Clutch and gearbox
 

Hi all, new to the site and looking for anyone with the same probs as my Boxster and any possible info on remedy. Bought a Boxster S a few weeks back. It is a very well kept example on a 51 plate with 75,000 miles on the odo. The miles are genuine and the car came with a full up to date Porsche history and all mot's. Looking through the pile of Porsche invoices that also came with it I have discovered it has had the ims bearing and the rear main oil seal renewed at 67,000 miles so this is not my main concern. When I test drove the car it had probably already been warmed up so the problem was not really present. The day after I purchased it though when the gear box was obviously cold the gear change's were very notchy to say the least and as the box warms up the problem all but disappears. Also, I own a Civic 2.2 diesel which I consider to have a stiff clutch but the Boxster is twice as hard to depress, is this normal for a Boxster ??. Any info or idea's welcome and appreciated. Thanks.

First, welcome to the forum. You'll find a lot of help and great advice here.

I can't comment on your stiff clutch (other than to say that mine - '00 S - isn't stiff at all), but can definitely comment that the gearbox being stiff and notchy until the engine and transmission are warmed up is not at all unusual. Additionally, and maybe this is just my experience, I think you'll find that as you become more accustomed to the car, this perception or stiffness and notchiness will diminish a bit.

OK kjc2050 and thanks for the reply. Again, looking through all the Porsche invoices I have found one for a complete clutch renewal at 34,000 miles. Seems very low miles for a new clutch so I am thinking that maybe it's first 3 years of life were probably hard driven miles. That clutch, as far as I am aware is still in the car now so it has covered approx 40k which again is not much. A short drive is ok but anything over an hour is quite tiring on the left leg and if I jump in my Civic not long after I almost push the clutch pedal through the floor !!. I am convinced something is amiss with the clutch so it would probably be best to book it into a clutch centre for investigation. I did contact the seller re this problem but his reply was: myself, my brother and a Porsche mechanic have driven this car and we have never experienced the probs you mention, but there again, he would say that, wouldn't he. Love the car though, had a 2.7 version some years ago but it was not the same animal, too underpowered for what it was. Clutch was ok though !. Will post more after clutch examination. Regards.

Just as a thought, you might want to consider changing your gearbox oil. I would suggest, as has been recommended to me, that you use the Porsche brand gear oil. That might make the gearbox a bit less notchy. It has helped me on other cars and I plan to replace my fluid at 75K miles (another couple of weeks).

When I bought my '03 with 80k miles a few years ago, I was surprised on how stiff the clutch was. The person I bought it from said that is the sign that it needs a new clutch. Not sure if that is true or not. Since then, I've put about 10k miles on it and I don't notice how stiff the clutch is anymore.

This is a common fact on the Box that a cold tranny will shift very stiff till it is warmed up. Honestly, on a cold motor and tranny you don't really want to be "on it" till it has warmed up anyway. Summer time I find that with ambient temps being higher it is not an issue.

When I bought my 2001S with 109 km on it, the clutch was very stiff. By the time I was at 122 000 km I was used to the stiffness but I went for a new IMSB install. It was discovered that I needed a new clutch and that it was the original. The replacement is SO much easier and it's a heavy-duty Sachs!
As for the shifter, I replaced mine with a 997 Short Shift and it's probably the best improvement possible for that car; Now it shifts the way it should- short and crisp!

+1 on changing the gearbox oil. I'm told it can make a big difference in the shifter action. I'm about to do mine to see if it makes as much difference as I have been led to believe.

As for the clutch, well it's just stiff. Can't compare it to your Civic. (Did you really just use a Civic as a basis of comparison with a Boxster?? Dude!!). Have you pushed the clutch in any other Boxsters to see what they are like?

If you're convinced that something is wrong with it, a quick visit to the dealership should confirm or dispel your suspicions. Let us know what you find!

retsbox, here is a thread that should help:

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/35443-stiff-clutch-clutch-replace-q.html

When I was shopping for my Boxster I drove various examples and some had extremely 'heavy' clutches, most did not. While I suspect that engagement will never be as light as your Civic, nevertheless it should not be tiring or difficult to depress. If your clutch is not slipping and the pressure point is not extremely high, then I suspect the problem is not with the clutch per se, but rather either the hydraulics ( try bleeding, although it could be the master or slave cylinder); some have also found that replacing (or removing and lubricating) the clutch helper spring on the pedal assembly does the trick.

Brad

Hello again to all. Still have not got round to fixing my stiff clutch and gear shift probs as I have encountered so much advice on different forums etc I do not know which way to go. I now have noticed another prob, a large plume of blue smoke on startup which more or less disappears a few seconds later. Anyone got any views re this. Thanks in advance.

I think you'll find that "puff of blue smoke" to generally be consider an AOS issue. If you do a search on it you'll find a wealth of threads on the subject.

Due to the cable connection to the tranny, rather than direct, the shifters in these cars are not Porsche-worthy IMHO. Some notchiness is inherent in the design.

Having said that, even though it increased notchiness, I upgraded my shifter to the 9x7 short shifter and haven't looked back. That could be a reason why you are sensing above-average notchiness: a previous owner upgraded to some sort of short shifter.