first time 930 oil change..any gotchas??

jwmarc · jwmarc's Garage

Ok I am not a total bone head...but my recent aquisition of an '87 turbo 930 ( wayyy different than my Boxster) is in need of an oil change..So I see that the oil sump under the fender, the main block and a small sump for the turbo exists.... any other issues I should be concerned about.. I am not sure if the prior owner used syn oil... I am planning on using mineral 10-30w- any issues between syn and mineral if the prior owner used syn?...I live in the wash dc metro... at first was thinking 5-30 but the viscosity spread is something I have heard turbos are concerned with ( "max boost"- corky bell).....any suggestions on a good detergent grade ( coking concern for the turbo bearings). and believe me I know about the oil volume issue.

Thanks

LakeCleElum · 11-09-2005, 07:01 AM

I'm not sure I'd put 10-30 in an air-cooled motor with a turbo. Personally, I'd do 20-50 and warm it up well before running it hard. Just my 2 cents worth.......Sounds like you know enough not to overfill it; thats a common rookie mistake we've all made.....

silverc4s · silverc4s's Garage

I would use 15W 50 Mobil 1 for the high temp safety in the turbo engine.. more expensive to be sure, but well worth the outlay IMHO.
You can get the 5 quart bottles at your local WalMart for about $22 each or thereabouts.. Gold cap now, I think.

Cheap (engine) life insurance...

beepbeep · 11-09-2005, 07:34 AM

Turbo sump plug is often mangled (lowest point) and hard to get out. Most people never bother. I used synthetic.

dyerkes · dyerkes's Garage

JWMARC,

Welcome to the 911 Turbo world. Oil changes on a Turbo are identical to NA 911's. You'll need to drain the oil tank in the passenger fenderwell, and at the oil sump plate (if your crankcase has the plate, otherwise there is a bolt on the passenger side in the middle). With regards to oil weight and type, you definitely should be using a synthetic and 15/50w oil is highly recommended to ensure longevity of your turbo. Your turbo generates a tremendous amount of heat and the oil you use will have a direct impact on the lifespan of your equipment. You can do some searches on this website on discussions about oil and you will get lots of good insight.

Good luck,
David
1986 911 Turbo
South Riding, VA

RarlyL8 · RarlyL8's Garage

I dissagree with the above statements.

The first question asked should be "how do you use the car?"
If the answer is 90% easy driving in a cool temp area of the US you don't need synthetic oil.
If you frequently drive your car short trips you don't need synthetic oil.
If your engine leaks any at all YOU SURE AS HELL don't need synthetic oil, I guarantee it will leak worse.

If any of the above apply you simply change your dino oil more frequently. That's not a bad idea anyway.

Beautiful car by the way.

jwmarc · jwmarc's Garage

Thank you all. I have since found out that the prior owner only used Dino oil and because of seal issues I have read about will stay with dino oil. The local porsche dealer has pulled down factory specs for the car and the appropriate oil type... I guess they want to be nice to me for all the money I have spent on cars with them over the years...

It is a beautiful car and something I have wanted ever since I drove the 911 ( 993-996 models) after having bought my '99 Boxster new. I got the bug and had looked for five years for something I could afford, generally work on, and have some historical value.... this car came up on a spur of the moment... I think I made a great choice ( its not a 993 or 996 turbo) it had 24,000 miles on it, and it was pristine.....what a car and what a great world to have the opporunity to confer almost real time with other enthusiasts across the world....think about our days of ownership... pre-Internet.. information is truley power and I respect all the knowledge and responses of anyone who has taken the time to respond... many thanks...

Martin Arias · 11-09-2005, 09:57 AM

Hi,
I own an 88 Turbo Cabrio in the Philly area and I just switched to Mobil 5/40 synthetic (SUV and Dieasel) from 20/50 dino and now my car stopped leaking. Yes, it is bizzare but the small dime sized leak stopped after the switch to syn.
In the Northeast it gets pretty cold so a 10 or 5 minimum viscosity may help during cold starts. In the spring and summer I may switch to 15/50 synthetic rather than the 20/50 dino I have used. As to advice changing the oil- Wear gloves and keep your mouth shut when removing the oil plugs to keep yourself from ingesting the hot oil pouring out and spashing all over the place. Good luck.

Drago · Drago's Garage

Make sure the container your going to drain into will hold all the oil that will come out. Also make sure that the opening to said container is big enough so that it's not overwhelmed by the volume of oil coming out.

Just for safe keeping have a bag of kitty litter ready to go.

Emission · Emission's Garage

I use synthetic Mobil 1 15W/50 as I run my turbo hard (nothing is better for the bearings than synthetic oil).

I don't remove my turbo sump plug.

Make sure the oil is warmed before you boost.

73ess · 07-17-2024, 08:17 AM

Anyone know what size allen wrench is required to remove the turbo sump plug? A 6mm is too small and a 7mm is too big.

Is it really necessary to drain the oil from the turbo during an engine oil change? I'm changing from 5/40W synthetic to 20/50W dino on my 88 930.

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