Coolant tank replacement....

Finally after driving a lot of miles smelling sweet antifreeze I decided to follow the great instructions in Renntech. There is very little room in the engine compartment, so air pump ,snorkel and airbox removal is a must. The spring clip fasteners are tough to remove from the 3 antifreeze hoses, and the 2 gas lines make it easier to remove the old yellow tank.. Other than that, it was a challenge to get the tank out and reinstall the new one. No more sweet smell,no drips and I've managed to burp out any air trapped in the system. I am happy to have this fix behind me. Only a few cuts and scrapes on my hands. My next Porsche project will be front pads and rotors.

WTG!.... I cant believe she lasted that long, mine lasted only 6 years before I got the drip on the exhaust. Im wondering if Porsche got the issue fixed with the new tanks.

Trying to get the spring type hose clamps off can be a real challenge. And on the 996 they are everywhere, fuel lines, coolant lines, air lines, etc. Standard pliers don't work well, hard to get in to the limited space, catch the claps and hold close while pulling off the hoses. The trick is a pair of hose clamp pliers, and the cable operated type really help in the limited access areas. Here it a link for the Craftsman pair I bought, they have paid for themselves many times over. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...u=00947390000P In most cases I also replace the spring type hose clamp with a screw type clamp which hold and compress much better. Then again, these type clamps can be even harder to install and remove.

I wonder if they are designed by the same guy who made the Audi overflow tanks. In most of the Audi's I've owned they start to crack from the heat and leak.

Quotes source post: 8071730

I'd say mine started leaking 2 years ago, but not a lot was leaking out until this summer when I drove down to NJ in July. That's when I noticed a trail of coolant when outside temps were in the 90s. I sure hope the new tank lasts as long, it appeared to be identical in shape, don't know if the plastic composition is the same or not.

The tank on my 2000 996 was replaced under warranty, so it had to be before the end of 2004, don't remember exactly when. The replacement tank has been in for about 6 years and has not cracked so I am thinking that they may have solved the problem.

You're right Doug, the spring clamps don't make it any easier, and I was using pliers. Didn't know such a tool existed, thanks for the info. That remote cable operated attatchment is the way to do it next time I face off with the spring clamps.

That's a pretty slick tool. I've done two tanks now, both in MkII cars where a partial engine drop is (arguably) required. The second time I borrowed a set of hose clamp pliers but I honestly can not remember how I handled the clamps the first time, or that it was a problem. Then again I would characterize the first time as a *traumatic* experience so maybe I'm just blocking out that part of the pain. This is one of the worst jobs to do on the 996 if you're doing it for the first time. There's a couple of times when it just seems like an impossible task.

The toughest part for me was extracting the old tank, and fitting in the new one. The space is just so tight. So you're telling me that I'll have some easier Porsche projects ahead now that this one is history? I hope you are right. Actually, front brales should be a breeze in comparison.

Replaced mine 2 years ago, not a hard job, key is undoing the drivers rear motor mount and let the engine drop. I also replaced the Porsche clamps with SS hose clamps!