Advice, please!!! (Oil change & brakes)

ascarswell · 02-19-2005, 04:23 PM

I'm going to give changing out my front pads a shot this weekend, as well as changing my oil & filter. I managed to change plugs, rotor, & cap a few weekends ago, so I figure I should be able to handle this...

BUT...any advice from seasoned Porsche aficionados would be greatly appreciated.

FYI – I bought Ferodo brakes from our host, along with a Mahle oil filter & ATE Superblue brake fluid

Here are some questions with which to start you off…

1. What oil do you recommend? I’ve got a ’79 SC

2. Where do you recommend I place my brand new floor jack & 2 safety stands during the brake change? During the oil change? I don't have a jack pad - do I need one? Should I jack from the front & rear, or one side or the other? Is the metal bottom of the car just on the inside of what I assume is an oil line strong enough to jack on? Simply jacking up the car is where I could likely do the most damage, I figure.

3. I have the manual, but are there any practical tips you can share?

Thanks so much…as usual I look forward to Pelicanite’s fine advice.

Cheers,
Adam

creaturecat · 06:53 PM

Are you just changing out the pads? Can you do this without machining the rotors? (I know you can do it - is it a good idea?)
Do a search regarding jack points - lots of good info here.

AFJuvat · 02-19-2005, 06:22 PM

1. For florida (I'm in Melbourne) you definately want 20W50 for conventional oil, or 15W50 synthetic.

2. You can jack the front of the car using the front mount of the torsion bar carrier. This is also a decent spot for the jackstand. (right next to the tow hooks on either side of the car)

Provided your car isn't lowered too much, and your drainpan is the shorter, wider kind, you actually don't have to jack up the car to change the oil (provided you don't mind laying on the ground)

If you have to jack up the rear of the car, I use the jack, cushioned with a piece of 2x4, on teh bottom of the case. I put the jackstands on the BASE of the rear torsion bar carriers.

Always use new sealing rings, don't overtorque, don't overtighten the oil filter, add 10 quarts, run the engine to proper temp, then add oil to correct level.

AFJuvat

rickdm · 02-19-2005, 07:50 PM

Adam, you should go ahead and get a jack pad and a decent jack, they will make working on your car much easier.

rickdm

Vipergrün · 02-19-2005, 08:50 PM

Drain the oil when the motor is warm, do it on a level surface. Drain the side oil tank first. Use a flat, round 12qt plastic oil pan. If you use the kind with the hole in the center, be sure to open the vent cap so the oil will flow into it quicker. Change the filter, then do the drain on the bottom of the motor. When filling, don't put all ~12 qts in at one time. Start with 9-10, start the engine, let her warm up, then add the rest of the oil until the level is between the lines on the dipstick. For the pads, use needle nose pliers for the retaining clips and a small hammer and punch to drive out the pins. Have a couple of beers close by

Good luck..

-B

ascarswell · 05:05 PM

Thanks...it all went well...

The Ferodo brake pads are much quieter than the metal ones my mechanic put on prior to a track event a month ago!! Do I need to top up my brake fluid if I can't see any through the translucent reservoir in the front? How do you know whether it's full?

The car took 11 liters of oil, and both the gauge in the car and the dipstick only registered about half way between min. & max. Does this mean I should throw in another liter for good measure, and to keep it up at max.?

By the by...I took your advice and went with a synthetic 15W50.

Thanks again for your help (and more importantly, gift of confidence!). Now I've done plugs, cap, rotor, pads, & oil/filter! Does this mean I'm officially a DIYer - even though my floor jack's still shiny!?!?

Cheers,
Adam

Vipergrün · 02-20-2005, 05:21 PM

In response: No, do not top off the oil, where you have it is where you want it. If you are changing from dino to synthetic oil for the first time, you *could* develop some small leaks cuz the synthetic tends to seep its way through gaskets, sometimes, but not always.

Brake fluid: Flush your lines and use ATE Super blue or gold. Better performing, plus, you can easily see the level in the reservoir. If you alternate between the two colors, you can easily tell when the old fluid has all been flushed cuz the color coming out the bleed valves will be a different color.

Good job getting thisd stuff done. Save cash and have a sense of pride

-B