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MNBoxster · 10-03-2005, 07:58 PM

Frank,

I'm sorry to hear things have gone so far south with this car. As suggested by others, I guess you should start thinking about cutting your losses.

If indeed you have a broken ring(s), as difficult as long-distance diagnoses are, I'd say that the leaky Headgasket caused the engine to Hydrolock. Whats Hydrolocking? Its when liquid gets into the cylinders of the engine and prevents compression from occuring. Since liquids are not readily compressible, the inertia of the Crankshaft (if engine is running) or even the torque of a Starter motor is sufficient to cause the problem. As the Piston tries to compress the liquid, the weakest part of the system (usually the rings), will break, sometimes even a Piston, ConRod, or even the Cylinder can crack from the very high pressures created. The liquid essentially acts as a Brake, stopping all the reciprocating gear very suddenly, and with great shock to all the components.

After re-reading your initial post, I am about 85% certain this is what happened, especially at the upper RPMs you describe. Cranking the engine later may not have exacerbated the problem, but it certainly didn't help. You can be sure the Shop will claim this.

My suggestion is to file suit in Small Claims Court for the amount the Shop wants to bill you. This will prevent them filing a Mechanic's Lien on the Car which could cause you all sorts of trouble. Then argue your points before a judge.

I have to tell you though, I am not very optimistic. There are lots of poor mechanics out there, no crime in that. In great part, it's up to the Consumer to weed them out, a' la Caveat Emptor. Your only points really are the delay involved and the lack of skill in diagnosing the issue, which, except for stating the Bearings were saturated/contaminated, may actually prove to be fairly accurate - I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this.

Even your Family Friend, who is a longstanding Porsche Mechanic, may have gotten this one wrong, as it sounds as if his experience is mainly with the Air-Cooled models, and a Headgasket issue with the Air-Cooled Cars presents a whole different set of issues.

You may not have actually instructed him to remove the engine, but he could just as easily argue that it was the only way to fully diagnose the problem. If you said something like "fix It" or "I'd like to know what the problem was" your permission was arguably implicit. Also, if this is part of the established procedure when a HeadGasket failure is suspected on the Boxster, he may have been justified in doing what he did.

Don't consider repairing the existing motor, it'll be waay too expensive and you won't have any warranty should you decide to sell the car. Go with a Factory, warranted, replacement engine. Call your local Dealer for details.

Again, my sympathies. It can only get better from here.

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

PS Did you get a PPI before buying this car? If so, any recourse there? Any proper PPI should include a Leakdown Test, and this should have caught a leaky Headgasket, which is usually a progressive failure. Just a thought...Good Luck!

10-03-2005, 07:58 PM	#18
MNBoxster Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Posts: 3,308	Frank, I'm sorry to hear things have gone so far south with this car. As suggested by others, I guess you should start thinking about cutting your losses. If indeed you have a broken ring(s), as difficult as long-distance diagnoses are, I'd say that the leaky Headgasket caused the engine to Hydrolock. Whats Hydrolocking? Its when liquid gets into the cylinders of the engine and prevents compression from occuring. Since liquids are not readily compressible, the inertia of the Crankshaft (if engine is running) or even the torque of a Starter motor is sufficient to cause the problem. As the Piston tries to compress the liquid, the weakest part of the system (usually the rings), will break, sometimes even a Piston, ConRod, or even the Cylinder can crack from the very high pressures created. The liquid essentially acts as a Brake, stopping all the reciprocating gear very suddenly, and with great shock to all the components. After re-reading your initial post, I am about 85% certain this is what happened, especially at the upper RPMs you describe. Cranking the engine later may not have exacerbated the problem, but it certainly didn't help. You can be sure the Shop will claim this. My suggestion is to file suit in Small Claims Court for the amount the Shop wants to bill you. This will prevent them filing a Mechanic's Lien on the Car which could cause you all sorts of trouble. Then argue your points before a judge. I have to tell you though, I am not very optimistic. There are lots of poor mechanics out there, no crime in that. In great part, it's up to the Consumer to weed them out, a' la Caveat Emptor. Your only points really are the delay involved and the lack of skill in diagnosing the issue, which, except for stating the Bearings were saturated/contaminated, may actually prove to be fairly accurate - I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. Even your Family Friend, who is a longstanding Porsche Mechanic, may have gotten this one wrong, as it sounds as if his experience is mainly with the Air-Cooled models, and a Headgasket issue with the Air-Cooled Cars presents a whole different set of issues. You may not have actually instructed him to remove the engine, but he could just as easily argue that it was the only way to fully diagnose the problem. If you said something like "fix It" or "I'd like to know what the problem was" your permission was arguably implicit. Also, if this is part of the established procedure when a HeadGasket failure is suspected on the Boxster, he may have been justified in doing what he did. Don't consider repairing the existing motor, it'll be waay too expensive and you won't have any warranty should you decide to sell the car. Go with a Factory, warranted, replacement engine. Call your local Dealer for details. Again, my sympathies. It can only get better from here. Happy Motoring!...Jim'99 PS Did you get a PPI before buying this car? If so, any recourse there? Any proper PPI should include a Leakdown Test, and this should have caught a leaky Headgasket, which is usually a progressive failure. Just a thought...Good Luck! Last edited by MNBoxster; 10-03-2005 at 11:34 PM.