Swoody

Easy job fur sure. 5800 miles on the clock and just decided to do it!

Put it on ramps and a center jack stand for safety as well as leaving the jack under one side. Drained the oil tank and also drained oil from the 2 plugs on the left side of pan....**note** the furthest forward plug has a pretty stout spring behind it so be careful. Drained all oil and re-installed plugs with same crush washers!!! (I know, terrible, but never had a problem in past doing this). I got a bit over 8 quarts out. Then removed the filter housing cover and took out old filter (this filter wrench was a little more work I am sure than the Porsche tool, but really only took 2-3 minutes. Installed new filter and replaced housing cap and using another type of filter wrench torqued to 25Nm. The long funnel in the last pic made pouring in the new oil a breeze. All done and tested NO Leaks, Drips or otherwise!
So.....$6.27 a quart for the Mobil 0-40, $11.00 for the filter (Mahle) and an hour and a half of poking around this sweet machine made for a cheap fun morning!

Macster

Looks good.

But, use a new drain plug washer. This washer important. It is the sacrificial piece at the very critical drain plug oil sump interface.

Examine a new washer carefully. Note the fine finish, flatness. This required to effect an oil tight seal between drain plug and engine oil sump pan.

While under car note the fine finish of the area where the washer seats/seals against the sump.

Next, examine a used washer carefully. Note the dent in the washer by the drain plug.

If you reuse this and this dented face ends up against sump it can mar that fine finish on the sump. Once marred this can develop into a seep/leak. Remember 9+ quarts of very hot oil reside above that sump drain hole.

Even if you ensure marred washer face against drain plug then you damage the drain plug's fine sealing surface.

If drain plug tightened down and does not reside directly inside ring left by previous drain plug not seated flat against washer face. A seep or leak could arise. Also, washer is very hard. It does not like to be bent/twisted. If it is it can break. If it breaks this can allow drain plug to loosen and even fall out of sump hole.

That 9+ quarts of hot oil now on ground and what's the engine using for lubricant?

Use a new washer every time. You should get one taped to or inside filter element box along with large o-ring and small o-ring when you buy new filter at dealer parts counter.

Just to be sure I have some around, I buy the washers at dealer several at a time just to have spares around.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Bob in NY

How dirty did the oil look at 5800 miles?

Macster

from filter housing with just 750 mles on it.



New engines shed lots of dirt, or in more accurate terms, metal debris mostly metal but it can be sand (if sand casting used), plastic. sealer, rubber, whatever is inside engine some of end shed and ends up on oil, at least a new engine. Over time this shedding diminishes to nearly nothing.

Filter catches this debris but filter can plug up if this oil run too long and then unfiltered oil routed to bearings and rest of engine.

Also a new engine generally has lots of blowby cause rings not fully seated yet. (Field and lab tests have found engine break in can extend out to 10K miles or more based on fuel economy improving as internal engine friction diminishes as engine breaks in.)

This puts a lot of unburned gas and water vapor and other combustion by products into oil and the filter can't remove fluids only solids and only of a certain size or larger.

An early oil/filter change a great treat for a new engine one of the best things you can do to give your engine a chance at a long and healthy life.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Swoody

It actually did not seem too bad at all....Of course it was black, but I take the smell into account as well and there was no burnt or over gassy smell (fuel dilluted). As far as the washers go, I absolutely know the importance of these and did take the time to knock the small wire edge off of them by running them over a fine file a few passes. They are of a much softer material than the mating surfaces and I am confident they will be fine. Next time around I will have new ones on hand for the change. Main reason for this posting is that I could not find a DIY for the turbo's oil change and it really is a simple and inexpensive procedure. I hope that it will be of value to someone looking to do their own oil change, but may be on the fence.

Alex (UK)

I felt a big difference in engine rev smoothness after I had my oil changed at 10,000 miles.

Bob in NY

I always believed in the changing the oil every 3000 miles then extended to 5000 and everything I was reading indicated that 10,000 would be acceptable. I'm at about 6800 now and thought maybe I'll get it changed at 7000. Swoody, thanks for the DIY instructions, my local mechanic changes my oil and filter for about $120 which is reasonable for me. Any thoughts of mods for your TT yet? I imagine driving a P car in Michigan isn't very popular right now with the auto industry on its ***.

Swoody

Bob (PM for you)...As far as mods....The A.W.E. 650s kit that is now posted is looking really good to me. Of course I have no idea where I whould have it done here in MI??? I am back to sea in a week or so, so it will have to wait for a little while, but I am all for proven quality mods! Brake bleed is my next DIY and will be done when my power bleeder arrives in a few days....I'll put up pics of that as well.

No HTwo O

I suggest sending out an oil sample to a lab, like Blackstone, and start building a database and baseline for your oil analysis.

InTheAir

Nicely done, fellow Michigander. You in SE Michigan?

desmoc

Hi,
Why there are two drain plugs on the left side of pan.
Shouldn't all the oil come out from the lower drain plug?
Thank you for posting and nice pictures.

Swoody

I do not know the answer to that! I do know that the forward one has a ~ 3"
spring behind it (must be some kind of relief valve or regulating valve iside) and oil did come from there...not much, maybe a cup or so???
Actually not a bunch came from the center one either....maybe 1/2 qt or so...tough to really say but not alot.

bbywu

Excellent write up Swoody.

Here's Loren's DIY for the 996TT from the service manual, which is essentially the same engine as the 997. You will find a few very minor differences (like the oil tank drain bolt...I don't think there is an 27mm counter bolt to prevent twisting.) You have to be a renntech member to read it, but it is also helpful with part numbers.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7075

rmoudry

Great pics, thanks. You mention the "spring", is that on the crankcase bolt?

Thanks

atcbi5

Do mine every two years. I drive approximately between 400 and 600 miles per year. My car is kept in an A/C garage between 78 and 80 degrees year round. No lie. Just silly but I have no time whatsoever.