I had planned to drive it with the leak in the power steering rack for a while. At first, it didn't look too bad. After a couple drives, it seemed like I was just pouring the fluid straight through to my driveway. A few drips of PS fluid on the under carriage, I thought was okay. A few pints, not so good.
I stopped driving the car.
I wanted to fix it quickly and get back to driving the car, but life got busy. I covered the car and it sat for a few weeks. Eventually everything aligned – decent weather, decent health, time off, and space in the garage.
- Installed the steering rack from the '01 S parts car in the SE.
- Replaced the rear drop links and control arms.
- New rear tires (Firestone Firehawk Indy 500).
- Repaired some plastic panels.
- Rear spoiler was a little misaligned – fixed it.
- Installed a custom dashboard cover as a temporary cosmetic fix. (Hate it, poor fit and cheap looking).
- General cleaning.
Plastic repair. Plastic weld the cracks, but not worried about a smooth finish.
I used a Polyvance welding kit (
Thanks to Oldcarguy)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PsBPZAUZWE
I have the replacement SE muffler now, but I don't plan to install it until I take the rear bumper off for repair. No rush to get that done.
The cars needs an alignment after the work I did. Everything looks good and feels right when I drive. I was careful to mark everything and install the new parts to the same position, but I know that's not 'good enough' for long term. The shop in town is not comfortable doing a Porsche. I've learned that if a shop tells you that they are not comfortable working on your car, it's best to walk away rather than ask them to give it a try anyway. I'll probably have to drive an hour to Tulsa to get it done. That means setting up an appointment somewhere and using the better part of a day off to get it done.
Tomorrow there's a PCA event (Car Detailing Clinic) in Tulsa. I plan on going and driving the SE as it is. I drove it to work this evening and the check engine light came on. I have no way to check it until I get home in the morning. It's running smooth and sounds good, so hopefully it's a quick, easy fix.