Bought a 2000 Boxster S project.

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by nuvolari

... I'm not sure what Connector 3 connects? You say from the harness to the "bracket on the cylinder head" but I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Is it for the cam position sensor?

It is for the O2 sensor as I remember it. The wire that I need exits the wiring harness and goes to the bracket that is bolted to the cam cover where it is connected to the wire that comes up from the O2 sensor in the exhaust system.

Originally Posted by nuvolari

Also, I posted a thread awhile ago in Rennlist forum about getting into the engine bay from the top when I find a car in the junkyard and you posted about getting the car into service mode manually. Did you mean with no battery power at all? Someone else posted how to jump the relay but I would still need some kind of power. I wonder what cheap and easy to carry battery might be available for this purpose. Maybe a rechargeable power tool battery? Does anyone know? If so, please DM me or post in this Rennlist thread:

https://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-and-boxster-s-986-forum/1281523-boxster-at-pick-a-part-how-do-i-put-it-in-service-mode-with-no-battery.html

I posted the relevant owner's manual pages to the above thread.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by nuvolari

Ok, it might take a few days as it's been raining here a lot.
Someone else posted how to jump the relay but I would still need some kind of power. I wonder what cheap and easy to carry battery might be available for this purpose. Maybe a rechrargeable power tool battery? Does anyone know? If so, please DM me or post in this Rennlist thread:

Not kidding about the rain and it seems that we have a lot more on the way (thankfully as we had been on a draught for many, many years)..

Regarding the battery (or power source), I saw in Costco a small (rechargeable) battery pack that claims to be able to jump start a car a few times it looks very portable (size of a book) and I am very tempted to buy one to take on my junkyard trips as many times you cannot determine the mileage of a car or to check if an electric component works or not before removing it, someone here may have one and hopefully share their comments.
.

[nuvolari]

The only one I got is the O2 connector. Both fan/aux air connectors were broken. It looked like the engine was removed (breaking those connectors) and then put back just to get rid of the car.

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by nuvolari

The only one I got is the O2 connector. Both fan/aux air connectors were broken. It looked like the engine was removed (breaking those connectors) and then put back just to get rid of the car.

OK, thanks for the effort. I think I already have an alternative for the O2 censor, so hold off on sending it. I'll get back to you if I need it.
Maybe I should market the procedure I used for verifying that everything was disconnected last time I pulled an engine... passing a string all around the engine to see what it caught on.

[elgyqc]

Bank 2 is back together with new tensioner pads.
I reinstalled the spark plug tubes with new o-rings that I bought from oringsandmore (no affiliation). The spark plugs and coils are also installed.
While the engine is on the stand I am testing the vacuum system lines and components.
While doing this I noticed some interesting details about this engine. Despite being from a 2001 Boxster S, the engine serial number indicates that it was built in 2000 but it has the single row IMSB and uses the newer white plastic injectors from later engines. So an example of the mixed up things Porsche did in the change-over year of 2001. As mentioned earlier an LN IMSB has been installed.

[elgyqc]

It has been awhile since I posted, mid-winter lethargy.
I replaced all the vacuum lines with bulk lines from Porsche. They kept slipping out of the rubber elbows and "Y"s if I so much as touched them, so I ended up putting spring clips on them.



I checked that all the valves and other elements of the system worked but there was still a vacuum leak which I traced to the vacuum reservoir. I used my homemade can of compressed air to test the reservoir after getting it wet and found the leak in the bottom at the edge. The blue arrow indicates the positioning pin that goes in the mount and the red one where the leak is.



I have a second used reservoir and it had a leak in the same place vis-a-vis the pin.
I wonder if vibration passed through the mount causes it to crack here.
I think I will reseal them instead of buying a new one.

The snow is almost starting to melt so I have been shovelling it from around the Boxsters to be ready to get them mobile when snow tire season ends in less than a week. Yay!

[elgyqc]

I repaired the reservoirs by putting a bead of Seal-All around the base where the cracks were. Before the sealant set I used a vacuum pump to introduce a vacuum into the reservoir to hopefully pull the sealant into the crack. I then strengthened the sector beside the mounting pin, where the leaks were, with Sugru (I love yellow on a Boxster...). Both reservoirs now hold vacuum and may just be stronger than new ones.

[elgyqc]

The new RMS is installed, the old one was leaking, although not a lot.
I took the opportunity of having to remove the engine from the engine stand to test my "Low rise dolly" which is explained here.
Engine swap – getting enough clearance with a Quickjack

[elgyqc]

It has been awhile since I posted, I haven't been very efficient this spring and some house stuff took me away for a couple of weeks.
The replacement engine was almost ready... then I made a mistake that took awhile to correct, but I am almost back to where I was a month ago.
Meanwhile I started the process of removing the 2.7 engine that has been in the car since last fall. It sure goes a lot easier when the nuts and bolts haven't had time to rust up... and the fact that all the exhaust hardware is stainless steel. I'll be ready to drop the engine this week.
I have to change the outer CV boots, one is ripped and the other is barely hanging on, so I removed the half-shafts. The CV joints feel tight so I will disassemble and grease them while installing the new boots.
I found two new problems, the parking brake shoes are shot... and when I removed the rear wheels I realized that the wheel bolts are wrong, perhaps dangerously so.



On the left is one of the incorrect bolts, on the right a Porsche bolt. The shoulder of the Porsche bolt provides a lot of contact area between the bolt and the wheel, the other bolt has a contact area of only about a 1/16 of an inch wide. I can imagine the wheel being damaged by tapping a curb or even hard cornering over a bumpy surface. I will have to inspect the wheels. I had a similar problem with my 928, someone had installed non-Porsche wheels and used aluminum Porsche bolts from a 944 - they were all broken at the point where they contacted the wheel.
My buddy Newart came to the rescue with a box of Porsche bolts left over from when he converted to studs.

[elgyqc]

The 2.7 engine is out after some complications. I am starting the reassembly process for the car with the new parking brakes and regreasing the half-shafts, with new outer CV boots.
Then I found a new problem, one of the transmission mounts left a puddle of oil on the floor where I left it after removal.

[elgyqc]

I ordered transmission mounts from PRG Products, the price is competitive and they should last a long time.
The half shafts are done... a job just as messy as the last time I did it.



I have a magnetic drain plug in the 2.7 engine but didn't feel like switching it over so I made my own with a small magnet and JB Weld.







What's the worse that can happen? Other than all the oil leaking out or the magnet separating from the plug and getting sucked into the oil pickup... I'll try it out for awhile and see how it works.

Meanwhile I have been trying to repair my cheap imported engine hoist which isn't able to hold the arm up anymore, even with no load. Couldn't find a proper seal anywhere so I bought this off Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09CL46ZXC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
I know nothing about hydraulics and I suspect this will not be up to the pressure in the hoist's cylinder but I am looking at this as a proof of concept. I see seals the same size with much higher load capacities that I will try if this one blows out. Today I installed the seal and I was able to lift the arm and it seems to be hold the pressure so far.

[elgyqc]

The seal in the engine hoist seems to be holding up, I was able to lift the engine off the furniture dolly and it works like new.

I did a walk around of the new engine to be sure that everything is installed and that the wiring harness connectors and the vacuum lines are still in place.

When the recyclers removed the engine they cut some of the lines so I repaired the power steering and fuel return lines.



I had difficulty installing the spark plug tubes, perhaps because the o-rings are a bit larger than OEM... I broke one of the tubes while encouraging it to seat with a rubber hammer. So I made a tool to press the tubes in using a socket and the coil bolts. They popped right in with this.



The transmission, clutch and flywheel came off the 2.7 today and they will go on the 3.2 tomorrow. Then I can start installing the new engine.

[elgyqc]

When I was preparing to remove the engine I was unable to disconnect the dipstick tube from the engine, old arthritic fingers don't help, so I cut the tube and repaired it with a piece of rubber fuel line... just the right size.



Today I installed new coolant reservoir, good thing the old one was about to fail...



I can't believe I did this a couple of years ago with the engine in the car, it was a huge PITA even with the engine out.

[redpepperracing]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

When I was preparing to remove the engine I was unable to disconnect the dipstick tube from the engine, old arthritic fingers don't help, so I cut the tube and repaired it with a piece of rubber fuel line... just the right size.

I broke mine during removal, how is the repair holding up?

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by redpepperracing

I broke mine during removal, how is the repair holding up?

Works just fine. There is no tension on it once it is installed so it should last a long time.

[elgyqc]

The engine is under the car and ready to be installed, I was waiting for the arrival of my new PRG transmission mounts. Here they are ready to go.



I couldn't find the torque for these mounts so emailed Greg at PRG... 60 ft/lbs. He also mentioned a detail that might interest some of you who have these mounts.
"There is a crush sleeve, get the bolt tight, about 60lbs. The bolt torque has no relevance on the bushing preload. The bushings are set to a predetermined preload by the length of that sleeve. you could machine a longer or shorter crush sleeve if you wanted to try different settings "

[paulb]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

The engine is under the car and ready to be installed, I was waiting for the arrival of my new PRG transmission mounts. Here they are ready to go.



I couldn't find the torque for these mounts so emailed Greg at PRG... 60 ft/lbs. He also mentioned a detail that might interest some of you who have these mounts.
"There is a crush sleeve, get the bolt tight, about 60lbs. The bolt torque has no relevance on the bushing preload. The bushings are set to a predetermined preload by the length of that sleeve. you could machine a longer or shorter crush sleeve if you wanted to try different settings "

Hi. I was wondering how these prg tranny mounts are doing. I’m considering them for my ‘04 S. Do you like/recommend them or would you go oem if you had to do it again?

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by paulb

Hi. I was wondering how these prg tranny mounts are doing. I’m considering them for my ‘04 S. Do you like/recommend them or would you go oem if you had to do it again?

Honestly I forgot that I had installed them. I don't notice any difference from stock. I would definitely buy them again. They are about the same price as I remember, and they are rebuildable (although I'll never do enough miles to have to).

[elgyqc]

My last problem before trying to start the engine was a leaking power steering return hose... the one I rebuilt, see the picture in post # 57 above, it's the hose on the left of the picture.
When I filled the reservoir it started to leak even without pressure in the system. I had used 1/2" hydraulic hose in place of 12mm and the difference was enough that even with it clamped hard it was leaking. 12mm hose is hard to come by, especially late on a Friday when dealerships that might have it are closed. So yesterday I went to Kenny U Pull and found a P/S hose on a BMW that was long enough. The installation with the engine in the car was a challenge but I got it in, with 2 clamps on each end and so far it is leak free.
Next installment... seeing if it will start...

[elgyqc]

My buddy Tony came over to witness the first start... here it is!

https://youtu.be/dHtnEDkM1qg

The throttle control wire connector had been disconnected and hidden at the front of the engine. After the first start I was able to find it and fish it out and connect it to the throttle body for the second start.
Biggest problem now is an important oil leak from the oil cooler. I changed the o-rings so don't know what's happening there. But it runs! It has been about 8 months since I bought the engine and all that time I was wondering ...

I haven't run it long enough to get the oil hot. but on the first start the oil pressure shot up to the max on the gauge after a few seconds.