First Oil Change Tonight - Help

[healeykit]

I have a 3.2 stuffed into my 73 - do I follow the procedure in the 73 manual?

I have to drain the motor and the oil reservoir - what's the sequence? What about to refill? Do you prefill the filter?

I've tried to search the threads for the best procedure to follow - it there one hiding in here somewhere?

Thanks

[KNS]

I'm sure you'll get more replies. Warm up the engine a bit and get a BIG pan, about 9-10 quarts will come out - and fast. Start with the tank then move to the engine. No need to pre oil the filter.

When refilling, start with about nine quarts. Button everything up (new filter) and go for a drive to warm up the engine. Come back and check the dipstick with the car on a level surface and the engine idling. You want to bring the oil level up to the half way mark on the dipstick. When the oil temp gets real hot, like after a long drive, the oil level will show a little higher on the stick. That's normal.

Have fun!

[Dantilla]

9 or 10 quart pan is not big enough!

I also have a 3.2 in a 1973 coupe. The initial fill, with Elephant Racing's cooler and finned cooler lines was 15 quarts. An oil change takes 11-12.

If you only have a smaller pan, you can drain the tank, and dump your pan prior to draining the engine sump.

[Gunter]

KNS said it:
On a stock 3.2 expect about 10 liters total to come out of tank and engine.
About 7-8 liters from the tank,
2-3 liters from the engine.
Some oil (1-2 liters) will remain in the external lines and front cooler; that's alright.
Keep some rags handy.
Lift the car securely, place the large pan under the tank, use gloves and open the plug, the hot oil will shoot out pretty fast, use gloves!
Next drain the engine.
Clean out the magnetic plug; some very fine guck is normal.
I use magnetic plugs on both engine and tank.
Use new seals or re-use the old ones. (I have re-used the old ones for years)
Put some rags under the filter and emove, clean up any spills.

Install new filter and fill with about 9-10 liters, no more.
Then warm up the engine with a drive and check the level; half way is good.

[Sunroof]

I have the 1973 but with the stock 2.4. I do not have to jack up the car as the oil drain plugs can be reached and an oil pan placed under the drain areas with no problem. The oil tank is drained first and I believe thats a 15mm plug. You should buy two oil plug gaskets, but if you cannot check each for damage and flip them over on re-use. The engine oil plug is 17mm.

Everyone is right about the size of the pan for drainage. I had oil all over the floor one day when I under estimated the quantity of oil in the tank. You have an option and that is to dump the oil tank oil into an eight quart holder then transfer to gallon milk jugs for recycling later. Once the pan is empty then go to the engine oil drain for dumping.

Once a year you should remove the engine oil screen plate, remove and clean the screen, re-gasket (paper) and tighten.

Place a bunch of paper towels or washcloth/small towel under the oil filter before removing.
Your going to loose oil removing the filter and you want to minimize oil release to preserve the rubber gasket between the tank and the body. Keep this area as clean as possible.

Use a good oil filter (Porsche, Mahle). Have oil-sorbent at the ready.

Wear latex gloves and prepare to get messy..........

Bob 1973.5T

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Kurt S didn't say to use a 9-10 quart pan, he said to use "a BIG pan."

For what it's worth, I have found the ideal containers for drainage oil are those big plastic bottles--they're huge--that hold the supersized quantities of washing-machine detergent. I collect all the ones my wife empties and usually end up with about 30 or 40 gallons of oil to occasionally take to the local garage drainage-oil tank.

Off topic, but it occurs to me every time I think of "drainage oil."

When I was a 16-year-old gas-station attendant in Wellfleet Mass, on Cape Cod, my second day on the job an old guy came by with a five-gallon can and asked for some "drainage oil." At least that's what I heard. So I went and filled his can, gave it to him, and he said, "How much?" I laughed and said it's free, you can have it. He left.

Came back an hour later, furious. What he had actually asked for was "range oil," which is what in parts of Massachusetts they call kerosene, since back then, in the 1950s, it was used in cookstoves. He'd poured the filthy old oil into his stove before discovering what I'd given him.

Served him right, since he thought he'd put one over on the new kid by taking without question five gallons of what he thought was kerosene, which he knew damn well wasn't free.

[defcon65]

Get a five-gallon bucket, that oil comes out of there like a geyser! If you want to try and 'aim' for a funnel or a 2-1/2" detergent bottle neck while 9 quarts of 190 degree oil shoot out in five seconds, you will also want to pick up fifty pounds of cat litter and nineteen rolls of paper towels.

These Porsches, they're not your Dad's Oldsmobile.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I didn't say you _drain_ it into the detergent bottles, forgodsakes--having been changing 356, 911 and Boxster oil since 1957, there's little you're going to be able to tell me about it--I said they're ideal CONTAINERS for drainage oil. I STORE the oil in them. Like in KEEP.

Now tell me they didn't make 911s in 1957, right?

[AtomicDog]

Steve,

"FOR THE LAST TIME, we don't have any sweet rolls!"

Well in that case, I'l just have a sweet roll...

LMAO

Chris

[FrinkFrog]

Wouldn't it help if you put the big plastic detergent bottle inside a torn-open kitty litter bag BEFORE you started to empty the oil?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Actually, what you should do is just drain the oil into a catscheisser.

[4sd911]

If it's not to late. If you warm the engine first that oil will be dam hot, you should have insulated rubber gloves, like the ones you use for handling chemicals.

[FrinkFrog]

vut der u meen catscheisser?

[SteveinTO]

You know, for it's entertainment value, I think noobs (and we were all noobs once, even if it was 1957) first oil changes should be described after the fact. If you haven't put six of 12 quarts on the floor at least once, you're not trying very hard in this league.

[healeykit]

Frinkfrog - nice photoshop - I was scrolling through this while a lady at work was telling me about her breakfast when I broke out laughing - thanks.

She thinks she's funny.

Great advice - now I need to find oil - I've made it through 12 pages of the ultimate oil thread - holy cow that's a long thread. It's surprisingly hard to find any of the oils listed there.

[petrolblue83911]

One issue that we need to make sure healy kit has straight here is the quantity!-Dantilla mentioned 15 quarts-with a 11-12 quarts added during a change, that's a lot more than I would add for a stock 3.2

I would start with 9-10 quarts, and go from there. I'll almost guarantee that if you try to drop 12 quarts in to start that you will over fill the engine.

Also, the part about heating up the oil first is important, I generally do a change after driving the car home from work, so that it has been really warmed up well. I use ramps, as my sc is lowered a bit, so basically, I drive it up on ramps in the garage as I get home, and after dinner, complete the process. Yes, the oil is hot, but with 20-50 weight, or 10-40, warm oil is better so you get a decent drain off.

Good Luck!!

[defcon65]

OK, I'm looking at your photo and it honestly has never occured to me to remove the engine BEFORE draining the oil! What novelty! I learn something everytime I log onto this site.

[Gunter]

Originally Posted by healeykit

Great advice - now I need to find oil - I've made it through 12 pages of the ultimate oil thread - holy cow that's a long thread. It's surprisingly hard to find any of the oils listed there.

No need to be too anal about oil.

You can get BradPenn or...............................

For many years, and for cooler climates, I went with Shell Rotella (Or Castrol) Dino 15W40 and added a can of GM-EOS.
To be sure: Castrol 15W40 Diesel, not 10W40.
I like Diesel oil because of the additives for temp and pressure.

Dino oil for our aircooled engines, and Synthetic for the newer ones, according to what the manufacturers recommend.

[defcon65]

I also recommend Shell Rotella 15w40 and Castrol 10w40. It's inexpensive and available anywhere. Your Porsche came from the factory with Shell lubricants.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

FrinkFrog, look up the German for scheiss. The PP nannies won't allow me to use the word here. I have to write for TheTruthAboutCars.com--best automotive blog out there--to swear.