the way the factory is helping owners of older P-cars

[GeorgeK]

At the oil change last weekend, the threads in the sump plate striped ('76 Carrera). Oh well, I order the sump plate and seals at the dealer next to work. The parts arrived today, good thing.
Well it turns out the sump plate was superceded by one WITHOUT the threaded hole for the oil plug.
How am I supposed to change the oil, then?
"Ahh well, Sir, you'd have to take the whole plate off". And buy a new seal every time? "Ah, yes".
But it will be a real oil torrent, if I take the whole plate off. "Oh yes, you'd better bring the car to us, we are equipped for this"
How much is does the castrol RS cost here?? "18$ a liter, Sir" (My car takes about 16 liters).
*thinks* count on this, right. *aloud* What is the torque value for the plate screws? "Uhh, Sir, we are no longer allowed to tell you that. You'd have to bring the car so we can tighten them to the correct torque".

Well, F**K them!
If this is the way the factory helps the owners of older cars, I'll give my cash to some other car company then.
GeorgeK

[thrown_hammer]

I did the same thing. I called Dave at MSroad and race. He sent me a sump plate with the threaded hole and all new seals and nuts. I think if you ask nicely he might even tell you the tourqe for the nuts.

[T Bird]

George
Performance Products sells a reproduction of the sump plate with the hole for the drain plug. Cost is around $20. I purchased one and it looks good enough to pass as a factory part. I have not installed it yet, so I can't give you any more info.

Pelican sells machined aluminum replacement sump plates as well. Cost is higher (around $80) and installation requires replacing the M6 studs with longer units that come with the sump plate.

Good luck.

[GeorgeK]

I am more than wiling to go to the independants, but I was pressed for time.
What really p*sses me is the "give us your money, turn around and bend over" politics. i mean, they brag that 70% of their cars are still on the road, but on the other hand they do nothing to help those who keep the cars and the history alive. The company has forgotten where it comes from.
GeorgeK

[cstreit]

I bet Porsche would disagree with that... I expect that the dealer is reluctant to tell you, but I'm sure Porsche would.

[GeorgeK]

Chris,
I agree that the dealer is also playing his cards there, but still, the factory superceded a part with one that makes life a lot harder to home mechanics.
The guy at the parts counter told me that the new VW have/will have the same system for the oil change, forcing people to bring their cars in. and when you see the prices they charge for the oil...
back to my problem, I will put the new plate for now, and I have found the shop that will repair the threads on the original plate, for a good price.
GeorgeK

[Kurt B]

Just depends. I called a local Porsche, asked what size the nuts are that hold the fog lights in place, he looked it up and told me. i asked if he had any handy. He said, I have a draw full of them, come by and I'll give you a few. I did, and he gave me a few.
(Beverly hills Porsche-audi)

[gaijinda]

I would write to the Chairman of Porsche A.G. Really.

[dad911]

Dealer was able to supply a part (updated) for a 27 year old car? In less than a week! I think that is pretty good service. It may not be the solution you wanted, but I wonder how many other auto mfgs. still stock & cross reference parts for 'classic' cars?

A little defense for the dealer:

Having been with a number of car dealerships myself I know how many people come or phone to ask for repair guidance.

Trust me A LOT of people try to fix their cars themselves by asking for hints/data at the dealer. As a dealer that's annoying. Perhaps you're person number 15 to ask for hints that day

However I understand how you feel in this situation. Had a similar situation with my previous car. A-arms needed new bushings. The bushings had been replaced by another type though.... So I had to buy 2 new A-arms

[jmohn]

What we're dealing with here is the old problem of the dealership's philosophy in dealing with the customer. There are good and bad Porsche dealerships just like there are good and bad Chev. or Ford dealers. A couple years ago I was redoing the head on my 951, when the parts I had ordered arrived I was short several head stud nuts. I called a local dealer, miraculously they had a few in stock; when he sold me the nuts I needed, the parts guy asked if I had the latest torque requirements for that engine, I thought I did, but wasn't sure, so he found the revision to the spec's in the service manual and made me a copy of the page. With that attitude, that guy probably creates more goodwill for that dealership than anyone else there.

Jerry M
'78 SC

[GeorgeK]

You guys are all right, and I guess the dealer has to protect himself. Actually they have their rules and are forced to enforce them; I'm OK with that. And yes it is pretty good they actually have parts for a 27 year-old car.
Where I get pissed is that the factory knows that a 500$ steering rack for a 2K $944 does not make sense, when it is a 2$ seal that is leaking. It is the same story: you try to keep exclusivity by having high prices, but by doing that you cut the branch on which the vast majority of your customers sit.

BTW anyone have the correct torque for the M6 nuts holding the sump plate on a '76 carrera? (I guess it is the same torque up to 1983)
GeorgeK

[Bobboloo]

I don't have the torque setting but I would imagine that if you used a screwdriver with a socket drive (not sure what the term is) You would be safe just snugging it up. They're easy to strip with a socket wrench.

Bobby

[Wayne 962]

We also sell that reproduction sump plate for the bottom of the engine - they are widely available now...

-Wayne

[Early_S_Man]

George ... per the spec book, the drain plate nuts get 10 Nm or 1.0 kpm ... 7 lb-ft or 84 in-lb

Chain Housing Oil Leak

[Kevin Stewart]

You guys need to wait a minute here, you have to remember that a service write guy is answering your questions, that should be enough said, but i have never ran into a service write that actualy knows anything about cars, so he probably didnt know what the torque was, and probably didnt know how to look it up, heres a short story on a service write,
The wife buys a brand new 1984 Pobtiac Fiero, Dont ask we were only 18, the car has a lot of problems, one day the wipers will not park automaticaly, you have to park them manually, I call the dealer he says bring it right in the service write looks at it and says hey those cars are no different then Ferrari's, you have to park the wipers manually, At first i was just dumbfunded, then I was finnaly able to talk, I ask the guy, hey is stupid writen across my forhead he says no, I say o, im not looking in a mirror its on your forehead, well needless to say we almost went to punches when the manager ran out and ask what the problem was, i told him, at first he couldnt talk then started laughing, and says that is the stupidest thing i ever heard, the service write was told this by a mechanic and believed him, I still cant believe how stupid he was, so the next time you guys are talking to one remember they have the words I AM F#*KING STUPID written on thier forehead, maybe this will help you to understand that what you are hearing is probably not what the dealer would say but what someone with I AM F#*KING STUPID written on thier forehead would say, Kevin

[GeorgeK]

Thank you Warren, as usual you have the corect info.
Wayne, "I am more than wiling to go to the independants, but I was pressed for time".
GeorgeK

[carreradpt]

George, I just attended the Whistler 2002 PCA weekend and the guest speaker was a guy from Porsche NA. A function of his position is to work those types of issues between the PCA porsche owners and the dealers. He will not tolerate crappy treatment and will jump right into the dealers about not supporting PCA members. I am sure he would be interested to hear of their lack of support no matter how small an issue. Unfortunately I do not have his name, though contacting a member of the CWA region will get you the info.

[john_colasante]

Confession. Years ago when I was a teenager working on Beetles and various and sundry cars for friends if I needed technical support I would call the dealer or garages for help. But they would never help me unless I said I was from another garage, so I made up names when I called, like "Hey this is Frank from AAA Foreign" and they would be *very* friendly and lend lots of help. But if I didn't do this they wouldn't give me the time of day. I consider this a little trick I learned.

[304065]

Is THAT why I keep getting calls from "John. . . er . . Frank from AAA Foreign!"