Questions about parts for a major service - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Bmod986 · 12-15-2011, 08:56 PM

Hey everyone this is my first post on the forum and Im definitely new to my 2000 boxster which is due for an oil change. While im at it I was going to perform a major service, spark plugs, air filters, ect.

My first question is about the spark plug tubes. Should I buy the genuine porche tubes which i have to buy the O-rings separate for or should I buy the Febi ones that includes the rings from pelican parts. My major concern is quality and the fit. If there is no difference then I will save a couple of dollars and buy the Febi.

The other question is about the air filter. So I have read a bunch of threads on this and most of them say steer clear from the K&Ns. They sound nice but it seems that everyone has there doubts about it.

Also let me know which would be the best spark plugs and any other general advice for a major service.

Thanks. Oh ya and heres the only pic i have of my car so far. Been too busy to take pics.

MileHighBoxster · 12-15-2011, 09:28 PM

K&N filters are race and road proven. There are some who have their doubts. But I, and millions of others, use K&N filters with great results. They are not a new or untried filter system. There are a few detractors, but not the majority.

ProjectM96 · 12-16-2011, 06:40 AM

Hey. I also have a 2000 Boxster that I bought last year as my first car. It has been great.

Air Filter, go for BMC or an AFE filter. They are the best in my opinion and many members here have the BMC filter installed.

Pelican Parts sparkplugs are fine. Also get the fuel filter from there. Easy replacement.

Keep in mind that you have to remove the rear wheels and the inner wheel plastic arches to have access to the sparkplugs. Make sure you have your radio code with you because when you disconnect battery, you will need to type in the radio code later on.

I would also clean the throttle body. Just diconnect everything, clean it with alcohol or electric parts cleaner, and put it back together in reverse order. This will decrease your chances of having a fluctuating idle speed.

Buy a Torx Set either from online or Home Depot. Make sure you get the T20 and T30 especially since they are used alot on this car. For the MAF sensor, to open the door frame, and for other things. It is good to have to take care of future problems.

Oil. Use 0w-40 or 5w-40. Porsche recommends using Mobil One synthetic oil.

I have been using the cheapest oil I can find. Pennzoil. I have no problems with it.

At 90,000 miles, change your transmission oil. If it has less than 90k, don't worry about it yet. ^ I read about the 90k transmission oil change in the owners manual.

Good Luck.

Bmod986 · 12-16-2011, 03:24 PM

Milehigh makes a good point on the K&N, my concern with it the oil the evaporates and shortens the life of the MAF according to some, but it isn't certain.
ProjectM96 how does the BMCs sound. Pelican parts doesn't have them so where do you recommend getting it from. Also I bought the car with 110,000 miles on it so I dont think that the previous owner did the transmission oil so i want to get that done as well.
Pelican has a bunch of spark plugs so i wanted to narrow my options down to how there different specs will affect my cars performance. Did you change the spark plug tubes? If so did you do porsche originals or did you do the aftermarket ones?

Thanks for the help.

DenverSteve · 12-16-2011, 03:37 PM

The only oil problem I've ever see you are when the filters are over oiled. Otherwise no problem.

Bmod986 · 12-16-2011, 03:45 PM

Thanks Denver Steve. I had read that as well. So if i do go for the K&N i have to be meticulous with the cleaning and oiling process. Do you have any experience with changing the spark plug tubes? I just really want to know if there is any difference between the porsche originals and the Febi aftermarket.

shlim8 · 12-16-2011, 09:32 PM

Sorry TS for the slight off-track...

ProjectM96 - I bought the BMC filter as per the recommendations in a number of forums... But when I compared the BMC with a K&N filter (old one for another car), they looked very similar in construction. If there is a difference in the gauze material then maybe I can't tell. But the BMC is quite a bit more expensive....

Worse still when I enquired about the oil and cleaning kit for the bmc, the shop told me that they use the K&N cleaning and oiling kit ????!!!!

And is there really a difference between the BMC and K&N filter ? Of is it in the oil they use ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProjectM96

Hey. I also have a 2000 Boxster that I bought last year as my first car. It has been great.

Air Filter, go for BMC or an AFE filter. They are the best in my opinion and many members here have the BMC filter installed.

Pelican Parts sparkplugs are fine. Also get the fuel filter from there. Easy replacement.

Keep in mind that you have to remove the rear wheels and the inner wheel plastic arches to have access to the sparkplugs. Make sure you have your radio code with you because when you disconnect battery, you will need to type in the radio code later on.

I would also clean the throttle body. Just diconnect everything, clean it with alcohol or electric parts cleaner, and put it back together in reverse order. This will decrease your chances of having a fluctuating idle speed.

Buy a Torx Set either from online or Home Depot. Make sure you get the T20 and T30 especially since they are used alot on this car. For the MAF sensor, to open the door frame, and for other things. It is good to have to take care of future problems.

Oil. Use 0w-40 or 5w-40. Porsche recommends using Mobil One synthetic oil.

I have been using the cheapest oil I can find. Pennzoil. I have no problems with it.

At 90,000 miles, change your transmission oil. If it has less than 90k, don't worry about it yet. ^ I read about the 90k transmission oil change in the owners manual.

Good Luck.

DenverSteve · 12-16-2011, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmod986

Thanks Denver Steve. I had read that as well. So if i do go for the K&N i have to be meticulous with the cleaning and oiling process. Do you have any experience with changing the spark plug tubes? I just really want to know if there is any difference between the porsche originals and the Febi aftermarket.

You don't have to be meticulous. Just oil sparingly. A little goes a long way. I have no knowledge about the spark plug tubes as I have the dealership do all my maintenance.

Bala · 12-17-2011, 04:57 AM

When you guys talk about oiling and cleaning are you oiling and cleaning the filter itself?

healthservices · 12-17-2011, 08:35 AM

Febi ones :dance:

MileHighBoxster · 12-17-2011, 09:10 AM

Yes you do

tonycarreon · 12-17-2011, 09:29 AM

bala: the k&n (and i guess the bmc) filters are reusable. instead of taking the old filter out and putting in a new one, you clean it and oil it (spray it with a liquid that cleans the filter, then another liquid that helps capture particles). put it back in and it's like a fresh filter.

some people have had issues with them where (as other's have said) if they are over oiled, the oil gets pulled towards the engine. the main problem with that is the MAF sits just behind the filter so the oil collects on the MAF causing it to need a replacement. a not inconsequential sum for a rather cheap trade-off. (reusable filter or buy a new filter every time)

personally i have stuck with the one use filters.

How to clean a K&N air filter* warning: will make you want to play tetris!

healthservices · 12-17-2011, 09:41 AM

As far as K&N filters you can find them cheap enough to where you can toss them when they are dirty. Either that or buy two and have a clean one ready to exchange when needed.

Bmod986 · 12-17-2011, 02:18 PM

Thanks guys real useful information. I think im going with the K&N and buying the febi spark plug tubes. Ill also get the fuel filter changed and i have to read into the changing of the transmission oil. Don't know if it is complicated or not. Hope not. Ill document and post my adventures with this major service when i get the parts delivered.

Idaho Red Rocket 3 · 12-18-2011, 08:06 PM

Stick with the pleated paper OEM style air filter. No guessing - no issues - works great. Believe it or not, you can get really good quality filters at NAPA stores. Just ask for the NAPA Gold. Air, Oil, Fuel & Cabin. They have Bosch Platinum plugs too. IMHO tubes don't need to be changed unless they are leaking. They are not that hard to get to when/if they do. Be sure to buy a GL4 manual trans gear lube.

ProjectM96 · 12-18-2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmod986

Milehigh makes a good point on the K&N, my concern with it the oil the evaporates and shortens the life of the MAF according to some, but it isn't certain.
ProjectM96 how does the BMCs sound. Pelican parts doesn't have them so where do you recommend getting it from. Also I bought the car with 110,000 miles on it so I dont think that the previous owner did the transmission oil so i want to get that done as well.
Pelican has a bunch of spark plugs so i wanted to narrow my options down to how there different specs will affect my cars performance. Did you change the spark plug tubes? If so did you do porsche originals or did you do the aftermarket ones?

Thanks for the help.

I have the AFE installed on my car. It sounds great. Partly because it removes the intake hose silencer unlike the BMC or K&N.

I have not done the 90,000 mile transmission oil change yet since my car is at 85,000 now. Be sure to post pics of the process. I am not sure how to do it myself and I had trouble finding "How To" guides.

I don't remember where the BMC was sold, but try design911.com or myhotboxster.com

Bmod986 · 12-19-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProjectM96

I have the AFE installed on my car. It sounds great. Partly because it removes the intake hose silencer unlike the BMC or K&N.

I have not done the 90,000 mile transmission oil change yet since my car is at 85,000 now. Be sure to post pics of the process. I am not sure how to do it myself and I had trouble finding "How To" guides.

I don't remember where the BMC was sold, but try design911.com or myhotboxster.com

Alright guys i already placed the order. I got the K&N, platinum 4 node spark plugs, Febi spark plug tubes, oil filter, fuel filter, and that will be delivered on thursday 22. I have to do a bit of research on the transmission oil change, but i have the basic understanding thanks to the pelican tech articles. I will have pics and video on youtube when i get the job done. So look forward to that. Aslo i was thinking about the AFE but then i thought that is money i could use on the new front bumper which I want so I went with K&N. BMC looks very similar to K&N but the price gap is huge. I will film the car with the stock filter and then with the K&N so that everyone will hear the difference. I hope its a nice one. Let me know if im missing something to buy or do while i have the car on jacks.

gschotland · 12-25-2011, 09:06 AM

Platinum plugs are definitely a no no. Lots of posts on this.

Stick with the stock Beru plugs (about $9 each, sold by Pelican and others) and you'll be a happy guy.

Bala · 12-25-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gschotland

Platinum plugs are definitely a no no. Lots of posts on this.

Stick with the stock Beru plugs (about $9 each, sold by Pelican and others) and you'll be a happy guy.

Are you saying this platinum in general is a no-no? I just installed 6 of these.

Pelican Parts - Product Information: 4417-M14

tuanle16 · 12-26-2011, 04:28 PM

i regret putting in K&N in mine. perhaps i "over-oiled", but again, a reason to just take the guess work out of it and buy paper filter. i personally felt that i "under-oiled" if anything. but all i know is the next few weeks after, i started having issues with MAF. perhaps..coincidental, but if i could reverse time, just stick with paper. a MAF is expensive, and so far...i've been too cheap to buy a new one.