Purchased a '85 911 & have many, many questions
 

Hi,



1. I'll start at the beginning. I am trying to figure out where to place the jack and jack stands. I have checked the bentley manual and the picture is vague at best, it seems to indicate somewhere near the corner inside of the wheels. Seeing some damage where previous owners have got it wrong, I am wondering if someone can describe exactly where I should put the jack or even better a picture.

2. Need to change the oil. I have read the porsche approved oil bulletin, but it leaves many, many options. I have heard that synthetic oil in a car of this age is not the best idea as tends to finds leaks. Does not need to be the best of the best but I would like to reduce wear and treat the engine the best I can. Wondering if someone can suggest something they have used for years, that works well and takes a common sense approach to the matter.

3. Oil filters, haven't done much research here, but I checked at the local auto parts store and they carry a Baldwin filter for the car. I have used Baldwin filters in industrial applications as they come highly regarded, wondering if anyone has experience with them or can suggest something better. I feel a top quality filter is worth the money.

4. Transmission oil. As she's a bit challenged in the shifting department, I would like to get the best available. I have adjusted the linkage and will be replacing the bushings which will help, but I feel a good quality tranny oil is worth the investment. They have Royal Purple at the auto parts store, wondering if the same theory applies and a synthetic tranny oil will finds leaks there as well? Any suggestions?

5. Tires. There is a lot of information on this topic as well, however wondering if someone with experience can make a suggestion for me. I live in western Canada, do not drive it all year, but will certainly encounter rain at times. I use the car as a weekend / daily driver. No racing, but I do enjoy driving it and with more experience I will likely get a better sense of mine and the cars limits. I don't drive it too much so wear rate is not my first priority, although its not my last either. Again, I'm not looking for the best of the best and would like to keep the cost reasonable, but I would like a good tire. I figure I'm looking for something that's good at most things and likely most important has a gentle breakaway (to keep me out of trouble). It has stock Fuchs.

Thank you to all that reply, your advice, suggestions and experience are much appreciated.

So much to learn.

Feds

Wayne's 101 Projects Book is a must read. It covers proper jack points and lots of other "must know" stuff.

Engine Oil: I use Castrol 10-40w I live in AZ

Tranny oil: Swepco 201

I strongly recommend Wayne's 101 Porsche Project book.

Good luck and have fun,

Ed Garcia
1977 Carrera 3.0

Hi and welcome tothe best Porsche BBS. For fun and grins, we encourge people to post a picture (or a few hundred) of their cars. We like seeing nice rides!


Many posts on this topic. This post is one of the best:


Many threads on this topic. This is the best. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/367300-ultimate-motor-oil-thread-why-we-hate-cj4-sm-oils.html

Cliff notes: Use 20W-50 or 15W-40. Good brands include Brad-Penn Racing, Vavlvoline VR-1, Kendall GT and SWEPCO 306. There are others. I'll let you read and learn.

I have heard nothing but good things about Baldwin but the filter of choise is either the Mahle (sold here by our host) or a Porsche Filter fromthe Dealer (or here). Ther are several threads on oil changes. Be aware there are two drain points and you will remove/replace 10 to 12 quarts of oil.

I think you have a 915 transmission. Oddly, for this transmission many transmission oils are too slippery for the transmission syncronizers to work properly. Many here (including me) use SWEPCO 201 (again you can get it from our host) but Steve Weiner is an all round good guy and has this to say on the topic:

I cannot be much help here. If you think you will be driving in cloder weather on wet roads, a High Perfomance All season tire may be the ticket. If you are more of a warm weather, mostly dry driver, the Summer perfomance tires may be a better choice. Go to Tire rack (Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels) and check out your choices.

You are welcome. Ask away. We all were in your shoes at one time or another.

So much to learn.

Feds[/QUOTE]

I'm sure you will get more detailed responses, but here's my take.

1. I place the jack directly on the engine case with just a wad of newspaper in between to protect metal-to-metal contact. The usual place for the stands is the rear torsion bar end caps. It has been done by many for years. It's okay.

2. The general preferred oil is Brad Penn Oil. You have to find a place that sells it, but it is a very popular choice around here.

3. The general preferred transmission oil is Swepco. It can be found on this site :)

4. Tires, I can't help you on. Sorry. I don't know enough about the subject myself.

Oil: Royal Purple 10-40 works for my 3.2 though I will try Brad Penn at some point.
Filter: Mahle OC54 from the host should be good enough.

most important - brake hoses & fluid

see the Long Term Maint. thread, active today

You can use a filter from a Buick. Sorry but I can't remember the model,but they are identical.

101 projects from our host is a real good place to start, covers a lot of first timer info.
I use the Mahle oil filter and don't forget your fuel filter as well. I get mine from Pelican cause it is cheaper than local suppliers, I bought a stock air filter from a local supplier and it was almost $100.00 with taxes
I use Swepco 201 for the tranny, our host supplies it.
I'm not an expert but there are lots of guys with tons of knowledge on this board and the great thing is they don't mind sharing the knowledge, unlike any board I've ever surfed.
Welcome and post some pic's when you get some, the search is a good thing too, or so I'm told but I can't get it to work

I have been uising Wix brand filters ever since Charles Navarro did extensive research and posted results. My local O'Reilly's carries them for the 911.

Tires -
I am running yokohama s.drives on 7&8 inch Fuchs. Given the price, I really like them. Good in the wet weather, relatively quiet, and stick pretty good. Breakaway is very predictable, even in the wet. Tires with a rounder shoulder typically have better smoother breakaway characteristics, but who knows. Its a summer tires though. Probably not too great once in the 30's (F).
Ride is also nice, but I came from old goodyear f1s on 18's (way too big imho).

My only issue is that the rim saver makes the tire look really chunky, especially the front mounted on 7" fuchs. Its also not the lightest tire by a pound or two.

If I'm lifting one side of the car only, It's really convenient to use a "jack pad" inserted into the jack lifting points under the running boards. The jack pad is a metal bar which inserts into the jack point to which is welded a round lifting point. You use a floor jack to jack the side with... very convenient.

Thanks everyone, I will be ordering the 101 projects book immediately along with the other items I have determined I need.

Being in small town Canada, Swepco is nearly impossible to find and no body has heard of Brad Penn Racing oil and I'm a little leary of the shipping costs, so I am still working my oil choice.

A couple other questions though, someone suggested brake fluid and lines, which is likely a very good idea. When searching the host site, they have OEM lines and braided lines. The braided lines appear to be better, but they are also cheaper than the OEM ones. Cheaper and better do not usually come together, wondering if anyone would suggest one over the other?

Also, from reviewing the Tire Rack website, looks like my main tire choices are Pirelli P6000 OEM (I believe) and Sumitomo HTR 200, wondering if anyone has any thoughts on these? it also sounds as though yokohama's are an option as well, they didn't seem to come up, but I'll do some more research on them.

Thanks again.

WHY A FACTORY REPLACEMENT FILTER ISN'T THAT MUCH .......

come on this guys asking for help not to save $1.44

But before i bust on your b@lls to much I will ask you this ,

1--WHY would you ?
2--Do you really ? or are you being funny?
3-- If you do , please re read #1 . Unless you inherited 4 cases of filters from an uncle
and they fit a Buick that he had and you can't remember what model , but even if
thats so please re-read #1.

Feds:

For the Transmission get a non-synthetic 75W-90 GL-5 Gear oil. A decent auto parts store will have one or can get one for you. Kendall and Valvoline both offer a good product.

For motor oil, if you want a 20W-50 look for Valvoline VR-1, Total (used to be ELF) or Kendall GT oil. Royal purple is also ok but more expoensive. Your best bet is to get a Product data sheet on the oils offered in your area and look for ones with Zinc and Phosphorus content over 1100 ppm (0.11%).

Get a good quality brake fluid. If you have import or speed shop nearby, see if you can get ATE Blue or ATE 200. Both are DOT4 with very high wet and dry boiling points. Here in the states it costs about $10/liter.

As far as brake lines, the braided ones are ok but for me anyway, I use the factory rubber braided ones. Why? The service life of an OEM one is about 10-15 years and they do not have the catastrophic failures associated with the braided lines. If you go the braided route, be sure you insepct them every year.

There should be more tires than that for you. I suspect you are looking at only OEM Sizes. You can go a bit wider with no penalty. Ask around what others are using for your year and wheels. To determine which sizes have the same rolling diameter (this is what affects the accuracy of your speedomter and odometer), use this calculator: Tire size calculator.

I try to buy most things from PP, after all, they sponsor this site. I buy a number of things at one time to get the free shipping, or at least better shipping rates for my buck.

Feds, post your 1st name at your signature, and where you are located. Also, for the 915 the bushing replacement kit is well worth the money. A very big improvement in shifting. Read 101 projects by Wayne. Its well detailed. The only disagreement I've found with his book is in the oil tube replacement section. Wayne says to coat the O-rings with a little oil to ease their sliding. Silicone grease is the ticket. Welcome.

My dads buick had 300000 miles without openning up engine. Maybe porsches would be a little more bullet proof with a buick filter SmileWavy

then your browser must be broken because you wound up at a Porsche site, and must feel awful lonely, maybe you'd be more at home at Buick regal.com or nevergetsany.org

With the availability of 911 filters either factory or aftermarket options I just do not see the revelence in recommending to a Newb(no offense) to start looking into "crossover parts" and i now I don't recommend a fram filter for the 911 although I am sure there product is fine I just cant see reason to look for a filter for a 911 and then find it only to decide that the filter fitment guide says this other number fits a Buick grandcrap I think I'll try to shove it on my Porsche and see if it fits .......may be it just me but if its made to go on a Buick it stays on a Buick and i doubt a fram filter for a Buick is going to make the 911 more bullet proof.

i could see if your filter BLEW UP in a parking lot and the only filter you could find had metric thread and was smaller dia and would seal to get you home or the next shop but I would not come out to the world and say that I had found a way to save a dollar by putting the wrong part on my car. I am sure you "COULD" put American racing rimz with a Chevy bolt pattern on your car if you jerry rig your hubs and I am sure you could fab a set of bush-wacker flares on the rear but youd look like an ssa if you posted your new bushwacker flair factory approved turbo super wide body kit on this board or any other ...........

Just think about it .................................................. ...............:eek:

Feds:

First and foremost, welcome to the Best Porsche Forum on the Internet!

Second, since I live in a very cold climate, during the Winter months I run Mobil 1 Syn. 10W-30 High Mileage in all my Porsches. Then, during the late Spring I change over to Mobil 1 Syn. 15W-50. I am no expert, but I have gotten very good results doing this for both the 911 and the 944. Brad Penn oil is the best, but I like you cannot afford the shipping cost. However, with that said, there are some people who "pool" their money to make a large purchase and then divide-up at delivery...seems like a good idea.

Third, don't buy cheap products for your Porsche. Spend the extra ca$h for these German masterpieces and your car will thank you with longevity. Our gracious host sells everything you need right here on this site and the pricing is very, very competitive. AND, the shipping is FAST, FAST, FAST!!

Fourth, SWEPCO for the tranny.

Like others here have mentioned, Wayne's book is the best for working on your Porsche 911. The Bentley manual, the Porsche Factory Manual set, and if you can find a owner's manual for your year and it will help explain lots of stuff you need to know to keep your car in good shape.

Once again, "Welcome" and have fun learning about your Porsche.

Hi SmileWavy

living in a small town of italian Alps I found "101 projects" used in Abebooks

Here I found another for you:

101 projects for your Porsche - AbeBooks


Ciao: Paolo

thats more than a new one will run you from here if the exchange rate is near where i think it is ..................
Porsche 911 & Turbo CIS Fuel Injection - Page 19


$22.95 us + shipping and your buying it from the man that wrote it .

Thanks to all that made suggestions. To put any concerns to rest, I have ordered 101 projects, swepco for the tranny and a couple mahle filters (among many other good things I found on the website) to get me started. Although I appreciate all the advice, I tend to agree that its worth a couple extra bucks for a product that was designed for the specific application.

I'm sure I will have many more questions to come.

I thank everyone very much. It's truly remarkable that one can pose a question and in a matter of minutes have such excellent expertise available.

For any that are interested in the car. I bought it last summer from a guy who said it was a european car, but has turned out to be from japan, which I believe means the low compression engine although I'm rather fond of the seats. The serial numbers clearly indicate north american cars, but when the serial number came up ROW I assumed he was right. After many years of reading porsche magazines and thought I new all I needed to make a purchase, hmmm how does that saying go, unconsciously incompetent. I was originally looking for a 944 s2 or turbo as I figured that was the best value in my budget, but when I came across the opportunity to purchase a 911 in my budget I leap right in, eyes wide shut. Not a bad car but certainly will need some freshening to get it where it should be and after it was repainted, who ever put it back together seemed to do a pretty quick job of it, headlights not aimed correctly, the odd bolt missing.... 90,000km's on the odometer although I am somewhat curious if that's really the case. Doesn't seem to burn oil compared to what I hear these cars can and runs smoothly, starts well. I think it's biggest issue is lack of use. Sure is an enjoyable car to drive though. I will post I picture when I figure out how to do such a thing.

Take care all, talk to you soon and thanks again.

Hey Feds mine also is a Jap spec 911; similar mileage but I suspect an ex garage queen. Engine totally rebuilt in Japan after pulled stud episode. If you pull your speedometer out you can check if the factory paint still covers the bolts holding the case together. though I suppose this doesn't exclude someone replacing old with newer , or faking factory paint.
I too like the upholstery ; though tartan in Japan???- I guess weirdly exotic .
btw to post a pic just scroll down the reply screen and click upload photo eg from your desktop.

I do not really want to start an oil discussion here but I would be careful with Mobil. As I have stated in several other threads, Mobil makes an acceptable product for later cars but they have played many games with their formulations and currently are not proud enough to publish the current data in their Official Product Data Sheets. I find this very disturbing. Given that our older engines need the Zinc/Phosphorus (ZDDP) additive to protect the camshafts, I would strongly recommend you consider another vendor. But as I also say, your car, your money, your choice.

From another thread, a chart to help you select the proper oil weight. Note that 10W-30 is only for the coldest of climates or for "fuel efficient oil" but Porsche goes on to say, don;t do that without being very careful first.

I spoke with a local "performance expert" today who said get a decent oil and then recommended an oil additive, either "nitro boost" or another product from lucas oil products (can't rememeber the name). His argument was, get a reasonable oil and then add a good additive and you're better off. Not sure which argument is better for my 3.2, get the BEST oil and then you don't need an additive OR get a good oil and then add an additive? Have any of you guys ever used any of these additives? do they have any long term negative effects? any thoughts?

Thanks again

My conversations with Charles Navvaro and Steve Weiner lead me to belive that the best cousre is getting an oil that has the "the good stuff". By whipping up you own concoction you run the risk of creating other lubrication issues.

It is my understanding that the Lucas oil additives do not address the extreme pressure lubrication issues, they modify the oil viscosity.

If you want to go with a 15W-40, Delo 400LE has "the good stuff" right out of the bottle. I cannot find the data, but I would suspect that Shell Rotella would be similar but I could not find the Zn and P nimbers on their web site.

The risk of not providing adequate protection would be expected to be premature failure of cam shafts.

Did you take to many uppers today. It was a wisecrack about the filter. My browser did not bring me to the wrong site. Possibly you should google Narcotics anonymous to take care of your nervous and neurotic demeanor

Feds,

To resolve your oil selection problems, go take a look at what is available at your Friendly Local Auto Parts Stors (FLAPS). Then go to the web and look up the manufactureres PROUDCT DATA SHEETS.

Find the ones with a high (greater than 0.1% or 1100 ppm) zinc and phosphrus content. Those are the ones you want.

sorry about that , guess the humor of your buick comment and a jab at the preferred brand on this board is taken as funny in the circle you hang in. I just didn't see the need for someone to recommend stupidity as a choice for filter information, and when pointed out you decided to jump in and the bash the brand ??? Dr P would not be happy , shame shame ........ park you car under a tree so a pigeon can detail it for you.

Hey Harry:

Thanks for the information with regard to Mobil 1 syn! I did not know that the ZDDPlevels are not acceptable. That is NOT good.

As far as the chart from the owner's manual, that looks just like my owner's manual for the 1983 MY. In fact, that is why I chose to run in the Winter with a different grade. I do seem to get better performance out of the 15W-50 most of the year.

This year, here in Eastern Washington, we have had dry days with very, very cold nights and low temps for the day on average. So, it seemed like the best decision for my daily driver 944, but certainly may not be right for the 911. I have been driving the 911 to keep the battery charged and burn some carbon, but only this year since there is no salt or snow on the roads. I never drive it otherwise in Winter months.

Appreciate the info. Time for me to read up on the additives too.SmileWavy

Once again, "Thanks!"

Hi Ed,

I guess my real message is that we do no know what levels of ZDDP are in Mobil 1 products as they choose not to publish it in their Product Data Sheets. Now I know Mobil includes this information in their marketing materials but, as an engineer, believe the Product Data sheets get a higher level of review for absolute accuracy.

If you read the very long Ultimate Oil Thread, you will find out that the lower levels of ZDDP are not required in the heavier oils. But then again, the heavier oils are not required to keep higher levels of ZDDP. So it is up to us to determeine which ones have acceptable levels.

Hence my reluctance to be confident.

I don't believe I "bashed" the brand, especially since I have 2 p-cars. I did note a fact that if an american car had to have their engine dropped for rebuilds, or top ends as often as a lot of 911 engines, why there would be many angry american car owners. That's not a jab against p-cars, as they are their own breed, are easy to work on, and way more fun to drive. Having said that, if you cross a wix brand filter, it has the same part number of a filter that fits a GM product. Maybe the OP is a newbee, but I'm sure he has gotten all the wise information about where he can get a filter, whether it be from our host, a parts store that deals in european cars, or any other local parts store around. The fact that you posted a rude and extremly long run on sentence to me, telling me I should be on another website such as lonely.org, or whatever shows that you cant see the slightest bit of humor about a filter comment, and are so strung out that you need help beyond what this board can provide.

New that we all have that out of the way, are there any more questions about the 1985 car, what to do to it, and how?

FWIW, I've heard very good things about the Wix brand oil filters from many very reputable people. Even though I've been using the Mahle brand, I would be comfortable using the Wix as well.

Wix brand filters are used in Nascar. They are a very good brand of filter, and are OE by some auto companies. Mahle is the brand of choice, and thats fine. The 911 filter crosses to a GM engine, although I cant remember which one. People use fram, purolater etc, and in my opinion, they arent as good as a wix. I've cut open some brands, and they dont have many pleats. Wix filters seem robust. Just my opinion. I never took a mahle apart

But if filter # xyz-3 application guide state fitment in a P911 and you cross it and it shows that a #xyz-3 fits a buick g, why wouldn"t you tell the guy asking about a filter for his P911 to get a #xyz-3 rather than tell him to go and look up a filter for a buick g.

Obviously you have a hard time reading. All i simply said, in a humorous manner was that if you used a buick filter, the engines may not need so much maintenance. I did NOT say which GM or Buick it fit. YOU keep saying a Grand National, or Regal, and I dont even think thats the same filter, although I could be wrong. I in no way told the OP to go buy a buick filter and put it on his car. I am very confident the OP is wise enough to ask for a filter for his 911. With that being said, your posts about Grand Nationals are the only posts that could lead him to buy an incorrect filter, not me. This thread was started for information that a newbie needs. All future posts should be to help him, not continue about the same stupid subject over a buick filter, or a mahle filter or whatever. In the end, the OP will have found the filter he needs, no matter what brand he chooses. BTW, do you know some toyota filters are the same as chrysler filters. Heaven forbid, right. It happens, dont sweat the small stuff

While searching to see what tires would be best, the tire rack says that the original tire size for a '85 911 is 195/65-15 and 215/60-15. My tires are 205/55-16 and 225/50-16 mounted on what appear to be fuchs. First off, can anyone confirm if the tire racks size is the correct original? if so, this means someone swapped them for 16's at some time. Is there a simple way to tell if the are original fuchs? the tires that are on their seem to work fine, so barring any concern I'm figuring on relacing them with the same size.

I have wondered about the odometer ready, as it seems to be adding up miles quicker than I figure it should. Given the difference from stock, it will be out of calibration. I thought is if I figure out the diameter of the stock wheel, figure out the diameter of my wheels and divide the stock size by the difference I should come up how much it is out of calibration, does this sound correct? Given that stock is 15's and these are 16's I would think it adding miles slower than actual but I'll crunch the numbers and see what I come up with.

Lastly, I'm sure these topics have been discussed before. Can anyone tell me how to search the message board to find out what threads this topic may have been discussed in?

Thanks again.

my1st911:

Ulitmately it's your money, your car, your choice.

I, personally will not look to save a few $$ on a non-OEM filter after hearing Mr Steve Weiner observations below. He has seen more damaged engines/cars than I ever will.

Alot of people upgrade to 16 inch wheels. My 76 had 15, and I did the same thing. I would bet that most people run 205's up front, and 215 or 225 in the rear. IIRC (if i remember correctly) you had an SC model with flares, so rubbing the fenders isnt a problem for you like it is me. I would run what you have, since wider is better.

In answer to your other question about the odometer, if you have a 16, and used to have a 15, then your odometer is actually turning slower. If the axle makes 1 revolution, your 16 inch wheel actually travelled farther, but your odometer doesnt know that. I always have trouble mentally figuring that out in my head. If you had 10 inch wheels, you would go down a side street and the speedometer would register a much higher number. i could be wrong, but thats how I see it

Lastly, in the bar right under your screenname on the right hand side is a search button. You can search in any particular forum, such as engine rebuild, turboing, or tech forum. The search field should state what you are looking for, and try not to use numbers. It doesnt like them. I always have trouble searching, but if you ask nicely, most regulars who have been here a long time will respond with more information than you were hoping for. They are good

Are you sure you are just not having more fun than you think? :D

Check my earlier post #14, it gives you a link to a tire size calculator that allows you to compare tires and it's impact on odometer/speedometer readings.

If you look towards the top of the Web page, there is Blue bar that has the word SEARCH on it. Click that and a box will drop down. In the text box, type in some key words and hit ok. For more advanced searches, hit the link labelled "ADVANCED SEARCH" and then you get a form to fill out. To look for an exact phrase, inclsoe the words in quotes "like this".