Nickshu

OK I don't want this to turn into and oil debate thread...but I have a question I have not found using search.

I am using XP9 for my 996 at the track. I have read elsewhere that it's good for 750 track miles yet the label on the XP9 bottle says "extended oil change interval". I drive my car to and from the track. I find this confusing.

The stuff is not cheap so those of you who are using this oil how long are you running it? One track weekend? Two track weekends? My car is driven very little between track weekends.

Thanks in advance.

steved0x

I too have heard 750 miles, but they (either JG or LN)have those TBN wipes that you can use to check the oil by wiping the dipstick to see if the additive I used up or not. If some of your driving I to/from light street driving you might get longer?

Slakker

I put just under 700 track miles on my XP9 last time and the TBN was down to 1.1.

Nickshu

Thanks for the tip on the wipes, I'll get some of those but it sounds like 750 miles is it on this oil.

Quadcammer

any further input on this?

Flat6 Innovations

I require 750 miles, or one DE weekend for this oil. It has no anti corrosion properties, and does not have additives for storage protection. I do not leave it in an engine for more than 3 weeks at maximum, as it will oxidize quickly.

Quadcammer

not to be a snot, but given that its basically a single event for this oil at $180 per oil change, I may as well just run Mobil 1 and just buy a new/used motor every year.

i mean even with xp9 the motor is gonna blow every 2 or 3 years anyway, so is there really a point to running it. seems not.

cds72911

Different strokes for different folks.

For some, that cost is chump change in relation to all of the other costs of tracking a car.

I’m not one of them . I was always racing on a shoestring budget, but for every guy like me, there was someone that spent thousands and thousands of dollars on the same events. An oil change is a drop in the bucket in that context.

Flat6 Innovations

It's funny that people never consider tire wear, and cost on the track, but they consider oil cost.

If 180.00 breaks the piggy bank for track activities, you should probably consider a Miata.

Quadcammer

When a used motor is $3k, basically 1.5 seasons of oil changes after each event costs about the same.

so while $180 isn't breaking the bank, its yet another expense on an already expensive hobby. I guess I'm the moron for tracking an m96 powered vehicle, but alas I made my bed I spose.

cds72911

Please point us to the source for good $3K m96 motors for the 996 and I think you'll be all of our best friend. It would change the whole economics of the 996 ownership experience.

Last time I looked, I couldn't even find well used ones for under $6K, and most were considerably more than that.

Flat6 Innovations

Good used engines are scarce. Most every one that pops up really isn't "used". Its a pieced together pig, made from 3 different engines that failed different ways, that was put together by a "dismantler" and sold as "used". There's always more to those stories... the engine always comes out of a car with 50K miles, that was "hit in the front". They don't clean the parts they replace, or use from other engines, because they want all the dirt to match their story.. Even these patched up junkers sell for 6-8K in most of the cases. It's not uncommon for one case half to be from one engine, and another case half from another engine. Once we saw an engine with 996 pistons (96mm) and block half on one side (M96.02) and a Boxster block half on the other with 93mm pistons that matched it. The two halves will marry together fine, since the Boxster was an M96.21... The guy that sent it said it "didn't run smoothly".

A forum member thats active here recently sent me his car, and had one of these engines installed. The cylinder heads were so bad that I had to give him a replacement pair (no charge) and throw the others away. Likely I'll keep one of the others to do a cross section to show exactly how NOT to do a valve job, for my classes.

Going to the track never has been cheap, and isn't supposed to be. Cutting costs of engine oil is the same as wearing a cheap, out of date helmet to protect your head. Oddly enough, in some cases a funeral is cheaper than properly built M96/M97 engine, and a hell of a lot quicker.

NuttyProfessor

Exactly! And, it's also like the so called "entertainment" in cocktail lounges that spend thousands of dollars in fancy Liberace outfits, high-end keyboards, and sound equipment, but can't carry a tune in bucket! Should've spent the money on voice lessons!

Flat6 Innovations

Or guys that buy big toolboxes, and fancy big name tools, but can't work their way out of a cardboard box with a sledgehammer..

Quadcammer

I have a 3.2 boxster S, decent motors can be found around the $3k mark. Install is a 1 day affair.