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I read on Renntech that there is an upgraded oil pump piston and spring that is a useful upgrade to increase low RPM oil pressure. The piston is beveled to solve a sticking issue (?) and the spring is slightly longer.
Has anyone done this upgrade or have an opinion about it? Does it apply to all 996 models or do later ones already have either the newer spring or the piston?
I read on Renntech that there is an upgraded oil pump piston and spring that is a useful upgrade to increase low RPM oil pressure. The piston is beveled to solve a sticking issue (?) and the spring is slightly longer.
Has anyone done this upgrade or have an opinion about it? Does it apply to all 996 models or do later ones already have either the newer spring or the piston?
My oil pressure is OK at hot idle - just below 1 bar is lowest I have seen after a workout - but this seems like an easy and inexpensive upgrade so I plan to do it. I just wanted to check the experience base here to be sure there wasn't a downside that I was missing. Thanks Jake for the feedback. And yes, that link to Renntech is where I read about this.
I will have to do a little searching on the drive shaft upgrade. Is this a LN billet piece I seem to remember?
No research required because yes, it is an LN part. It is beautifully made and so simple to fit.
My first on- track engine failure of a reconstructed engine in 2008 prompted these to be manufactured.. I had a factory oil pump drive fail, and it cost me 25K. I halted all engine builds for 6 months while we developed and tested the billet oil pump drive key. Since then, none have failed.
I had one not long ago that ate a huge chunk of debris through the oil pump, but the hex key still didn't fail.
(owner had installed his own deep sump kit and removed the oil pick up tube screen. He left a bolt loose that held on an oil de- foamer and it was sucked into the oil pump)
Can't fix stupid, but you can charge for it. He called himself stupid before I did!
OK, here is a related question. On my 2000 C4 the original oil pump has the number 996.107.012.57, which if you look it up supersedes to 996.107.012.61. Back when I had my intermix in '08 and fixed the engine in '09 I thought I had a problem with the oil pump. I bought one, that was brand new, on eBay. When I received it the number was different (can't see it with the pump/engine in the car) and the casting was slightly different. I looked the number up at that point and it was listed for a Boxster. In any case I installed it on my engine and have been running it for almost 50,000 miles (it turned out the oil pressure problem was related to installing the scavenger pumps reversed).
So my question is whether there is a difference in the pumping capacity of the pumps for the 996 and the 987? When I look up the part numbers for 996 and 987's they all show 996.107.012.61 now.
Maybe Jake will know as he is the expert on all these M96 engines.
How's the car? Seems like you got a good one. Did you fix the center console? I still love those wheels.
Yes, I think I got a good one. Must have been your good advice
I had the console covered in grey leather and repainted all of the plastic stuff so it all looks really great now. I had the wheels refinished and they look new. You would really like them now!
TL;DR - installed in 2003 996 @105k miles and saw no change
Installed the piston & spring this weekend, and my (inaccurate) OEM dash oil pressure gauge reads exactly the same as before. Even with some serious autox/long idling/heat soak I see 1.25 BAR at hot idle. Was hoping I'd see a little bump, oh well it was very cheap and took 3 minutes. I'm slightly tempted to play around with shimming the spring with washers to see if that raises the oil pressure like you could with old SBC pumps. Expensive motor to fix what ain't broken though.
Heads up - the old piston can get a little stuck up in the bore, had to stick my finger up there and work it out.
Looks like you just found another part of the equation..
If the relief valve is sticky to remove, often the housing bore has been galled by foreign object debris passing between the piston, and the bore. This can also come from extended oil service intervals.
Remember, this surface is NOT protected by the oil filter. The oil filter is AFTER the oil pump.
If the relief bore is galled, the relief valve will not seal, or will **** sideways in the bore. I've developed a tool and process to restore this oil valve seating, and guide surface. This is often what leads to lower oil pressure within these engines.
You might pull the relief piston out again, and ipecac the inner diameter and seating surface very well. This is what those wonderful extended oil services that the factory recommends are good for.
08-18-2016, 11:03 AM
Oil Pump Upgrade
