Just changed the oil on my newly-acquired Boxster. What a lovely piece of work.
I had discovered that the idiot mechanics who had worked on it last had pumped the tires up to 50 psi (should be 29F/36R) and that's why it rode like a board when I first test drove it. It was likely a factor in the previous owner selling it to me (from his comments). Also, she (EVA) needs knew shoes. The Pirelli PZeros on her right now are very tired and in need of replacement (end of the month).
In any event, I didn't trust that the bright bulbs who pumped up the tires also changed the oil properly. How could you screw that up? Well, you could, perhaps, overtorque the oil filter to something like 50ft-lbs.
I tried four different oil filter wrenches before giving up. Porsche says that one should change the filter at 30k, and the oil once at 15k. She has 19k on her now. But I tend to be somewhat obsessive (I call it diligent) in my auto maintenance and Eva will get changes of new synthetic every 2500 miles. After all, oil is cheap and it gives me a chance to check out her undercarriage frequently.
So, next change, she goes to this eccentric Hungarian mechanic I know who is first-rate. I figure that he can get that damn filter housing off - I had to give up for fear of damaging it - when she is on the lift.
I did what I could and just changed the oil. 9 quarts of the best. Mobi1 0-40w. Pretty damn thin, but that's the Porsche spec these days for these motors. I can tell its thin because the built-in electronic oil level says "full" at cold startup and then is two notches down when the oil is warm. Last oil didn't do that. God knows what the corner monkeys put in.
Come to think of it - these same monkeys changed out a wheel bearing. I had better have the dealership look at their work and make sure it was properly done. They probably torqued the bloody wheel bolts to 150ft-lbs.
Why would anyone take a fine precision machine to the corner garage?
Posted by artandscience at July 15, 2007 09:08 AM