Chocolate syrup? No... it's my oil! And it's only 4 weeks old.

[LeeH]

When Jim Patrick at Patrick Motorsports installed my front oil cooler he said he was shocked at how dirty my oil was. He strongly suggested I change it again, right away.

With the first DE of the season coming up I decided to heed Jim's advice. Yikes! I've never seen oil so dark.

The mixture was set very rich on the car when I got it, plus I know the PO usually drove the car 5 miles to work. Is there something else I should be looking at?

[Danny_Ocean]

Blow-by? Does the car smoke or consume oil?

[LeeH]

Not that I can tell. The engine was rebuilt just a few thousand miles ago and seems really tight.

[oliver88]

send a sample to Blackstone Labs. Have it analyzed for $20.....

[LeeH]

What sort of information would I get for my $20?

Here's a sample:

[Zeke]

They will give you a total analysis: Gas, water (there will bo some) and metallic breakdown. Bronze, AL, steel, etc.

I don't know that will do you all that much good. What is the history of oil changes? Maybe the PO never changed it. Why didn't Patrick rather than letting dirty oil inot a new circuit?

[LeeH]

Patrick DID change it. The oil pictured is only 4 weeks old. I'd hate to see what he took out.

I've got a lot of records... I'll have to see if I can determine how often he was changing the oil.

[mambodave]

buy some cheap oil... and change it like 3 more times over the coarse of about 4 weeks (once per week.)

I bet the 5th time its pretty good. I DO NOT think you should try that flush stuff..its basically kerosen.

[Craig 930 RS]

Keep in mind a fair amount of oil resides in the lines and cooler(s) - perhaps that left-in oil was just bad@ss nasty??

[quattrorunner]

Is the flush really that bad an idea with all the hidden places for oil to stick in all the long lines? I mean, you should still change like three times maybe even once every other day till it's all out of there.

[Craig 930 RS]

2 or 3 oil changes, then monitor the color and maybe have a test done.
Don't use that flush crap......

[Emission]

I send mine into Blackstone too. It is like a blood work-up for your Porsche. It tells you quite a bit.

[mambodave]

problem with that flush crap is you cant get it all out of these cars and can damage the engine components.....

dry sump cars you cant flush effectively... best way is to keep changingteh oil to get it all out

[johnnyo]

Something to keep in mind with the oil flush, it will eventually work its way through the oil thermostat up to the fender oil cooler once thermostat opens, when you go to change the oil the thermostat closes pretty quickly as it cools, and you end up with the flush still in those lines, something to consider.

[LeeH]

Originally posted by mambodave
dry sump cars you cant flush effectively... best way is to keep changing the oil to get it all out

That's probably what I'll do. What I wiped off the dip stick this afternoon didn't look so bad. We'll see if the DE tomorrow stirs up more goo.

[Gene Wilkes]

Thats amazing! Changed oil in my 78 SC in Feb. 06 and the oil is still as clean as the stuff out of a bottle! This is after a summer of driving too!

[SP2]

Hello. I just dropped my engine so I could reseal it and give it a tune up. I was amazed how much oil was left in the engine even after we drained it. When I took the oil cooler off the engine there was a lot of oil in there and came out of the engine at the three holes it attaches too. And I am sure there is a lot of oil that stays in the pipes all the way to the front oil cooler. I came to the conclusion that you do not really change the oil in a 911, you only dilute it with clean oil. As soon as I finish my engine and get it in the car running, I will drive it around a little then change the oil again.

One thing I was wondering about is the thermostat at the right rear quarter panel that goes to the front cooler. It is supposed to open up when the oil gets hot enough, but how would you check that. The oil thermostat on the top of the engine you can heat on the stove and see if it opens (supposedly at 180F) but what about the other one. I guess you could check the pipes at the end of a hot drive to see if the oil circulated to the front.

[Craig 930 RS]

fter my engine rebuild. we changed the oil just after it got to operating temp, then again after a few hundred miles.

Flush.......with clean oil via oil changes.
Undoubtedly it was simply dirty, nasty oil left in the engine.