What could possibly go wrong?
 

So it looks like (as mentioned here) that whether some kid at the body shop did it or not, my clutch pressure plate is trashed. The pedal is super hard, but there's only a tiny squeak and there's no slippage as far as I can tell.

I've sourced a Sachs clutch kit, a new master/slave set, and some fluid. Hopefully my flywheel is Ok. I will attempt to get it resurfaced if possible. Of course, because I love punishment and work is slow for the summer, I've decided to DIY it and also do the IMS and RMS simultaneously.

On the CHANCE that it's a hydraulic issue, I am going to pop off the slave from the transmission and see if it still binds, then replace/bleed the system. I'm also going to check engine casting # to order proper retrofit bearing.

So, this is my parts list going in:

clutch disc
TO bearing
pressure plate
Pressure plate bolts*
Slave & master cylinder
1 L generic DOT 4 (for clutch) + 3 liter ATE super blue (to do brake bleed at same time, pricey)
Motive Power bleeder
LN IMS Retrofit*
Retrofit install kit*
RMS*
shift cables*
shift cable adjustment tool
transmission jack*

*need to get*

I can afford to have the work done, but that would violate my stubborn tradition of doing everything my damn self. I have never dropped the transmission before, but have done a wheel bearing, which required removal of the exhaust (easy), and the axle (which I'd let dangle on this job). I also plan to swap front brake discs, pads at same time, and may throw a different exhaust back on if I can get one fast enough. There's also a loud noise on startup that I attribute to the camchain tensioner ramps, may try to fix this.

What could possibly go wrong???!!!

I really want this job to go smoothly, and have arranged to hire a guy who's a competent general mechanic to assist me (and use his extensive toolset) and would like to know the potential catastrophes before I cause them.

Right now, I am aware of:

stuck exhaust bolts (The clutch is only 25k miles old and the motor was dropped at the same time, so I'm not too worried)

cam timing issue (getting LN toolkit with cam lock and marking cams)

dropping transmission / engine

What else, guys?

Having just done the job myself I can tell you a lot can go wrong! My car for example has been down for 2 weeks and is at the machine shop right now. If time is on your side its not bad. There is a lot of wrenching involved! And you will break header bolts which has been my nightmare. Couple of pointers

1. Make sure you have all the tools! You'll need some odd ball torx bits, a 32mm socket etc.
2. Keep track of what bolts went where, especially the transmission bolts
3. You need to pay a lot of attention to the IMS bearing removal process! Make sure your rested for this
4. This worked for me but I'm not sure if it was a mistake. When I removed my ims bearing cover the bearing shifted and no longer lined up with the hole in the block. To get around it I grinded down an angle on the inside of the tool to guide it in. Once I pulled it part way into the tool I adjusted the alignment bolts to keep it straight.
5. I removed my entire exhaust as one piece headers to exhaust tip and then soaked all the bolts in PB blaster and reinstalled he exhaust as separate pieces.
6. Its a great time to rebuild your drive axles. With everything removed its easy to replace the boots.

Do the headers actually have to be removed for the job? Or can I get away with just taking off the mid-pipes? I only had to do the midpipes for my axle removal.

Time is sort-of on my side. The problem will be if my car gets stuck on the lift for an extended time, as it's not my lift. I want to be able to knock out the job in one weekend.

No need to take the headers off unless you are replacing them. BTW don't remover the slave cylinder and then try the clutch you will have brake fluid all over the place. there is no clutch fluid it uses the brake master cylinder tank for it's source. A stiff clutch usually means that its time to replace.

I just want to mention to check the wear of the dual-mass flywheel. Depending on your mileage, it may need to be replaced even if the surface is fine. Its not unusual to have to replace the dual mass flywheel if the car has more than 50K miles. And sorry, but yes its expensive.

This is from the Pelican Parts website:Pelican Technical Article: Boxster Clutch Replacement - 986 / 987

"Porsche Tech Bulletin 8/02 1360 says to check the dual mass flywheel by twisting it approximately 15mm to both the left and the right, checking to make sure that it returns to its approximate starting position. If the flywheel can be twisted beyond about 15mm with no noticeable increase in spring force, or if it cannot be twisted at all then it probably needs replacement. If the flywheel checks out okay, then replace the flywheel pilot bearing and the flywheel seal as shown in Photo 9 and Figure 10."

great, the headers can wait then... wasn't excited about dealing with any stuck bolt issues

Another question:

It may be necessary to move the car once the transmission is out if things start to take too long and I run out of shared lift time. I know the motor is supposed to be supported -- any ideas?

With limited lift time available, I would just go ahead and get a new flywheel and new flywheel bolts to install. As thstone pointed out, it needs to be checked and if it's bad it could wreck your whole schedule.

As for the new clutch slave and master cylinders and shfter cables, I would skip those. Mine were fine for re-use, and you can always change them in the future if ever really needed. You can even do the whole job wihout having to touch the hydraulic fluid or bleed anything.

I still laugh when I remember the 101 Projects book lists the tools that you need to do the job as "all of them". This is quite true.

Good luck.

I went ahead and ordered the Pelican IMS kit, along with a new clutch fork and release bearing. Going to do the surgery week of the 18th.....

What other suggestions do you guys have?

Just a tidbit from someone who is doing the IMS now.... Tranny removal and bearing removal went fairly smooth. However the insertion of the new bearing hit a snag... I must have tapped it wrong at some point and didn't know it... it cocked a bit and I kept trying to drive it in. It's difficult to see what is going on... it is now stuck half way in... i was using a plastic dead blow hammer... prob need to go get a real plastic hammer with rounded heads. I called LN and they're sending me a hexogon extension that fits the new bearing shaft. Hopefully I can pull it back out. If I damaged the IMS I'm sunk... :( Point is... Be careful when inserting the new bearing... I'm losing sleep over this small mistake. Side note: The bearing I pulled out was a double row in good shape (no wiggle, and turned smooth) but it was obvious that oil was seeping out after it sat on the bench for awhile. The internal grease prob washed away some time ago. Car has 83k on it. I also had one stripped tranny bolt. This car was completely dealer maintained before I got it so who know when/where that happened. I ordered a new bolt and will try a re-tap to see if it will hold at torque. If not, I'll see if I can get an threaded insert and bolt that will fit. Anything is better than nothing. :) John

Quick question as I am going to remove my transmission soon. Should I leave it in gear, as in first or second, or leave it in neutral when popping off the shift cables? Or does it even matter?

Hi Kenny Boxster, I put mine in netural so I could turn the wheels to remove the axle shafts. works much better to bring the bolts to you rather than try to bend around and get each one. It's also easy to use the tires for leverage. Hope this helps