jhbrennan, the information came from renntech's technical forum and it is specific to a 996 TT, 996 GT3. I did post a question on the board as to why there is nothing specific to a 997 TT DIY oil change. I have good reason to beleive that they are the same but will verify it in the upcoming days/weeks. The 52 ft lbs for the oil drain plug on crankcase is correct for a 996 TT. The spare oil tank is a bit more delicate (thats why it requires 2 tools to remove (see above). THe figure for that is 44 ft lbs. Having a torque wrench is CHEAP insurance IMO and well worth every penny! You could opt for a cheap one and it should work, however I prefer to spend a few hundred dollars for a tool that I will have for a liftime and come in handy for other projects. (purchased at Griots garage + it is tested to be accurate. He will also test it for free for life). The dealership goes the whole nine yards removing the turbo bolts and tilting the car just right. You should get 9 quarts total if done properly. I added the measuring part as a precaution for those of us that do not get 9 quarts for one reason or another. Its IMPORTANT not to overfill the oil with more than whats removed. After your first change you do not need to verify every ounce of oil removed. A good eye should be all that you need. You should always check the oil on a regular basis and top off as necessary (I usually like to keep it 1 bar from the top). AS soon as I get some response to my inquiry I will post it so there is no doubt as to the proper procedure on a 997 TT. I still am amazed that this DIY is not easier to access after almost 1 year of model inception. I am doing mine right after break in and every 5-7K miles or once a year after that. It is not important to drain 100% of the oil so regular changes are even more important. If your not a DIY type guy take it in and don't worry about it. We all know that if you can afford a turbo you will have no issues paying for an oil change but that wasn't the reason for my post.

 

One guy just responded to my post over at renntech and said that the procedure for a 997 TT oil change is the same as a 996 TT or 996 GT3 so the parts and figures for torque settings would be the correct ones. That should do it guys, if I stumble across anything new I will post it otherwise you should be set to go with this information. If anyone wants to chime in and add to this DIY please do. Ciao for now.

 

Thanks for all the research. Do you know where I could find a good write-up on the differences between the 3.6l split case engine in the TT and GT versus the 3.6l/3.8l engine in the standard 997's?

 

Try renntech.org you should find what your looking for. Good luck.

 

Thanks - I forgot about them.

 

Can we suck the oil out from the dipstick like on Mercedes Benzes?

 

Honestly I don't know. Still can't get over what happened to RaveTT. What a bummer, he will be missed. I know this is the wrong thread to post in but it makes you realize how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken away. Drive your cars in good health guys!

 

Just a quick followup. Sucking the oil out of the engine is not recommended by Porsche. Hope that helps (information received at the renntech site and is only available to contributing members). By the way I plan on contributing a little something to this site but can't find the procedure? I've really learned a lot about the 997 TT here and although most of it is directed to mods its nice to get a different prospective vs some of the other sites.

 

That's too bad about sucking the oil. MB actually designs their engines for this type of oil change and its great. I bought a pump and just suck out the oil and MB even designed the oil filter to be changed from the top of the engine. I thought that since the oil filter on the 997 is accessible from the engine compartment that maybe is a German thing, to be able to suck the oil out from the top.

 

The dry sump oil system in the Turbo/GT3 engine has 9 oil pumps total, feeding oil to the turbos, the crankcase, the seperate oil tank, the oil cooler , etc. You will never drain out all the oil completely, especially if you plan on not draining the turbos (like myself). I am not sure that sucking the oil out will be the best method but as long as you measure what you remove and only replace that amount I can't see the harm in it. I am just passing on the recomendations of Porsche. I can tell you that procedure is the cleanest way by far but I am going to stick to traditional methods and leave the turbos out of the picture to keep it as simple as possible. Its really very easy once you have enough clearance to get the engine bolts. Good luck.

 

graydex,

Thanks for all the great information. I picked up my '08 TT 2 weeks ago and couldn't find any information on how to change the oil until seeing this thread. I plan on changing the oil at 1Kmi, and at 5K intervals thereafter since I plan on keeping this car a long time. As far as the dealers go, I'll use them just for parts and warranty service. There are many Porsche racing shops in my area who are friendly and more than willing to do the scheduled maintenance, while maintaining the warranty.

Best Regards,

Jim

 

[quote=caltech;1406167]graydex,

Thanks for all the great information. I picked up my '08 TT 2 weeks ago and couldn't find any information on how to change the oil until seeing this thread. I plan on changing the oil at 1Kmi, and at 5K intervals thereafter since I plan on keeping this car a long time. As far as the dealers go, I'll use them just for parts and warranty service. There are many Porsche racing shops in my area who are friendly and more than willing to do the scheduled maintenance, while maintaining the warranty.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++
Answer to above: After this exhaustive thread, and discussing the oil change "watch out for's" with the dealer, thought it best to let a experienced porsche tech do it for me. Coming off some 90-100 mile/hr driving, shop let car sit for a couple hours while the they had lunch, etc. Changing the oil, that is taking off the two plugs and filter was as described. However, I didn't want to bother the tech much more so I went for a drink of water. When I got back, there was oil all other the under-engine, on the floor and all other the tech's face and body. I would have gotten some oil spray too if there.

When the plug from the side tank was loosen, pressure release showered oil everywhere. This Mobile-tech said never happen before. However, when I called Hennessey in Atanta, they said it happens often.

I guess that would not happen if oil changed in the morning cold. But so many folks have been brain-washed into thinking the oil has to be changed hot, so it is something to watch out for. Trust me, if that happens, about 5 quarts of oil is spread everywhere including all over the engine. A bad mess in one's garage.

Also the Mobile-porsche tech added 9 and 1/2 quarts oil, Manual calls for 8.5 quarts. Now marker on dash has all light levels lit up, not with the top tiny-one blank like in the manual describes. Again Atlanta says the 9.5 is closer to correct, the manual is wrong on this. Service manager at Atlanta says manuals are printed before car production and sometimes are wrong.

 

johnww,

Many thanks for the heads up on this. This will make things much easier.

Best,

Jim

 

 

^^