Found my coolant leak 😐

[JBauer]

Got me engine uncovered. Thankfully it all fit through will my top in place. After looking at the inside I see what a tight fit this is. Quick question though. What's this bracket? Seems to serve no purpose.

[Gilles]

JBauer,

I believe it is to hang the engine from the top while removing the engine/gearbox mounts on the bottom (at least it is what I use it for on my 987)
.

[Lowski]

I did this job two summers ago. I posted what I learned here.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/72900-coolant-tank-replacement-post-replacement-observations.html

In my case I had no luck pulling the tank into the trunk to disconnect the hoses.

In the engine compartment the tank has rubber hoses that run forward 4-5" and then attach to hard metal lines. Instead of disconnecting the hoses from the tank manifold I disconnected them from the metal lines. They are much easier to reach and you can sort of see what you are doing. See the linked post for more info.

Also get your self a set of the cable actuated clamp pliers. They come in handy.

[BoxsterSteve]

It’s not a very difficult job, but it sure makes you wonder about the over-engineering and logic(?) behind the approach that was taken in the coolant tank design.
Way over complicated.
I jacked the back of the car up rather high to avoid air entry into the open lines.
The cut up the old tank with a RotoZip tool and disconnected the lines from the leftover flange after pulling it int the trunk as much as I could.
Remote hose clamp pliers were a godsend. They helped in replacing the oil filler tube which I ordered for this job too.
It’s in the damn way and was brittle enough to break apart with a mere sideways glance. I’m glad I put it on the parts list.
I also removed the underside diamond plate to reattach a couple of the lines; some were too awkward to connect from above, and yes, stainless steel worm drive clamps were used instead of the originals. There’s a special place in hell for those things.

[mbelliss1]

Did this last year after 20 year old reservoir was cracked and leaking around the back where you couldn’t see it. Echo all comments here: wasn’t a walk in the park but not overwhelming. One point: spend to get a high quality reservoir. Mine leaked through the bleeder valve assembly/wouldn’t hold pressure, and little metal clip snapped off from the cheap plastic. Had to spend more to get Porsche genuine bleeder valve assembly to fix it...all good now.

[JBauer]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll keep this post updated as soon as I get the parts.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Lowski

I did this job two summers ago. I posted what I learned here.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/72900-coolant-tank-replacement-post-replacement-observations.html

That's the route I'll be taking.

[jrj3rd]

One thing I found when doing mine was if you remove the main wiring harness into the trunk and pull it back into engine compartment you have a great access hole right next to all the hose connections. I was able to reach through that hole and reconnect the hoses without having to contort myself to do it from the engine compartment. Re-connection was very quick this way. Wish I would have realized it when taking it out. Also +100 for the remote clamp pliers.

[JBauer]

I see where unhooking the wiring idea would give an access hole. Scarey to unhook all those plugs.