Mijostyn

I have found this very useful. The cost is minimal and I have always been able to find torque specs. It is not the most user friendly program going but, once you get use to it you are in business.

http://www.eautorepair.net/Marketing/Default.asp?104555=

Congrats and enjoy the new engine! Do they know what's the cause of the scratches? You probably don't care at this point anyway :)

JFP, are any of these 9A1 problems even close to catastrophic like M96 IMSB?

Possibly; high pressure fuel pump issues are fairly well known, fuel intrusion from the DFI is leading to cylinder wall scoring issues, and more importantly there have been some multiple reports of abnormal cam chain wear. If the chain fails, the end result would be the same as an IMS failure.

Argh, that's disappointing to say the least. Thanks for the info. I was hoping the 9A1 a bullet proof engine :(

The closest thing Porsche has produced to being bullet proof was the Metzger lump (now discontinued) that used to come in the Turbo and GT cars. Brutally strong, and ridiculously expensive; but you could still break it if you really tried.

Hopefully the engines in the new 991 cars particularly the Turbos and GTS have been sorted out by now??

At this time, I do not have enough information about what changes were made between the regular 9A1 and the Turbo versions to really be definitive on all the differences; there has to be more than a few, but Porsche has been pretty closed mouth about it. As we get to spend more time with these newer cars, all shall be revealed....

Hopefully WW's influence is wearing off. Porsche is back to racing and hopefully back to making tough cars.

Hey Hart. This is real easy. There is a lot of stuff like your homelink module under there so the bumper was made to come off easily. All you have to do is run all the way around the periphery of the bumber and remove all the fasteners. There are a few under the trunk trim which is just velcroed down, bottom and wheel wells. Have a beach towel under the bumper to lay it down on or catch it should it fall. This is a 1/10.

Congrats and enjoy the new engine! Do they know what's the cause of the scratches? You probably don't care at this point anyway :)

JFP, are any of these 9A1 problems even close to catastrophic like M96 IMSB?

Possibly; high pressure fuel pump issues are fairly well known, fuel intrusion from the DFI is leading to cylinder wall scoring issues, and more importantly there have been some multiple reports of abnormal cam chain wear. If the chain fails, the end result would be the same as an IMS failure.

Argh, that's disappointing to say the least. Thanks for the info. I was hoping the 9A1 a bullet proof engine :(

The closest thing Porsche has produced to being bullet proof was the Metzger lump (now discontinued) that used to come in the Turbo and GT cars. Brutally strong, and ridiculously expensive; but you could still break it if you really tried.

Hopefully the engines in the new 991 cars particularly the Turbos and GTS have been sorted out by now??

Everything runs off that MOST loop. If the Most loop is broken anywhere you are going to get all kinds of warning messages in the instrument cluster. Be very careful here. The PCM in my 06 electrocuted a bunch of stuff totaling $9000 in repairs. Fortunately, car was on warranty. I ripped the PCM out and now have an Alpine Nav/head unit which is WAY better.

I know there are many opinions on this and I have read all the posts. Over and over again. Not trying to start anything, just looking for opinions in a more fact based forum. Hence the post here.

A little history.

99 Carrera 4 Cab. Bought with 37K miles. Had the IMS changed with the LN bearing. During the process discovered the bearing failed, metal in oil, but no engine damage. Decided at that time to just swap the bearing and monitor (against the mechanics advice). Well, 5K miles later metal showing up in oil again. Car is now on its way to CA for an engine rebuild. Discussed the IMS with the mechanic. He uses a standard German bearing as part of the rebuild and has not had any failures in 4 years of rebuilds. This is included in the price. But he will install any bearing I want (at the added cost of the bearing).

Should I go with the "eternal" with the roller bearings? Another LN? the Pelican Bearing?

His opinion is that the standard bearing is fine as long as the car is driven and oil changed at 5K and always in the normal range.

Just looking for opinions.

From the very introduction of the ceramic bearing retrofits, LN Engineering has specifically said not to retrofit engines that already had metal shards in them from a failing IMS bearing (http://imsretrofit.com/bearing-already-failing/). And while a few have had success "flushing" the metal out with repeated oil and filter changes, they are in the minority; most engines retrofitted with metal already circulating in them typically fail after the retrofits.

As you have a dual row engine, your best bet would be to go with the LN triple row option during the rebuild; this is the most robust system LN developed, and can only be installed during an engine rebuild. You next best option would be a fresh LN dual row; there are literally tens of thousands of these on the road with no signs of failures.

As for the Pelican system, it is an OEM style single row steel single row bearing and a spacer, you would be replacing the most durable IMS design (dual row) with the most problem plagued design (single row). Somehow, that just does not make any sense, even if you are on a tight budget.

JFP, IS the LN bearing sealed or open to engine oil? If it is sealed would you take the seals out??

Sadly a state of affairs at most dealers. The dealer will have it or access to it, but to most sales persons they are selling a box with 4 wheels- could be a washing machine as far as they care. Certainly my dealer stated I knew far more about the car than he did. That came from reading the manual on the iPhone app prior to delivery. If sales were as interested in their product as purchasers seem to be, they would read every model manual, look at all the online tech into and Hoover up everything they could to make them more knowledgeable on the product.

Maybe that's me expecting too much.

Thanx guys. This stuff is great. I wonder why the dealer did not have them.

Whilst googling came across this

RJN, Thank you very much. This is a great manual. I wonder why the dealer did not have this one. This has way better explanations of the technology used in this car and it is absolutely WILD. Hopefully servicing this car won't be a nightmare as it is very complicated. Everything is digitally manipulated, controled, enhanced and hopefully improved. The reviews have been positive so far but only time will tell how durable these cars will be.

Now I understand. There is no need for those fancy plates, pucks and Escos work just fine. So, you place the stands at the alternate jack points which are essentially the frame which is covered by plastic panels... You might damage the panels. I'm gonna find somewhere at the back to jack...sing it one more time :-)

Thanx JFP, A friend runs a shop and has a Snap On account (read discount), he is going to order one for me on Monday. It is just that the rear jack point makes it so easy to get the car up on jack stands. Do you have another method??

Agree that the rhodium silver TTS is a very sharp looking car and agree about the dash layout. There are a lot of things about the 991 TT that I find better......but, so far, the engine is not one of them.

I will let time be the judge but I don't think the latest generation will be able to match the Mezger. Another member of this site who worked for PCNA said Porsche had consulted Toyota on production and Toyota was blown away with the cost and sophistication of the Mezger to the point where they wondered what the heck Porsche was doing. While I don't have any inside information, it certainly seems that there's a lot of truth to that from everything I have read so far. I'm sure the 991 will be an outstanding car in many ways, but a move such as going back to a wet sump (no matter what they want to call it) is definitely a step backward if you ask me. I'll get off my soapbox but this is another reason I think the Porsche owners community (buyers) really got the 996 TT wrong. The cost is too cheap and not priced correctly. $40K for a low mileage 996TT is just plain ridiculous if you consider the sheer sophistication of the engine -- it is an engineering masterpiece in many ways. Just a prediction but I don't think the 991 changes things and the Mezger still goes down as one of the best -- if not THE best -- engines Porsche ever made.......

SilverTT, there is absolutely no question that the most economical way to get a Metzer is by getting a 996 TT. The Metzger is a wonderful engine and time may show that it was Porsche's best. On the other hand technology moves on and there is a growing group who believe the 991 version of the 9A1 is fully up to snuff. The GT3 version is winning hearts and souls by the minute. The advantage of the dry sump system in the older cars was that it insured a constant oil supply under high lateral G's. It of course required the use of a separate oil tank which takes up space and adds additional plumbing to a car that has more than its fair share. It is entirely possible to design a block and sump to prevent oil starvation under any circumstance which is exactly what Porsche has said it has done. Which means there is absolutely no advantage in having a dry sump. I for one will be quite happy not to have to pull two drain plugs every time I change the oil.

This years racing season will pretty much determine the viability and reliability of the new 9A1. Porsche is back in the field and staking its honor on it!

As we mostly work on our lifts, jacking up the car is not a common event; but when we do need to, we put aftermarket jacking pads into the car's jack point bayonet fittings, and then lift each side with a floor jack, then set the car on jack stands with hockey pucks on the top to prevent marring anything.

Jack point bayonet fittings?? Not sure what you mean. I can jack 1/2 the car easily by using the rear jack pad (with the centering hole) Then I stick an Esco jack stand under the front jack pad. I can't put one at the rear because the floor jack is there. I place the front Jack stand on the other side. Now the front of the car is up. I jack the rear from a center point (the 997 has a pad just for this) and place both rear stands. The back goes up real easy because it is being counter balanced by the part of the car hanging out in front of the front jack stands. The Esco stands are the best I have ever seen. They are big and stable with a large foot print and the top has a very nice round rubber pad which had to be made just for 911s. Pelican has them I believe.

Sorry about the spelling. Mezger it is. JFP, wasn't the Mezger a hybrid engine using the aircooled split case block with water cooled cylinders and heads??

The engine with air cooled cylinders and water cooled heads you are referring to was most famous for its appearance in the legendary 959 street cars. As Loren mentioned, Hans was involved in just about every Porsche Motorsports effort during his tenure with Porsche, including the air cooled 12 cylinder cars, the F1 program, and the still born Indy car. There is even a book and DVD out about his years at Porsche and covers many of the projects:

The jack pad I was referring to with the bayonet mount looks like this:

And it fits in here:

The picture I saw was a similar shot but with the oil pan/sump cover removed. This sump extension is just to give you more oil capacity? I have not seen the spec. Do you happen to know how much oil the Turbo holds?

I tried to post it but screwed it up somehow. I'll have to go back and pilfer through 991 pictures to find it again. Recreating the trail is tough. You click on one picture and a bunch pop up. You click on another and a different bunch of pictures pop up. And on and on.

The bottom cover was most definitely off. I know what that looks like. Above is just a flat expanse of aluminum with the baffles cast in. The return is just a large polygonal hole in the right side. This was not a Turbo. If I remember correctly the oil feeds for the turbos come right off the block. Doesn't the Turbo get a larger capacity oil pump?

JFP, also about the jacking??

It's definitely a marketing ploy if you ask me. If you read about the technology on Porsche's website they tell you "this is the exact same thing as a real dry sump! we just integrated it into the engine thereby reducing plumbing and saving space! rejoice!"

Also, I believe it is "Mezger" -- no "t" :cheers:

Son of a gun!! I found a picture of the engine with the oil pan off. The oil pan is the tank! There are two baffles on either side of the oil pick up which is dead center pointing to the front. The return is on the right side. The crank case is entirely walled off. As far as I can tell there is absolutely no direct communication between the crankcase and the oil tank. The crank case must empty into the return. The baffles keep the oil from sloshing around. I believe (but am not absolutely sure) that under operation there is no air at all in the tank. The return is very large and I would bet there is a fairly large cavity above it that must contain several liters of oil. They must get the oil level up there because there is no way they are getting it in a horizontal tank that can't be more than 3 inches thick. So the sump is dry. It sits above the oil tank.

Thanx JFP, A friend runs a shop and has a Snap On account (read discount), he is going to order one for me on Monday. It is just that the rear jack point makes it so easy to get the car up on jack stands. Do you have another method??

Agree that the rhodium silver TTS is a very sharp looking car and agree about the dash layout. There are a lot of things about the 991 TT that I find better......but, so far, the engine is not one of them.

I will let time be the judge but I don't think the latest generation will be able to match the Mezger. Another member of this site who worked for PCNA said Porsche had consulted Toyota on production and Toyota was blown away with the cost and sophistication of the Mezger to the point where they wondered what the heck Porsche was doing. While I don't have any inside information, it certainly seems that there's a lot of truth to that from everything I have read so far. I'm sure the 991 will be an outstanding car in many ways, but a move such as going back to a wet sump (no matter what they want to call it) is definitely a step backward if you ask me. I'll get off my soapbox but this is another reason I think the Porsche owners community (buyers) really got the 996 TT wrong. The cost is too cheap and not priced correctly. $40K for a low mileage 996TT is just plain ridiculous if you consider the sheer sophistication of the engine -- it is an engineering masterpiece in many ways. Just a prediction but I don't think the 991 changes things and the Mezger still goes down as one of the best -- if not THE best -- engines Porsche ever made.......

SilverTT, there is absolutely no question that the most economical way to get a Metzer is by getting a 996 TT. The Metzger is a wonderful engine and time may show that it was Porsche's best. On the other hand technology moves on and there is a growing group who believe the 991 version of the 9A1 is fully up to snuff. The GT3 version is winning hearts and souls by the minute. The advantage of the dry sump system in the older cars was that it insured a constant oil supply under high lateral G's. It of course required the use of a separate oil tank which takes up space and adds additional plumbing to a car that has more than its fair share. It is entirely possible to design a block and sump to prevent oil starvation under any circumstance which is exactly what Porsche has said it has done. Which means there is absolutely no advantage in having a dry sump. I for one will be quite happy not to have to pull two drain plugs every time I change the oil.

This years racing season will pretty much determine the viability and reliability of the new 9A1. Porsche is back in the field and staking its honor on it!

As we mostly work on our lifts, jacking up the car is not a common event; but when we do need to, we put aftermarket jacking pads into the car's jack point bayonet fittings, and then lift each side with a floor jack, then set the car on jack stands with hockey pucks on the top to prevent marring anything.

Jack point bayonet fittings?? Not sure what you mean. I can jack 1/2 the car easily by using the rear jack pad (with the centering hole) Then I stick an Esco jack stand under the front jack pad. I can't put one at the rear because the floor jack is there. I place the front Jack stand on the other side. Now the front of the car is up. I jack the rear from a center point (the 997 has a pad just for this) and place both rear stands. The back goes up real easy because it is being counter balanced by the part of the car hanging out in front of the front jack stands. The Esco stands are the best I have ever seen. They are big and stable with a large foot print and the top has a very nice round rubber pad which had to be made just for 911s. Pelican has them I believe.

Sorry about the spelling. Mezger it is. JFP, wasn't the Mezger a hybrid engine using the aircooled split case block with water cooled cylinders and heads??

Our water temperatures here in the UK go from 40 -120 (C of course!) so I thought WHAT?? until I looked at a US binnacle and of course yours go 100 - 250 (F!) so yes in answer to your question, assuming you were reading water temperature, it was hot. 250 is the STOP now point so maybe you need to look at those radiators and your fan operation or, if not fitted already, consider a low temperature stat (I know before anyone chimes in that it will not reduce running temperatures just opening point :lol: ) coupled with the third (centre) radiator. These engines do not like high temperatures and according to what I have gleaned over time, it is considered to be the most likely cause of bore scoring/cracking.

OK, just read your signature, you are running Tiptronic so should already have the third radiator. Maybe add the GT3 vent above the third radiator to get rid of the heat more efficiently?

Jl-c. My water temp runs a very consistent 175 F your 80 C. Just because the gauge goes to 250 F doesn't mean your coolant temp should. If Paul's coolant temp is getting to 240 he has a real problem. But, he said his normal temp was 210 which is right at where my oil temp runs.

there is absolutely no advantage in having a dry sump

I'm not an expert on the "integrated dry sump", but I don't see how that could be true. Time will be the judge but the Mezger definitely will be a tough act to follow........

Generally, Porsche has been a tough act to follow, at least until the Wendelin Wiedeking years. He had to make Porsche profitable again and by ceasing all racing, cheapening the product, and out right profiteering he made Porsche the most profitable automobile company ever. The Metzger managed to side slip this process but the original 9A1s did not. He tried to put Boxter head lights on the 911 again saving money but we the people shoved that one right back in his face.

Now we enter a new/old age. WW is gone, The overall quality of the cars is improving and Porsche is back at the edge of Automotive technology. But, most of all we are back RACING.

The term "integrated dry sump" does sound like a marketing ploy to me. But, I have not seen a break away of the engine. When JFP sees one open he can tell us what is going on. There certainly is a lot more depth to the oil pan now.

Paul, I think you are looking at your oil temp. It is not unusual at all for your oil to get up to 240 after a hard run. At 240 I believe your coolant would be boiling over all over the road.

I don't know where you live but, here in New England in the fall we are buried in leaves. I have to clean out my radiators every couple of weeks. You need to check them routinely, a little more than every couple of years!!

Thanx JFP, A friend runs a shop and has a Snap On account (read discount), he is going to order one for me on Monday. It is just that the rear jack point makes it so easy to get the car up on jack stands. Do you have another method??

Agree that the rhodium silver TTS is a very sharp looking car and agree about the dash layout. There are a lot of things about the 991 TT that I find better......but, so far, the engine is not one of them.

I will let time be the judge but I don't think the latest generation will be able to match the Mezger. Another member of this site who worked for PCNA said Porsche had consulted Toyota on production and Toyota was blown away with the cost and sophistication of the Mezger to the point where they wondered what the heck Porsche was doing. While I don't have any inside information, it certainly seems that there's a lot of truth to that from everything I have read so far. I'm sure the 991 will be an outstanding car in many ways, but a move such as going back to a wet sump (no matter what they want to call it) is definitely a step backward if you ask me. I'll get off my soapbox but this is another reason I think the Porsche owners community (buyers) really got the 996 TT wrong. The cost is too cheap and not priced correctly. $40K for a low mileage 996TT is just plain ridiculous if you consider the sheer sophistication of the engine -- it is an engineering masterpiece in many ways. Just a prediction but I don't think the 991 changes things and the Mezger still goes down as one of the best -- if not THE best -- engines Porsche ever made.......

SilverTT, there is absolutely no question that the most economical way to get a Metzer is by getting a 996 TT. The Metzger is a wonderful engine and time may show that it was Porsche's best. On the other hand technology moves on and there is a growing group who believe the 991 version of the 9A1 is fully up to snuff. The GT3 version is winning hearts and souls by the minute. The advantage of the dry sump system in the older cars was that it insured a constant oil supply under high lateral G's. It of course required the use of a separate oil tank which takes up space and adds additional plumbing to a car that has more than its fair share. It is entirely possible to design a block and sump to prevent oil starvation under any circumstance which is exactly what Porsche has said it has done. Which means there is absolutely no advantage in having a dry sump. I for one will be quite happy not to have to pull two drain plugs every time I change the oil.

This years racing season will pretty much determine the viability and reliability of the new 9A1. Porsche is back in the field and staking its honor on it!

For better or worse they are all coming with P Zeros. The last set I had did not do well at all. They scalloped on the inside worse than any tire I have ever seen. Michelin does make Super Sports in this size....

I had an opportunity to put in a little seat time in one of the new Turbos today (demo unit at a local dealer). Overall, a very impressive ride; the car seems to have a more poised balance than a two year old Turbo cab that I had out a year or so back. The PCCB brakes are, well, the PCCB brakes; hit 'em hard enough at speed and you will find yourself hanging in the shoulder harness and slowing down too early for the next turn in. As others have noted, the new steering is a bit dead, but that is unfortunately common to most electric systems. As the weather is brutally cold (10F) here at the moment, the summer tires were not at all happy about what was going on, but they still showed reasonable quality grip even in the winter cold, probably a testament to the four wheel drive, but I would not really push them hard for obvious reasons. With each experience, I am becoming more taken with the PDK, particularly when a car like this is at full boil; shift points tend to come at you pretty fast and the paddles help you keep focus on what is in front of you. The power pours on fairly smoothly from almost any RPM range, but if you have the car north of about 3-4 K RPM's in first and mash it, you had better have a good grip on something, its reputation for being the fastest accelerating Turbo yet is well earned.

On the down side, I was a little disappointed to find out that the true dry sump oiling system of the Metzger style engine's is gone from these 9A1 variant equipped cars. These engines now use the same "Porsche Integrated Dry Sump" (read really a wet sump) that is common to every 9A1 model from the Boxster on up. I'm looking forward to seeing one of these new Turbo engines opened up to what else has changed inside the business department.

JFP, Snap On makes several 3/4 drive torque wrenches. Is there any particular model you like?? You didn't happen to take a look under it's back side? Still wondering how I'm going to jack it's tail up to get jack stands under it.

What color was the one you drove and what do you think, not that I can change anything. At this point the specs are locked in.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. :drive:

I'm very happy with the OZ wheels. Have the 265 in the back and still happy 1+ year later but admittedly haven't driven it much this winter because of the massive salt/sand on the roads and my limited access to car washing (see other post about washing in winter). My garage is detached and there's no way I will get running water in -20 to 15 degree F weather outside.

Does anyone have a picture of the exhaust manifold screws/fasteners that are replaced?

What exactly do people 'rinse' after taking the car out in snow/salt? You pop open the engine compartment and spray hot water on it? It seems difficult to spray undercarriage without a lift! I would like to drive my car more often in snowy conditions, just worry about the salt and sand destroying the car

Seahawkeye, the other way you might be able to deal with stuff in your wheels is to blow it out with compressed air. A little compressor won't freeze but it won't blow hard for long. Running to a car wash in sub zero temps is a bad idea. Water collects in crevices, freezes, expands and cracks stuff like tail light lenses. Ask me how I know.

My wife has just agreed to let me put a lift in the living room. Way to go Racerken :-)))

Yes, it is amazing. I had a GMC pickup. The body was galvanized but the frame was not. At nine years the body and interior were a 9/10 but the frame and body mounts were a mess. Metal flaking off all over the place. I was sure it was going to fail. So, I traded it in. Last GM whatever I'll ever buy. Toyota did have a similar problem with its pickups.

I thought that car was galvanized? I have seen a few up here with some surface rust at the rear of the front wheel arches.

Not completely, common problem area is the floor pan, sills, and the battery tray areas. Once they start, you need some new sheet metal:

That is certainly a little more than surface rust. Is that a North East Car? With the sill gone like that the car is pretty much toast. I guess it was a good thing I totaled mine :-) Have you seen a 90s era 911 rust like that??

Hey Seahawkeye, How do you like your OZs?? I really think they are the absolute best value in high performance wheels. That finish is as tough as nails.

Racerken is absolutely right. These fat wheels collect all kinds of crap in the winter. Way more than enough to throw the wheels out of balance. Your teeth will rattle at 80 MPH. After a messy trip I power wash the wheels right in my garage just to blow all the crap away. With a power washer it does not take much water to do this.

You have a garage with working water? Our pipes are frozen!!!

Yes, I have a freeze proof faucet in the garage. BUT, after I use the power washer I turn off the faucet and run the washer till it clears. I had one washer that froze to death. Expanding ice cracked its inners. My garage joins my house on two sides and the garage doors and walls are insulated so, it rarely drops below freezing, maybe twice a year. The floor is well pitched so any water runs nicely out under the doors. I also painted the walls with alkyd semi gloss enamel so, I can spray water all over the place with utter abandon if I want to. In the spring I pressure wash the whole garage. Cleans out all the dirt and spider webs.

A complete set of Porsche exhaust manifold cap screws is $21.00. I was using stainless ones but on careful concideration I switched back to Porsche's plain steel ones. Better to change the screws on occasion than risk damaging your heads. They are easy to change and if they are not over tightened they come out easily. Just replace one at a time. Tighten to 17 ftlb. The screws break due to a process called stress corrosion cracking. Rust forming on the surface creates a stress riser. A crack forms along the lines of stress usually at the junction between the head and shaft of the screw. Rust spreads down the crack and the crack expands until finally the head just snaps off. The more stress the faster the crack develops. Thus over tightening these fasteners is the worst thing you can do.

Well I finally received and installed the 18" Michelin Alpin PA2s. So far very happy with them this cold weekend in eastern Iowa. There was about 1-2 inches of snow on the ground (with much more around from a storm a week ago) and about 14 degrees F when I drove my car to the tire shop--this was one of the scariest driving experiences I've ever had. Obviously, my car had the summer tires on (19" Michelin Pilot Sports) but it was gliding around even on a straightaway going < 25 mph. I put my hazards on because it was nearly uncontrollable, fortunately only for a mile to the shop. Once they were on, it was like night and day. I had great grip of the road and could turn, start, and stop (and drive straight) with full confidence. Excited to finally have it back, I even took it around some empty side streets where there was still 4-6" inches of snow and developed a good feel for how it handles on these kinds of conditions. Despite AWD/4WD, you can definitely sense the power coming from the rear as I felt a little oversteer that was pretty easily correctable. The TPC/TPMS took a good 10 minutes or so to get adjusted to the new wheels (I had TPMS installed in all 4) but the computer found all four wheels automatically without needing to go to the dealer (but I'm not sure if the tire installer fed the serial numbers into the car before I drove it off). Did change the settings to winter tyres instead of summer in the TPC. Can't explain in words how great it is to have the 997 back in action! OZ had their wheel caps on so I removed then measured them and ordered some black Porsche colored wheel caps from ebay that should arrive this week. Nevertheless, here are the before and after pics as promised!

Hey Seahawkeye, How do you like your OZs?? I really think they are the absolute best value in high performance wheels. That finish is as tough as nails.

Racerken is absolutely right. These fat wheels collect all kinds of crap in the winter. Way more than enough to throw the wheels out of balance. Your teeth will rattle at 80 MPH. After a messy trip I power wash the wheels right in my garage just to blow all the crap away. With a power washer it does not take much water to do this.

That certainly solves that problem.