How much oil does your 911 leak.

[Bill Douglas]

How much oil does your 911 leak, and do you actually care?

The reason i ask is some guys tear down their engine to fix minor leaks, then you get me at the other extreme who doesn't actually care if it leaks.

I guess I could clean the bottom of the engine with a spray on/hose off engine cleaner and look for the source of the leaks once it's clean. But I don't because I wouldn't bother fixing the oil leaks even if I found them.

My leaks aren't bad. The garage floor has a saucer/dinner plate sized oil stain that gets topped up by the leak. It's not usually wet with oil; I think the concrete soaks it up at the same rate as the leak.

In fact I don't think the car leaks if the oil is about 1/3 up between low and high on the dipstick. If it's high or over high it leaks like a sieve.

Are peoples concerns for the environment or to do with the pride of having an oil tight engine? I guess I grew up wrong by owning British motorcycles that leaked oil out the bottom almost as fast as you could put it in the top.

Bill '79SC

[JDaniel]

It doesn't leak at all... but I did just have a top end done. I'm sure it will leak in time.

[Doug Zielke]

Mine was tight as a drum, and dry as a bone.....*until* a head stud broke on the #6 cylinder. Now she's even embarassing my limey bikes!

[pbs911]

There is a penny size drop of oil after driving the car and parking it for 5 hours. It is coming from the front intermediate shaft seal or around there. After accidentually undoing the bolts that holds the motor to the brace that attach to the motor mounts, and having the motor "drop" about a inch, I gave up and live with the leak.

[Fishcop]

A couple of drops per week for me. I used to care, but then a mate bought an Alfa Romeo (hear: condecending laughter). I replaced just about every seal in my engine last year. The one seal I left was the one from the left cam bank that drives the sporto gearbox oil supply. Guess where my leak comes from now?

Bugger the whales and dolphins Bill

[makaio]

My car doesn't leak but a dime sized drop over a 1 week period. But it drinks a whole heck of a lot , about a quart per 350-500 miles, depending on how hard she's driven. BUt thankfully no smoke .

[dean]

When I bought my motor it had about 30 different leaks. I have fixed most but I have 3 leaks left. The cam seals and crank pulley seal. I was going to fix them last winter but I didn't get to in. I hope to fix the leaks this winter. I hate oil leaks

[Doug E]

Funny thing about my girl is that there always seems to be a light coating of oil underneath after driving but she rarely leaks more then a pin size drop on the garage floor while sitting. Go figure ...

Initially I worried about it but finally I got over it and now just make sure the oil level is OK on the stick.

The thing that finally put it all in perspective for me was that during a PCA tech session earlier this summer a guy had his '82 SC up on the lift. As we are standing under the back end there is a steady stream of oil coming from somewhere on the engine. Casually he places a piece of paper under the stream and goes on about looking at the front suspenion. Suddenly my pin size drop didn't seem so bad

[HawgRyder]

Mine is the cure for the west nile virus carrying mosquitos!!
When I fire her up she throws enough smoke to kill all those little pests for 2 blocks.
She leaks onto the right headers and just will not cease....soo....out she comes.
I'm not religious about leaks (have ridden Harleys all my life)...but I would like to be able to hold my head up in public. LOL
Bob

[wdarner]

87 911 60K miles

Not a drop. But if it did drip a little I would not worry about it. A little drip is not worth alot of $ and effort to fix. I would just live with it - to a point.

[Volkovich]

I just got my '79 911SC two months ago and wish I would have read this thread then. After about a month I was concerned about the drip I was getting so I brought it into the shop. That was a huge mistake.

I have now been waiting for a month now for this guy to replace my oil lines. He must have the worse parts supplier in the world because it takes two weeks to fill an order.

I have now learned the valuable lesson that leaks aren't worth not having my car for a month.

Does anyone in the Tri-City area (mid-Michigan) know of a good Porsche mechanic?

[cab83_750]

30K+ miles and mine does not leak nor drink! I was told that the guy I bought it from was 'factory trained!' To quote Alex Wong...."Rick glued the engine together."

Car is daily driver, in L.A. traffic, RPM average at 4K.

[RSupdate]

Z E R O L E A K S

I am quite proud to say. Also no Blue smoke on hard acceleration.

Other than that it's a pile.

[LeeH]

No drips here! There is some oil on the engine case, but I can't tell if it's active seapage or leftover from leaks fixed by the PO. I'm considering cleaining it off, but am afraid that would result in an actual drip!

Also, I've put around 4000 miles on since I got it in January and never had to add oil!

[Hockey fan]

I get about a quarter-size drop overnight after driving. These are the lucky drops that don't fall down onto the heat exchanger and get burned alive!!! Actually I don't mind the small leak but wish it wouldn't leak onto the exhaust. The looks of "wow, his car must be on fire" at the stoplights from other motorists can be a bit bothersome. However, I have learned that if the car is good and warm when I park it the oil burning off seems to emit a nice smoke screen which keeps people from wanting to park next to me. So, oil leaks prevent door dings in my book

Jeff

[RANDY P]

Different leaks in different places on the motor, also seems to literally "trickle" from time to time onto the floor. Not consistent, but seems to be be worse after adding a quart -

My car doesn't drip, it drools. It's OK, it's getting ripped apart next couple weeks for tranny work and I'll fix it then.

rjp

[A Quiet Boom]

None

[dickster]

bill

when i bought my car all the advice i was getting said don't touch it if it leaks oil! anyway it didn't when i got it.

now i got a bad return tube leak (new tube just before i got it), and it drips onto the heat exch!

i haven't got round to fixing it (gotta buy the tube first!), but i'm not bothered as long as theres oil in the tank.

imho leaks are ok (not ideal) as long as you keep an eye on them.

[eion]

Mine doesn't seem to leak either. I've never seen any oil underneath the car, that's for sure.

[Roy M]

None - and doesn't use any either!