Tool Pants

In my younger days I use to rebuild brake calipers, but not on a Porsche. You would buy a kit. It had a seal that went inside the caliper piston bore, and a dust boot. All I see on the Porsche list now that you mention it, are dust boots. They are listed as a repair kit so I always assumed it included the seal. I would have to ask Peter if he knows of a source for just the seals. I doubt it because if there is a problem with a caliper then the dealer just replaces it with a new one.

And, what is different in this picture? :rolleyes:

On our work on cars days when we do oil changes I see over torqued filter cannisters and drain plugs. Sometimes the soft aluminum drain plug looks so rounded that I think my 8 mm allen bit will spin when I try to remove the plug. A few times I have had to use a 2 foot breaker bar to get the cannister off. When I ask the owner who did the last oil change - it was a Porsche dealer.....

The aluminum radiator guards I know about are mounted from the outside of the bumper cover - no need to remove the cover. They overlay the existing plastic grills. A local Boxster owner, Patrick Tam, came up with this idea years ago. http://www.boxsey.com/ This is Patrick putting them on.

The 997 owner on rennlist said he did not like the feel of the 2nd to 3rd shift. Then he said he did not want a warranty issue. His pictures are on the EagleDay site, and another picture is below. Another 997 owner on rennlist said he is going to take out the B&M and put in the new style short shift sold by Porsche because he is concerned about the warranty. Another 997 owner said he bought the new style for $419.95 from Sunset Imports in Oregon. I have looked at the EagleDay site before and their prices are high. There are 996 owners on the message boards who have put in the B&M, which they liked, just to remove it and put in the identical old style short shift sold by Porsche because of the warranty issue. Loren and I have put in a lot of B&Ms over the years and I have never heard of any issue with the transmission.

I have no advise other than to bring your car to sunny California or find someone locally that can help you. I get Peter to turn on the computer for the local owners. Then we do the retrofit at our local work on cars day. A long time ago we filmed the retrofit on 4 different cars, including a 2003, so I would not have to answer all the questions as each model year comes out. Stalk, switch, year - does not matter. This is Peter turning on Scott's computer on a 2003 S over 2 years ago, and then we did the retrofit in the parking lot at Scott's office building at lunch time. Nothing changed for 2004.

I assume you sent your dealer Peter Smith's instructions for a 2003. I have known Peter for 6 years as he works at my local dealer. Each year when a new model comes out I ask Peter to try and turn on the trip computer to see if anything has changed, as our local group has done many OBC retrofits. That's how we found out the issue with some 2003s - for some strange reason the vehicle model number was not in the DME. When the model number was entered then Peter was able to turn the OBC on. When 2004s first came out I asked Peter to turn on the OBC and he did. As of 2002 the standard instrument cluster is different than the cluster with the OBC option. If you do the retrofit on a 2002-2004 with the standard cluster then the displays you see look like a 2001 with the factory OBC. On a 2002-2004 if you want the displays to look like what is in your owners manual then you have to buy and install an OBC cluster. I suspect the price you were quoted includes replacing your standard cluster with an OBC cluster and that is why it is so expensive. Call your dealer and ask what parts are included in the quoted price. We do the retrofit using the standard cluster as an OBC cluster is very expensive. The stalk, wires, and connector are about $170. I can do it in less than an hour if the owner is not helping. :lol: This OBC 'hack' is not an official retrofit. There are no Porsche instructions. The mechanics are not taught how to do it at their training school. Some dealers still say it cannot be done on a 2001. A while ago I was at a dealer that Peter did not work for. The service guy told me the retrofit would not be done as of model year 2001. I told him it could because I had done it on cars newer than 2000. Gave him the instructions. Then he told me they did 1 car and it worked, but did not think they would be doing any more cars.

The oem short shift used on the 997/987 is the same - same part number. 997 424 983 00. It includes the shift lever in the oem shift tower. I do not know any reason why you cannot do a retrofit. Also, a 997 owner on rennlist put in the B&M unit that we have used for years on the 996/986. Then he took out the B&M and put in 997 424 983 00. I have not driven the 987 S with the new transmission, let alone with the oem short shift. So others will have to respond. The new standard 6 speed does have shorter throws, but not as short as a B&M on the 996/986.

Never used one but on some makes you are supposed to use one. On a Boxster I heard you cannot get the tube down to the oil pan. Oil and filter change on a 996/986 is easy. The drain plug is staring you in the face. It is even more easy on a 996. If a 996 is not lowered I can get to the plug without a jack. On the mid-engine Boxster we have to jack up the left side a bit to slide under car because the engine is 180 degrees reversed.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...2&st=0&p=18113& Coolant is always a hot subject, like what oil to use. Porsche claims life time but ARTECO, the company that makes it, calls it long life. Other companies use terms such as extended life. You see 5-7 years and 100-150k miles numbers thrown around. So many local owners have had engine replacements and coolant tank replacements - who knows what is the life time a the M96 motor, or the coolant. Maybe when the lease is up. After almost 6 years of Boxstering I know of no engine problem related to coolant. No need to flush the power steering. If you need to top it off then it is Pentosin CHF 11S and nothing else. Synthetic, also used by Mercedes and BMW. $25 a liter in the green can but you need just an ounce or two to top off. Henry in SF has a can he may not need....

You can unplug the sensor but you said a wire is broken. Fix the wire. The OBC is turned on with the PST2 or the newer PIWIS. If you see ---- in the middle gauge then it is already turned on, but you cannot see the numbers if a wire is broken.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...941entry13941 KarlS with a 2004 GT3 had the same issue. A 2003/4 does not have a conventional ignition switch line like the earlier cars.

Over the years we have used many different brands of hydraulic floor jacks depending on where we work and what is available - 'racing' and otherwise. They all work the same if you can slide it under the lift points and not damage the rocker panels. And if it does not then one person lifts on the fender and we get it under the car, or you drive up on a piece of wood. Most are made in China. The flat jack stands work better on a Boxster because you will be putting them under a flat surface. But we have also used the V style - whatever is available when we do the work. This is the V style on a Boxster for an oil change at the last work on cars day and we also did the 60k service with them on a 996. That is the style Henry has so that is what we used as I did not bring my flat style. The beer bottle is for additional safety. :D You can also do the clutch bleed when the car is like that.

We filmed the 30k service on a Boxster and 996 the same day at the same time. Maybe some day it will be on a DVD. Madam No Fear, with her 2000 2.7 was the star of the Boxster part of the movie as she did almost all the work herself. As for the 2000 spark plug debate. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=720 I do the clutch bleed after the left rear brake is done because the wheel is off. Hard to see so you do it by feel. Some cars have a 9 mm bleed nipple and some have a 11 mm. Stop by at the next work on cars and we will show you how to do it.

Found it. Same picture of your car is in the ad with the background clutter removed. Let me know if they are interested in my lemon shifter for the next ad - makes juice fast.

I have never found a reason to put a Boxster on 4 stands at the same time. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...st=0entry8248

I have the April issue of Excellence but don't see anything.

That is just the way it is. Same with a Boxster.

This is a pic of a 997, which has it as well. There is a reinforcement in the door. In the event of a front crash the force goes to the door and then to the rear of the car via that thing that sticks out.

I knew the base rear rotor was 7 mm larger in diameter, but it did not dawn on me that it is now a bit larger than the front. The top switch is next to the brake lever. On a 997 there is a dummy cover. There is now a 'home' position on the headlight switch. A 'black box.' :rolleyes: And for novelty purposes only - the cupholders. The old colored crested caps with the crest that falls off is now larger and recessed thanks to the Cayenne. Peter will be putting on a tech session for the new Boxster. ETA April. I also asked him to have a 997 on the lift.

How about a spud shift. :rolleyes:

And now, this is black box. No cd changer or navigation unit on this car. What is it?

No, the Boxster and 996 does use a rubber belt, but not for the cams as those are driven by chains. On a Boxster think of it a a fan belt with a fancy name.

Here is the 2nd and 3rd generation seals. 3rd just came out. Can you spot the difference? The first picture is from the rear or backside of the oil seal. I will ask Peter to cover this at the next tech session.

It is a US CR-220 radio. In the UK it is a 22. Since it is a 1997 the radio that was used is the older 210/21. He bought the radio off of US ebay. I was looking at the parts list for the hardtop and there was a listing for the switch, relay, and wiring harness. So Paul may be in luck.