Oil Cap Gone... Can I Drive It?

[1yearonLy]

Yeah, bonehead move. I must have left it on the workbench. Only a few tiny drops of oil spit out on the 20 mile drive to work though.

Is it ok to drive for a day or so until the new one gets here or do I need to find one right now. If so, what can I cover it with until the new one gets here?

[Tim Walsh]

I'm just a novice but I think since you are running carbs the lack of vacum shouldn't be a big deal, you'll just spill a little bit of oil here and there.

[1980SC]

I'd just cover the hole with some duct tape until the new cap arrives.

-Rob
1980sc

[1yearonLy]

Excellent, thanks for the piece of mind.

[masraum]

I thought an oily rag was the preferred orifice plug??

[1yearonLy]

It turns out the little Porsche shop up the street had a new one as a spare. Now I'll always have one in the trunk since this isn't the first..or last time...I've done this.

I am so excited to drive it after doing all the work over the last 2 weeks: valve adjust, oil change, new plug wires, tensioner stops, oil leak fix. It sings now!!!! Just in time for a beautiful sunny SoCal weekend.

[Vipergrün]

Originally posted by masraum
I thought an oily rag was the preferred orifice plug??

Ummm, until that oily rag gets sucked into the fan Have you ever seen what happens to a cotton rag when that happens....doh!

[nostatic]

isn't an oily rag the prefered wick/fuse for a Molotov cocktail?

Oh crap...now the homeland security boys will be knocking on my door...

[89911]

I was checking my oil early in the Morning before a DE at Watkins Glen. With all the distraction I pulled away with the oil cap on my bumper. When I had the car teched for the DE, they opened the engine compartment and then looked at me with a dumbfounded expression and asked, "Where's your oil cap?" DUH, I felt pretty stupid, especially since I couldn't even run the car until I found a suitable replacement. Fortunately, another driver who's car was DOA lent me his. I later retraced my cars route and found the cap lying on the side of the road. Live and learn.

[Bob's Flat-Six]

I've done this too and find if you just take a moment to look at the motor compartment before closing it you will catch stuff like this. It's when we get in a hurry that we forget. Visual inspections are your friend.
I left it off on a truck I own once and desided to paint it a bright yellow and after that and I haven't left it off once.
On the SC I can't wait to get it back on because of the ruff idle from the loss of vacum.

[surflvr911sc]

If I had a dollar for every time I left the 3mm Allen wrench sitting on the fuel distributor...

[toolman]

I think the PO of my car left the oil cap off too after I found little parts of yellow plastic all ground up, under the crank pulley.

[Sonic dB]

I read somewhere...perhaps owners manual or Bentley, that the oil cap must be on at all times in order to create accurate oil pressure (or something along those lines).