ppi and repairs - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

sgt brad · 10-28-2011, 07:33 AM

hello all,
i am new to the forum and am about to purchase my first boxster. it's coreseller's 02 s and appears to be in excellent condition. i am happy to be getting such a nice boxster and have intentionally paid a little more than maybe is necessary to get a car that i feel has been well maintained. i also thought i was getting a car with all of the problem areas addressed, but am finding that there seem to be endless areas on the 986 that need to be addressed.

i trust jake raby and know of him from back in my 914 days. he recommends a service to make the motors bulletproof. however, it's 6500.00. i have begun correspondence with jfp in pa as well, but don't want to be a pest to either raby or jfp. can anyone help with exactly what needs to be done to help ease the fears of grenading the motor.

the ims and rms have already been addressed. but it seems that tensioners, water pumps, etc. all seem to be lurking.

i am having a ppi done and was told to have the sump pulled, water pump changed, leakdown/comp test, etc. done as well as an overall inspection. is this reasonable? what is the recommended ppi procedure? thanks.

brad

DenverSteve · 10-28-2011, 08:07 PM

In my book, nothing. Unless you're one of the few that experiences a problem, you'll not need anything. If you can find someone who will work on the car, give you a 100% guarantee that you'll have 200,000 miles of uninterrupted pleasure, then spend the money. Otherwise, I suggest putting the money away in a fund to use if, and when, it is needed. Oh, and enjoy the drive.

jotoole · 10-29-2011, 06:39 AM

Don't worry, be happy.

thstone · 10-29-2011, 07:06 AM

If your goal is to try to address as many of the potential failure modes as possible, then Mr. Raby is probably one of the very best persons to consult. However, I'd suggest that you spend an equal amount of time learning about the failures and the likelihood of each failure mode as only you can decide if the cost is worth the potential benefits.

In terms of a PPI, it is rare to have anything invasive done because the owner (the seller) typically won't allow you or your mechanic to drop the sump or even remove the plugs for a leak down test. Thus, most PPI's are inspection based combined with a check with a PWIS or Durametric to check for any faults in the electronic systems.

fivepointnine · 10-29-2011, 08:03 AM

you need to understand, there were over 200k 986 Boxsters made, along with almost that many 996's (same M96 engine) and most all of them are still on the road and alot with over 100k miles, you will never hear from the people that never have IMS/RMS issues, but you will definitely see posts about IMS failures all over message boards, its just how it works, people are understandably upset when they lose an engine and want/need to vent.

change your oil often (like 5k or less miles) do the recommended maintenance (yes waterpump is a normal maintenance item) and enjoy your car......oh yeah and use GOOD oil (Motul, redline, lubro-moly, etc)

and if you drive enough Boxsters you quickly learn what is normal and what is not!

sgt brad · 10-29-2011, 07:49 PM

thanks everyone. I am going to proceed with a simple but comprehensive ppi. I am really looking forward to having a porsche in the stable again. I live less than two hours from jake raby so I will decide on whether to go overkill on the preventative maintenance. I will probably have a lot of future questions for you guys. As it stands I think I am getting a very nice car.

Mrmaddbrad · 10-30-2011, 08:37 AM

As I was once told on the phone with a representitive from Porsche: If you want to race it, please do. They are built for it and those who don't slowly kill them. Just don't let the wheels fall off....

Haha do regular maitenance. If the IMS and RMS bearings have been done, ease your mind. Those are the big things that will kill your engine... It'll be alright man :P

sgt brad · 11-02-2011, 05:08 PM

i just thought i'd say thanks again for the advice. i bought the box and am picking it up on saturday. i had a ppi done without all of the craziness and it turned out fine. they found some torn cv boots and those along with the water pump and aos are being replaced. essentially i think all of the weak areas should be covered now. new ims, new rms, new clutch, new aos, new cv boots and new waterpump. dureametrics showed a clean bill of health as well. driving it home to alabama after i pick it up. i will let ya'll know how it shakes out.

brad