Am I being ripped off?

[Guest]

I've recently had a few issues with my 73.5 911T. I'd noticed that the oil temperature gauge wasn't reading normally, especially after it had just started and suspected that the oil wasn't circulating the engine correctly. I'd also noticed that it had started leaking a small amount of oil but couldn't ascertain from where. Looked like it was coming from the gearbox but couldn't be sure.

I've taken it to a "porsche specialist" (Northside Motors, south London) and have been told that the following needs replacing:

The clutch (it's covered in oil and can't simply be cleaned once the leak is fixed)
All the engine seals
All the gaskets on the engine
One of the two (?) oil pumps

I've been quoted a total of £600 for the parts which apparently doesn't include an official porsche clutch. Labour will be a further £1000 on top of that.

Unfortunately, I have no means of verifying any of these parts that "need" replacing and am going on trust throughout the entire operation. It's taking him ages to get the necessary parts as well and he's telling me it's not likely to be ready until the end of August. He hasn't actually done anything yet because he says he only wants to drop the engine once to do all the repairs. I asked him to keep all the parts he was replacing so I could see what had come out and he basically said that wasn't necessary because he'd invoice everything he'd replaced. Unfortunately I'm steadily losing trust so this dosn't carry much weight anymore.

Any thoughts? Am I completely mental for even asking?

 

[Nick Moss]

What are your symptoms?
Is the engine using oil?
Does the dipstick level match the guage? (you can only read the level correctly with the engine hot and idling, you won't get a correct reading immediately after start up)
Is the clutch slipping?
What is the oil pressure?

£1000 in labour seems cheap for what will be a complete engine strip and rebuild if the oil pump (there is only one, combining the scavenge and pressure) needs repalcing. If you are not confident with this dealer get a second opinion.

 

[Guest]

Hi Nick, thanks for the reply.

Yes, the engine appears to be using oil but I think it was leaking it rather than burning it (the exhaust fumes are actually very clean after the first few seconds). The dipstick level was reporting a low oil level and I filled it (slightly too much due to not having it idling when filling).

The clutch is slipping yes, can't remember what the oil pressure was off the top of my head but I remember it looking about horizontal on the gauge if that makes any sense?

Geez, I'm such a noob!

 

[Nick Moss]

If the clutch is slipping it may just need adjustment, its rare that oil from the rear crankshaft oil seal gets on the clutch as the flywheel deflects the oil before it gets on the clutch. The oil presuure should read 4 bar or 60 psi at 4000 rpm, and can read zero at idle. If you have overfilled the oil then this may have caused the oil leaks. Get a second opinion

 

[bones]

Neil listen to Nick get a second and third opinion, the information and the figures you have been given don't add up and it sounds like you could be on a slippery financial slope! As you are in N. London get an opinion from Jazz and Chris Turner, both good companies. Don't go in there and repeat what you have already been told, just describe your problems, if you didn't have all these issues until you over filled the oil I would run the engine till hot, do the usual dipstick check and if it's still over full drain the excess and drive it for a while with the correct oil level in it, see how you get on, if the situation stays the same go see Chris and Steve Winter at Jazz.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help gents. I'm going to go and get my car back on Saturday and will contact Chris.

 

[912UK]

I can add to the oil on the clutch as I thought I was having a similar problem with my 912 clutch so I got a new clutch any way on the shelf. So I cleaned it all up before the Le Mans Trip. I re adjusted the clutch ( i have had this clutch out last year so I know it's worn down.. ) this made things much better and the car ran down to Le Mans and back 100% fine..

On dropping the engine out on my return I looked at the oil and noticed it was gear box oil and the seal had gone hard and leaked..

Nick's right because as I looked at the flywheel seal I noticed that for the clutch to get oil all over it, it would have to be Ne on pouring out the seal to get anywhere near the clutch..

Also the clutch I put in the car ages ago was an older clutch that was covered in oil and I cleaned it with MEK and that's the clutch I am still using and it's not slipping..... still to this day.