JFP in PA

Check out your local AutoZone as well, they were recently offering a buy one, get one free for Techron products.

Sold by most auto parts outlets as well as online (Amazon and other). Get the 20 gallon size as most Porsche tanks are over 18 gallons in capacity.

Techron is an excellent product, often used by the dealerships as well as most "indies". We recommend using it at least once a year, in the last tank of gas just before an oil/filter service (it often causes the oil to collect some carbon and other crud during the cleaning process), particularly for cars being prepped for winter "hibernation". Techron often cures niggling idle problems as well as off idle stumbling issues related to varnished injectors.

First of all, the engine serial numbers are not matched to the VIN, but are engine size and type coded, so there is no "numbers matching" issue per say. If the engine is a factory reman (carries an "AT" in the engine number), and is the correct size and model for the car, it basically carries all the latest updates as of its install date, so it may actually be better than the original lump. With some model years, there were some problems that led to engine replacement under warranty; that is a simple fact of life and should not be a major concern of "deduct" item on a PPI. That said, there are more than a few cars running around with the wrong engines in them, usually a much smaller displacement bone yard unit. We did a PPI on a beautiful 996 C4 that was absolutely immaculate, except for the 2.7L Boxster engine in the engine bay. This would obviously degrade the car's value, but that is why you do a PPI on these cars.

I'm not all that sure that removing both seals is a good idea as it could flood the shaft unnecessarily. The LN kits all have seals facing the shaft side, and the IMS Solution uses a pressed in plug to seal the shaft from oil as well. As for using COTS bearings, knowing more than a bit about the effort and trial and error that went into the LN designs, I would really caution anyone going that route, you are potentially playing a form of "Russian roulette" in an attempt to save a few bucks. It simply ain't worth it unless you have a lot of disposable income you are willing to commit to your cost savings efforts.....................but in the end, it is your car and your money.

Plastic bits are no where as much a potential threat as metal shards. It is not uncommon to find small plastic bits in either the M96 or 97 engine sumps; the chain tensioners have plastic wear pads on them that erode over time and the bits collect in the sump. The pin section is a bit more concerning as it may be the tensioner pad pivot, which points to bigger problems. Let them have a look under warranty, they may still decide to pull and replace the lump depending upon what they find.

I would be running a voltage drop across the main cables (battery to ground, battery to starter, etc.) looking for signs of corrosion. This is a very common problem on the 996, to the point that Porsche released a TSB on the subject and new battery and starter cables assemblies with more corrosion resistant connections. Not a difficult or expensive fix, but it is time consuming due to how the cables are routed. Do a quick search here, this has been written up multiple times.

Just be aware that the bearings that LN sells are made to their specification's with specific cage materials, etc. Jake and LN learned a lot about what works, and what doesn't, and even hired a bearing engineer to help them when they were doing the R&D on their ceramic bearing, so sourcing an "off the shelf" look alike may not end up being the same. Others have tried this route before, one even posted about their low cost alternative on multiple websites, including this one; and then promptly disappeared after installations went catastrophically wrong. While Jake may come across as a bit mercurial for some tastes, he has done his homework; the installed base for the LN ceramic hybrids, now in the tens of thousands, speaks for itself. Add in their new dual row ceramic replacement for the OEM single row bearing, with patent protection, and it is going to be difficult to try and be price competitive, particularly when buyer's realize they are making a nearly $20K bet on whatever bearing they choose.......

It might help, but if they are corroded or severely varnished, it is not going to do much. Normally, I would suggest pulling the injectors and sending them to a shop that specializes in refurbishing used injectors, they have more specialized equipment to both properly clean and test them.

Last time I checked, this was the list of approved gear oils: Approved Manual Transmission Oils 000 043 204 20 Mobil (Mobilube PTX) - 20 liter container 000 043 204 19 Shell (Transaxle) - 20 liter container 999 917 546 00 Shell (Transaxle) - 1 liter container

Definitely possible, fuel goes stale and gums up everything if it is allowed to sit. In the US with gas containing 10% ethanol, the problem is even worse because the ethanol retains a lot of water and cause corrosion in the fuel system as well. If you are going to store a car for a prolonged period, a quality fuel stabilizer like StaBil is highly recommended, and will prevent fuel degradation for as long as two years.

If you have already done a Boxster, this should be old home week for you, with the exception of four wheel drive. Be sure to check the flywheel for unevenness and twist, you don't want to be doing this twice.

Please do not double post. Each of the first three years of the Boxster (97, 98, 99) each had a different oil pump. That said, as the pump is internal to the engine, I do not see what difference the pump makes.

Stop driving the car, let it cool down and flush/bleed the clutch, then see how it drives; if the clutch is gone, it's gone and there is no reason to belabor it. And if that is the case, you have a golden opportunity to not only replace the clutch with a new one, but do the RMS and IMS updates as well while you are in there.

Basically, if anything, it is easier to get at than a 986............

When was the last time the clutch hydraulics were flushed?

Problem is that to install a replacement, the unit has to be coded, which requires either a PST II or PIWIS unit, nothing else will work.

You are showing all the classic signs of an immobilizer that has fried itself after getting very wet. And, no, there is no realistic way to bypass the immobilizer, it would not be much of a theft deterrent if there was. I think it is time to get the car on a PIWIS unit and evaluate if the unit can be saved or if you are in the market for a new one.

P1397 indicates that the cam position sensor on bank 2 is sending implausible signals (permanently high, permanently low, or fluctuating back and forth). Depending upon your location, the sensor is a $150-175 item at retail, and as the sensors are not that hard to get at, maybe 1-1 1/2 hours or shop labor. That said, I would not be driving the car until it is confirmed that you have a bad sensor and not a bad VarioCam unit causing the fluctuations.

Year and model of the car?

The MAF values can be read by the Durametric software, PST II, or PIWIS. There may also be some aftermarket scanners that can see the MAF values as well (under PID values), but that varies by product. Fuel pressure and delivery are measured by connecting a fuel pressure test gauge to the Schrader valve test port on the fuel rail:

There should be no problems with the plugs you chose; but you may have disturbed or not correctly seated a wiring harness plug(s) on the engine. I would start by checking anything you moved or disconnected to make sure nothing has come loose.

And I for one am particularly interested in how well the new Turbo's hold up now that they no longer run the Metzger based engine, but instead use a modified 9A1 variant.................

You referring to the brakes sticking after getting wet, or the cold brakes in the morning problem? You need to switch to a more aggressive "biting" pad compound like some of the ceramics, but you also need to expect shorter rotor life as the result of the higher biting pads. Brake pads are always some sort of compromise, you are always trading off one thing for another (noise, dust, bite, etc.). You might also want to drop a note to the tech section at some of the pad manufacturer's, they may have some specific history concerning cold bite levels on their product lines that would be of help to your specific situation. We have switched some customers over to more aggressive Carbotech, Akebono, Hawk or Pagid pads to help in the cold, and while the brakes responded, noise and wear levels increased. Most prefer to just live with the OEM pads and warm them up a bit. And just be glad you don't have the $7K ceramic brakes option, they tend to really suck in very cold start ups. Great. I wound up with a Turbo S which of course comes with ceramic brakes. I won't be driving it in the winter for at least 3 years. JFP, any other problems with these brakes?? Are they better at anything?I think I am going to try the Akebono pads in the C4S. Rotors are simple enough to replace. Me, not so much. The OEM PCCB brakes have tremendous ability to deal with severe heat fade in track like condition's and still get the job done, much more so than the best steel rotors, and do so repeatedly without burning themselves up. They are also a lighter assembly of un-sprung weight. This is why they are technology of choice in applications like F1, and are mandated in other racing sanctions like NHRA top fuel and funny cars. But like everything else, one advantage typically comes at the sacrifice of another, they are hyper expensive and suck in very cold conditions until they warm up. But like sticky summer high performance tires, they do not really belong on 5F roads. So like summer and winter tires, you have to think about "rotating" the brakes as well. We have customers that have the PCCB brakes on Porsche Turbo's, GT's, and other makes like Ferrari; but these are not daily drivers, they sit under dust covers in heated garage's when it's 12F out and snowing like Hell as it currently is here. One customer has them on both his 458 Ferrari's, but he drives a Hyundai in the winter months. I think I like the part about the low unsprung weight the best. Do they make less dust or is that just sales person hype? The Turbo S will probably never see winter roads. I'll probably always have a C4S for that. The Hyundai is just not my speed but the Wife does have a shiny new Audi SQ5 which might just take over the role in long winter trips.....maybe. They do produce almost no brake dust, and the PCCB rotors are less than half the weight of their iron counterparts. Also be aware that Porsche has updated the PCCB system, the first generation had some cracking issues and were particularly bad when cold until they warmed up, but the second generation appears to have solved the cracking issue and improved the cold performance somewhat, but with some complaints about noise levels in the cold as well. But even the new ones still like being warm. And as I said, brakes are always a trade off, but the first time you jump on the PCCB's as you approach a fast right hander at speed, the smile on your face will compensate for the rest of the nonsense.............

You referring to the brakes sticking after getting wet, or the cold brakes in the morning problem? You need to switch to a more aggressive "biting" pad compound like some of the ceramics, but you also need to expect shorter rotor life as the result of the higher biting pads. Brake pads are always some sort of compromise, you are always trading off one thing for another (noise, dust, bite, etc.). You might also want to drop a note to the tech section at some of the pad manufacturer's, they may have some specific history concerning cold bite levels on their product lines that would be of help to your specific situation. We have switched some customers over to more aggressive Carbotech, Akebono, Hawk or Pagid pads to help in the cold, and while the brakes responded, noise and wear levels increased. Most prefer to just live with the OEM pads and warm them up a bit. And just be glad you don't have the $7K ceramic brakes option, they tend to really suck in very cold start ups. Great. I wound up with a Turbo S which of course comes with ceramic brakes. I won't be driving it in the winter for at least 3 years. JFP, any other problems with these brakes?? Are they better at anything?I think I am going to try the Akebono pads in the C4S. Rotors are simple enough to replace. Me, not so much. The OEM PCCB brakes have tremendous ability to deal with severe heat fade in track like condition's and still get the job done, much more so than the best steel rotors, and do so repeatedly without burning themselves up. They are also a lighter assembly of un-sprung weight. This is why they are technology of choice in applications like F1, and are mandated in other racing sanctions like NHRA top fuel and funny cars. But like everything else, one advantage typically comes at the sacrifice of another, they are hyper expensive and suck in very cold conditions until they warm up. But like sticky summer high performance tires, they do not really belong on 5F roads. So like summer and winter tires, you have to think about "rotating" the brakes as well. We have customers that have the PCCB brakes on Porsche Turbo's, GT's, and other makes like Ferrari; but these are not daily drivers, they sit under dust covers in heated garage's when it's 12F out and snowing like Hell as it currently is here. One customer has them on both his 458 Ferrari's, but he drives a Hyundai in the winter months.