A journey, but here is where we are so far. By no means exhaustive but what do we think we want to do annually at least? That is the question. And if we can do it ourselves, on our schedule and budget, all the better.
The factory manual calls for several service intervals, this is assuming the car is driven regularly. The average miles per year used as estimates that I have seen tend to run 12-15,000 miles a year. Many (most?) of us are not driving these cars daily, so waiting for 7,500 miles for an oil change might take years. That would not be good. I drive my car every chance I get, and I have only been putting about 5,000 miles a year. I want to be sure I am doing the basics at least annually.
The manual says:
Every 7,500 miles:
Oil change (oil & Filter)
Every 15,000 miles:
Stuff to do
Change oil and filter
Check and adjust valve clearances
Lubricate throttle linkage
Lubricate door and hood hinges and hood latch
Stuff to check
Check transmission oil level, top off as needed
Check brakes, adjust if needed (rear), top off fluid
Check control arm bolts for tightness
Check exhaust system bolts, and inspect
Check front wheel bearings for play & adjust if needed
Visual inspection for engine leaks
Crank vent - inspect for leaks and check hose connections
Check fuel system incl tank for leaks and hose connections
Check air intake hoses & lines
Check lights for function / headlights for alignment
Check windshield washer reservoir
Speaking with other owners and auto-crossers, there is a fair bit of concern about the fuel filter so I have added that to my annual routine. The thought here is to ensure that we do not get sediment or dirt in the fuel injector system. It is cheap insurance.
What I am also doing that is not really 'on the chart' is I have been using fuel injector cleaner and valve cleaner roughly once every other month when I fill up.
So what I have so far is for my annual routine:
Air filter
Oil changes - every 3,000mi or so. Detailed HERE
Fuel filter (detailed below)
Valve clearances: every 10,000 miles
Brake Fluid: Should this be flushed annually or bi-annually?
Plugs: every 25,000 miles (should this go longer with Iridium plugs?)
What does this look like?
Changing the Air Filter
This is pretty simple, but not always easy to do because you have to be able to reach around the filter housing and undo the clips on the back. If you have big arms, you may want a helper, it's a little tight.
When you work on the right side of the engine, removing the air filter cover and/or AC compressor are going to become standard defaults to give you access. Headline being, figure what will work for you. It's unavoidable.
Filter orientation - the offset side goes towards the intake (it has to) and there is an arrow molded into it that lines up with an arrow on the housing. Easy-peasey
The longer of the 2 pieces of the latch is what you flip "up" to latch the cover. The shorter part is what hooks on the the other half. Thinking about that will help you figure out the blind side.
All done, I put the date on the orange bit so I know when I did it. You can really see that the right side of the engine is buried beneath the air cleaner and the A/C compressor. For replacing plugs or setting valve clearances something has got to give. A fair number of owners install cone air filters, where the airbox is replaced with a much smaller air filter that clamps on so it is easier to work around and easier to remove as needed. Purists insist the cone filters don't work as well and change the sound. There should be no difference in power.
Fuel Filter
I didn't do this until this year, it was part of my initial maintenance when I bought the car and it went to a friend's shop to have seasoned hands go over it. This year as I gain more experience with the specific car I went ahead with minor stuff myself. This is one that other 911 owners have stressed is important to me. It helps to keep any kind of dirt out of the fuel injection system and avoid issues. It is cheap insurance.
Replacing the fuel filter is pretty simple, you just need to be careful since you are going to spill gasoline on the engine (it's a given) and you do not want to strip the fuel fittings or have them leak afterwards. They need to be snug but not over-tightened. They are just like a brake line basically; these are also flared fittings.
Steps are simple:
Disconnect the battery ( you don't want a spark to ignite any spilled gas!)
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy and you are working in a well ventilated area and use gloves. (cancer, fire, all the usual)
Remove the aux heater duct on the left hand side of the engine (a given)
Stuff an old towel around and under the fuel filter to catch the gas that will leak out.
Remove the top fitting with a pair of 17mm crescent wrenches. You want to hold the filter against the fitting nut (so you don't just twist the filter)
Loosen the clamp around the filter with a screwdriver (mine needed some penetrating oil to get moving) It just has to be slightly loosened, not removed. (see pic below)
Move the filter upwards and then remove the lower fuel fitting with a 17mm and a 15mm wrench - again, holding the filter against the fitting turning.
Soak up the gas, and install the new filter (reverse of removal) ensuring that the fuel direction is correct. Fuel enters at the bottom and comes out the top to feed to the engine at least here. My current filter even has arrows printed on it. Lift the fittings while you tighten the nuts so that the nuts draw the fittings against each other. This should prevent binding or misalignment.
Re-connect the battery, start the car (it will crank over more than usual while it fills the new filter and builds up pressure again)
Let it idle for 5-10 min and look for any sign of leaks. Don't take it out for a drive until you are confident there are no leaks.
Aux air duct out of the way, towel stuffed in and upper fitting removed here.
The clamp does not screw to anything, it sits over this little bracket. This is why you don't need to remove it, just loosen it so the filter will lift off. You need to lift the filter to remove the lower fuel fitting. The ground bolt next to it is G402.
The new filter is in and I used a paint pen to mark the date so I know when I need to replace it. Keep it simple. You can see the flow direction arrows on the Hengst filter.
Plugs
Plugs are next on my list; I bought some Iridium plugs just for longer life and because they are supposed to be better at self cleaning when cold. The old 911 gives a nice puff of blue (oil) smoke on start and I would not be surprised if my plugs take a little time to clean up.
It's an experiment. Some people are dead set against anything but the OEM plug and feel that the engines do not run properly otherwise. Just food for thought. NGK Copper plugs have some devout adherents on the boards as do
(TBD)
Stock Plug:
BPR6ES (NGK)
WR7DC (Bosch, Copper) <-Pelican Part's "Preferred" part for the 3.2L 911's.
WR7DP (Bosch, Platinum)
Gap: .7 to .8mm (.028-.032 in)
I am going to try out the NGK Iridium 5044 plug which is their "Porsche" plug.
aka Iridium IX (BR8EIX)
Setting Valve clearances
I am planning on doing this after the race season is over in conjunction with an oil change sometime after the windshield is done. (you have to drain the oil to do this). It was last done in 2021 when the car was first serviced. It's been about 10,000 miles since then and it is running great and sounds great.
I am planning to use the go/nogo method to keep it simple, and to use the sequential method to adjust them so I am not switching from side to side constantly. Basically you start with cyl 1 and then rotate the engine 240 degrees to do 2, another 240 and then adjust cyl 3, etc. and then switch sides. It is important that you only turn the 911 clockwise. I mention this because the VW Beetle which can draw comparisons is fine with going backwards and in fact it is the standard way to set the valves because of the firing order (1-4-3-2) You do 1, and rotate it backwards to do 2, then 3 and finally 4. But the timing chains on a 911 can get really messed up going the wrong way. So don't.
References
FCP on the traditional Method for Setting Valves: https://blog.fcpeuro.com/performing-a-valve-adjustment-on-a-classic-air-cooled-porsche-911
Pelican Parts on the traditional method for setting valves: https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_valve_adjust/911_valve_adjust.htm
Pelican Parts "Backside" method (go/nogo): https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_backside_valveadjust/911_backside_valveadjust.htm
Liqui Moly Valve Clean: https://www.liqui-moly.com/en/us/valve-clean-p000041.html#2001
Liqui Moly Jectron Fuel Injector Cleaner: https://www.liqui-moly.com/en/us/jectron-fuel-injection-cleaner-p003262.html#2007
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