light the touchpaper and step back - How to prevent catastrophic engine failure

Anyone else seen this? some very interesting points made by Brandon in the video - certainly goes against some of the things i've found when doing research on oil changes etc, especially the part about oil overfilling

My foolproof solution would be to leave the car in the garage and just polish it.

Interesting data gathered, and the interrogation of it, thanks for posting.

I watched this today as well, very interesting but i don't think much we didn't know, the best bit was from our very own Hartech (the clever deep sump.) I changed this service to Mobil 1 10w 50 and next service will change to Hartech recommended Millers Motorsport CFS 10w50 NT+

It is not very clear if they are recommending over filling with standard factory AOS and/of sump? Obviously Jake Raby has said better to under fill the oil, in case the AOS gets overwhelmed and dumps oil into the engine and you get hydro lock. Which makes sense. I think this needs to be cleared up in case someone does some serious damage to their engine.

34 years ago my father told me to never thrash an engine when cold and to change the oil every 3-5 thousand miles. This is still my playbook with the 996 today.

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Very good point, in my old Porsche 930 the reason overfilling was bad is it started a fire when I overfilled the oil and the oil found the exhaust (it was new to me and I was only 24, didn't get dry sump yet).

Given even Porsche now list in Classic Porsche a 5W-50 oil for higher milage M96 engines going up in weight from the original Mobil 1 0W-40 seems sound advice. However remember ALL the data sets he shows in the video are for a 3.4 Cayman one make race car. 10W-60 is great for competition, however having worked in racing circles I know how often oil, and other fluids, are drained and replaced. Racing creates a stress on oils that even track days don't get close to unless your car is heavily modified hence the 60 weight recommendation, so be ware of going to far and risking the oil not protecting the engine as well at low temp when you start it at -5°C on a winter morning.

Re: engine oil, specifically aimed at 10w50, I found this: - A 10W-50 motor oil can provide adequate protection for an engine starting at -5°C (23°F), but its suitability depends on the specific engine and operating conditions. Let’s break it down: - **Viscosity and Cold Start Performance**: The "10W" rating indicates the oil’s viscosity at low temperatures (the "W" stands for winter). A 10W oil flows well enough to protect an engine during startup at -5°C, as this temperature is within the operating range for 10W oils (typically down to around -25°C or -13°F). The oil will ensure proper lubrication during startup, preventing excessive wear on engine components. - **High-Temperature Performance**: The "50" indicates the oil’s viscosity at high temperatures (100°C). A 10W-50 oil is relatively thick at operating temperatures, making it better suited for high-performance engines, heavy loads, or hot climates where high-temperature stability is critical. - **Considerations for -5°C**: - At -5°C, a 10W-50 oil will be thicker during startup than a lower viscosity oil like 5W-30 or 0W-40, which could slightly increase resistance during cranking. However, modern engines and good-quality 10W-50 oils (especially synthetics) are designed to handle this without issue. - If the engine is designed for a lower viscosity oil (e.g., 5W-30), using 10W-50 could reduce fuel efficiency and slightly affect cold-start performance, though it’s still safe at -5°C. - **Engine Type and Manufacturer Recommendations**: Always check the vehicle’s owner’s manual for the recommended oil viscosity. Some engines, especially high-performance or older ones, may specifically call for 10W-50, while others may perform better with a thinner oil in cold conditions. - **Oil Quality**: A high-quality synthetic 10W-50 oil will offer better cold-flow properties and faster lubrication during startup compared to a conventional oil, improving protection at -5°C. **Conclusion**: A good 10W-50 motor oil will protect an engine starting at -5°C, as it’s well within the oil’s cold-temperature performance range. However, ensure the oil matches the engine’s requirements, and consider a synthetic version for optimal cold-start performance. If the manufacturer recommends a lower viscosity (e.g., 5W-30), that might be a better choice for efficiency and quicker startup lubrication.

I'm all for thicker oils, within reason, I was more intrigued with them saying to overfill rather than underfill. What I didn't realise until Brandon mentioned it, was the electronic dipstick on the 997 when reading full, not over filled and flashing, but full, is the same level of oil when the 996 reads empty. I have tried so many oils and the biggest take for me is what Porsche recommend might be fine for a brand new car with brand new tolerances, but as these cars put miles on them you need to read the oil pressures, they tell you a hell of a lot. If the oil pressure has dropped below 1.7 keep an eye on things. There is a reason for it, oil pressure tends to drop, if nothing else has failed, because the oil is thinner. Why is it thinner? Because it is too thin an oil to start with for your car, or for the temperatures you are driving the car in or the temperatures you are taking it to through use. I really like Shell Helix 5w40, my car hardly consumes any, 1 bar on the digital dipstick on the 997, so up to 400ml, after 1800 miles, but when it starts to get over 20ºc in spring it can get too thin for my car, when my oil gets to 100ºc it is down to 1 bar pressure, that is no good, push it to 105ºc and it is below 1 bar. 10w50 Millers NT+ when new is always at 1.6 bar no matter what, but my cars consumes loads of it, and it started to drop pressure after only 2 or 3k miles, which means it is breaking down quickly. Moved to Motul 8100 Power, an ester base oil, with very good shear and evaporation rates, it is a 5w50, even the other day at 36ºc out and really pushing the car hard for 30 minutes and getting over 105ºc the oil pressure was still at 1.5bar. When I talk about pressures I mean at hot idle. I tried the Mobil 1 10w60 race oil. Pressure was great, but bloody hell it drank the stuff. Maybe it was the initial fill up was over reading or something, but it seemed like it was getting through the oil at about half a litre for 400 miles or so. The Mobil 5w50 is actually a really good spec. for a Mobil oil, so much better than their A40 0w40 and 5w40 Mobil 1. It is Porsche approved too. The Motul 8100 Xcess gen 2 A40 is also a really good spec too in 5w40 guise. But they don't make an A40 approved 5w50, not yet anyway, but they said they might. I like Motul as when you do an oil analysis after 5k miles or so it is almost like new, not like so many other oils that are tested. Some of the 40 weight oils are more like 30 weight or even 20 weight oils by the time they have 5k miles on them let alone with 10k miles or whatever it is Porsche say is OK. But anyway, look at your oil pressures, if when your oil gets to 95-100ºc your pressure is below 1.5bar, time to move to something thicker IMHO.

I am torn between millers cfs 5w 40 (non nano at £49.95 per 5 L and staying with Mobil 1 5w 40. Bearing in mind I am a 2k max miles per year occasional summer uses only kind of driver with seaside journeys at motorway speeds below 70mph I could probably even use mannol which is superb in the family golf (oil change every 6k miles). I am now considering shell helix after reading your report as it will only be in the car for a year. A good observational write up, well done sir.

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its a minefield for sure - what you think would be a relatively straightforward selection process becomes a headache when you look closer. Assume we are in the minority though and there are many others who just trust their mechanic is putting in what they asked for or what is recommended by them.

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Which is correct and probably why now if you look at Porsche's Classic Porsche information they offer a Porsche Classic 5W-50 oil for 996 and 986 engines. Here's Porsche's (albeit marketing led) take on it: https://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/producthighlights/motoroil/