j_beede

My 2005 997 has green coolant. I need to top off the reservoir but can only find red Porsche concentrate antifreeze. I would prefer to avoid the whole "color mixing" issue. Do I have any choice but to replace all the coolant with the new red antifreeze?

This morning the level was right at the upper arrow, cold engine. Good.

jl-c,

That might have worked based on what I observed. I suppose I will be pulling the filter canister off to drain off about 550cc. Once I am calibrated I will know what to do next time.Using your method have you seen the level drop back down to one bar below the upper arrow when cold? 

...j

MY05 C2 6-speed.

The 75mm, 14 flat filter wrench from O'Reilly (Pennzoil brand) worked but is really a bit too large. The wrench "stuck" on the canister after torquing and had to be coaxed off. No harm done.

You would expect an oil and filter change to be fairly uneventful. I had a couple issues come up:

1) Large aluminum drain plug and aluminum oil pan may not be the ideal combination. The drain plug broke free and spun out--finger tight--until about halfway out. Then it got snug again. A bad thread or two in oil pan. The new replacement drain plug threaded in by hand about halfway, then got snug, then spun in nicely for the last 2-3 turns. I was temped to chase the oil pan threads with a tap or steel bolt but left it "as is" for now as it torqued securely. Chasing the threads will surely leave tiny flecks of aluminum in the pan. Dropping the pan just to chase the threads seems like overkill as the bottom of my pan and garage floor are clean, dry, and oil free. I suspect the tiny bright specs in the filter were from the poor fitment of the drain plug. 

2) I started the oil refill with 7 quarts. The dash gauge reported low level--flashing low. Good. Added 1/2 quart and see one bar on the gauge. I slowly added oil until the gauge was at the upper arrow. Good. Took a drive to warm the engine and parked it. This morning with a cold engine I am above the upper arrow, all segments lit. 

Why not do the clutch too? The incremental cost should be small. I see you have selected the LN ceramic single row IMSB. Did you consider doing the LN/Raby "solution"? If you plan to keep the car for a long time you might want to pay the extra for the "solution". Good luck.

75mm 14 flats (Pennzoil brand) worked okay. It is probably a bit too big as it sticks on the canister after applying torque. For $6 I have no complaints. 

MY05 C2 6-sp. I am doing my first oil change this weekend and encountered the "oil level calibration" topic for the first time. I am unable to find detail on whether this is a DIY procedure or Porsche's way of discouraging DIY oil changes... 

I have not purchased a Duratec cable yet, I guess I am going to need this to reset the service indicator when it lights?

Thanks for that detailed response. 

I did a search for ZPPD and SMOG and expected to see a bunch of hits--nope.

I was planning on replacing the Syntec 5W-40 in my MY05 C2 with J Gibbs DT40 5W-40 this weekend. I am being told that high ZPPD oil (like DT40 which is "unapproved") will result in catalytic converter failure. I am also being told that DT40 has only slightly more zinc than Mobil1.

Anyone have actual experience with CA smog and high ZPPD oil?

76mm with 14 flats is easy to get locally. I will give it a try.

As the owner of a MY05 997 C2 I am already dealing with the IMSB "mystery" until the clutch gets done. Too bad since J. Raby recently mentioned the "magic wand" which should have been part of my PPI. Apparently this is a gadget that can identify which IMSB is installed in M96/M97 without dropping the transmission. Now they tell me.

I had intended to change my oil filter yesterday... no luck as I spent my garage time looking for an oil filter wrench for my stock plastic canister. It seems that either people are using the wrong wrench (with mixed results) or P has done it again by using a variety of canisters on 997.1. Hence the title to this topic. I thought paying $36(!) for the cartridge at the P dealer was bad enough without paying $$$ for the billet unobtanium filter wrench that they offered--especially since many 997 owners claim to be using wrenches that they paid $3-5 for at Pep Boys or Kragen or WalMart. 

I am not near to any of those outlets so would like to order from Amazon. If only I knew to order 74mm, 74.4mm, 76mm, 14 flats, or 15 flats... I suppose I could buy all six combinations and hope that one fits. That would cost less than half the cost of the 996.xxx.yyy.xxx wrench plus round trip to the dealer.

I know about the LN spin-on adapter and will do that at the next oil service.

Sounds good. I plan to do the LN adapter, filtermag, and LN drain plug as part of my next oil change.

Thanks for the quick reply. I have not ordered the LN adapter yet, nor do I have the WIX/NAPA filter. Given your input that the combo is shorter than the stock canister I will likely go that route. 

I am changing the oil filter on my MY05 997 today. I think the plastic canister already hangs down a bit below the oil pan. My understanding is that the LN spin-on adapter with a WIX/NAPA filter will hang a little lower yet. When I eyeball this it sure looks like the factory canister is already the lowest point under the car.

Any comments regarding ground clearance from those using the LN spin-on adapter?

The only reason would be if the top of the filter is below the crankcase oil level. Better to ask than be surprised I think.

MY05 C2 coupe 6-sp.

I'm sure that this question has been asked before... I did a couple searches with no luck. I'd like to change my oil filter without changing my oil. Have you done this on your 997? Comments?

My 997 C2 goes 10-15,000 miles on a set of rears (295/30-20) and many more miles on fronts (245/30-20). My suggestion is to go with one brand/model tire all the way around--choosing a brand and model that will be available the next time you need only rears. For many of us that often means Pirelli P-Zero or Michelin Pilot SS. You may have more choices in your sizes. 

Some purists will insist on replacing all four to avoid age-related differences between the front and rear.

Pre

Mine is a UK 2003 C2 and mine does this if I hold the button down.  Both windows roll.  It allows the car to cool on a warm day before you get inside. 

Precisely. My Nissan Maxima (US spec) has this feature. I thought my C2 had this feature... and was hoping it just needed to be enabled some way.

Thanks. Both windows go down when I hold the key to the left. It sounds like some models have auto-down from the remote... but not my MY05 C2 coupe.

No worries with Loctite blue. Unlike Loctite red or Loctite bearing mount, blue is easily removable in the future using standard hand tools. 

Like this certified 2014 in NorCal for $53,895:

MY05 C2 coupe 6-sp. If I hold the lock/unlock button down on my remote/key shouldn't the driver window auto-roll down? 

In some markets the price you mentioned plus the five thousand you plan to pay for warranty would buy a fairly new Porsche--perhaps a certified used. Is this contrary to what you have seen in your area?

In that case all you need is a 6" pipe wrench or vise grips (and a new bleeder screw) -- assuming there is adequate room for the wrench or pliers to access the screw.

Hello Angelo,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts regarding the IMSB. With all due respect to Timken, I would jump at the chance to replace my IMSB with Raby's "solution"... if I knew that my 997 had the smaller diameter, "serviceable" IMSB. I would prefer a properly lubricated plain bearing to any roller bearing variant.

Regarding your learnings...