coolant expansion tank - need to replace - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I haven't pulled the trunk carpet back yet but went to the garage this morning and there was a small stream of coolant on the floor on the right side by the tire The tank is the aged yellow color so I'm not surprised this happened , for all I know it is the original tank from 2002 . I did a search on this forum and others and have seen horror stories of how difficult it is to guys doing it in 1 hour with comments of it wasn't bad at all . I have read Pedros tutorial which made it sound like almost all of it can be done in the trunk . So any last minute comments or techniques the forum can add ?

I have a brand new German OEM replacement (with paperwork) that I'd like to sell. I will take a reasonable offer if you are interested,

I ordered a new coolant tank manifold gasket when I did mine. The old gasket is pretty worthless once disassembled.

Quotes source post: 581914

What brand/manufacturer ? Part number ? How much ? Thanks

I have this one sitting in the box and the paperwork from when I got it: Coolant Expansion Tank Part #: 996-106-147-08-M127 It may be necessary to add a hole in the top plate to match the original tank. The location is clearly marked. (1) View Product Details | Related Products Only 6 left in stock. Ships Today! $243.75 Make me an offer and let me know your ZIP. Thanks Rob

So I pulled the trunk carpet and was surprised the trunk floor was bone dry ! Not one drop of fluid or any evidence there ever was a leak . I am only 15 minutes from Jakes shop so off I went . Blake pressurized the system and we could hear a slow leak up near the top of the tank . I have heard they sometimes split up on top near the filler neck . So I bit the bullet and had them order the OEM tank for me , yes expensive but Blake said they have had such bad luck with lower priced tanks that I decided to do this once and be done . The fun will begin once the tank comes in

Quotes source post: 581929

Rob I appreciate the offer but decided to go with a " branded OEM Porsche " tank . Yes I know Porsche doesn't make the tanks but I'm hoping they have been spec'd and tested and the latest revision which supposedly have been upgraded . Time will tell .

No problem, I thought I would throw that out there just in case!

I replaced mine last week, 98 base with 235000 miles. Here's what worked for me. Access top of engine so that a trouble light can be dropped next to the Air Oil Seperator, it may be neccesary to remove the upper breather tube for room. Jack the car and remove the extruded aluminum struts and the plate under the transmission. This will allow reasonable two handed access to the tank connections in the engine compartment. I drained only the tank on my Boxster and that worked for me. Looking up at the manifold connections you will see two short hoses about 3.5 and 4.5 inches long. On my car they were nearly petrified so I sliced and removed them, replacement hoses two different diameters were fabricated from hose from Autozone, $5.00. With those hoses out using cable clamp pliers the oil fill tube clamp and the main outboard coolant hose clamp are accessible. Disconnect the outboard coolant hose from the tank nipple. At this point the tank can be removed from the trunk, this is where an assistant would be very helpful, note: be careful with the oil fill hose connection is easily damaged if it is brittle with age. The upper small hose can be disconnected from trunkside. An assistant would be helpful maneuvering the new tank in as I think I recall the oil supply hose and manifold nipple have a tab and slot. PM me with any questions.

My replacement tank arrived yesterday and one of the guys at the shop is going to give me a hand and he's replaced one before and has all the right tools so hoping for a relatively easy R&R . I'll report back the results .

Sounds like a plan. Good luck to you. Since I changed mine I have noticed the temperature comes up to a tick above 180 degrees and stays right there. Course it's been a little cooler here in Michigan.

UPDATE : Today we replaced the tank , with the expertise of a mechanic we had it 100 % done in 3 hours and there was cleaning of some stuff and a fair amount of talking We did it primarily from underneath , a car lift is invaluable for this job . Removed some plastic panels and the aluminum main plate and supports . And having the proper hose clamp tools was a huge time saver . For now keeping the trunk carpet out so I can monitor any leaks in the trunk . Drove it home 12 miles and trunk is bone dry . We did not vacumn the system as we only drained the tank and pinched off the coolant line so the system wouldn't drain from the front . Filled the tank halfway between the MIN and MAX lines and I will monitor if any additional coolant is needed . I'm glad this is done and hope the new tank lasts for many years .

Hey Guys and Gals I also need to replace my 2000S tank. Looking only at the OEM version but it seems that there is a big price diff between the 3 suppliers that are always mentioned on this forum. Is there really a difference. 50 bucks can buy other parts and they all say OEM or original? Thanks Mike

Don't skimp on this. Not having the hassle of an early failure is well worth the price difference.

Hey thanks for your reply, I am only going with the high end tank but what I need to know is there are several sites that link from this site. There is about a 50 buck diff between their highest priced tanks on all three sites, Just wondering if these tanks are all the same. I know that Pelican parts are the sponsor of this forum and I'm sure their tank is OEM but theirs is the highest price that I can see. Is there a reason for this if Suncoast and Sunset claims to have the same OEM part for less? Thanks Mike

I would have no problem ordering from Sunset or Suncoast .

Thank you for this. I just cannot see any difference in the best tanks they sell except price, shipping may be higher in some cases I guess. Even Amazon is selling this tank, New Genuine Porsche 986 Radiator Coolant Expansion Tank OEM Water Bottle Boxster $333.00 free shipping