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Hi Steve.... Congrats on getting a Mk II GT3!! The front brake ducts (called 'spoilers' in the parts listings) hook, snap, and clip on to the lower front trailing arms. They do project downward into the air stream to direct some onto the front rotors. As low as they are (and the motorsports/cup versions do project a bit lower) they are vulnerable to scraping the ground. I consider them a consumable item along with the front splitter/spoiler. Depending on which alignment rack/system you may use, you may also have to remove/replace the brake ducts so that the front wheel heads can "see" each other under the front end while on the rack. They are a pain to R&R, but, it's part of the fun.

Hi m5steveo.... In general, I agree with the post above.... We do have UK posters so, I invite them to help with an answer to you. In the US, it is difficult to impossible to legally buy a non-US, US DOT approved car....so, we probably have little advice for you on buying one in Germany. Also, the Mk I GT3 was not sold in the US, so our experience with it is mostly hearsay. There is a lively GT3 list in the UK at http://newtristar.orbitzero.co.uk/mailman/options/gt3/ I'll bet they will give you what you are looking for. Good luck!

Hi Michael..... Personally, I convert all the alignment numbers to decimal degrees. That just makes it easier for me and the alignment tech to see where the settings are since we tend to think in decimal numbers easier than degrees, minutes, and seconds. Any good alignment machine can be set to read/print out in decimal degrees as well. Here's my most recent conservative street alignment specs: Front Camber: -1.0 deg Front Caster: Can't be adjusted but mine come in between +7.7 deg and +8.4 deg. Front toe: +0.06 deg to +0.08 deg per side for a total front toe of about +0.14 deg. Rear Camber: -1.7 deg Rear Toe: +0.23 deg each for a total rear toe of about +0.46 deg. Try to minimize the thrust angle by getting each rear toe very close to the same, side to side. Have the tech really tighten down the rear adjustment eccentrics....they are know to slip if not tight. If you've got the time, get to know the tech and sit in the driver's seat while he dials it in. Depending on what machine he's using, you may have to remove the front brake cooling ducts from the lower trailing arms so the front wheel alignment heads can see each other under the front end. I've gotten pretty good at removing and replacing the ducts....mine are the cup car ducts that are a little larger too. Remember, this is a conservative street-only alignment that maximises stable handling and decent tire wear. You will get other advice for best agressive handling....but, the darn thing is already is one of the best handling cars on the road!! Let us know how it turns out.

SilverC4S...... Ah, yes, the old "what alignment?" question. You will find many opinions on GT3 alignment in these forums and others. I'll share my own opinion with you. There is a good alignment for the street and there is a good alignment for the track. They are different and each has problems in the other environment. Bottom line for me is, I have figured out what I like for each, and re-align the car for each use. Track use on the street alignment is not the best for track handling and bad for tire wear. Street use on the track alignment causes more twitchy handling and is bad for tire wear. I decided long ago that I could get three 4-wheel alignments for the price of one rear tire worn out prematurely due to track alignment on the street, or vice versa. To your question on street alignment.... Yes, for my purposes, for a street alignment, (and for decent tire wear) I spec it toward the conservative end of the factory recommended adjustment tolerance. That is, minimum negative camber within the spec and maximum toe in (for stability) within the spec. I found that rear tires last up to twice as long that way than with a more agressive alignment spec.

Hi SilverC4S....(gotta update that handle now?) Welcome and congrats on your new-to-you GT3. As you've seen and commented on, the GT3 is very sensitive to alignment....and also to tire condition. For instance, if the front tires are worn more on the inside shoulders, the front end dartiness will increase, especially under braking. Measure the tread depth side to side and across the front tread to evaluate. Get a good alignment and keep the before and after alignment specs. Owners have also experienced the alignment changing with, say, pothole hits. For instance, the rear eccentrics that set camber/toe can slip. As for the hesitation around 4k, I have not experienced that in any GT3. There is something wrong there. It's still under warranty, so have the dealer read any codes and get it corrected. It could be anything from a "vacuum leak" in the intake system to some failure in the variable cam timing adjusters. In any case, it's not normal. Please let us know what you find out.

Hi pqwilliams..... Yes, the brakes and clutch share the same fluid supply...but, as Ray implied above, there is much less need to bleed the clutch as often as you do the brakes. The fluid in the brake calipers can reach 300-500+ F on the track due to brake heat soak, where the fluid at the clutch slave will not. That's not to say you never need to bleed the clutch, but, nowhere near as often as at the brake calipers.

Hi White987S.... Well my GT3 doesn't have that mark....but it's an '04 GT3. I've seen the mark you talk about, though, on race-oriented cars, including GT3 Cups and RSRs. It's meant to be a driver aid. It makes it easier to see visually where the front wheels are pointed.....as in the case when the car isn't exactly going where the front wheels are pointed. Especially usefull if the driver has been shuffle steering (moving his hands away from the 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the wheel.

As said above.... we still don't know if the 997 GT3 has the rear belt bosses welded onto the unibody (like the 996 GT3 does) or not.

I agree. 32-33 hot is good general advice, but, with the weight distribution on the GT3, I find 35-36 hot best. In talking with a respected Cup Car racer last weekend at Miller, he concurred on that number for the rear, and commented that for a turbo 911 (GT2, even heavier in the rear) he would recommend a pound or two more, hot.

Hi Hombre..... I would guess that the 997 GT3 2+2 situation is the same as for the 996 GT3...and that is: No.. because it has no rear seats, no rear seat belts, and therefore is not DOT approved for rear seating. They would say that the factory did not intend passengers to sit in the back..and have not provided required restraints in the back...so, not DOT legal. In the 997 GT3, I don't know whether the unibody has, does not have the rear seat belt bolt bosses welded to the body under the carpeting.

One more thing, Oversteer...... Also see my 2003 post on GT3 Steering Precision: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=489

Hi Oversteer. Congrats on your new GT3. Our cars are extremely sensitive to tires and alignment. You should check both soon. I'd try the alignment first. I'd recommend you start with stock alignment first to get the feel of the car as it was designed. You can always tweek it later if you want. When it's up on the rack, assure that nothing is loose in the suspension. Check the anti-roll bar drop link nuts...they are known for loosening. Read the before/after alignment printout to see what it was and how it's changed. Assure the ride height is withing stock specs. I run the toe in in the rear toward the more-toed-in end of the range. You will get other advice from others...but, I recommend experiencing the car as it was designed first. I run the front toe-in within the spec range too. Assure the camber is close, side to side. Then assure you don't have excess wear on the inside edge of the front or rear tires. Inside shoulder wear, especially in the front, can make the front darty. I get a very conservative alignment for the street and then get a separate track alignment for the track. A track alignment on the street can be not-fun and will wear your inside tire shoulders prematurely. I can get 2-3 alignments for the price of one new rear tire. Let us know what you find out.

Hi Feds....Congrats on your new (to you) GT3. The oil pressure reading you observe sounds about right. That's what I see and several others with GT3s see as well. Assure you are running the correct oil. See Online Docs Menu above for the latest TSB on factory oil recommendations. We usually run M1 0W-40.

Mike, I change my own oil and I DO replace the small O-ring. It's an expensive part compared to everything else, but I change it anyway. My dealer tells me that it's not really necessary to change, but I do it. Yes, the small o-ring is a bit pricey. I took a new one to my local hardware store and bought some same- sized duplicates in neoprene. Now I have a supply.

Hey afpdl.... I was speaking to a lead Porsche Tech from a local dealership yesterday. I described your situation to him. He suggested that a potential 'hydrolock' might be happening on the crankcase side of the pistons instead of the the combustion chamber side. He has seen dry sump 911s that have sat unused for a few months (especially if car is not level and the oil tank is on the high side) drain oil from the tank back through the pump and into the crankcase sump. That would fill the crankcase to the point that the motor could lock on a piston down stroke into the crankcase. He specifically remembers other techs trying to start such a car with a jumper and getting just the solenoid click....and thinking that their jumper was dead too. He says the fix is to just open both the crankcase drain AND the oil tank drain and let it drain for "a few days".....then, turn it over to see if it has freed up. If so, refill and start it.....and expect a lot of smoke for a while. Good luck and please let us know how it turns out for you.

afpdl...... This might be serious. I gather from your statement the oil "shot out" that the engine has inhaled some amount of oil from the breather system. Best case, the MAF is soaked and giving some danger signal to the ECU. Worst case (I hope this isn't it), the first start after the overfill inhaled enough oil to partially fill one or more cylinders and the motor has hydrolocked. If it has, the starter is trying to turn the motor which has a charge of incompressible oil in a cylinder and won't turn over. If this worst case has happened, and the car is still on warranty (you didn't say if it's a Mk I or Mk II in the USA), I would recommend getting a flat bed tow to the nearest dealer for analysis. Please let us know what happens.

Hi Sarg..... It's probably a normal sound you are hearing. See the discussion and my description in this link: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8530 Let us know what you think.

Hi Street.... I have experience with 3 tracked 2004 GT3s. 1) Mine dripped a couple drops in the weeks after a track session...and has been dry since (through many more track sessions). 2) Friend's leaked after several track sessions...was repaired, and, I think, is since dry. 3) Another friend's leaked after every track session and on the road. It got particularly bad during several sessions in May. Engine bottom and rear of the car oily. He is on his 3th RMS now, and it seems to be staying dry.....but, he hasn't had it to the track since the last job. His and my serial numbers are just 4 different, and we are having totally different experiences.

Great looking GT3, Sarg...... From the looks of your front plate, I'm guessing that you are not in the US?

Hey Graeme..... the 996 GT3's front anti-roll bar is 27mm OD with a guage/wall thickness of 4.1mm. or 1.06 in by 0.16 wall thickness per the 2004 996 GT3 Product Information book. Or you could have just called me up to ask!! Hey, where's the pics of me taking a ride in the AT-6 Texan at La Junta? Craig

Hi RJ.... You didn't say what governing body you are getting teched for....but, in teching for PCA DE's and Club Race.... I see a little bluing on rotors all the time. As you say, the key criteria are remaining thickness, lateral runout, and extension of cracks. On Porsche factory rotors with cast holes, the rule of thumb is to fail a rotor if the cracks begin to meet up with other cracks or extend to the outer edge of the rotor.

Hi Steve.... You already have a high quality synthetic gear lube in the transaxle from the factory....and it's already the one that Weissach would have us use. The chatter is normal and the lube is cool. Personally, I think that Weissach figured out the right lube to go with the LSD design they installed. As for the "rattling noise from the exhaust when cold"....that's completely normal as well. What's happening is that, to reduce emissions when cold, the GT3, and some other 996's as well, have an electric auxilliary air injector pump that runs when the motor is dead cold until some sensor detects and signals "enough". The pump is electric and pumps fresh air into the exhaust just after the exhaust ports (if you ever remove the exhaust manifolds, you can see the channels milled into the heads next to the exhaust ports that channel the fresh air in). The fresh air on cold start mixes with the cold, unburnt gases exiting the exhaust ports and burns/detonates in the exhaust system, and, incidently, helps the cats to heat up to operating temp quickly. That's the popping you hear on cold start. Notice that when the sensor decides it's warm enough to run the cats normally, the revs drop and the popping stops. You have a very special 911 there and it sounds like it's performing like it should. Enjoy!!!

Hi Steve.... What you describe sounds totally normal in Mk II GT3s. Mine does the same thing. Noticable when reversing while turning too. Our cars have a mechanical, asymmetric, clutch type limited slip differential. It has significant lock-up percentages (40% under acceleration and 60% under overrun). This is typical of factory racing 911s. The LSD clutch pak has a preload plus pairs of angled ramps that come into play (and add LSD clutch pressure) under acceleration (one pair of ramps) or overrun (the other pair of ramps with a different angle). The angle determines the percentage of additional clutch clamping. In the tight turns you describe the slight driveline pressure of acceleration or reversing will cause the clutch pak to tighten and slip making the chattering sound you hear and feel. Try this experiment: For instance on a sloping driveway, back down while turning with the car in reverse gear and the engine slowly driving the wheels. Then try the same thing with the car coasting out of gear and listen/feel the difference. Without the engine driving (and loading the clutch pak further by engaging the respective pair of ramps) the LSD chatter will be less.

Thanks this is what I ws looking for. So it sounds like this is a legal charge from the dealer to make the adjustment for street use. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "legal charge", but, what I recommeded is within the factory spec tolerance, but, toward the end of the tolerance that will maximise tire life for the street. If you suspect that the alignment was incorrect from the factory, you may be able to convince the dealer to check/adjust it under warranty. You will also need to talk to the alignment rack operator to see if he will agree to get the result as close to what you want as possible. Setting the camber and toe on the rear is not easy and some operators will quit when they just get it "somewhere in the tolerance range". I go to a rack run by my favorite tire dealer who understands my...uh.... obsession...with getting it right and lets me hang around and sit in the driver's seat while he works so that the result is what I want with me driving the thing. And remember, you can get 4 to 6 alignments for the price of a set of rear tires. A good alignment shop is hard to find. Take care of them when you do find them.

Hi Racedoc... The short answer is "yes". You posted in the 996 GT3 forum so I'll assume that you have a Mk II GT3 at normal ride height. Several things about GT3 alignment. The car is very sensitive to alignment and ride height. Many have been delivered from the factory with the alignment not within spec. The recommended alignment can be different for the street vs the track. Even for the street, factory alignment is such that the rear camber is some amount of negative and the inner shoulder of the the rear tires will wear more quickly than the outside shoulders in normal street driving. That's true for all 911s. All that said, I can get four 4-wheel alignments for less than the price of one rear tire.....so, my GT3 spends a lot of time on the alignment rack. For a street alignment, and to maximise the rear tire life, I run -1.7 degrees of negative camber on the rear and +0.25 degrees of positive toe-in per wheel in the rear. This is within the factory spec, but, at the minimum amount of negative camber and the toward the maximum amount of toe-in within the spec tolerance. My recommendations are in decimal degrees which most Hunter racks can report. The factory specs are in degrees+/-minutes, so you may have to convert. Did I answer your question? BTW, 9K miles is pretty good for rear tires on a GT3...but, if you had steel belts showing, they were toast some time ago.