What's the worst that could happen to my 911

[Paul K]

Great pic!

[911st]

I guess seeing a car burning and a piston that burned up or a track car of unknown modification is supposed to mean something.

Not passing smog on a car that dose not see much use is not to much of concern. Some good run ins, a tank of cleaner, new plugs, and make sure the car is hot when tested will usually take care of things.

You only drive your car 1500 miles a year and not under any extream duty, you are talking 3 quarts of oil a year.

I am not an expert ether but I bet your car lasts another 30 years before it needs a rebuild.

Keep the oil changed and try to exercise it more often. Run some injector cleaner through it before your oil changes and change the oil the same day you take the car out and give it a good work out. Change your oil at least two times a year.

Make sure you run the proper weight oil for the sessions or just a little thicker.

My buddy has 240k miles on his 84 and it is a bit of a rat, smokes a little on first start up and is still running great.

If you are going to use the car mostly for track work and live in a hot climate then redoing your valve guides is worth considering. As noted above, the stem to guide clearance helps transfer heat away from the exhaust valve.

Me, I still would not do it yet.

[briancoates]

Nice looking car Teflon

I added my 2c's worth earlier, but after reading all the replies I thought I would add a little more.

I think there are two schools of thought here 1/ have it checked 2/ ignore it, considering that the difference between rebuilding an engine that has worn out as against failed or blown up is somewhere in the vacinty of $6k I would consider a $100 checkup by a reputable Porsche expert would be well worth the money.

Oil consumption caused by worn rings and guides is a totally different story to the same oil consumption caused by broken rings or a cracked guide. A worn engine could run for years more a damaged one may fail next time you start it.

Have it checked.

At least you can still drive yours. cheers

[911st]

Please do not let this keep you from enjoying your car.

There is some good advice points hiding in this post. But let me emphise, your oil consumption is acceptable so enjoy it and try to forget it.

If you are just to concerned and prone to wory. Take it right now to the best 911 shop you can to check the exaust valve guide play and have a leak down and compression test. Can even have a sample of the oil sent off for annaliss. The shop has to know these cars and have done a bunch of valve jobs as there is not realy a factory spec for valve play, I understand it is an educated feel.

If you want you can continue to moniter your oil consumption. Use good oil to protect your motor with cold starts expecially if it sits for extended periods of time.

Maintain and exercize you car and if it makes you feel better, include a compression test with your valve adjustments. I saw this along with retorquing of head studs on an early 911S I once owned and it quite impressed me.

Our 3.2 is almost bullit prof and arguable the best motor Porsche ever built. If maintined can go 300k plus miles with use as a dailly driver. It has a reputition for long ware and service with two minior known weaknesses.

One is if you use the car under track conditions and have converted to a chip that extends the rpm range, the rod bolts might streatch. This seems a rare event.

The other is potental for valve guide ware. Poor maintaince, high heat, and hard duty can exadurate this.

I belive, excpt in extream cases some ware here is ok unless the car is subject to sever duty like 30 minite track events. Then excesive clearance can inhibit heat transfer at the exaust valves and result in a burned valve.

A quart every 600 miles dose not seem to evedence this. Guyes that run 200 miles on the track for a DE event often go through a quart of oil with out concern.

Anogher thought. Many do not think of the human error factory when concidering opening up a motor. The factory was pretty good at putting this things togear. Add to that the test of having run a lot of miles. With work there is the chance of distrubing somthing or making a mistake. I have had two motors built by experanced Porsche shops fail shortly after a build do to error.

Please do not let this keep you from enjoying your car.

[NathanR]

Originally Posted by teflontarga

5. I don't drive it hard. Never on the track. It's only a weekend driver and I've usually got my 3 year old with me.

Teflon,

You're missing out on the best part. Drive the car hard. You're 911 wants to be driven hard. Do it. Leave the kids at home once in a while. (I have small kids too, I understand how you feel on that point). Hit back roads. Piss off your neighbors. Its good for the soul.

That way, if it breaks, at least you got max enjoyment for the cost of the repair. (rationalizations are easy, huh?)

Don't you have some really nice tracks near where you live? I did a DE last summer and it was a blast. I had to drive 300 miles to get to the track, and it was worth every bit.

Enjoy,

Nathan