judgejon

good job... where did you get the kit, and $?, if you don't mind.

would the Durametric pick this up?

LMAO...nice one OE. ditto...

I agree with Deckman on this one. And others here have agreed in the past. I've come to appreciate the "modern" look of the fried-egg front end, even though I figured to just suffer along with it because the rear end of the c4s looks so **** good. But it surely is a matter of personal taste, cant go wrong either way. and speaking of the 996 light module, I think we can all agree that the design of the headlight washers is horrible. many folks have mentioned that if the washer is used at over about 30mph the top will just come off and blow away. part of the "porsche mystique" I suppose. I still think "porsche mysteries (and/or miseries)" would be a good running forum topic. good luck with whatever you decide to do.

right. good advice... careful not to nick the coolant hose. good luck.

+1 on Durametric's usefulness and the support you get from the owner, Duram. Regards, Maurice. Ditto. Get the software. Duram is very helpful and way accessible to discuss the installation and operation of the programs...

TP: Thanks much for this reassuring message. I thought it just might have something to do with oil draining issues, and I appreciate your follow up research. Loren can add this to the "porsche mysteries" forum. Best, jl

Thanks very much. Is it ok that the valve seems to be seated on an angle? Sorry that my pictures don't show that very well. If that might have happened at assembly at the factory then for sure it's not worth messing with.

can any of the serious Porschephiles out there tell me what the large bolt is in the middle at the rear of the engine on my C4S? I noticed that the bolt seems to sit on a slant, but cant tell if this is the design or if its inserted incorrectly. I won't be messing with it until the next visit to my indy, but wonder if the bolt is designed to seat a little bit off kilter to facilitate oil draining or "sump-thing". I was inspired to look by the recent post about some goop on a hose. the bolt is tight, and has no oil seepage. It looks like the oil drain plug, but I haven't done any work myself on the car yet and honestly can't be sure. the wisdom of the renntech will be appreciated.

I asked V1 why no cordless version was offered. the answer was that cordless "locators" have a response delay that powered units do not.

Beautiful car. congrats. enjoy.....

Loren, there are several threads re the drain cleaing problems, and these pictures are great. I couldn't find any posts or DIY's about how to actually get to the drains except for one regarding the cab tray and access by removing the right rear wheel well cover. Are there other "how to get to" threads? I'd like to check the a/c condenser drain on my C4S coupe, but I'm not sure where to start taking stuff off. thanks, jl

thanks, Loren, that's good information. what does it sound like is happening with Bill's car? another mystery....

Hi A 73 911 would be my recommendation. It was the pre-emission version. In 1974 , Porsche had to use the dreaded "thermal reactors" on the exhaust to meet emissions. This resulted in overheating and ultimately pulled head studs. The 73 doesn't have that problem. I suggest you look for an early 911 that someone else has already changed out the engine to a 3.2L. The 915 transmission used in the 72 and later cars is ok - it will handle the extra power but the shifting isn't as crisp as a G50( I don't know if a G50 will even fit in an early 911). Hope this helps. Ed in Austin, TX. Thx Ed it really helps and the pre-emission info is really usefull. some people even say that the driving of a pre-emission porsche and a post emission one is completly different and that the cars loose alot of its soul with the emission rules. you might want to check out a late 60's 911S for a truly soul car. good luck....

yup, alternator. been there, done that. lots of posts and threads here with identical symptoms. welcome... we've got the alternator t-shirts....

Yes. sounds like a classic fuel filter problem. good luck....

and have the wheels rebalanced when you check the discs. ;)

At the risk of starting another "oil wars" thread :oops: The December 2007 Porsche approved oils list doesn't have anything more viscous than 5W-50 as far as I can tell. Given that cold starts are a major wear issue on any engine - the "Mobile Water" seems like a good cold start oil, and the rating to a 40 weight when hot should provide ample protection - given it's the factory fill also. I've tended to run heavier oils when given the option in the past - because I also tend to drive hard. However, after reading and understanding the issues with engine tolerances, and multiple service duties (like oil acting as a hydraulic fluid for variocam), etc., I'll stick with the Porsche approved oil list. You can find it under the 996 TSBs if you're a member, and search for "Oil." Oh, and I received a remanufactured engine, courtesy of the Porsche CPO warranty, after my intermediate shaft (bearing) failed. I haven't seen 15W-50 on the list. I used Castrol 5w-40 Porsche approved, since where I live I don't need to go down to the 0W. I don't think I have ever seen 5W- 50 being sold off the self! Maybe available on the net. Kevin, I checked the TSB and you're right. but 15-50 is noted in my owners manual. I live in a cooler climate area, but travel to high temp inland areas often. that's why I'm using the 15-50. seems the heavier 5w would be a harder cold weather start. I used Castrol 20-50 in my SC for years with no problem. would you recommend a different oil at the next change? Cheers, jl A 50 viscosity oil is best for your Porsche and 15W or 20W is perfectly fine unless you are regularly starting your engine when the oil temperature is below freezing. For some reason, many educated people here argue that 15W50 or 20W50 are too thick an oil to get to into the "tight tolerances" of the engine. I would love to know just one oiled area of the engine that has any tigher tolerance than any high compression engine from 40+ years ago. For those who rely on Porsche to tell them what is alright to do, 5W50 is approved and if this oil has no problem going through the engine, then neither will a 15W or 20W oil. Porsche continues to factory fill their TIGHT engines with Mobil 0W40 and many of these cars burn gallons of oil between changes and leak from various orifices. The use of 0W40 from the factory is primarily due to substantial subsidy to Porsche from Mobil as well as Porsche's need to meet epa and other regulator's demands for better fuel economy. In most cases, moving to a better oil reduces or eliminates both oil burning and leakage as well as provides better shear protection, especially at low rpm torque conditions, better lifter operation at both idle and near redline, etc, etc. this entire discussion is very interesting and this last post is very reassuring. still curious about why 15w-50 is in the 2003 book, but I'm thinking that for those of us who do not live in more radical climates the higher ranges of oil noted are going to be ok. thanks to all...

Okay - one thing to get straight - the winter spec (0w-40) refers to viscosity when cold (there's more to it, I know). The 0 weight is thinner than a 5 or 15 weight when starting the engine at, let's say, room temperature (although the spec is at 0 degrees celsius). This means that it also circulates more quickly and covers the valve train, etc. regardless of the temperature. Hence, a thinner oil can reduce cold-start wear moreso than with a thicker oil which takes more time to penetrate and circulate to and through the tight engine tolerances. I used to think you'd be crazy to run "thinner oil" but after reading lot's of threads, books, and conducting what I'd call "independent research" - I'm sold on using the factory fill in these engines. 5W-40 doesn't give any better warm-weather or high-temp protection than 0w-40, and it offers less cold-start protection. So 'splain it to me Lucy - why use thicker oil unless you're spending a day at the track, running hard from dawn until dusk and not letting the engine cool down appreciably??? Not inviting flames - but interested in any intelligent reasoning. Thanks much. I had my numbers wrong. the lower first number is the thinner, duh. considering what you've mentioned, I'll likely go with the 5w-40 at next oil change just on general principles. question: why would Porsche list the 15w-50 in the 2003 owners manual? why not have that multi-vis oil still on the approved list? thanks, j

At the risk of starting another "oil wars" thread :oops: The December 2007 Porsche approved oils list doesn't have anything more viscous than 5W-50 as far as I can tell. Given that cold starts are a major wear issue on any engine - the "Mobile Water" seems like a good cold start oil, and the rating to a 40 weight when hot should provide ample protection - given it's the factory fill also. I've tended to run heavier oils when given the option in the past - because I also tend to drive hard. However, after reading and understanding the issues with engine tolerances, and multiple service duties (like oil acting as a hydraulic fluid for variocam), etc., I'll stick with the Porsche approved oil list. You can find it under the 996 TSBs if you're a member, and search for "Oil." Oh, and I received a remanufactured engine, courtesy of the Porsche CPO warranty, after my intermediate shaft (bearing) failed. I haven't seen 15W-50 on the list. I used Castrol 5w-40 Porsche approved, since where I live I don't need to go down to the 0W. I don't think I have ever seen 5W- 50 being sold off the self! Maybe available on the net. Kevin, I checked the TSB and you're right. but 15-50 is noted in my owners manual. I live in a cooler climate area, but travel to high temp inland areas often. that's why I'm using the 15-50. seems the heavier 5w would be a harder cold weather start. I used Castrol 20-50 in my SC for years with no problem. would you recommend a different oil at the next change? Cheers, jl

I checked the receipt and the dealer had put in 15x50 Mobil 1 at last oil change. Was planning to change it after the Summer, but alas, I didn't need to do that. Just needed to mop up a few gallons from the garage floor and then the street once the flatbed wrecker showed up and we pushed it to the street. I will definitely not run that viscosity in the future, as it's not THAT hot here. Sent a PM regarding price (roughly, in the $41k range). Thanks for the good wishes - I'll keep my fingers crossed for a new engine, and will post back once I hear from the dealer. Wow a Porsche dealer put in an oil that was not on the recommended Porsche oil list? 15-50 is on the list... am I missing something here?

Yee-hah :D You and Orient are absolutely correct. Two pins on bottem of box. One grommet stayed in place, the other had fallen out. This morning I removed the entire box and immediately saw what was going on. I am intrigued as to why the PET didn't show/list the part. I wonder if anyone else has found porsche parts on their car that are not in PET....? The part IS in PET but it is only listed for the 997 series cars. Chances are they just forgot to refer the old part number in the 996 to the newer part number. another addition to the Porsche magical mystery tour forum section....

Good post, thanks. Good information used from this and many other posts. I used the heated seat fuse socket, and put the remote on the "bat wing." Help much appreciated.

When you change the alternator consider also putting in a new battery. I've had good luck with Interstate over the years....

this is great, thanks. I'm still trying to figure out where I want the V1 and whether or not I want to use the remote display. this is very helpful. I'm assuming that you were not able to use the Valentine supplined remote connector due to limited space?