986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - How hard can coolant tank replacement be?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian in Tucson (Post 567653)

... If someone says something once, it tends to be a self fulfilling prophesy and a replicating rumor. Some one, some where had an aftermarket tank leak, OEM tanks leak, that's why we replace them. And maybe the brand new tank was mishandled on its way to the customer

Most of the failures that I have read or heard about with the off brand tanks were early on after installation; blocked tubes, misaligned welds, or quickly developing leaks. Nothing that would take a year or two to find out about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian in Tucson (Post 567653)

... His Fram oil filter let go and spewed oil all over a pit area. Ever since, Frams have had a bad rep. and have been a no-no.

The problem with Fram is that the "Orange Wall of Death" is a catchy phrase. People like to repeat it. I wonder if it was first coined by a marketer from a competitor?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starter986 (Post 567659)

Oh. I'm not arguing. However, I read at least 8 hours a day and, unknown to my wife, 3 of those are reading all about the tasks I have lined up for my 98. WP. LTT. Plugs. Coils. Coolant tank. AOS. And, from a variety of sources. I won't buy a toothbrush without first scouting the web, and Amazon. So, I didn't make the choice to go with OEM parts lightly, as I enjoy saving quid as much as the next guy. It simply isn't worth the $100-$200 headache if the part fails because of poor quality. That said...

I've been using FRAM filters for decades, despite a rice burner not tightening his filter sufficiently. Threw in some K&H... Purolator... etc... yet always finding myself returning to the FRAM.

In spite of all that... I would be interested in knowing just how the tank works out for you. If it's not leaking after 3 years... I'm in. I'll use that $200 elsewhere. Don't tell my wife.

Cheers! :cheers:

I'll give reports every once in a while. :dance::dance:

Well - I DID IT:D
Not too bad - went in from trunk and top of engine.
I only put back around 3 gals - so I don't think I emptied the whole system. Probably because Car was on ramps -so low at front. Used the Swaben vacum/purge kit to refill and all seems good.
I think this part was designed on a Friday afternoon during Cannstatter Volksfest (big Stuttgart beer festival).

Guess which one leaks?http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1523741355.jpg

Good job congrats!!!

I replaced my tank about a year ago. I bought an OEM tank from Amazon, around $330 give or take. It had the Porsche part number so I had a good feeling it was a real oem part. As of today its all good. My original tank had a few hairline cracks which presented themselves once the car cooled down. I documented the install with many pictures for my records if I ever decided to sell the car. The install was a bastard of a job. I have done 90% of the repairs on my car and this was the worst period. The hoses behind the firewall were a nightmare to reinstall. I replaced various clamps with better stainless clamps. I used a hose clamp tool but that wasnt the end all tool. The only way to get to those connections was to twist your arm/hand to get in there. A small inspection mirror was the only way to confirm the connections were good. Honestly I pray not to ever do it again, if I ever have to I will pay my local Porsche mechanic to do it. I used every curse word while doing the install, I think the install drove me to drink lol.