[akaKJB]

Thanks for the advice. I'd decided to run a long life synthetic after getting advice that it could help ease the ongoing wear on the engine parts that been with the car since it rolled off the line (although judging from the service records, I'm not sure there are many of those left). Even though I grew up working in my Dad's service station / garage, we never really dealt with performance cars like Porsches and synthetics didn't really exist at that point so my experience with it before now is minimal. I'll throw it out to you guys - what's the opinion on synthetic oil and if the consensus is that it's worthwhile, I'd appreciate some recommendations on brand & weight.before I change the oil tomorrow. I'm using service bay where a friend works that has a service trench so I can determine if the power steering pump is just loose of if there's something else going on.

I have to drive 3 1/2 to 4 hours one way this weekend to see my Mom & Dad before he goes in for heart surgery. I'm trying make sure I don't miss something stupid and shell my engine on the way up. Yeah, I'm being paranoid about it. Way things have gone lately, being "over cautious".probably isn't a bad idea. But until the change, the rattle does seem to have decreased considerably, oil pressure sits pretty solid at just above the 2 while idling with a warm engine. Using a stethoscope, I listened to the sounds inside the valve cover and there's still a faint noise but not a clatter. Actually, for any of you that have accompanied a pregnant wife / girlfriend to a sonogram, it kind of has that sliding, whooshing sound to it. Doesn't sound particularly bad but it doesn't quite sound right, either.

Thanks again for your help, guys. I'll make sure i get my GOOD info here from now on before I go and do something else characteristically stupid.