Top Stopped Popping/Cracking!! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

deliriousga · 07-22-2005, 01:36 PM

I've been looking for something to lubricate the seals throughout the top for a long time. The popping/cracking noises drive me nuts and it comes from the rubber and plastic sticking together then sliding apart as the top shifts. The problem is all of the lubricants in the auto parts store says not to use it on rubber or plastic. They also do not specify they are safe for rubber or plastic and it's not going on my Porsche unless it's explicit about being safe.

Anyway, I was in Lowe's last weekend getting some stuff for the bathroom I'm building in the basement. Next to the plumber's putty I saw a little jar of plumber's grease. Hmmm, what is this made of? I read the label and it says it's a simple silicone compound with no petroleum products and it is supposed to be used on rubber seals and plastic plumbing parts. Wooohooooo!!! I'll try it.

I opened the top so I could get into all of the joints in the top. Next I took a Q-Tip and put the grease in the joints and made sure I covered all of the rubber and plastic parts inside, but very careful not to put it where it could get on the fabric.

NO MORE POPS!! :dance:

I'm seeing how long it works now, but it should last at least several months.

Perfectlap · 07-22-2005, 01:53 PM

were you lowering the windows before you lowered the top?

deliriousga · 07-24-2005, 06:54 AM

I haven't had any problems with the top down. The popping/cracking happens when it is up on hot days with the A/C on. It's from the rubber seals in the top that rub together when the top is up.

wetstuff · 07-25-2005, 04:30 AM

Good find Deli. Thanks for the tip.

jim

98Boxster98 · 01-04-2006, 06:17 PM

I finally couldn't take it any longer. With the cooler weather I've been driving with the top up more often and there was quite a racket going on inside the driving compartment. It's was actually a bit embarrassing having my Boxster sound like a jalopy with all the banging, clicking and clacking. I tightened the tension cables but I don't think it help because the adjustment looks to be at the end of its adjustment range. I next applied plumber's grease and silicone spray on the top's various moving parts and wow, what a difference! Thanks for the tip, delirious. The downside is now I can hear all the noise coming from the dashboard. Oh well. There's a TSB out on dashboard noise requiring application of felt. I'll wait until I can't that anymore.

RandallNeighbour · 01-04-2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deliriousga

it's not going on my Porsche ...

Um, isn't the car YOUR WIFE's daily driver? Doh!

:dance:

deliriousga · 01-05-2006, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Um, isn't the car YOUR WIFE's daily driver? Doh!

:dance:

Why yes it is, but in the state of GA we're one person when married so what's mine is mine and what's hers' is mine.

BTW, still no pops or cracks in the past 6 months. We have squeaks that recently started from the front header, but that's because the felt tape has worn through to the metal. Gotta go get new felt so it goes away.