mdistel

My 87 911 spends the winter in the walk out basement garage that I finished last winter. Unfortunately I have to drive around the house on the grass to reach it but it is nice having the extra space. It will be stuck there until the snow melts and the ground is solid.

I would like to change the oil, adjust the valves and possibly replace the ball joints prior to bringing it out of storage. If I change the oil with the engine cold, how bad would that be? If I were to start it up it would just have to idle there and I would need something to run the exhaust out the garage, not very ideal.

Here's a link to photos of the car and garage. Thanks for the input.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

Mark

rusnak

Can't you start it up with the back end facing the rollup door? You can turn a shop fan on to exhaust the fumes right?

jakeflyer

I have a Chevy pick up with over 200,000 and another with 280,000. I change simi-cold or cold in the summer and have changed cold in the winter (over 60 degrees) and letting it drain a day of so. A oil/filter change cold every now and then is not going to hurt anything------ or in my case has not. You want to put back in the same amount that came out (measured) so as not to overfill.

mdistel

That would be ideal but I parked it the wrong way

old man neri

If you start it up in there open that door and get a good fan to move the air around. Should be fine, just don't sit there staring at it. You could always get one of those exhaust hoses. There is no reason you can't get part of the car, if not most of it, outside of the garage while it is warming up. Be forewarned, however, that idling it will not get it up to temperature.

As for the oil, I have no idea how bad it is to do it cold vs warm. I have also heard part of the purpose was to mix up the stuff in there. It is possible to adjust the valves without changing the oil. I would then wait until the spring to change the oil.

Adjusting the valves and what not, looks like you have the room to do it.

TroyN

I'd guess changing your oil cold is probably 97% as effective as changing it warm. Maybe the Carrera sump works differently but with the SC you need to drain the oil in the crankcase in order to not make a huge mess of it draining out of the lower valve covers when adjusting the exhaust valves. I just did my oil and valve adjust last week and just drained the oil cold (since the valve adjust needs to be done w/ a cold engine it was kind of the only way). Car seemed pretty happy afterwards.

911vet

When you remove the valve covers, you're gonna drain some oil there too.

Even when you change it hot, there's still a fair amount caught between the engine and the oil cooler in the wheel well. We never get it all out of there.

Great looking garage. I'm very jealous

theiceman

changing it cold is no big deal at all. The only difference it time, the colderthe oil the more time you give it to drain out. Actually if you have all kinds of time colder is a little better. Just think how long you have had for the oil all to drain to the tank and crankase.
Just put a couple of big *** containers underneath the drain plugs, take em out along withthe filter and the come back the next day and your done

Put the plugs back in ... put a BIG *** piece of paper on your steering wheel saying NO OIL to remind you ..then take your valve covers off and get to work.

Ed Hughes

In my limited thought process, I envision any metal particles in your case going into suspension in hot oil and coming out easier than when cold. Just my conception on this. An oil change is so quick, I'd just wait
until you can drive the car in the spring. You can do a valve adjust by jacking up one side of the car at a time to keep the oil on the side you're not working on.

rusnak

OH DUH!! Sorry, dingy Californian here! You must have that mysterious white stuff that some speak of and call "snow".

theiceman

ed just reminded me of something. you do get a whole lot more out when you take the whole sump plate out and screen if your car has it . I don't do it every oil change but about every 5

mdistel

Thanks everyone, I'll give it some more thought. This will be my first valve adjust so doing it before spring will give me plenty of time to get it right. Once spring comes life starts up again and I get busy.

Mark

imcarthur

When the engine is cold, the thermostat to the front cooler won't open & that oil will not get drained. Probably a liter or two. It doesn't snap open until 90 C. As above, a valve change can be done by working on one side at a time. I have done it. You only drip a cupful or so.

Ian

RoninLB

all good advise above


tecnically you want the heavy dirt particles that settled to the bottom of the crank and oil tank in suspension instead of sitting on the bottom.

I do hot and cold oil changes depending on what my mood is and how dirty the oil is. Sometimes I'll even raise the front end and drain the oil cooler overnight, then resettle the car for awhile to drain what accumulated at the rear end, then stick my finger into the drain holes of the crank and tank to wipe out what I can reach.

If cold and it was an issue for a valve adjust cold change is good enough. The real issue to me is maintaining regular oil changes and a new filter every time.