winter mini overhaul complete

[sam c.]

I'm pretty sure when I go back to do the clutch disc again in the winter, I'll probably swap in one of the ceramic bearings Homeboy found during his IMSB nightmare with LN Engineering. In the meantime tho, my stock dual row bearing came out without a hitch and was in fantastic shape.

I froze the Pelican IMS bearing and install tool overnight in the freezer, right next to the freezer vent, and then stored it in a cooler filled with dry ice for about three hours before the install. Additionally, I removed the cross member that runs behind the engine as it could be a source of potential obstruction and I wanted as clean and open an area as possible. After removing my old bearing, I installed the new one making sure to smack the install tool as straight and even as possible with a solid hammer. Installed with no issues.

[sam c.]

After that it was just a matter of installing the LWFW

[sam c.]

Meanwhile, I was still waiting for the clutch to show up so I moved onto some other projects...

Calipers


UD pulley and idler pulleys

[sam c.]

I discovered both the idler pulleys are available at local parts stores as just a 70mm idler pulley that's used on dozens of Audi and VW products. Cost $17 each vs the $150 that I've seen elsewhere. I did have to use a washer behind them to shim them out to the run on the same plane as the belt.

I also replaced the water pump, installed a 160° thermostat, and flushed the transmission fluid.

Finally, the clutch arrived after 3 weeks and of course, it's a solid disc and not a sprung hub!! Damn it!!

[sam c.]

Here's the description (from both the distributor and also spec's own site) of the spec stage 1 sprung clutch I bought:

The SPEC Stage 1 Clutch Kit features an integrally molded carbon kevlar-based, high performance organic lining that offers smooth engagement and excellent life. This lining has an integrally bonded steel backing for strength under high clamp loads and temperatures. The hub is double sprung with spring cover relieves for flexibility and heat treated components for strength and durability. Best for street and many track/off-road applications.

Features
High clamp pressure plate
Steel-backed and multi-compound woven organic material
High torque sprung hub and disc assembly
Bearing and tool kit

One would think this was pretty cut and dry but the fact is, as soon as u tell them u have a boxster, u will be sent a solid disc clutch, not sprung.

The way to get around this is to contact ur distributor and let them know you have a solid flywheel, and u want a sprung disc despite the fact that OEM is a solid disc. Prob not a bad idea to call spec as well and ensure they understand u want a sprung hub. Make sure everyone in the supply chain understands u want a sprung hub, otherwise u'll wind up with a solid disc clutch.

[sam c.]

Driving Impressions...

I took the car out last night for some around town driving and found it to be light and rev happy. There's def a more eagerness to just take off when u press the GO pedal. It changes the feel from kind of a fun cruiser to something a good bit more sporty!

The cons:
It's actually a little more difficult to drive. I'll get used to it with a little more time behind the wheel and taking off from a light won't require deliberate thought or effort but for the time being it does force me to pay more attention. What i mean by that is that as rev happy as the engine is now, it is just as willing to lose or dump those revs when enough gas isn't provided. The car is def a lot easier to stall until u get used to how it wants to be driven. I should know, i did it twice on a 15 minute cruise around town. Nothing ruins ur image quite like stalling the car at a light. Haha.

Summary:
The LWFW is an excellent mod IMO. Adding the UD pulley is just icing on the cake. The car still won't push u hard back in the seat like my 2g Eclipse but that's not its intent either. It revs beautifully and is a lot more fun to drive. Much less of a chick car and more of a driver's car! I don't think it'll ever have the power it deserves until I hang a couple of small turbos off it or just take the plunge and install an Audi 4.2 but in the meantime, I can tell I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it.

I drove it out to work this morning (50 miles highway) with no issues or complaints. Ran great and pulled nicely throughout the RPM band. I can't wait to get the electric power steering pump installed which should deliver another 5-10 ponies to the wheels.

[Homeboy981]

Originally Posted by sam c.

After a quick chat with Aasco engineers, any fears were eliminated and I placed an order with one of their distributors.

Same here! After speaking to Aasco, all this talk about 'balancing' the LWFW is hooey! The factory QCs the balance, and, due to the way they machine the product, there is little chance it is going to be out of balance.

Plus, it looks really cool all shiny and sleek!

[sam c.]

So shiny! If only the rest of the drive train could be so well designed and fabricated... I wouldn't spend so much time badmouthing the 'tards working in Porsche engineering! Lol