AOS and strut tower brace questions..
 

Hi, I've got a '01 2.7l boxster with very low mileage 32000km.

I was just wondering whether the AOS is an item which I need to replace ONLY when I face issues such as persistent smokey exhaust or should I replace it at an appropriate interval ??

The reason I'm asking is that I intend to keep this boxster longer term and would like to keep it in prestine condition and after all, it's a 9 year old car.

Question 2: Are the strut tower braces useful ?? Do I get the best bang for buck with the front strut tower braces ? ANy issues if I only install the front ones ? I would assume that as the car is mid-engined, the rear struts should flex less ?

Any advice ? I'm ordering a big shipment from pelicanparts, just wondering if I should order the AOS too, and save on the shipping..... but the order is already quite pricey...

Gdday buddy.
As vehicles are expensive in Singapore, I would asume parts are also. If this is the case, then as you are already getting a large order from Pelican Parts, why not throw in a AOS for good measure.
You never really know when the AOS will go but you will certainly know when it does.
I was recently in the USA & purchased spark plugs & quite a few other items from Pelican even though my 80000km service is 1yr away.

You get oil in the engine when the AOS fails, but I seriously doubt it is enough to lock the engine and cause damage. As such, if the result of failure is not catastrophic, then I would not change it out. This is not a regular wear item. Who knows when or IF it will ever fail?

As for strut braces - I have both front and back in my car. Unless you track or autocross your car I seriously doubt you will notice any difference. The one thing I did to my suspension that made it AMAZING was track grade shocks and springs followed by good, sticky tires. If you want to make some good improvements I would focus there and only look at strut braces after you've done everything else that you can possibly do to the suspension and just have money to burn (which is pretty much what I did). :p

Kirk

I 100% agree. I have front and rear upper and rear lower braces and when I put them on, I could tell no difference at all. On the other hand, the RoW M030 struts, springs, and sway bars absolutely make the car more responsive and tighter.

AOS will eventually fail...some guys think it's good to replace it at the 60K maintenance. Mine failed at about 67K. :cheers:

Thanks guys for all the response...

As for the strut braces, I don't track and though I'm tempted on the M030 (heard wonderful feedback) was alittle afraid of the speed bumps around the area that I live - as even on stock suspension with 2 persons on board, I've hit the bottom of the car. A little lower and I'll probably have to take the bumps sideways in order to get across. We've got some monster bumps here... even my bmw 3 hits the bottom sometimes when fully loaded.

Yes, you are right, the prices of the spares here are crazy (80%++ more than the US) as it's almost impossible to find spares except from the authorized Porsche dealer.

I've got oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, etc in that pelicanparts order as well... forgot about the spark plugs though..... just changed them at ridiculous prices....

At least the AD prices in Australia seems to be more decent - I bought a pair of 944 tail-lights from swan porsche in sydney (I think) many years back, at a reasonable price.

Mate,
If I can save you a few dollars by buying some thing here on your behalf & sending it to SIN, let me know. Happy to help.
Call if you like.
Dave.
+61409760194

My friend helped me install a new AOS yesterday on my 01 with 65k miles. My old AOS wasn't acting up or anything, but we did it as a precaution. It was only $88 from Sunset Porsche, so not really expensive to replace if you do it yourself.

The new AOS has an updated multiple o-ring seal which is much more substantial. You can sorta see on the pic below of my old AOS that it only had a small single o-ring seal (top left on that tube):
http://i52.tinypic.com/2m4vd6u.jpg

Dave thanks for the offer ! Much appreciated.

I seriously doubt the strut braces will do anything for you based on your description. Maybe you should consider an "S" suspension if you have a base Boxster or the USA M030 rather than the lower RoW M030. Shocks, springs, sway bars, bushings, etc will all have more of an impact than the strut braces.

As for ride height - yes you have to take speed bumps at an angle, as well as any steep inclines. I generally have few issues with my Boxster lowered, but you get used to it and learn to instinctively take things at an angle to avoid bottoming out. Someone does make an air bag system that mounts to the top of the shock and will raise the car for speed bumps and inclines. It's a pretty spendy option though when careful driving can usually work just fine.

Kirk

When mine failed there was no smoke. When the engine warmed to 185 degrees it would start a whistle screaching sound. It was air being forced out out the front seal which could have blown out the rear seal...not that's pressure.