Tools for DIY projects

[RandallNeighbour]

I was exactly the way you are today when I bought my beat up boxster five years ago. No mechanical experience. No tools. Lots of confidence.

Here's my advice:

- Get the largest set of metric tools from Sears you can afford and one of those cool rolling tool chests in which to store them. That'll look great in your garage, by the way.

- Buy a Bentley repair manual. The thing will make you feel as if you can do a major motor teardown and rebuild! Very cool late night reading for the bedside table too. That's where mine remained for the first year.

- As others have said, you need nice wide ramps for the back wheels. Make them or buy them.

- Buy a race jack. I got a cheap one at Pep Boys (good quality and only $50 on sale) and it works great. You'll use it for years to come on the Boxster and other cars too.

- Buy a set of floor stands. You don't need really heavy duty ones because your car only weighs 2800 pounds. Two will do.

Oil changes take a whopping 30 minutes, and most of that is waiting for the oil to drain. There's only ten minutes worth of actual work to do.

Changing plugs is not as simple because you can't see all of them, but it's not hard to do. Just do one plug at a time and you won't mess up the wire order. I did it last year for the first time and it took all of an hour and a half.

Timing belt? If you mean the serpentine belt it's not hard if you have the diagram. The self-tensioner is built right in. The Bentley manual covers this in great detail, btw.

The fuel filter isn't hard either, but it's messy if you don't do things in the right order or you're not prepared to catch some fuel when you undo it. Once again, your Bentley repair manual will help you do it right.

Men repair and maintain Porsches. You are a man. Therefore, you can repair and maintain your Porsche. That line of thinking has taken me far in life and you're gonna do fine with it as well.

Go get greasy. It's fun, and saves large wads of cash

[sasha055]

Thank you all for great tips!

I guess in weekend I'll go to Sears and start with a set of metric tools and a torque wrench.
And thanks for words of encouragement.

Thanks
Alex

[clickman]

+1 on the Bentley Manual

[eightsandaces]

FYI the belt you refer to isn't a timing belt, it runs the alternator, water pump, ac compressor.

PS A set of torx wrenches will come in handy if you don't have them already.

[dallison]

jack stands and i would say creeper, but it's difficult to get under this car witha creeper when it's jacked up.

I can't even begin to say how much this cheap, little tool has helped me working on my cars....



in the past, I never had enough light in hard to reach spaces...with the "head light", I'm never fumbling around with one hand on a wrench and the other on a light.

Best of luck with the repairs!

[landrovered]

#1 SHOP MANUAL

I do all of my own work and one of the best things to have in addition to the above mentioned is a set of ratchet type box end wrenches. They are great for places where a normal socket/ratchet won't fit and flopping a normal wrench is a PIA.

Also a set of sockets for rounded off bolts can save you a lot of frustration when the enevitable happens or someone before you has done shoddy work.

A collection of fluids and other things will make your life easier. Loctite, dilectic grease, Anti sieze, PB Blaster, a torch, angle grinder, rivet gun and plenty of zip ties.

Breaker bar, torque wrench, plug gap feeler guage, swivel for your ratchet, test light, multimeter a good set of cover alls and a box of the blue rubber gloves.

You can do it yourself, take your time, ask lots of questions and take a break when you get frustrated or confused.

[Spinnaker]

Sears is having a promotion right now:
10% off on online orders $199 - $349
15% off on $350
You can order online and pickup at the store.

Check out Harbor Freight for basic wrenches, they are really inexpensive there. Wrenches are pretty basic tools that you don't have to worry about the quality as much as other types to tools (power). There's a Harbor Freight down by Ikea in Renton, and a new store by the Fred Meyer on NE 20th & 148th in Bellevue.
See ya on the streets (and curves) of Seattle and if you sail, beware of the Duck Dodge on Lake Union!

PS - One of my favorite drives is SE Green Valley Rd, between Auburn and Black Diamond, with a mandatory stop at the Black Diamond Bakery, and then a jog over to Rooter's Barbeque by Lake Sawyer, to finish off the calorie counting.

[stephen wilson]

I agree about buying the largest tool kit you can reasonably afford, some even include the tool box. Tools are expensive to buy piece-meal, the bigger the kit, the more you save. Also try Craftsman's on-line catalog, they carry things not sold in stores.

Not to be contrary, but I wouldn't buy cheap wrenches. The only wrench I've even broken is a "China" wrench a co-worker had, and they can tend to round off bolt heads more easily.

[JAAY]

Tool of choice.




Really. The best box set of tools you can afford. Good luck and welcome.

[yimmy149]

Ditto on buying a larger tool set - I bought a $250ish set of Craftman tools 12 years ago, and they have treated me very well. One ratchet broke and was swapped no questions asked. You will spend a fortune if you buy piecemeal.

Also ditto on the headlamp, very handy given that you will sometimes be over the engine, sometimes in front, and sometimes under.

-james

[JFP in PA]

Changing the engine mounts, or pulling the trans out can be a pain in the butt if you try to support the engine with a floor jack, which ends up always being in the way. Same problem crops up with just about any front driver that you might be doing the same type of maintenence on.

Porsche sells an "engine support bar" that supports the engine from above, but costs about 1,000,000 Euros....................

Harbor Freight has a great alternative:



List for about $60, but you can get it for $48 with one of the 20% off coupons that seem to be in just about every publication these days...........

[sasha055]

I didn't want to create another thread.. and search function didn't return anything.

Today I tried to open top for the first time (it's 50 degrees in seattle )

I opened it half-way.. and noticed that plastic rear window is bending.. I kinda freaked out and closed it back.. is it supposed to bend? won't it break?

Thanks
Sasha

[Sikedsyko]

Yes it will break. I was a Carmax last week looking at Boxster's and while putting the top down it didn't fold right and cracked right up the middle. If you just stop about half way and fold it yourself then put it the rest of the way down it will work.

edit* I reread your question and it is supposed to fold right in the middle but you have to watch, your problem is when it doesn't fold.

[vath2001]

The procedure is called the classic "boxster chop". And don't drop your top if the temp is below 60. Otherwise it can crack.

[rick3000]

The vinyl window will fold in the middle. However, you should use the legendary 'chop.' Once the top is down half way karate chop the window (lightly) so it folds the rest of the way without any creases in it. If you get a crease the window can crack. Also, it has been recommended to me not to changing the position of the top below 40°, however I agree 60° is a much safer temperature, the vinyl hardens at low temps and makes a crack more likely.
This summer when it's 85° you will see just how much the temperature can affect the vinyl, it can get very soft in the summer. Which is great because you can drop the top at a stop light and not worrying about creases that much.