how to change the oil seperator
 

well i am not done with the project but have enough photos to show everyone what it is all about, and it is a pain in the BUTT!!!

i can see why it is recommended to drop the engine, as it is very difficult to do while in the car

Step 1 - remove air box, throttle body and plenum's - no pics of this as it is pretty self explanatory....be careful with the vacuum lines especially if the car is older as the plastic lines become very frail, i am replacing a lot of them because they cracked so easily, which is kind of a good thing as i wont have vacuum leaks later on

step 2 - once you remove the plenums you can reach back and feel the oil separator with your hand, fee around and get a good bearing of where everything is by feel, look at your new unit and get a visual of where the 2 bolts are on the oil separator. once you locate them jack up the car and relocate the 2 bolts from underneath the car, you should be able to remove the 2 bolts with a 10mm deep socket and wrench.

step 3 - now that the 2 bolts have been remove the oil separator can be wiggled, which is important because now you can wiggle it out far enough to get a socket to the last bolt on the driver side intake, you can now remove the drivers side intake, a pic is below so you can see the bolt hoes, there are 6 of them one on each side of the runner

Step 4 - once you have removed the passenger side upper intake you can have a clear sight of the oil separator, pic is below, you can now remove the 2 water lines, the vacuum line that ran to the throttle body, you are only left with 2 hoses connected at this point in time and a pressed in fitting

Step 5 - this step you need to preform very carefully so not to damage anything else or cut the wrong thing - take a knife and cut the rubber belows, this is a ton easier than trying to take off the clamps, but there is some risk here, after that is separated you should be able to bring the unit up just enough to remove the last hose. and the bellow and clamp that is left on the engine

step 6 - mount all the hoses in the new unit and press the unit into the pressed fitting on the engine, it is recommended to use screw type hose clamps to make install easier

step 7 reinstall intake

Step8 - bolt the 2 bolts in the oil separator from the wheel well

step 9 - mount plenums and throttle body and air box and you should be done!

good job!!

thanks for the writeup and pics. Since it was opened up like that i would have replaced the oil filler tube too.

Thank you sir! Finally a great write up!

I think I might need mine replaced as well, been having some stubborn and repeat "white smoke" startups lately, and recently, a CEL. Reset that and it came back on after about 200 miles.
Checked with my indy mechanic about the A/O separator and being a Tip, it's gonna be a 8-hr job, costing about $900.

How long did it take you? Should be a little less time on a manual.
I'm wondering if I should even attempt a DIY.....?

Step one is alittle decieving, removing the plenum isnt so quick and easy that you wouldnt need to explain HOW to remove certain hard to get to bolts on the plenum. I've done this afew times already and from start to finish on a 996C2 Triptonic with all the right tools and a lift, Its about 8 hours, maybe 7 if the old AOS slips out and the new one slips in like a dream which it wont 90 percent of the time.

There should be a disclaimer stating "Just cause you can change your Airfilter by yourself, doesnt mean you can tackle this job." :D

AOS - Catch Can
 

Hi:

Is the vacuum hose that connects to throttle body connected to the AOS (you are holding it in your hand in the fourth picture)? If so, is that the one that injects oil into the intake when the AOS fails (there seems to be more than one vacuum line on the AOS)? Has anyone had any luck using a secondary catch can on the 996? These are popular with turbo and supercharged japan tuners but I've heard little about them in connection with Porsches.

Thanks






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Yes, its connected to the aos, it pulls air from the crank case (oil swirls, bubbles... etc) Yes, it is the path oil takes when the AOS fails.... the restof the hoses are not vac lines, they are coolant lines (to cool the vent air before going back to the intake).

There are a few SC'ed that just put a catch can with a filter and vent it to atmosphere....

I put the vent back to my intake inline with a catch can... Alot of people just dont fill oil all the way up to the full marker.... seems to do the trick.


Attachment 498194

Very helpful. Thanks

i'm changing my oil pan out for a baffled one, hopefully that will help with oil going into the intake.

the x51 pan is for the oil pickup.... it has nothing to do with the oil going into the intake...

Actually it does Red-

The X51 pan aids in engine oil not sloshing into the intake manifold during hard cornering. You will notice cars that don't have it at the track, when they start the car up after a run, it will billow smoke from the exhaust from the oil that got into the intake.

No it doesn't. The oil pan does nothing to effect the AOS or the amount of smoke coming from the exhaust.

Oh, you're right....The Porsche tech that told me that must have been wrong with him and his 20+ years experience....:rolleyes:

Many Porsche Tech's are often wrong. You'll be better off going forward knowing that fact. hilarious