Could babying your Porsche actually be shortening the life of its engine?
This week on Eleven After Nine, I sit down with Lake Speed Jr., better known as The Motor Oil Geek, for a conversation every Porsche owner should hear.
Lake is a Certified Lubrication Specialist, Oil Monitoring Analyst, Porsche owner, founder of SPEEDiagnostix, and one of the people behind the development of Driven Racing Oil. He has spent years studying used oil samples and what they can tell us about engine wear.
We start with one of the most debated issues in the Porsche world, bore scoring.
Is the commonly quoted 2% bore-scoring rate really the whole story?
Lake explains what he found after looking at thousands of oil samples, why elevated iron, aluminum and silicon matter, and why a single oil analysis tells you far less than watching the trend over several oil changes.
Then we get into the part that surprised me most.
FIND LAKE SPEED JR. / THE MOTOR OIL GEEK
The Motor Oil Geek on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@themotoroilgeek
The Motor Oil Geek on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/themotoroilgeek/
SPEEDiagnostix:
https://www.speediagnostix.com/
SPEEDiagnostix Oil Analysis Kits:
https://www.speediagnostix.com/collections/oil-analysis-kit
PRODUCTS & RESOURCES MENTIONED
Nothing here is sponsored. Lake receives nothing from any oil or fuel brand and said so on the record. Links marked ★ are affiliate links — same price to you, small commission to me. See the disclosure below.
Motor oil
Driven DT40 — https://amzn.to/4wyUgQ3 — what I run in the 997
Driven DI40 — https://amzn.to/4g4RWLS — for direct-injection engines
Mobil 1 ESP 0W-40 X4 — Lake rates this one highly
⚠️ Note: Mobil 1 sells several 0W-40s and they are not the same oil. The Euro FS 0W-40 shears out of grade quickly per Lake's data. Check the exact product before you buy.
Fuel system
Chevron Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner — https://amzn.to/4cJSl3U — one bottle, one tank, roughly once a year
Top Tier fuel brands: Shell V-Power, Exxon and Mobil Synergy, Chevron, Costco
Oil filter
Purolator ONE — https://amzn.to/4glDxd7 — what Lake is currently running
Air filter
No link on purpose. Lake's advice is to use a high-efficiency OEM-spec filter, avoid aftermarket high-flow filters, and follow the factory replacement interval rather than changing early.
NOTE: Always verify the oil viscosity, specification, filter and maintenance requirements for your exact vehicle. Products discussed during the episode were not presented as universal recommendations for every Porsche engine.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Welcome Lake Speed Jr (@TheMotorOilGeek)
02:00 - Lake's Custom Boxster & Sumabore Plasma Technology
05:30 - The 2% Bore Scoring Myth vs. Real Data (20,000+ Samples)
12:15 - How to Read Iron, Silicon & Aluminum Wear Metals
14:40 - Fuel Dilution: The Hidden Enemy of Your Engine Oil
22:50 - Top Tier Fuel & Injector Maintenance (Chevron Techron)
31:00 - Winter Storage & How Babying Your Porsche Kills It
37:20 - Air Filters: Why High-Flow Filters Cause Engine Wear
42:00 - Oil Filters & Mobile 1 Formulations Explained
50:30 - ZDDP vs. Molybdenum: Chemistry for Alusil & Lokasil Bores
58:00 - Cold Starts & Idling: Engine Damage at Low Temps
01:08:00 - Lake's Golden Rule for Engine Longevity
Disclosure: Lake led development of Driven Racing Oil and I run DT40 in my 997. He isn't paid by me and this episode isn't sponsored. Some links above are affiliate links and I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Nothing Lake recommended was influenced by that.
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