Air/Oil Seperator write up?

[Brad Roberts]

Now its time to visualize Take a look at the length and positioning of the stock bolts. I try to do as much as I can up on top prior to jacking the car up and getting underneath. I can easily remove the two M6 bolts (10mm head) from up top utilizing a short 10mm socket on a 1/4 inch drive ratchet and a Zippy 10mm wrench.

You will be removing these two small bolts. They thread into the block. Once you get them broke loose, use JUST the socket to unscrew them. They will come out pretty easy.





Use the 1/4 drive with 10mm socket on the top one, and the 10mm Zippy wrench on the bottom one. YOU CAN DO THIS from the top of the car. Just feel down the side of the AOS. I do my damnedest to stay out from under the car until I have too. I shot these pics from under the car, just to show everyone where the bolts where located.

[Brad Roberts]

I also go ahead (from the top) and remove this bracket seen here with the blue arrow pointing to it. This will allow you EASY access to the clamp we will remove later from the lower portion of the bellows.





In this shot, you can clearly see the bolts have been removed and the blue arrow is pointing to the clamp that needs to be removed NEXT!! You can also see in this pic, how I removed the M6 bolt for the bracket and moved the bracket out of the way. The bracket holds the plug for one of the O2 sensors.

[Brad Roberts]

After removing the lower clamp (I used the same small Channel locks as above) the AOS will slide up and out of the engine compartment. You will have to twist it and pay attention to things it could get caught on while coming out. FYI: There is a special tool for those clamps you see. I choose not to reuse those clamps and instead, replace it with something MUCH easier to deal with during the process of installing the new AOS

[Brad Roberts]

I go back in with a factory hose clamp





Stock spring clamp is on the left, factory hose clamp on the right! This hose clamp does NOT need 400lb. ft. of torque on it. Just snug. You'll find that trying to put the spring clamp back on with your arms fully extended from the wheel well will prove to be nearly impossible (unless you manage to locate the proper locking pliers that hold CLOSED on the clamp) I find it MUCH easier to stick a 7mm nut driver up there to a regular hose clamp and MOVE ON!


Here is the factory part number for the clamp I used. It is a "fluid" hose clamp meant for BoxsterS 3rd radiator hoses. Feel free to use any hose clamp you feel comfortable with. I choose factory parts as much as possible in my builds/repairs.

[Brad Roberts]

Slide the new AOS back down into the same hole you removed the other one from smile.gif I like to place a little oil on the rubber O-ring that goes into the block, and place a little oil on the bellows that slips down onto the steel tube protruding from the block. Make sure you watch the O-ring go into the block!!





This is the AOS installed with the new hose clamp. MUCH MUCH easier with the clamp. I preset the clamp so it *just* moves around the bellows. This allows me to "locate" it for easy access of the 7mm nut driver. You can also see I put the bracket back for the O2 sensor! AFTER tightening the new clamp for the bellows.

[Brad Roberts]

Once I get everything done on the bottom, I move back to the top where I "snap" back in the upper breather line, and snap back in the lower breather line. The lower breather line can give you fits. I use a HONKIN long flat blade and gently press against the plastic elbow until I hear it snap. You can see it from up above IF you moved the wiring like I showed. Once you hear the "snap" for both breather lines, put the wiring loom back into place and locate the shifter cables (if you moved them out of the way)





VOILA!! NOW.. clean the damn engine. It is probably nasty

[Brad Roberts]

It should take someone who does not wrench on a regular basis, about an hour. I did one not too long ago for a BoxsterSpec guy up at Thunderhill on his lift. I *should* have put the car down and performed 70% of the removal from above, and only went under the car to remove the spring clamp and to tighten the hose clamp. The rest can all be done from above.



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[pauljsgreen]

Originally Posted by Brad Roberts

VOILA!! NOW.. clean the damn engine. It is probably nasty

great write up - many thanks.

now, WOW, how did you clean that engine??????


paul

[BYprodriver]

Awesome writeup & photos Brad, thanks for posting this. The AOS for my 2000 S did not come with a O-ring just sealant on the tube, do I need the O-ring also to seal the tube going into the block??

[cas951]

I just replaced my AOS using the instructions here. At first I was hesitant because looking at the access room I had doubts. I started to call a repair shop and a dealer. Independant shop quoted 13 hrs of labor @ $115 per hr since the eng need to be dropped. The dealer quoted $900 but advised they revised the removal process and don't need to drop the Engine. I said I guess I'm going to get down and dirty and try harder.

I followed the instructions from this post except one area. Instead of trying to remove the clamp that is difficult to remove. I just cut the hose and remove the clamp once you have the AOS out of the way. The new AOS came with a hose.

I also didn't bother removing the lower vacuum hose clamp until I was able to raise the AOS. You have more room to remove the clamp once you raise the AOS.

Brad, Thanks for posting this. It was very helpful.

Originally Posted by Brad Roberts

I also go ahead (from the top) and remove this bracket seen here with the blue arrow pointing to it. This will allow you EASY access to the clamp we will remove later from the lower portion of the bellows.


In this shot, you can clearly see the bolts have been removed and the blue arrow is pointing to the clamp that needs to be removed NEXT!! You can also see in this pic, how I removed the M6 bolt for the bracket and moved the bracket out of the way. The bracket holds the plug for one of the O2 sensors.

[Tool Pants]

I put this picture on Bard's spec board, so here it is.

This is what I see the mechanics at the local dealer using for the lower spring band clamp. Once the clamp is in position the blue clip is puled away and the clamp closes. Marvin Weitz at RennShop in Santa Clara also uses it.

[Brad Roberts]

Cas! glad it helped.. I should point you to a shop that charges for what it takes.. not some BS book time from Mitchell systems.

If you need ANYTHING done.. check out Heyer Performance in Mountain View. They are just off of 101 and Rengstorff near Google. Tony (the owner) was on the 935 teams in the 80's with Garretson enterprises who beat all the factories teams at Leman with Jerry Woods built turbo engines. Bottom line: he knows his sh_t!!

Mention "Brad Roberts sent me" to Tony.. and he will take care of you. Promise. They are open 4 days a week from 7am-6pm. Tony has been a Porsche wrench for 30 years now and has been on MULTIPLR factory backed Porsche ALMS teams. He helped me get my foot in the door with the Porsche teams back in 99-00 with Dick Barbour.



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[cas951]

Brad,
Thanks for the info. Yes I know where Hyer is located. I used to work nearby. Without the clear pictures you made I probably would not have done it. Now that I've done it once the next time will be a lot easier.

Thanks

[jcb986]

Originally Posted by Tool Pants

I put this picture on Bard's spec board, so here it is.

This is what I see the mechanics at the local dealer using for the lower spring band clamp. Once the clamp is in position the blue clip is puled away and the clamp closes. Marvin Weitz at RennShop in Santa Clara also uses it.

Mubea pre-open spring band clamp tool...now I would like to have them in my tool box.

[kamran66]

Originally Posted by Tool Pants

I put this picture on Bard's spec board, so here it is.

This is what I see the mechanics at the local dealer using for the lower spring band clamp. Once the clamp is in position the blue clip is puled away and the clamp closes. Marvin Weitz at RennShop in Santa Clara also uses it.

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By the way the part number for the clamps with the blue retainer is 999-512-630-00 / 99951263000. It saved me a lot of time.........

[RemSteele]

Advise needed. On my way back from Cape Cod I became stuck in stop and go traffic and after about an hour I notice my 02 Boster was smokeing. Made it off the next exit and had it towed to a Porsche shop in Hartford. Musante Motor Sport was great and I picked up the car last Friday. It was the AOS. I changed the oil this weekend and I will send it out to be analized. It seems to have a little rough idle. It there anything else I should check?

Thanks,
RJ
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[AtlantaBoxster]

I seem to be having a problem, well, two actually. One, I seem to have all the classic symptoms of a bad AOS. My second problem is that I cannot see the pics of this (from what I have read), very detailed AOS replacement DIY.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Bala]

I'm going to be doing my AOS replacement in a day or two. Pictures would definitely save me a lot of time, trouble and headaches.

[Brad Roberts]

Found the pictures on my home server!! Under Boxster/Howto.. LOL

Pushing them to the server now!


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[Brad Roberts]

OK.. it appears everything is back in place. I just copied the folder from a backup I have and changed the URL in each post to point to the new URL.

Hit refresh on page1 and you *should* be good to go



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