Then I had an appointment to get the car aligned. First try didn't work as the ignition lock failed on me (keeping the key spinning without engaging anything). I ended up taking the mechanism apart, removing the old grease and putting it back together. As a bonus I did put a new switch on it and the many subsequent starts are giving me confidence that it'll last a good while.

Second try for alignment now was a success. Rear wheels were within limits (one being on the edge) which was great to experience as I aligned it myself. The front was quite far off though and we put it back to spec. Resulting numbers:

Front left / right
Camber: -0deg 41' / -0deg 39'
Caster: 7deg 33' / 7deg 37'
Toe: 0deg 02' / 0deg 03'

Rear left / right
Camber: -1deg 08'/ -1deg 40'
Toe: 0deg 05' / 0deg 01'

Even though the left rear was on the edge of what we could do (toe link set to the extreme, than adjust the control arm to get the toe correct.) I see no reason to doubt the chassis. Knowing it has taken a hit at some point, this was the main thing I wanted to find out.

So with that out of the way, some experiences and things to work on (knowing it makes sense to spend more on it):
- The engine whine (see separate thread, will report any findings)
- It has some shake in the steering on light cornering. Could just be the tires so will swap them first.
- Feels like the engine mount is gone and I need an extra one for trial fitting the V8 in the wreck anyway.
- The car is very noisy inside (even more than outside...). So I guess the lack of engine bay insulation is not helping and the rear cover doesn't fit very flush. Need to improve a bit.
- All gears are functional (now I was able to test 6th gear on the 'new to me' gearbox). 1st gear is a bit hard to engage on downshifts, need to go really slow. Otherwise it synchronizes very nicely.
- AOS was a main issue. The car doesn't smoke anymore and it smells a lot better. Also pulls better in the revs.
- Seating position still is an issue and does make it less enjoyable to drive.

Anyway,. to be continued.

You can notch that area out without repercussions. I did on my car. 50k with no issues from that area. Lots of hard launches and beating the car in the mountains for testing purposes of course. :D


I love a V8, but I'm now on a mission to never own a V8 anything. I'm going strait to V12 on my next project. Your build looks good wish you the best on your swap.

Tires swapped today (for some old, but A-brand low wear winter tires). Car is more steady, but still the steering feels a bit disconnected and some shake persists at light cornering (or across crests). So the tires are indeed to be improved, but I need to look at the steering mechanical parts as well.

Overall condition of suspension arms is very good, so not the most likely source. Breaking down the steering I get to three main parts
- Inner and outer tie-rods.
- Steering rack
- Column / shaft

Is there a common approach to find which one of these is my source? Other than throwing new parts at it?

Engine whine persists with belt removal. Needs further checking as well.

So I figure the disconnected steering feel could well be a separate issue from the shake. The swaybar bushings are in pretty bad shape. And with this anti-roll bar being of the original suspension, it would make sense to fit an M030 one to go with my new M030 suspension. These bad bushings might well be the cause of the vague transition side to side.

When we rock the steering wheel violently it does sound like there is a bit of a knock. And when feeling the wheel or tyre at the same time, you can feel a boink. Do you think steering rack or tie-rods?

The only way to diagnose is to inspect. The outer tie rod ends are super easy to see once the tire is off, obviously - for the inners, you will have to pull off the boot.

I looked up the prices for inner and outer tie-rods and new boots. Both TRW and Meyle are cheaper than I would have expected, so I'll go ahead and order these. I am refreshing the whole suspension anyway (rear already done except the anti-roll bar, front only the strut assembly and drop links done), so taking this step first. Will report back once that is all on the car.

Today I 'inspected' the steering rack. I was mainly searching for the part number to ensure I order the right boots. Didn't succeed in that, got the 996 and a bit, but not the last numbers that actually matter.

Anyway, I noticed the driver side being dirty;
Attachment 23808
Having read that the main failure of the racks can be found by a boot full of power steering fluid, this did scare me a bit. I popped the boot off but found nothing but a greasy rack :)

I was now able to rock the tie-rods in different directions on both side. Passenger side, no play found, no noises, all good. On the drivers side I could get the clunk by rocking the tie-rod up and done (fore-aft was silent). It didn't sound like it was coming from the tie-rod itself. With the boot shifted aside I could see the rack (to toothed part) move along with the clunk.

So I guess I am looking at getting a replacement rack....

Could a bent wheel or two be the source of your vibration?

I already changed the wheels to my second set, no difference. So I kind of ruled that out (along with the shabby tires).

In the background I am planning the engine side of things. I have done quite a bit of reading over the last year or two and it seems like there are two main areas that don't quite fit;
1. Timing belt covers
2. Intake

So, on to getting myself an engine. Basically there are two real options (third for reference).
1. Timing belt 40V engine from Phaeton (BGH).
2. Timing chain engine from Audi A6 or S4
3. Timing belt 40V engine of the 077 family (ABZ, AYS, the lot)

I am more and more leaning towards a chain engine. Open for inputs on my way of thinking;
- It is quite more compact than the belt engines and no belt cover to interfere
- Only the alternator driven from the regular belt, so open area at the front to mount it to the car (might be able to move the alternator to a position normally taken by the AC compressor?)
- BBK engine from the S4 came in manual gearbox. Due to similarities with the A6 engine (BAT, BNK) I am confident we get it to run a manual. Also flywheel etc well available.
- This engine is much more similar to the later FSI engines. For now I guess these would foul the engine cover with the high pressure pump and I am worried about the electronics side, but at least mechanically it would be close
- Due to the above similarities with FSI engines from say the RS4 and RS5, there are more exhaust manifold / header options to choose from.

Now looking at engine control side, these ones still run the DME 7.1.1. I am guessing (educated guess I hope) I would get the Phaeton engine to run using a 'Euro S6 flash' on the factory DME or swapping out the DME. It'll need retuning back to Phaeton values. For the chain engines I would think that the S4 DME would be the right starting point. I might need to map it back to A6 values if I find that engine instead. In any case, all running DME 7.1.1, so should be able to sort it out.

Now the main concern with the chain engines is... ehh... well.. the chain. But by now I think the problem is so well understood and parts readily available that I could tackle that while the engine is out anyway, if needed. Honestly it doesn't concern me that much as there are still more engines out there on the original chains without issues than the ones that have failed. My daily driver has the dreaded BMW N47 engines, well know for... chain failure. It has now done well past 200k miles and is still going strong. Yearly inspected, no issues so far.

Another good thing, the best bargain seems to be to get the engine with a car around it. Pull what I need, sell other bits which have some demand and scrap metal value for the rest... Cheaper than the engines on Ebay...

Anyway, any reason (other than the chain) to avoid the chain driven engines?

In the meantime working on getting the car ready. Plan for this winter is ABS swap / brake upgrade, steering rack / electric power steering and fixing the top.

Today I was able to power up the ABS 5.7 unit in the wreck, connected to the rear wheel speed sensor of my real car. I was able to see the signal on the sensor and count the pulses, 48 in total as I was hoping (that's what the 986 uses, so I was guessing the 987 was the same). That confirms that the 987 rear setup is compatible with the 986 front setup :cheers:

Next up was the speed signal (for my early intstrument cluster). At first no signal, so I assumed the output was open collector / open drain. Unfortunately a bit short in equipment at the moment, so I wired a few LEDs in series as a load. Voila, pulses on the ESO REAR output of the ABS module. I kind of was expecting a lower rate than the sensor, but it follows 1:1, so 48 pulses per rev.

Now I need to confirm that the ABS 5.3 does the same, but I am rather confident. Both ABS versions have a ESO (speed signal) with the same white / brown marking to drive the AHVAC module (something with automatic headlight leveling for the Litronics).

Next steps:
- Transfer the hardware from the wreck to my car. That is ABS 5.7, brake lines, bulkhead feedthrough etc. At the same time I'll swap out the brake hoses and fit the Boxster S calipers.
- Update the wiring in my car (sensor wires to the wheels, ABS 5.7 connector with power etc.). At this time I'll also prepare the wiring for the electric power steering pump.

So, forward with the hardware swap, some nice steps made there.

This is the ABS 5.3 unit still in the car;
Attachment 23810

Then, taken out (along with bulkhead feedthrough block as I need one with the additional rear line)
Attachment 23811

And the ABS 5.7 in the car (not screwed down, so it is still tilted a bit)
Attachment 23812

I also managed to take the single rear brake line and the T-union out of my car and replaced with the two rear lines from the wreck (along with union). Front brake lines mounted back as well.

It does seem like I will need to swap out the rear brake lines, or at least the right rear (which is the hard one). The nut on the brake line has a different thread than my old brake line. I removed these rear lines from the wreck as well today, but install will have to wait till the work on the front side of the car is done.

Next step is to finalize the two brake lines to the rear (tighten them, clip them in) so I can re-mount the washer bottle and headlight etc. Then I'll finish the front left side of the car with a new brake hose and the S-brake (disc and caliper).

Meanwhile I ordered and received a Volvo power steering pump. Cheap and low mileage unit, so should be good. I'll probably give it a short test in the weekend to see whether it spins up.

So far, I don't think it is going to fit where I wanted it to:
Attachment 23814

Alternatively I could fit it behind the front bumper. I have all the hardware to install the third radiator there, but am questioning the effectiveness anyway...

I'll need to have a further look into this.

Little progress on the brakes :cheers:

Left side brake is now mounted. New hose, line, caliper and disc from the wreck. Big part of the job was removing the ABS sensor. Ended up snapping it off and drilling / burning / prying it out. Luckily the new type sensors from the wreck freed up instantly. These only have four 'ribs' into the hole, so no reason to get stuck :)

Today I worked on the front right. Similar story, with main effort on the ABS sensor. Little setback on this side is the brake line. I can't get it separated from the hose, so I'll need to replace the line with the one from my wreck. To do so, I think the main hurdle is to release the tank strap and get the line through. Will try it out on the wreck first ;-)

I might get a chance this weekend to try and finish the fronts.

Mark, if you didn't find any oil inside the rubber boots, then the leak is from the viton o-rings that connect the metal pipes to the rack, these are not expensive and very easy to replace.

Thanks Gilles. I'll make sure I have new one in there when I swap the rack for a rebuilt one.

The brake swap story starts to turn out into a bigger project (I wonder how many times that happens.. ;) ). So the brake line left to right didn't want to let go of the hose. Even with the flare wrenches the nut got rounded, so even if I would get it off, it won't be re-useable. Checked how to get the line out, but really see no other option than dropping the subframe.

So whilst I drop het subframe, it makes sense to do the steering rack at the same time. That means moving to the electric pump also. That needs to function, so the electrics also need to be done. It looks like the clips for the coolant hoses / pipes are accessible with the subframe in place, but there is so much space once it is out.... makes sense to use this time to drop in the S coolant pipes with the appropriate hoses. And with the ARB out, this needs either an upgrade or new bushings.

On to the ARB. I found a post on this forum with a list of diameters:
https://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/13937-sway-bar-size.html
However, is this a US list, or is RoW the same? I know there are difference in the springs between US and RoW models for regular as well as sport suspension. It could be the same for the ARBs?

Right now I have a 23.6mm front bar on it and a 18.6mm rear. It is a combination that according to the list should not be on my car (97 base with std suspension). Whilst I have upgrade springs and dampers to M030 RoW, it seems most logical to do the same with the ARB. But why is the S different than the base?

My point is that you may Not have to swap the steering rack and only have to replace the o-rings to stop the leak, awesome project, none the less :-)

Part number of US and ROW sway bars are the same. So i suspect parts are identical.

Please take into consideration that stabilizer mountings and linkages need to be matched to the sway bar you choose.

ROW
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1762217689.jpg

US
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1762217723.jpg

Ah yes, but I'll replace it because of the play I found, not because of the minor leak. I am quite positive this is giving me the strange feel when turning. Even my wife notices it, so it is an obvious behavior.

Thanks, that's really helpful. I'll take the front ARB of the wreck and see which size it is. For now I can only measure in the bend and that's not very accurate at all.

Another update for today. I spend a few hours removing both wheel carrier / control arm / strut assemblies after separating the tie-rods from the wheel carriers Then I released the power steering lines and took the rack out. Finally the subframe was removed. Sooo much space now ;-). The brake line is still held by the final remaining tank strap. At the moment my transmission jack is used to hold a bucket for catching the power steering fluid. I'll let it drip for a night, then I can use the jack to support the tank while I take the brake line out.

I might hold off that job till I get my new line. Need to get that one ordered anytime soon.

With all the stuff out of the way it is also time to think about the position for the power steering pump. Basically there are two options, each with pros and cons. I would welcome some feedback and / or alternative ideas.

1. Mount it in the frunk:
+ easily accessible
+ close to wiring options
+ 3rd radiator option remains open
- takes space away from the frunk. Might not be the most visually appealing.
- might mean I can't mount the spare wheel anymore

2. Mount it at the front, behind the bumper cover
+ seems like plenty space there
+ easy hose routing to the rack
- longer electrical wiring, but still ok I guess
- not accessible to fill it up (although I can't recall the last time I had to top up power steering fluid..)
- no more option to add third radiator

On the aesthetics of option 1 I was thinking of getting myself a brake reservoir cover from a RHD vehicle. That might work out nicely.

I ordered one of the plastic covers for the brake reservoir of a RHD car. It was cheap, so shipping costs a bit of time, but I might get it later this week.

Old brake line is removed, new one is waiting for me at the dealer. Gave me some time to look at the parts on the wreck. I can't use that subframe is it has the additional bolts to the chassis. Was looking at that because one threaded hole in my subframe is damaged from removal of the bolt. Well, I think it was already damaged by the looks of the stuff that came out. Looks like it was glued in place. Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard to repair the threads, or rather drill it out and tap it one size bigger.

The front ARB was removed from the wreck and this is the 24mm one. So I need to think which one to place on my car. Leaning towards the thicker one, accepting the increased understeer for the time, until I swap the rear one out. This does feel a bit better to me as I still need to get to know the car.

Also I looked at the wiring diagram of both cars. As far as I can see F7 (in the power distribution box) should not be present in my car. So I can either use this for the additional fuse required by the ABS, or I can use it for the power steering pump. My first thought is that it is most tidy to use it for the power steering and tap the additional ABS power from one of the unused fuses in the fusebox.

Little update on this project. I picked up the new brakes lines and some small clips and pieces at the dealer today.

First of, get the front brake line in place together with the new clips (one was broken on removal of the old line, the other looked poor as well). Also the small lines from MC to ABS unit were mounted.

Attachment 23817

The plastic cover for the RHD brake reservoir also arrived, so I could position it and see what it brings. Actually, quite a lot of space within this cover. Unfortunately though, not fitting the volvo pump. For this to work, I probably need a Jeep / Dodge pump or something alike. I'd also need to sort out where to take the line from the inside to the outside. Most likely run it across close to the ABS unit and drill some holes to feed it down from there.

Attachment 23818

The other idea in my mind required removal of the bumper cover. Easy enough, so off it went. I placed the third radiator for fitting and surely enough, no way to fit the power steering pump as well. However, without this third radiator, there is a lot of space to fit the pump:

Attachment 23819

And the position is perfect for a short hose to the steering rack, with a nice channel available for routing the hoses:

Attachment 23820

It looks like a no-brainer to mount it there. The only thing that doesn't feel right is that minor accidents which would normally only require a new bumper + cover will now likely slamp the pump into the frunk. Not a safety concern, but damage from small accidents can be quite more significant.

So open for input while I also let it rest for a moment to consider this. As it stands I'll either need to get myself a different pump and mount it under this RHD cover, or just go for front bumper cover location.

I would have retain the center cooling radiator for the V8 engine and install the electric power steering pump inside the frunk, IMHO you would need as much cooling capacity as you can get to cool a V8..

There are quite a few cars with the power steering pump mounted horizontally. I wonder why I couldn't do the same with a volvo pump (I'd need the one for external reservoir, but otherwise they are the same).

Horizontally, it would fit in the frunk, below the plastic trim piece, easily...

So, I've been thinking a bit. Seeing many conversions where people have put the pump in the wheel arch (most of the time in front of the wheel), why not do something similar?

So obviously the front is not going to work, it is already tight enough with the radiators there and some space for the air to flow.

But, at the rear of the drivers side front wheel, there is only the windscreen washer bottle. A quick look leads me to believe there is enough space to fit a power steering pump there. Still the rack is close, the reservoir can be put where we currently have the washer bottle filler neck.

Attachment 23821
Attachment 23822

If this all fits, I would then only have to find a washer bottle which I can mount, preferably, on the right side of the battery. That would leave the frunk nice and empty...

Any thoughts?

Managed to find some time to continue this story. Picked up a remanufactured steering rack for a good price at a specialist shop. So that'll go in once the other aspects are covered.

I made a 'bracket' out of some sheet aluminium I had around. Bend by hand and cut with some tin snips. It is now inserted in the same holes that normally hold the washer bottle (I had a spare washer bottle around from which I cut the pins that go into those holes). It is not perfect, but does allow me to continue measuring and fitting. I removed the reservoir of the pump as the remote reservoir units are only slightly larger than the bare pump itself.

Shot from below, so you can see where it might sit:
Attachment 23831

From the side a view of the top. I should be able to get the hose routed in to the remote reservoir (which would still be higher than the pump).
Attachment 23832

Not complete without trying to fit the liner back. As you can see I need to rotate the pump a bit (it is mainly the cut pressure line that pushes on the liner) and might need to move it up slightly more. Also it looks like I can reduce the tilt a bit. The bump in the liner looks significant, but that is partly due to it pushing the side away from the bodywork.
Attachment 23834

Christmas period is upon us shortly, but I hope I can make a few iterations and get it to fit. Hose routing doesn't seem too difficult (yet).

Played a bit more with positioning of the pump. It is a bit tight, but I'm quite positive it'll fit. So I ordered a pump with remote reservoir and which includes the volvo bracket and rubber suspension things. Maybe that helps a bit towards the final positioning and bracket.

Meanwhile I have taken the Boxter S cooland pipes out of the wreck as well as the coolant pipes out of my base car. I didn't quite imagine the difference would be so large:
Attachment 23835

Looking at the area of the pipes on left / right sides, it is a very significant difference:
Attachment 23836

Another thing I didn't realize is that basically everything between the engine and radiators is different in diameter. So not just these pipes and relevant hoses, but also the short pieces of pipe in the wheel wells and hoses to the radiators.

I'll keep my car double radiator for now, so I need to find two additional hoses (as I won't be using the T-junction hoses towards the third radiator). All other parts (including clamps / brackets etc.) I can just transfer from the wreck :cheers:

Mark, the pictures of the metal cooling pipes, one comes from a Base boxter and the other from the S model..? If so, then the difference is impressive!

Yes indeed, the black pipe is the base, the alu color one is the S.

Before I mount it back I'll put my caliper in, but seems at least three times the area.