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Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

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YOUR RESEARCHSmall oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Leading reported evidence

Install depth

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Both the RMS and IMS seals need to be replaced, use the factory PTFE RMS seal and set it at the correct installed depth.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Frequently discussed work

Inspect / fix

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Unsuccessful attempts: 1
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Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

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Suggestion · Original poster
So since I have the stuff off, it isn't that much work to remove the flywheel and inspect / fix.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Read full discussion summary

Leading evidence: 'Install depth' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Inspect / fix' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.

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1 matching discussions · 5 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Compare 4 other evidence results

Inspect / fix

Suggestion or failed attempt

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Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
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Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
So since I have the stuff off, it isn't that much work to remove the flywheel and inspect / fix.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Run engine

Suggestion or failed attempt

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Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
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Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
On the other hand I only intend to run the engine for another year (say 5k km), so I feel it might not be worth the time and expense.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Run engine longer this question wouldn't exist

Suggestion or failed attempt

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Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
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Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
If I planned to run the engine longer this question wouldn't exist.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Use factory ptfe rms seal

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion
Both the RMS and IMS seals need to be replaced, use the factory PTFE RMS seal and set it at the correct installed depth.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Frequently discussed actions (5)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

Inspect / fix

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
So since I have the stuff off, it isn't that much work to remove the flywheel and inspect / fix.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Install depth

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Both the RMS and IMS seals need to be replaced, use the factory PTFE RMS seal and set it at the correct installed depth.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Run engine

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
On the other hand I only intend to run the engine for another year (say 5k km), so I feel it might not be worth the time and expense.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Run engine longer this question wouldn't exist

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster
If I planned to run the engine longer this question wouldn't exist.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Use factory ptfe rms seal

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes: 0
Unsuccessful attempts: 1
Discussions

Read evidence and context

Discussions that contain suggestions: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion
Both the RMS and IMS seals need to be replaced, use the factory PTFE RMS seal and set it at the correct installed depth.
Original post Read captured discussion
Small oil leak, worth checking? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Coverage and how to read this overview

Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

5 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

986Forum: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.

Generation: 20261026T172408Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Since I have my gearbox off at the moment and the clutch is due for replacement I have the options to trace down a small oil leak from the rear of the engine (so either rear main seal or the IMS bearing carrier seal). The transmission bellhousing was full of sticky black stuff, but this is in general dust from the clutch. Probably held togethet by a bit of oil. No big traces of oil or dripping. So since I have the stuff off, it isn't that much work to remove the flywheel and inspect / fix. On the other hand I only intend to run the engine for another year (say 5k km), so I feel it might not be worth the time and expense. If I planned to run the engine longer this question wouldn't exist. So is it worth it you think? Any big risk in such a small oil leak?

POST 2Original post

#1: No oil leak is inconsequential or should be ignored, ever. #2: An oil leak in the bellhousing, even a small one, can quickly kill a new clutch as well as destroying the dual mass flywheel flex material. Try pricing out a new flywheel and you will quickly see why it needs to be addressed while it is still just an annoyance. And whatever you decide, DO NOT reuse any of the clutch or flywheel bolts.

POST 3Original post

While in here... Think of it this way. What will it take to address it later on?

POST 4 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Thanks for the responses. So seems the least I could do is to get the flywheel off and have a further look: Not too clear to me yet, most sticky stuff is near the IMS, but is that the origin?

POST 5Original post

Both the RMS and IMS seals need to be replaced, use the factory PTFE RMS seal and set it at the correct installed depth. To do the IMS, you literally need to put the engine in the condition to replace the IMS bearing (crank locked at TDC, cams locked, tensioners removed, etc.), and you would need to remove the IMS cover, so you might as well do the bearing while you are at it.

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