First 986 project: Replacing water pump
 

I was almost home when I looked in the rearview mirror and noticed to my horror that I was trailing antifreeze. A lot of it. "Split hose," I sez to myself. I made it home without the temp in the danger zone. When I got under the car to have a look-see all the hoses looked fine, but antifreeze was dripping from the water pump.

I had to remove the panel behind the seats to obtain access to the top four bolts on the water pump and the serpentine belt. First, however, I had to finish draining the system, including the heater core. After removing the serpentine belt (which looked fairly new, btw) I managed to get the water pump and thermostat (I decided to also replace the thermostat as long as I was in there) off with only a moderate amount of swearing. Inspecting the water pump, I was instantly suspicious that maybe, just possibly, it was bad:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1683430911.jpg

The impeller looked like it had met a bear with a taste for plastic. I bought a new water pump, thermostat, and of course gaskets. Installing the new parts was fairly straightforward, although I'm probably the slowest mechanic on the planet because I'm meticulous to the point of it being OCD. I started in the morning and it was nightfall by the time I got her buttoned up again. Two kibitzing neighbors, whose legs and feet you can see in the photo, had abandoned me long before that. Lightweights.

In summation, I'll say this: The more I see of the 986's innards, the more I suspect Rube Goldberg had a hand in its design. Not a complaint; merely an observation.

I was referring mostly to the 986's EVAP system, the design of which would do Rube proud. All that's missing is a mouse on a treadmill. (Not that my Isuzu Rodeo's fuel recovery system is less complex, but I haven't had to work on it.)

LoneWolfGal, first of all congratulations on your first repair! :cheers:

Now that you become more intimately involved with your car, it will put a smile on your face every time you drive your car :)

I was surprised to see the melted plastic on the center of the impeller, you have to ensure to get all the air pockets out of the system to avoid any overheating issues.
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I've got a 97 with 53k mi. Should I replace the water pump to avoid an upcoming failure?

Never been changed?

By all means! There are potential downsides to taking it to where it actually fails.

The impeller's center bearing failed and got hot enough to melt the plastic. I flushed the system thoroughly before I installed the new pump, but saw almost no plastic pieces. Most of it fell out when I removed the pump. I appreciate the congratulations. Hope I'm as successful nailing down the EVAP system problem. Maybe then I'll have enough confidence in it to take a run down to Eugene, about 110 miles south of Portland. A friend of mine down there has a 911SC and wants to see my 986, which he called "a classic." I think he's right about that.

“Classic” status
 

Porsche has declared the 986 a “Porsche Classic” and is supporting it inside their “Classic” division.

Keep an eye on your water temps.

It is possible, just saying, that parts of the plastic impeller have broken off and could block your smaller water passages inside your engine.

Good job!

From what I’ve read there’s a good reason Porsche used a composite impeller and I would recommend replacing with the same type of pump.

I'm not sure what your EVAP problem is, but checkout this post. I posted some system description stuff I found online that helped me out a bunch.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/82728-coke-bottle-noise-fuel-filler-howling-noise.html

That's good to hear. Now if we could get some of that appreciating-in-value action happening. Our 986s will certainly appreciate, it's just a question of when. I was talking to a 356 owner a while back. He considered his Porsche a wise investment, and talked about it like he was discussing tax-free municipals. He was right. I watched an ultra low-mileage, all-original, garage-queen '63 356 go through Barrett-Jackson for over a hundred grand. So next time you're driving your classic, smile in the knowledge that your well-cared-for 986 might someday add considerably to your net worth.

That’s not bloody likely, at least not in my lifetime (I’m 64, so figure at least another 25-30 years). Boxster are too numerous, too durable and too pedestrian to become rare, which is the only reason that value increases in the automotive world. IMO.

My tongue was firmly in my cheek when I typed the closing sentence. All the same, I wouldn't bet my life it's completely wrong.

My EVAP problem is hard starting after a fill-up. From the research I've done and the advice from folks here, the problem most likely is with the charcoal cannister or fuel purge valve. A guy on YouTube who had the same problem solved it by replacing the cannister. I'm now searching for the cheapest source for those items, which so far seems to be eBay.

I am pretty sure that you can check if the fuel purge valve is faulty or operating properly before starting swapping parts, otherwise can get expensive pretty quick..
And speaking of parts, I get great service and prices from Luke at Sunset Porsche in OR :-)

My money would be on the purge valve on top of the intake. This valve is scheduled to open when the engine is running under certain conditions to suck the vapors from the canister to the intake and then eventually burn them. I believe the hard starting condition occurs when the valve sticks open and vapors get pushed into the intake from the canister while fueling. Once the intake is full of this fuel vapor mixture the engine doesn't want to start as the mixture is all messed up.

Do you mean the valve under the driver's-side intake manifold? After spending four days reading up on the EVAP system, that's the valve I zeroed in on. Several people whose 986 had the same symptom as mine fixed the problem by replacing that valve. What's somewhat confusing is the nomenclature folks use to refer to it: purge valve, purge solenoid, fuel vent valve, fuel system vapor valve, tank vent valve, etc. Hard to be sure they're talking about the same valve. My next move is to give Pelican a call, describe the problem, and see if I'm on the right track. And find out the valve's official name.

I called Pelican and talked to Glenn in parts, but he couldn't help me without a part number from the valve. At any rate, before I buy the valve I need to make sure the problem isn't just a plugged or leaky hose to or from the valve, which I understand is fairly common. A defective hose from the valve to the intake was forum member Luckyman01's problem, I believe. If it turns out the purge valve itself needs to be replaced, Glenn said none of the valves are all that expensive, and that was music to my ears.

The various valves in the Evap system are simple valves either one way vacuum operated or electrical. Both very simple to test...
The rest of the system is composed of hoses and a canister so also very easy to test.
The major issue with the Evap system is access to all of the components.
If you have a schematic to the system and understand the layout....
you should be able to test much of it with something like a Handy Vac...with it you can apply vacuum and see if it holds over a period of time. If it does then you know the parts of the system your testing have no vacuum leaks.

If you google Sunset Porsche Parts, you can enter the year and model of your car an have access to the PET, which has all the parts (with the correct part numbers for your car), then you may order from your favorite supplier.
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I bought a pair of rubber floormats with the Porsche logo I liked from Sunset, for 89 bucks. Couldn't find them at Pelican or anywhere else. Hey, thanks for the tip.