Time for an Oil Change and What’s That Ticking? | Project Porsche 911

As we have learned over the past dozen years, living with an air-cooled Porsche hasn’t been too difficult. Maintenance, for the most part, revolves around routine oil changes–just like a regular car.

It was time for an oil change on our 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera, and this time we went with Driven Racing Oil’s GP-1 synthetic blend. Why this one? It’s made with Pennsylvania-grade crude, the same base that gave old-school Kendal its green tint and made it a favorite with Porsche owners for decades. 

GP-1 is a high-zinc product designed for older, flat-tappet engines. It also came recommended by oil specialist Lake Speed Jr. of Speediagnostix–and formerly of Driven. One more thing to like: At $8.99 per quart, GP-1 retails for about half the price of the brand’s full-synthetic offering. 

But something about the Porsche did concern us: a slight tapping from the engine. Time for a valve adjustment? So we asked our mechanic, Lou at Aero Dynamics in South Daytona, Florida, to take a look. Plus, as Porsche prices keep climbing, we enjoy the peace of mind of a regular inspection from a real pro.

The valves were in spec, he reported, although two lifter bushings were a bit noisy. His recommendation: drive car more.

He was right, the Porsche had been sitting a bit. So we put some miles on the car and–guess what?–the ticking went away. 

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Comments
300zxfreak
300zxfreak Reader
1/3/21 4:09 p.m.

Were the tires still round ?

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/4/21 10:26 a.m.
300zxfreak said:

Were the tires still round ?

Yes! I took it for a nice drive this weekend--maybe 200 miles total--and the car hums nicely. Look for more updates very soon. 

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