boxster maintenance

[The Radium King]

got a question. i've been through the boxster maintenance schedule as per porsche and understand all the inspections required, as well as the few changes/repalcements of minor parts scheduled - air filter, oil filter, polyrib belt, etc.

what i am trying to figure out is the replacement schedule for major parts - water pump, shocks/springs, clutch, motor mounts, etc. i understand that, given they are expensive components, you replace them when they wear and not necessarily on a fixed schedule, but given that a failed water pump can kill an engine quick and doesn't give much indication prior to failure one should be a bit proactive. further, i've heard lots of 'rules of thumb' for this stuff and wondering if there is a definitive list somewhere - relace shocks every ..., replace water pump every ..., etc.

thanks.

[mikefocke]

You'd go broke trying to apply preventative maintenance to all the parts that could go bad...on any engine.

The best list I know of might be to look at Jake's cpo program as he does a few things in a preventative way to try and make sure that his IMSR doesn't get blamed for a failure when it really was another old part that failed. His cpo program is:
-Update the IMS bearing with the LN/ FSI unit
-Replace the water pump
-Replace lifters with FSI updated units
-Replace chain guides and vario-cam wear pads
-Replace clutch assembly
-Replace AOS
-Replace RMS with 997 unit
-4th and 5th timing chains replaced
-Install new LN Engineering lo temp thermostat
-Install LN Engineering Spin On Oil Filter Adaptor (SPOFA)

The things that jump out from that list are the IMS, RMS, water pump and AOS. What mileage to do them though...no clue. My swag 60-75k or when you do a clutch job.

And do the oil change at least 3 times as often as the maintenance plan says.

[Jake Raby]

At the present water pumps are taking out more M96 engines than anything else. Time in service is killing the plastic impellers.

I am contacting Excellence Magazine to offer up an article on the topic today.

The Porsche supplied directives are worthless, they were written when the engines were new and no one expected the failures that time and experience have taught us.

[coreseller]

Jake, if one were to be proactive and replace the water pump prior to issues, would you recommend OEM?