the car so you can see where the oil is coming from.

Depending on what you find step 2 will make more sense.