½cwt

Very much look to be the same clip in the full parts cat, 999 512 552 01 - Hose Clamp 27 x 12. This type of spring clip can break where the band splits into two which may make one clip seem loser if not actually a different size.  Also if you are not already, a bit of rubber grease or Vaseline inside the hose and inside the clamp may help.

21 minutes ago, scorpio63 said:

Thank you for your reply.

I will attempt to remove the inspection hatch from behind the seats this weekend and hopefully I will see some indication of leaking. This is a learning curve for me...

@scorpio63 It is quite straightforward, slide and tilt both seats forward to create space.  Carpet is held in with a couple of discreet cross head screws on the seat belt cover sections.  Once the vertical carpet section is out there are about 13 10mm hex headed bolts to remove.  A impact driver with a 10mm socket will be you friend, otherwise lots of turning with a spanner or ratchet.

2 hours ago, Patt said:

I am sure it was the same size as a standard 986, just the different joining tube to the plenum.  

Years ago we were going to put the larger TB onto EDC's 550, but he gave up trying to get the right "t-piece"

Checking the parts cat, the TB is the same, but the intake for build code M091 ('50 years Spyder') has a 987 part numbered intake pipe, MAF and air box.

Best of luck.  They might add a bit of time if the drop link/pinch bolts and the damper tubes are corroded into the hub but with the correct gear on hand in a full workshop it should go OK.  @TROOPER88 timings look OK to you?

2 hours ago, Bike Loon said:

switched the PASM on and gave it some beans on the twisties on the way home.... combined with the Yokohama's it really does go round corners soooooooooooooo well!

You're not parting with it anytime soon are you?

3 hours ago, Fat Rat said:

Well, today, top got 2 coats of satin black. Feel like a wheeler dealer. 😬. Getting close. Got this gut feeling it is going to be to loud. 🤪.

 

 

Whit primer did you use on the stainless?

5 hours ago, ½cwt said:

It's on the check list. Caught the little blighters in the act twice in the past.

No uninvited 6 or 8 legged critters found.  No wet carpet either.  No weak cranking when I started it up.  Will investigate batteries more closely at the weekend.  In the meantime I'll see if it goes off again. 🤞

3 hours ago, phazed said:

On a serious note, engines are very robust. Many years ago I borrowed a 4.2 jaguar XJ6 from one of the guys who worked for me. I commented on how smooth and beautifully it drove. He proudly told me that he had it from new and it had never been serviced! it was an eight year old car.

 it was an eight year old car.

Not saying that is the right thing to do but it’s surprising how long an engine will last with minimal care. 

To be geeky for a moment, the majority of failures in mechanical systems occur following maintenance or due to maintenance errors rather than overdue maintenance. Adds credence to the saying, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

4 hours ago, Patt said:

check for spiders in the cabin

It's on the check list. Caught the little blighters in the act twice in the past.

Switched the alarm off at 01:30 this morning.  Only obvious thing is it has been rain lots.  Battery is about 5 years old but still cranked OK last time it started on Monday.  Hoping I've not got wet electrics but it has survived lots of heavy rain so far this year and drains were clear two weeks ago.....

When the rain stops and things are bit dryer outside I'll take a proper look.

Wrong place. moved to 986 section.

3 hours ago, nelmo said:

Mine rattled for about 3 months and I drove for 500 miles while I tried various ways to try work out what the problem was. When I finally checked the shells, they had wear streaks in them but the crankshaft was untouched. This is why I find it funny when everyone obsesses over which oil to use, changing spark plugs every year etc; car engines are far more rugged and reliable than car dealers would have you believe...a few tiny flakes with no other symptoms means nothing.

Until it does....

Thought.  Set the alarm with one press, then jack up one side of the car to a decent height and see what happens.  Have the key to hand to disarm.  Repeat with two presses to lock and see if it triggers at the same height or not.  If not, valet mode disables the tilt too.

I used this:

Westspark 13.1ft 4M 8mm Butyl Rubber Sealant Sound Deadening Rope Caulk Tape for Car RV Windshield Headlight Door Black : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

You can peel it off the roll and make it nice and thin.  It then sticks well but if necessary in future you can get under it with a plastic scraper to remove.  Make sure it is thin and pressed flat well, or you have trouble refitting the door card - ask me how I know!  You'll also have loads spare off a roll this size even after doing two membranes.

44 minutes ago, Clarky2 said:

Unfortunately £1500 is a bit rich for me at the moment given some other expenses I've had recently and I hoped that a suspension refresh was something I could work up to.

The garage seem to be saying that if I could find a n/s shock they would fit it. Will they start calling out various other parts as soon as they start dismantling? All I am after at this stage is a cost effective route to an MOT to avoid laying up the car while I plan next steps. 

I'd allow for a drop link minimum and possibly an inboard bolt.  Plus the bump stop will likely be perished if original.  Also they may not split the bottom ball joint on the coffin arm without nicking the rubber dust cap....

Is the tank filled to MAX?  If so if you remover the plastic plate the the oil and water filler sit in you will see another cap with a U shaped metal piece on top.  Lift this up and run the car up to temp until the fans kick in to the second high speed at about 95°C.  Ideally park the car slightly nose down whilst doing this, or jack the rear up, which should vent the system.  Remember to flick the metal lever down once done and replace the plastic cover plate.  Check you water level regularly for the next few weeks as they can take some time to 'burp' through properly.

2 hours ago, Menoporsche said:

I remember a comment that said many 986 horns die as they are mounted in a way that allows water to gather and not drain. Remount at a different angle to avoid water gathering in future. I don't know the details.

Not so much that they collect water but the lower one in particular is in the airflow from the front right bumper intake.  They both mount on the same bracket and there isn't much space to do much different, alas.

11 minutes ago, Clarky2 said:

That's a very kind offer. It looks like a four hour round trip from Cambridge, but it could get me out of a hole and through an MOT.

As 1/2 CWT says it could easily become a false economy and I have started pricing up new front suspension, but I would rather take my time collecting the parts and making the right choices rather than being forced into potentially expensive mistakes just to get through a new ticket.     

Message me and I'll drop you all the makers of the Porsche parts or good aftermarket options to help avoid those mistakes. A lot of us have done the suspension on these 986s.

A bearing shell sheds incredibly fine white metal, not grains.  The oil from my Scooby looked more like mercury so it is a very fine paste almost.  The oil test will tell you much more about possible sources.

1 hour ago, nelmo said:

Doesn't look like anything to worry about IMO.

I had the big end shells go in a 4-cylinder Ford engine and it made a very obvious rattle - I'm sure our engines would do the same in that situation.

Likewise on a Subaru flat 4, it was knocking before silver was detected in the oil.

(Those Scooby engines are pretty bulletproof but this one had been well abused by a rally team as a receptionist car before I bought it cheap and ran it for 4 years...)

The cam chains and hydraulic lifters can rattle very briefly on start up as oil pressure rises. Any ongoing rattling that is much more than instantaneous is more of a problem.

Nope, still sets the alarm.

3 minutes ago, TROOPER88 said:

@Clarky2, I throw out shocks every week. 
 

Used shocks are no use to me whatsoever ever.

I think I have a set you can have but collection from Lower Sunbury, Surrey 👍🏻

Nice one Paul, if it gets him out of a hole for the time being.

@Clarky2 you must have a medium term plan to replace both and it is a lot of work to repeat in doing it twice particularly if you are paying for labour...

28 minutes ago, 832ark said:

I’ve ordered a sample kit from Miller which should tell me more. It does look to me like the surface white metal of a crank bearing. I’m guessing it’s probably a big end that’s started to break down. Hopefully I’ve caught it before it does serious damage to the crank etc. Are Hartech the go-to people these days or are there others I should talk to?

Hartech's reputation is solid, unlike your bank balance once you have been there.  For a full rebuild there are none better, for bottom end bearings only there may be more cost effective options.

Re engine numbers and IMSBs, I spent a lot of time gathering the data for the write up in the Technical section and they are from Porsche documents, either parts catalogues, service documents or Technical bulletins. I have no reason to believe they are not correct.