Engine tilted.
 

Noticed tailpipes hanging crooked. All back mounts seemed ok so took the bumper off to get a better look. The driver side of the muffler is two inches lower than the passenger. The cat pipe appears to be resting on the sway bar. Engine runs ok and car actually rides pretty close to normal. I’m just guessing at this point, but seems the next step is to take off the scrap guards and check the front mounts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I bought the car about 9 months ago and while fixing some of the 35 issues saw that the engine mount metal looked really clean so assumed it had been replaced. I confess to violently thrashing the car on a weekly basis. I leave my driveway and it’s virtually a secluded hairpin drivers paradise—but bumpy.
Side note: couldn’t get Michelin 4s for 17” rims so just got some new continental extreme attack. Can’t wait to attack and report how they do. :D

Post a couple pic if you can. I've seen some neglected Boxsters, but I don't think I've come across that issue yet. A transmission mount would have to completely come apart to drop the engine 2" on one side. Other than that, one of the side brackets in the rear suspension could be cracked. They are a weak point. Sure it's not just an exhaust problem?

Which is this bracket? I'd like to check this out from my car, but have not been aware of this weakness issue so far - planning some tracking this summer, but want to check this out before track day.

The earlier years are weaker. I think 1999 is when they upgraded the casting. #3 in this diagram:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/fig21473878781.jpg

Tom Stone's:
http://986forum.com/forums/attachmen...suspension.jpg

My DIY a few years back for a lesser crack (With Torques):
http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/63154-replacing-rear-suspension-bracket.html

Just shooting from the hip.....but can you have a look at the transmission mounts as well as the front engine mount? If the car is level and the muffler mounts are all intact then I would logically look to the next set mounts governing the muffler position which are engine and transmission

Thanks for the feedback! Here's a picture. Looking forward to you're all sage advice, options, and speculation.

pictureshttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1587931379.jpg

Have you been able to inspect the situation from under the car? Could it be that it is just the exhaust that is crooked, not the engine?

Great to know, thanks!
My car is 2001, so it should be with upgraded version then. Anyhow, I'll take a look at this when I go under the car in a week or two:dance:

It’s probably the transmission mounts. This is very common on 996’s. The 996 has the same transmission mounts but uses them as engine mounts. When they fail the engine will sag two inches. I recommend installing semi-solid mounts

It’s also possible that the U shaped exhaust pipes have slipped and only the exhaust is tilted.

Just as an aside....has anyone been able to change out transmission mounts without dropping the mid pipes. I would have a look but I can't put my car up just now. I plan to change out my mounts on jack stands if possible. I don't want to distrupt any braces such that I need to do a realignment....there is no place to get a set up done at present. Perhaps it is best left till later.

Wow that is a serious droop. Something in the exhaust muffler mount up top must have gone as well. You should be able to see a problem right where the muffler mounts the back to the back of the trans.

I would not drive the car obviously.

Went under with a friend and carefully examined best we could without seeing anything suspicious. I jacked the drooping pipe and no sound indicating a broken bracket. Called Bill at Pelican and he thinks it’s probably a transmission mount as some of you thought so as well. If the engine etc is only suspended by two trans mounts and one engine mount seems to reason it must be the trans mount on one side. Please correct me if I’m wrong. That being said I’m ready to pull the trigger on a new one(s). Since I do drive hard on bumpy roads both would seem to make sense. Any opinions or experience about the reinforced type ... somewhere between the Wevo and OEM? Any brand of mount recommendations? Maybe anything but OEM would be too stiff for my roads?

sorry just re read your original post and noticed that you mentioned that the cat is resting on the sway bar, most likely it's due to a worn (or broken) mount...

Have you tried to jack up the engine (with a wooden block) to it's original position?

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1588628244.jpg
Disaster bummer. Exposed everything and found the differential case broke off at the bolt. (of course this is after foolishly buying new transmission mounts). My nephew used to be an instructor and Wyotech and said it would be hard but thinks he can weld it, and add a metal plate for more reinforcement. If we do it I'm going to have him reinforce the other side at the same time. I'm going to do some more research to see if this has ever happened to anyone else before. I googled '986 differentials' and nothing but a 5speed came up. Any advice would be well received.

Never seen that one before... Have you hit any roadbumps or something that you're aware of?

Something must have been wrong with another mount(s) I can't imagine that such a small aluminum tab with such tiny gussets would be designed to hold so much weight that the motor would drop 2" if it broke.

Is that where the L-shaped part of the tranny mount bolts? If so, is the top bolt of that L-shaped bracket missing? That's the only way I could see something like that happening.

Emerald, this happen to one of my X1/9 transaxles (where the slave mounts on the tab on top), took the gearbox to a friends shop and they welded the aluminum tab back again and with the extra welds seemed stronger than originally, and never had an issue afterwards, but I had to remove the transaxle to be properly welded..
.

I had one those in high school! Definite chick magnet, but tons of problems! ;)

Wow, broken transmission case. That must have been quite a hit. That tab is part of the front half of the transaxle assembly including the bell housing and differential housing. I am wondering if the mount bracket or upper mount bosses are broken as well. To do that right, it will have to be removed and disassembled. At that point, you might consider just replacing the whole transmission.

Yikes...sorry I led you down the wrong road. I’ve haven’t seen this failure before. Is that an automatic transmission?

Wow so the case broke right where the trans mount bolts up? Apologies, never thought about that. That explains the angle

I bought a used 6-spd that had a similar failure, but it was a top mount on the passenger side.
It was welded successfully, with no problem.
It's beyond my welding capability, but a good welder could do it.

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Something still doesn't make sense. Why would they use such a weak mounting point to hold all that weight? This didn't happen in a bubble, some other mounting point that was to hold the bulk of the weight failed and resulted in this. I just don't see them relying on such a flimsy mounting point to hold so much weight that if it fails, the motor and tranny would drop 2 inches.

Nah, I think it makes perfect sense. It didn't fall out.... 'cuz the other bolt on top is still connected, but the break allows it to rotate substantially.
Now, with this broken I'd bet the front mount rubber is now twisted / separated, and the trans mounts are probably deformed / leaking. That's allot of movement.

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would not be surprised if the bottom of the transaxle or engine have any scrap marks.. :rolleyes:

Geesh, I hope they didn't really use such a weak mounting point for something as important as holding the motor and tranny up. Did you see how thin those gussets are? The breaking point is a cross-shaped break only a couple MM thick. The belt-driven accessories have beefier mounting points.

I haven't looked at mine that closely, but I would hope that this mounting point is just to augment something else that is supposed to hold all that weight and torque. And that's the part that failed or came unbolted which caused this... I hope.

The OP never said whether or not the bolt on top is still connected. I asked if it's there, but he hasn't replied.

Careful, Piper; there are some here who will take offense to your criticism of the design.... because after all: "excellence was expected". haha.

I think the fact that this particular failure is so uncommon as to be relatively unheard-of speaks to the adequacy of the mounting. But yes, indeed, there are 5 bolts holding the entire engine/transaxle in place; one through-bolt on the front engine mount, and two bolts on each side of the transaxle. That is ALL that holds it in place. Nothing More.

I would tend to agree that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that there are scrapes on the bottom of the transaxle from an impact, but: that's not an easy place to impact. It's up quite a bit higher than several other major / heavy components. it's not the spot that typically bottoms-out.

:D

That's what leads me to believe that something is up with the top bolt, or it's missing. Obviously that tiny mount can't hold 1/3 of the weight and torque forces of a motor and tranny by itself.

Maybe the top bolt is designed to hold the bulk of it, and the lower one gives it more stability or something? I wouldn't even trust attaching a cherry picker to that bolt hole, seeing how thin those gussets are. Would you? Seriously, even belt-driven accessories have beefier mounting points. I've never seen that weak of motor mount attachment point. Just my 2 cents. :cheers:

I appreciate all the impute! Finally! Me and two others are going to remove the transaxle today. Once in there I'll maybe replace the clutch and don't know about the IMS. I'll keep you posted.