winter mini overhaul complete

[sam c.]

At $650 the flywheel ended up being in the same price range as the stock flywheels.

[sam c.]

With the clutch and flywheel removed, it was time to tackle the IMS bearing. I decided to go with the Pelican bearing for $165 and keep the stock cover.



The stock cover has garbage casting. The more I'm into this car, the less impressed I am with Porsche. I'll probably replace the cover next winter with an updated cover/seal just because the casting was so ridiculously bad. Nice QA controls...



Add the price of the tools $200 and I was ready to go!

[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.