HELP - 2000 Boxster 2.7 Tip - Alternator mount point BROKE - how to replace?...

[Mark Vogt]

Greetings esteemed Boxster Lovers...

I've got a 2000 Boxster 2.7 w Tiptronic - my BABY... purchased used in summer 2010 after a 10 year love affair with my first porsche resto project - a 1968 Porsche 912 4-speed manual that I raced in SCCA and PCA here in Chicagoland...

After I took my 2000 Boxster out of storage last month, I noticed the alternator struggling to keep the lights on at night, and suspected the serpentine/drive belt needed to be replaced.

This forum & some great Youtube videos (thanks Graham White!) convinced me this was not only do-able... it was EASY. a 10 mm socket wrench and a 24 mm socket on a breaker bar, and I was ready to rock & roll...

Everything went smoothly at first:
- the seats stayed in (NO need to take out passenger seat as many do)...
- the soft top unsnapped and slid forward in under 2 minutes...
- the oddments tray came off with 2 twists of a wrist...
- the top cover (actually unnecessary) came with 6 twists of a wrist...
- the 4 carpet hold-downs came off by hand (2 with just a little coaxing)...
- the 8 10 mm access panel bolts came off with a full wrenchturn + wrist...

Then I gently pryed open the access panel (watch those edges are SHARP)...
... and saw a complete serpentine belt !
:-O

A closer inspection revealed 2 things:
1. The serpentine belt WAS indeed complete, but 2 of the 6 (or so) "grooves" had actually SHREDDED COMPLETELY OFF, and were snarled all around the engine bay in what looked like black spaghetti; and
2. The entire alternator and its wheel were NOT ALIGNED with the rest of the 6 or so drive wheels !!!

Still closer inspection revealed that the lower alternator mounting flange - basically a bolt hole on what looks like a cast aluminum plate which bolted onto the front of the engine, provided a mounting point for the alternator AND some sort of fluid entry nipple for some flud circuit in the engine - was completely BROKEN OFF...



THERE'S STUFF I DON'T KNOW:
1. WHAT do I CALL this part?
2. WHAT is the fluid system behind this plate (coolant or oil or trans)?
3. CAN I simply replace this single plate (approx 2" x 6" with 6 approx 8mm bolts running through it, a 3/4" OD nipple on the left hand side as you look from the front, and just above that the mounting hole for the alternator mount bolt) ?
4. WHERE do I go for a decent used part (I've always only gone to German Auto Dismantlers, but now I hear they've been sold, and I don't know what the new owners are like)?
5. DO I have to drain whatever fluid is INSIDE this plate?
6. WHAT is a FAIR price for a used whatever-this-is part?

Thanks to all for a prompt reply.

Cheers,
-Mark

[brian325is]

If you go to the parts catalogue

http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/porscheservice/originalparts/originalpartscatalogue/

Under engine on page one it looks like your part
99610102100 & gasket 99610102101.

Not sure what liquid is behind but I would definutely guess coolant due to the size of the hose

[mikefocke]

if any of the 7 bolts are reusable. And the torque values.


Don't think I've ever seen that failure mentioned online before.


There are wrecking yards listed here. Another source might be flat6innovations as they deal in rebuilding engines and may have an odd part lying around.

[Mark Vogt]

Greetings Brian !

Thanks - that DEFINITELY looks like THE part !
Hard to believe all the calls it is a "lid"...
:-|

Now I have a name - "lid" and part numbers - "99610102100 & gasket 99610102101", but does anyone know if this is the SAME part for a 2000 Porsche ? The catalog cleary says "2004", so I worry about compatability.

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks for the stellar instant feedback thus far - I really appreciate it !

-Mark

=======================

Originally Posted by brian325is

If you go to the parts catalogue

http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/porscheservice/originalparts/originalpartscatalogue/

Under engine on page one it looks like your part
99610102100 & gasket 99610102101.

Not sure what liquid is behind but I would definutely guess coolant due to the size of the hose

[stateofidleness]

same exact thing happened to me.
http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/24050-stuck-in-an-alternator-swap/page__p__125621__hl__stateofidleness__fromsearch__ 1#entry125621

I thought I had posted on here for help when it happened, but I think it might have been before my 986forum days.

my Indy ended up fixing it for me, but it appears I didn't seat the bottom right bolt in the "channel" properly. It allowed it to "shift" and swivel just enough to let the belt come off a bit and start grinding into the plastic cable cover just above it.

unfortunately it's a show stopper type repair... sucks too cuz you lose some coolant in the process...

fwiw, it cost me about $800 (not counting the new alternator) from my Indy.

[Thumper]

Same thing happened to me. I did the repair myself for around $250, which included a rebuilt alternator. It is a coolant passage cover, and you do make a bit of a mess changing it out if you don't drain the coolant down far enough, but a pretty easy job.