RedBarediver

2 hours ago, Daboy3000 said:

Did you need to replace any seals/gaskets?  I need to do this, my idling isn't great.

Nope. All came apart easily. I just got some carb cleaner and sprayed it all over the inside. Wiped it off with a paper towel and repeated the process a few times to get it nice and clean. One thing to look out for is to ensure all the vacuum lines and so on are in properly. I missed one and the idle was very lumpy and the car didn't run properly. I thought I had broken something....

Vacuum line back in and all good. Car runs better than before so well worth doing.

35 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

It all comes apart with jubilee type clips and the sleeves push in or over each other so no seals required unless you find any damaged bits. Just carb or brake cleaner as a solvent to clean up any oil residues.

Exactly right.

On 5/6/2024 at 9:06 PM, ½cwt said:

Permanent fix is probably new cam chain guides as they do wear and cause a bit of noise.  Go up a weight in oil, the standard 0W-40 can be highlight this on start up for a worn engine, the Porsche Classic oil for these engines is a 5W-50.  Anything more major than that is an engine out and partial rebuild which is economically dubious at best.

I second this. Spoke to the local Porsche dealers the other day and I mentioned that I was doing the oil change myself (went there to collect a few crush washers for the sump plug) and the guy asked mileage, age etc. I told him and he advised that I should invest in Mobil 1 5W-50 as that is what Porsche recommends on old and high mileage engines. (He was probably trying to get me to buy from them but I had already gotten the oil from AUTODOC).

On 5/4/2024 at 9:03 AM, phazed said:

I know the people. I think they are the nearest independent to me. Can’t say I have had any dealings with them apart from picking up a couple of minor parts.

Just realised that I think I have been to them after my suspension was replaced and they did the alignment. Whilst the alignment they did is fine, it isn't 100%. You would expect if EVERYTHING on the suspension has been changed that they would get it absolutely tip-top. Especially if they took three hours to do it, and ran the battery down by leaving the ignition on (it was an old battery, since changed), and then attempting to jump start the car and setting off the alarm. Not once, but twice.

The excuse for not getting it 100% was that the car is old, it's difficult to get it 100% etc etc etc. I pointed out that the car may be old but the entire suspension is brand-new. Cue lots of Uhm and Ahhh etc. I must admit I wasn't terribly impressed and I won't be going back there. 

On 5/4/2024 at 10:30 AM, Boxob said:

And if you need a new hood relay note there are two types (986.618.111.02 and 986.615.111.00 the former for earlier cars, like mine 1998)

New they seem to be around £225 but 9Apart are selling them for £184 delivered and I was able to persuade my OPC to drop from £225 to £182 to better 9Apart.

 

I just got a roof relay from Steve Strange for £63 delivered. Yes, it's second hand but his stuff is good so there won't be an issue with it. I would suggest reaching out to @TROOPER88 and booking it in with him for investigation. He knows what he's doing with these cars.

12 minutes ago, RedBarediver said:

No, the rear screen stitching is fine. This is just behind the driver's door at the bottom of the roof. Normally it is hidden behind the frame around the driver's window, but because I was messing around with the roof in various stages of open or closed for most of today, I noticed it. I am sure it is an easy fix for someone who knows how to do upholstery and/ or sails etc. After all, it's just basically canvas being stitched. I can take the roof off and take it to them for repairs, and then put it back on myself. After today I'm no longer so terrified of the roof going wrong.

Also, I may have been too hasty with my diagnosis of the relay.  Zooming in on the pictures I took I can see some corrosion in one corner that impacts a few of the tracks, Got one on the way from Steve Strange. Hopefully that cures it.

16 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

Stitching or the plastic of the rear screen?

There are specialist soft top repairers if you find one, old guy in his garage doing a great job etc. I was recommended sailmakers once, also.

No, the rear screen stitching is fine. This is just behind the driver's door at the bottom of the roof. Normally it is hidden behind the frame around the driver's window, but because I was messing around with the roof in various stages of open or closed for most of today, I noticed it. I am sure it is an easy fix for someone who knows how to do upholstery and/ or sails etc. After all, it's just basically canvas being stitched. I can take the roof off and take it to them for repairs, and then put it back on myself. After today I'm no longer so terrified of the roof going wrong.

2 hours ago, RichX said:

awesome, thanks, im going to try it tomorrow, im running out of ideas why it wont open, maybe the transmission

Mine was stuck with the roof closed. Pressing the button to operate the roof would make a sort of "clunk" noise but nothing else. I took off the speed clips and lifted the clamshell so that I could get in there. Disconnected the front arms which operate the roof (a 5mm Allen bolt) and was careful not to drop the bush on the bolt into the drain hole (I put a rag underneath just in case). With the clamshell and the roof disconnected it very quickly became apparent that the transmission is off the gear. I tried messing around with a drill to see if I could get it back on but in the end I took the transmissions out, took each apart and put the gear back as it should be. The cable runs a worm gear that drives a smaller gear, which in turn drives the big gear. The big gear is not a full circle, but a bit more than a half circle. Once the big gear was back on the small gear and the cable could drive it again. I reassembled everything and reinstalled.

Then the fun started. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but pressed on regardless. Twice the blasted thing came off the gear on the driver's side so I had to do the whole thing again. I finally have it so everything is connected and working - had to mess around with the cables and the motor to try lining the two up with each other. My big issue was that one side was sitting a little higher than the other. Then I would disconnect the cable on the side that is correct, run the roof a smidgin and then reconnect. Try again and see if it seats properly. Endless iterations of this later I now have it so that the two sides sit flush when the roof is up and also when the roof is down.

Success, right? Unfortunately there is still an issue as the warning light on the dash won't go out and if I keep the button pressed I'm pretty sure the motor will just keep running and the big gear will come off the small gear again.

I spent all day working on the darned thing.  I understand the mechanics of it better now. A few potential problems remain - the microswitch by the B-pillar could be faulty, the microswitch on the motor could be faulty, or the relay may be faulty. I've opened the relay and it looks fine with no obvious signs of corrosion but that doesn't mean much.

Now of course I also found the point of water ingress - at the bottom of the driver's side the roof is starting to come apart... Hopefully I can glue that or something. Never ending fun with this car.

3 minutes ago, CRC said:

Exactly.

3 hours ago, RichX said:

if i can manage to release the speed clips how do i then unlock the clam shell, is it not locked where the motor is?

You need to release the clips in the middle of the arm that operates the clamshell. This releases the rams from the clamshell and you can then lift the clamshell manually. I spent all morning fighting with mine - not to get the speed clips out, but to get the cables back on the gears and try to sync the roof again. I have it now that it opens and closes on the button, and sits more or less flush on both sides when the roof is up or down - so I count that as a major win....

There is clearly still something wrong as the motor doesn't stop running and the light on the dash doesn't turn off.

Well, I have managed to get the speedclips off the rams that push the clamshell up and down (and I don't have small hands so it was a bit of a struggle). I now have the roof open and can work in there. First thing is that the rams are in free play so I guess I have to try to get the cables on the gears again. Once that is done I can start looking at why it's not stopping when it's supposed to. My roof was working - just not perfectly and like an idiot I messed around with it. 

I was going to give the car an oil change today but I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow or next year - depending how today goes....

Changed the starter motor yesterday (not too difficult a job, just limited access) and cleaned the throttle body of 26 years worth of cr*p. Car runs much better and smoother now. Also that annoying screech on the starter is finally gone. For less than £40 including carb cleaner it's worth doing yourself.

Today I shall sort out the roof and if that doesn't take too much time I'll also do an oil change and inspect the old filter.

I had the same thing last week. Went to open the roof and I could see it drawing power but nothing doing. I had to go in from inside the car and undo the clamshell by popping off the speedclips that hold it on place. This meant I could then manually lift the clamshell and get into the mechanism. Tested the switch before doing anything else and the roof moved.... No idea why as it certainly wasn't moving before then.

Put the roof in service mode and reattached the clamshell. It works but it's not 100% as it is a little temperamental on the driver's side. After I replace the starter today I'll go back to the roof and see if I can get it sorted out.

Even if that (whatever it was) is not your problem you would still have to get into it in order to diagnose and fix. Use a long screwdriver and pop off the speedclips that hold the clamshell. I hope you have small hands and long arms, or at least a long flat-blade screwdriver.

Just ordered one. At less than £50 delivered it would be rude not to. They also gave me a referral code that someone else can use for 10% off.  REFA0SL3LA5

I was going to work on the car today but even the ducks are staying at home in the dreadful weather we're having so I'm ordering stuff online rather than working...

Took out the graphite grey carpet and installed a black carpet. Looks really nice now. I'm still looking for the lower bulkhead carpet in black but the rest have all now been changed to black

Lots of work but very happy with how it turned out. Tomorrow I'll do the starter and (finally) give it a proper wash.

47 minutes ago, allatsea said:

 

Well yesterday, washed it after 1800 miles in 5 days driving (including 500 miles, Tunnel to Grenoble, before lunch on the first day) and a weekend in Nice (wife flew so I was master of my own destiny and how long I did each day). Route Napoleon (both ways, up and down) onwards to Monaco where they just happened to have set up the track up for the E-Prix, so foolish not to do a quick lap......

 

 

That looks like it was fun.

3 hours ago, ½cwt said:

Valeter at Dove House just said thorough clean and working in then wet vac out with diluted G101 from Autostart with a not too stiff brush.  Did a small area with this in March to good effect, now to do the whole hood soon, then reproof.

Milton works to kill off what's growing but it is not a cleaner as such, you still need to wash out the detritus.

Yes, I have a soft brush for exactly this. Once I have sprayed / washed the whole roof with Milton I'll go over it with the brush, then wash it all off and then Renovo. I did the Spider's hood with Renovo and it came out beautifully. 

I did the Renovo on the Boxster when I got it five years ago but haven't done it since then I think. Definitely time to do it again.

21 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

Milton tablets? I don’t know what they are but people mention them. 

15 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said:

They are for sterilising babies bottles etc

I have seen posts where people mention this. I was just going to look for Milton spray and use that, then wash the roof, then treat it and let it dry. Hoping for a sunny day or two.

52 minutes ago, RedBarediver said:

List of jobs to do this weekend (I may take four days off next week if the weather is decent):

- AOS replacement

- Interior carpet install

- Air box and pipe jubilee clip

- Put back the fitting on the engine to hoist it out of the car

- Replace starter motor

- Wash and clay bar then polish.

And of course I have to ensure the new clutch is run in properly so I shall drive it as much as I can 

I forgot to mention the roof which still needs to be adjusted so it works properly and turns out the warning light on the dash, clean the roof to get rid of some green mold which has started to grow at the bottom, install the OBD port properly and probably a bunch of other things. It seems to be never-ending with this car.

The left speaker on the dash has an annoying pop and crackle which is (I think) related to the car's wiring from the stereo. I have checked and double-checked the speaker wiring for a loose connection, but it's not that.

I think I have it. Called the Porsche Boxster 986 Rear Bulkhead Carpet Black Part number 98655103501.

Hi all,

As the topic suggests I am having a hard time getting hold of the carpet section behind the seats covering the engine access panel. Every search I type into eBay just comes up with the engine cover carpet on top of the engine (which I managed to get hold of). Can't seem to find the right one for the interior though. I have the bottom piece but not the main piece. very frustrating.

If anyone has a term that will throw up the correct part (or part number) that would be great.

List of jobs to do this weekend (I may take four days off next week if the weather is decent):

- AOS replacement

- Interior carpet install

- Air box and pipe jubilee clip

- Put back the fitting on the engine to hoist it out of the car

- Replace starter motor

- Wash and clay bar then polish.

And of course I have to ensure the new clutch is run in properly so I shall drive it as much as I can 

On 4/24/2024 at 4:47 PM, Norbert said:

I might just leave it as is with no carpet. It looks really good alread.

I shall definitely get one when the current crop of work on the car has been completed.

Yes, that is how it goes.

3 hours ago, TROOPER88 said:

Pleasure to be able to help @RedBarediver and amazing effort on your part. 

It just goes to show what can be done on a single driveway alongside your house with basic tools. 

And in the pouring rain too!

Thanks for your help - it really is much appreciated.

Finally finished with this weekend's work. Paul @TROOPER88 helped me with the clutch, flywheel and Rear Main Seal install yesterday. Luckily we had a gazebo over us because the weather was atrocious. We worked until just after 6 pm, I think. This morning I got busy and reinstalled the exhaust and all the other bits I took off. Then I had to do a few more jobs on the car. Sort out the pipe from the airbox to the intake which wasn't connected on the airbox end. Before that though I had to take off the whole air pipe because there was still one recalcitrant bolt that needed to go on the gearbox. What a pain that was. Then of course the roof had developed one of it gremlins so all afternoon I was bugging Paul with questions and he guided me to get the roof working and seated properly. The warning light still stays on but I'll have another go the coming weekend. I was tired and annoyed with the darn thing - and I wanted to take the car for a test drive!

I have to say that I could not have done the job without Paul's guidance and assistance. Trust me, it was a load of work and we were non-stop all day with the exception of one or two cups of coffee. I can't speak highly enough of him. 

All that effort has paid off handsomely though. The clutch feels like a Porsche clutch should feel. The car is a delight to drive and runs beautifully.

Next weekend I'll revisit the roof, and then finally get the graphite grey carpet out, and the NOS black carpet in. I'm still waiting for one piece to arrive but the main carpet and all the other major bits are here so I can crack on with that.

Edited because I completely forgot to mention the transmission mounts which we replaced. Easy enough job - just a pain to ensure everything lines up.