2056 seized Options

[tpines]

Hi guys,

Just to let you know I am heart broken as my rebuilt 2056 with only 6,000 miles seized last week. Apparently, I ran it low on oil.
Now, I'm not the most mechanically inclined but I changed the oil in July after after putting 3,000 annual miles on it. Since it was a new motor I didn't think I needed to check the oil every couple of weeks like my mechanic told me.
How often should you check the oil level with a new motor? And do you think it's going to need a full rebuild again?

[GregAmy]

Oof that sucks.

Honestly, I check my 914's oil level each time I use it.

What were you doing at the time? Idling or cruising down the highway? Did the oil light come on?

For reference, last year I forgot to open the dry sump valve on my 2056 racer and as I was idling away it seized. It had seized at the nose bearing, fortunately it did not spin, as I did not have much load on it.

I asked to have to have it fully with new bearings all around.

https://tgadrivel.blogspot.com/2024/09/an-i...sportation.html

[trojanhorsepower]

Oh man, so sorry about this. I have a new 2056 and am as nervous as can be every time I start it. I to check the oil every time I run it. It is odd that it would have leaked down that much though. Mine leaks, but just a few drops a day. Good luck

[Chad911sc]

I have a 2056 as well and it’s torn down for the second time because the oil pressure was down to 4lbs at idle after only 3 hours of run time. It seems hard to believe that it would have used that much oil. It had over 3000 miles on it, so it should have been seated in long before then. Did you have any obvious oil leaks below the car??
And there is really no way to know what damage has been done until you pull it apart and inspect each piece. Hopefully it’s still mostly salvageable and you can rebuild it.

[trojanhorsepower]

Mine has lower oil pressure than I would like. Apparently fairly low pressure is normal? But I still don't like it. I wish there was an easy fix, but I don't really even know what the right oil pump is, or even what the pressures should be.

[emerygt350]

I was just looking through that porsche technical bulletin and it reminded me what they thought 'acceptable oil consumption' was.



Sorry to hear you lost your 2056. Hopefully it isn't bad.

[wonkipop]

I was just looking through that porsche technical bulletin and it reminded me what they thought 'acceptable oil consumption' was.



Sorry to hear you lost your 2056. Hopefully it isn't bad.

geez.

a genius must have assembled my engine at the factory.
in all the time i have had it (36 years now) - its used precisely zero oil. no joke.
even now post its 16 year hiatus.
for a month or two after i got it going again it would occasionally blow a puff of blue smoke on start up but the rings settled back in again.

its never been apart and i am now pushing 50,000 miles (and they are genuine).
done close to 6000 miles since re-awakening it. a couple of long weekend trips in it too where you would expect to use oil if the engine was inclined to.

[Geezer914]

I check my oil before each use. I just pulled the engine to fix some minor oil leaks. My winter project.

[Front yard mechanic]

I change my oil every day ! A drip at a time in my driveway

[JamesJ]

I was just looking through that porsche technical bulletin and it reminded me what they thought 'acceptable oil consumption' was.



Sorry to hear you lost your 2056. Hopefully it isn't bad.

That TSB is what I am experiencing. I have about 1,500 miles on my 2056 and I, too, was concerned that my engine was using too much oil.
I keep oil in the frunk at all times. I also place a level on top of my car to be sure it is...so that I get a proper oil level reading. One time I checked my oil while it was parked on the street and it read WAY low. Super important that the car be level.

[JamesM]

Honestly, I check my 914's oil level each time I use it.

^that... or at the minimum every tank of gas.

[JamesM]

It is odd that it would have leaked down that much though.

Probably burned it. They do that, especially performance motors. can be worse depending on what RPM you are driving at and what your crank case venting situation looks like.

[tpines]

Thanks for all of your input guys. The oil light never came on and I had driven it about no more than 800 miles since the oil change. Unfortunately, I learned a very valuable lesson!

[Jack Standz]

Very very sorry to hear about the engine failure, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

Maybe the rings didn't get seated well, break-in oil or cross hatch issues caused excessive oil consumption? Hoping the rebuild process shows the cause. What bearing clearances did the builder show in their measurements?

However, somehow it seems unlikely low oil level alone caused the failure. Low oil pressure (from a low oil level) could, but you said the oil pressure was OK.

Thin oils are popular with newer cars, mostly for fuel mileage. But, if you used a "thin" oil (say 0-20), it could cause a failure. And thin oil might not show as low pressure in the warning light. A gentle suggestion to think about getting an oil pressure gauge for the new build to monitor oil pressure more carefully.

Best wishes for getting her fixed up!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Superhawk996]

Story doesn’t add up

6000 miles total prior to failure
3000 miles prior to oil change in July
Motor seizes 800 miles later without low oil pressure light

If it’s leaking that much oil it ought to be everywhere.
If it’s burning that much oil it should have been discovered in first 6000 miles.

If it lost oil pressure light should come on (bench test the oil pressure sender to verify it’s working).

I would not let whoever rebuilt it touch it again. Could be something builder / mechanic screwed up and is now looking for an excuse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Take it elsewhere for 2nd opinion / teardown.

[Ninja]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I consider a failure at this mileage as a full blown come back!

It's EITHER intentional sabotage (customer drained oil or put something in it; I've never seen this!) OR the technician botched it...

Real technicians are GONE!!!!!

You enthusiasts are BETTER than 99% of the "professionals" out there.

You guys are slower...

Doesn't matter at all.

Slow is FINE!

The only thing that makes a tech "professional" is the fact that they are paid for their work.

Professional does not mean "Qualified".

[VaccaRabite]

I agree. There was some sort of mechanical fault at play here. Oiling issues, sure. But what caused the oiling issues.

For a bearing to seize due to oil loss in 800 miles, you would need to be blowing huge clouds of smoke, or the car would be sitting in puddles of oil. OR an oil line or galley plug popped and you dumped all your oil on the ground. But that would have caused the oil light to come on immediately, with at least a second or two to shut down the engine before it seized.

Zach

[Jack Standz]

Story doesn’t add up.

I would not let whoever rebuilt it touch it again. Could be something builder / mechanic screwed up and is now looking for an excuse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Take it elsewhere for 2nd opinion / teardown.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

But, didn't want to be that blunt as I understand the OP is still feeling the pain of a failed motor and without tearing down the motor, we're really just guessing (i.e could be a spun bearing and not bearing clearances, although that is still a build-quality issue). Again, I do hope you can get it fixed and fixed right.

[Superhawk996]

Story doesn’t add up.

I would not let whoever rebuilt it touch it again. Could be something builder / mechanic screwed up and is now looking for an excuse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Take it elsewhere for 2nd opinion / teardown.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

But, didn't want to be that blunt as I understand the OP is still feeling the pain of a failed motor and without tearing down the motor, we're really just guessing (i.e could be a spun bearing and not bearing clearances, although that is still a build-quality issue). Again, I do hope you can get it fixed and fixed right.

Yeah - didn’t mean to be insensitive to OP. I apologize it came off that way. To me it almost feels like sometimes guys that aren’t particularly hands on get gas lighted by mechanics.

Unfortunately you are correct - it’s almost certainly a teardown to figure out what root cause of the failure is.

Wishing for a decent outcome for OP.

[emerygt350]

what happens when you over-torque that oil screen?