O2GO

I live in New Zealand in the South Pacific and regularly (monthly) attend track days at our local track at Hampton Downs. My car is 997.1S 3.4l (M97) stock but for track days I run on smaller 17" track wheels (Toyo R888's) and swap out my Porsche pads for Pagid Oranges (4-4 I think) and have racing brake fluid. I always ensure the oil is at the top of the digital indicator prior to a track day. I'm the second owner, the first clocked up 46,000 miles and I've added another 5,000.

We took out the gearbox and inspected the IMS bearing which was the later large type. It seemed to be in good condition add we removed its rear seal to allow engine oil to enter and aid lubrication. We regularly remove the oil filter, open it up and inspect it for any signs of debris as a preventative measure at identifying any internal engine problems. Regular oil changes running standard Porsche spec Mobil 1.

I'm doing 1:20.5 times which is not bad... In the he top third of our group I guess. The track has a long fast right hand sweeper on it followed by the back straight and I get concerned of the possibility of oil starvation in that corner.

I've read a few general comments about the M97 engine "known oil pressure issues" (my engine is recorded as M9721-677) and there seem to be two or three ways to mitigate them although the topic doesn't seem to get much air time, which makes me wonder how much of a design issue it really is.

1. Add a spacer between the sump and engine to effectively enlarge the sump capacity, adding baffles at the same time. I don't like this because it lowers the sump and makes it more susceptible to being hit on the road.
2. Getting a replacement sump with Porsche baffles? I think I've read some people doing this. X51 or something like that I've seen mentioned?
3. Installing a Accusump to effectively eliminate the possibility of oil pressure issues. Artificial dry sump effectively.

I don't know if I'm actually having any oil pressure issues (no pressure gauge) and every year we go on a multi-track tour, so I'm not always at the same track and driving in the he same conditions.

Is there a general recommendation among those of of you much more experience than I on oil pressure preventative maintenance and if, with stock suspension and my setup I'd be able to create enough G's to create low oil pressure issues in turns?

Thanks in advance.

Macca

Bump for Doug. Hes a good guy and needs your help. Surely some one here from the USA or UK can help him on this subject....

Byprodriver

Alright mates here is the scoop: unless Mobil 1 is a different formula down under than it is in USA dump it! ZDDP is the additive you need more of than what we get here in USA. Castrol syntec 10w-40 is what I recommend & change it the week before the track event. Get the FVD billet oil pan with X-51 style oil baffle. It is 1 inch (25mm) lower than the stock pan & holds 1.5 litres more oil. When pouring in the new oil use the same number of quarts as you used in the past. Start car check oil gauge on dash, check for leaks drive car easy until engine temp gets to operating temp. Return home driving easy, park car & turn off engine. Allow car to cool down for 30 minutes. Now recheck oil level & slowly add oil. You want to maintain level at the middle of the gauge not full. With the deep sump pan you still have as much oil as stock so you can lower the oil level away from the AOS to prevent oil being sucked up into the AOS.

Macca

Great mate! Im very sure Doug will appreciate the benefit of your experience. Much appreciated...

O2GO

Thanks very much for your reply!

jabo

If you use an oil with ZDDP, be prepared to have the catalytic converters replaced. That material will eventually cause a check engine light and may permanently damage the cats. That said, it does a much better job protecting your engine in low oil situations.

the_vetman

Hi Doug,

Sorry for the late reply but I had to answer Macca's calling for all he's done for the 991 GT3 forum.

987.1 oil starvation concerns:

None, IMO, for the street. For serious tracking (or serious Gs on the street I guess), there are several things you can do as you pointed out. IMO, a 3 qt. Accusump is the way to go. It will fit in the transmission tunnel under the car and be completely out of your way. Have the switch routed through the center console into the cockpit. Instant discharge if there's a drop in the pressure. If you're lucky, you can gather all the parts online for less than $1,000. Have an experienced mechanic install it for you unless you're pretty versed in wrenching yourself.

Deep sump is also a very nice addition. Get a 2+ qt. one if you go that route. 0.5 qt. version is worthless IMO. As far as bottoming out, many many people have installed deep sumps without problems. You should be fine as long as you don't run over a tire or something like that on the highway. It barely sticks out past the plastic undertray. So little, in fact, that it's almost imperceptible.

996 swirl pots are also a good idea. Less foaming of oil. Extra oil scavengers are great (what 987.2s have, along with other stuff) but $$. LN engineering and TTp are your aftermarket options. Motorsport AOS will also help de-aerate oil faster and help.

There are 3 main areas of concern when tracking 987.1s hard:

1) Oil starvation: discussed above.
2) Power steering leakage then pump failure: install a PS cooler. At the very least, check and add PS fluid often.
3) Oil ingestion: install Motorsport or 987-specific AOS. 987 part is much more expensive but doesn't require modification like the other one does.

Note that 987.2s fixed all of the issues above. If you're going to be tracking often, it's best to just buy a 987.2 instead. Not to mention that the 9A1 motor is much stouter than M97/M96.

Good luck!

the_vetman

Oh, and you can get oil pressures but you'll have to tap into the engine (I don't mean actual drilling) then install a gauge somewhere in the cockpit. Many put them in the "wart" if they have Sport Chrono option.

Bill Lehman

Confirming previous posts, I'm running the Mantis deep sump with baffle (+2 qts), Motorsports AOS, switched from Mobil 1 to Motul 300V. I run R comp tires and have a well developed suspension. 73 track days in instructor run group. Other reliability mods are power steering cooler and 3rd radiator.

Ernie J

Hi, We at Mantissport developed the orginal 2 qt deep sump extension in 2006 with our Cayman. With data recording oil pressures we had no drop in oil pressure, at Sebring, Watkins-Glen, Mosport. we have two versions one is the orginal 2 qt and we have a slim line 1.2 qt version, more ground clearance, 16mm or 5/8". We are coming out with our 3rd version soon, a blend of both versions. You can also plumb in a electric oil pump and run a low pressure oil cooler setup. www.mantissport.ca

Our Minds are Racing, Is Yours ?

O2GO

Thank you guys. There's good information in there based on sound experience which is very much appreciated.

I must admit to have been thinking of upgrading to a 987.2 but very few manual versions come on the market here

Byprodriver

That's only if you have to much oil going thru the engine, which the extra ZDDP helps prevent.

Cats are warrantied for 8 years. Engine is warrantied for 4 years. unless Porsche proves it has been racing...

Byprodriver

Install a 4" underdrive crankshaft pulley to make your P/S operate cooler & free up 4 hp to the engine.
When the P/S gets hot the fluid starts to disappear. When the fluid gets low enough pump runs hot & wears.

Zero downside from underdrive pulley.

O2GO

Thankyou. I have read about this and it seems to be a great idea. Like you say, no down side

Bill Lehman

Checking P/S fluid level is on my DE checklist. Underdrive pulley can't hurt ( I have one) but I don't believe it is the answer to P/S issues.