New owner needs advice on upgrades

[Timco]

Originally Posted by TypeA

You guys are great and your time and input is greatly appreciated.

There have been several surprises in this thread and as a result many of my initial ideas have gone out the window. The biggest is cosmetics and any performance upgrades, of any kind. Beyond a clay and wax job all expenditures will go for parts, tools and books for the foreseeable future.

Spoke to the mechanic and sadly it doesnt sound like the IMS bearing was done. Just a clutch kit installed. Prices I got from another mechanic for an total inspection is $155. IMS bearing was $3000 and a water pump about $2200, both prices include part and labor. Only other mech in my area, that Im aware of, is Sunset in Beaverton. With those kind of prices Im better off learning the books and internet guides and replacing stuff myself as funds for parts and tools permit. I have insurance that covers me for most mechanical failures in the next 36k miles but with a $3000 limit it sounds like one failure would toast that coverage. Off I go to research OEM parts prices and Ill get the initial inspection done in the next week or two and report back.

A Porsche waterpump was about $450 with gasket and Pentofrost. Took 4 hours. One odd socket helped.

[TypeA]

Second hand car and wondering if the wiper arms are installed correctly. These are shots of the wipers in the off position, is this the proper position? They look too high to me but as a first time owner I have no idea.

[TypeA]

Meant to post this in my thread but it looks like it went to you personally, sorry about about that.

[cardiffgiant]

Originally Posted by TypeA

You guys are great and your time and input is greatly appreciated.

There have been several surprises in this thread and as a result many of my initial ideas have gone out the window. The biggest is cosmetics and any performance upgrades, of any kind. Beyond a clay and wax job all expenditures will go for parts, tools and books for the foreseeable future.

Spoke to the mechanic and sadly it doesnt sound like the IMS bearing was done. Just a clutch kit installed. Prices I got from another mechanic for an total inspection is $155. IMS bearing was $3000 and a water pump about $2200, both prices include part and labor. Only other mech in my area, that Im aware of, is Sunset in Beaverton. With those kind of prices Im better off learning the books and internet guides and replacing stuff myself as funds for parts and tools permit. I have insurance that covers me for most mechanical failures in the next 36k miles but with a $3000 limit it sounds like one failure would toast that coverage. Off I go to research OEM parts prices and Ill get the initial inspection done in the next week or two and report back.

Both quotes sound high to me. I had my IMS, clutch, and flywheel replaced then added a coolant flush and radiator cleaning for $2400 last year. I had the water pump and thermostat changed (and, yes, the coolant flushed again (remember when people said not to do things too quickly)) for $1200 this year.

Also, if you're doing coolant work, be sure to address the radiator cleaning. They trap an amazing amount of debris over the years.

[Gforrest2]

No disrespect to the forum owner, but if you're in Portland, I'd just go to Sunset Imports for parts. Great service and prices has been my experience with them.

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by Gforrest2

No disrespect to the forum owner, but if you're in Portland, I'd just go to Sunset Imports for parts. Great service and prices has been my experience with them.

Sunset's amazingly low prices are not available to those living in the same state or who walk up to the parts counter to buy parts.

However, if you live out of state or can have a buddy receive them and you drive to his place or have him reship them to you, it's a killer deal. 10-15% over hard cost for Porsche parts!!!

BTW - Porsche hasn't "proactively" replaced anything inside the engine block on our cars! They refused to even acknowledge the rear main seal leaks and then the intermediate shaft bearing failures for the longest time, hence the class action lawsuit.

[mgfranz]

as for the trunk emblem, it costs about $60 to replace with an aftermarket one, and since there was a "no emblem" option for the Boxster, you will not hurt anyone if you decide to just remove it. I removed mine and found it actually seemed to widen the view, an optical illusion of course but I like the look.

As for removing it, take a length of 12-15# fishing line and walk it under the emblem, it should come up fine. I have been told that dental floss will work too. If you have a heat gun, that will work too, just don't burn the paint. The residual glue is a ******************** to get off, naptha, mineral spirits, reducer, none of them worked. Do not use acetone or lacquer thinner, it will eat the paint. When I removed mine I used a head gun and a hard plastic scraper to get most of it off, then rubbing compound and a good polish to get it all off. Be careful, or you might end up getting a trunk lid repainting.

[Timco]

Mine made a grinding or 'chain dragging' sound at startup only. Then sounded fine all day. The WP was scraping the sides of the impeller against the block. No real leak.

You have to remove belt and feel for any play whatsoever, then start car with no belt. If no noise it likely is play in the WP.

[RandallNeighbour]

BTW, if you replace the water pump, replace the front engine mount. It's right there and worth doing at the same time.

and vise versa!

[Perfectlap]

I agree not a doom and gloom issue. But its not something you should put off if there a question marks about the previous owners driving routines and how often they changed the oil. We have a member on here who has over 300k miles on his Boxster and is still on the original IMS. But he drives the car every day long enough for the engine to come up to temp and he keeps very strict dealer service.

[recycledsixtie]

I go with Pelican Parts which so happens to own this forum. My local stealership is so much more expensive so I go with OEM from Pelican. I am just about to put my order in for a new waterpump and thermostat.
Cheers, Guy

[Nine8Six]

^ No that's wrong. Unscrew them both, push them back in their right position. They should hit in the lower blacken area of your windshield. well mine does anyway

[TypeA]

Thanks a lot sir.

[Nine8Six]

I think the best upgrade I've done ever on my 986 is a complete and NEW suspension system. Struts, bars, springs, links, everything (<$2000). Now feels and drives like no other Boxster of course lol

[TypeA]

As luck would have it a opportunity to replace the IMS bearing has presented itself. Though the car lot replaced the clutch prior to putting the car on the lot and did not take the opportunity to replace the IMS bearing at that time. However, the car immediately has developed a rear main seal leak that the lot will pay, in full, to correct. Mechanic said something about a tech order for replacement of bolts and something else on the rear main seal so I actually feel pretty lucky this developed so quickly and the lot is catching the tab.

Obviously this is a great opportunity to replace the IMS but I dont know if the car has a dual or single row, and I certainly dont want to spend $700-$1900 on a kit if I can help it. I would also like to order this kit in advance to work starting on the rear main seal. So, in a question from the 'too good to be true' category, should I just order the Pelican kit for $165 and feel safe and secure that my IMS will be good till my new clutch needs to be replaced????? I mean, if Im reading it right that kit will fit no matter what I have now and is a fraction of the cost, why would I NOT want to go with that kit? Is there anything else I should be ordering at the same time to make sure the mechanic has what he needs and Im covering the 'might as well do this too' parts???? On a budget here obviously but if the cheap kit is advisable that gives me a little breathing room for other small parts for now. Any input is appreciated.

BTW installed Michelin AS3s on all four corners today and, get this, the tires on the rear had good tread but were made in 2004! Yeah, needed new tires. Still obviously breaking them in but it made a big diff in the ride. Had model year 2013 Proxies on the front and model year 2004 "Ultra HRP" on the rears, now matching AS3s, feels like a brand new car!

[husker boxster]

2002 would be single row.

A simple question you better ask before letting someone tear into your engine is if they've done an IMS replacement before? I don't have the procedure dedicated to memory but I believe you need a few specialized tools for locking down camshafts and extracting the bearing. If this is their first and they don't have the tools, I'd serously consider not having them do it. It's not complicated but if you don't do it properly, you'll end up with a really messed up engine. Do research on Jake Raby's website or look for videos on YouTube and definitely ask questions of your mechanic before you let him loose on your car.

[TypeA]

No has has never done an IMS. I was just going by my gut instinct as he seemed very professional in appearance and demeanor, competent and his 5 bay shop is friggin spotless. I realize its still a leap of faith but I got a good feeling about him the moment I met him.

I will have him take a look at the technical guide provided by this site, seems to me that guide is better than most and is something he can reference before and during the procedure. Reading through the guide I saw, "There is a special tool available from Porsche to assist in removing the cover, but it's really expensive and not really necessary." And with the bearing itself there is the LN puller/counterstay for $339. Does anyone have this LN puller that would be willing to rent to it me? Paypal payment in advance kinda thing.

So far the parts list Ive come up with is:

Pelican IMS kit
M6 bolts for the set screws
Cam shaft end plugs
Axle boots (courtesy of Perfectlap in post #21)
*Possibly the LN puller
*Flywheel, hope not but maybe.

[JayG]

Better make sure they don't have a shop cat
LOL

[TypeA]

Was going to place an online order with Pelican for their Pelican IMS update kit but it says wont ship for four days. Is this everyones experience with this kit, a long delay? Im also ordering the LN Engineering Intermediate Shaft Bearing (IMS) Puller/Counterstay as no one I have contacted on this forum has gotten back to me about a loaner, at least not anyone that can ship within the next day or two. No biggie but when reading the Technical Article on R/R of the IMSB it referrers to a "bearing installation tool" also. A search of the forum and Pelican Parts didnt reveal that tool, can someone help me out with where to find the "installation tool?" Just trying to make sure my indie will have everything he needs...

I had also searched for cam shaft plugs (two will have to be removed for my 2002 box), no results. Kinda strange as the kit doesnt include them and according to the Tech Article you pretty much destroy them removing them.

[BugsFerBrains]

The '04 911 I recently purchased was from the Portland area. I had the PPI done at Sunset Porsche, the originating dealer for the car. I worked with Rachel and Richard Grant in their service dept., both were helpful, professional and the PPI was right on the money. Also, the previous owner was most recently taking the car to Stuttgart Autotech, again most professional from the service receipts.

I agree with other comments made. Do basic sound mechanical work, drive to get to know your car, branch out from there.

Congrats, good luck, I love my Porsches.