Cable Theory: Meaning/DIY

[Jameslovesporsches]

Hi, so, I've been studying this board for the past few days as my dealer wanted to charge 700 bucks to replace the two cables in my 98 boxster. I was reading one of Toolpants' posts stating that "the plastic would stretch in unreinforced housing of the 97-99 cables" and so I began to wonder.

(1) When the cables break on our boxsters, do they actually snap somewhere in the middle so that if you pulled on one side, only half the length of the cable would come out?

I wonder this because Toolpants seems to be saying that if the cable is not physically broken in the middle or something, than one could just "remove the metal ferule, cut off some of the heat sensitive black plastic tubing, reattach the ferule once 3/4" of cable is exposed, and be in business! (2) No new parts needed, right?!

(3) On the attachment of the cables in the older boxsters... to the motor it's just connected by a brass clip... but what about the transmission end of the cable? Do I just remove the transmission with my wrench set and make sure not to take the transmission apart (as Mark said not to mess with the gears at ALL). (4) With a 98, I probably have the older style transmissions, and I can just leave that worm gear inside alone, right guys? (5) I mean, for cable replacement and connecting to the transmission, do I just pull the cable out and slide in the new one? Or is it more complex? The dealer said this cable job should take a little under 4 hours.

Also, for all of us 98 broken cable boxsters, I've called around, and my local dealership wanted nearly 300 for the parts to replace two cables! We gotta come together and create a full DIY. Thanks everyone in advance. James.

[Tool Pants]

The top drive cables are just like an old fashioned speedometer cable. There are 2 parts. The plastic housing, and inside the housing is the metal drive cable that spins when the top motor operates. The metal drive cable is square on both ends that stick out of the housing, but round as to the middle part inside of the housing. The metal drive cable is about 2 inches longer than the plastic housing. One square end goes into the top motor, and the other square end into a worm gear in the transmission. When the housing "grows" it causes the square end to pull out of the motor so the motor can no longer turn that drive cable. It does not pull out of the worm gear end because it is a very tight fit

So the cheap fix is to make the plastic housing a bit shorter so the square end will stay inside the drive motor.

The local cars we worked on had housings that had grown in length no doubt due to heat. The drive cables were not broken. But Jon on the UK board had a broken metal drive cable on a 2002. That is the picture.

If the drive cable was good we would just replace the housing with a reinforced housing. The old drive cable was then in a new housing. This was to avoid removing the drive cable from the worm gear. You cannot do this anymore. The housing now being sold is longer than what is in your car. Since the housing is longer your original drive cable will not stick out pas the housing on both ends. You must now replace both the drive cable and the housing, which means removing the drive cable from the worm gear. There are several pictures here on how to remove the worm gear from the cable.

[Jameslovesporsches]

So, I finally discovered that the driver's side of the car's clamshell/top not moving to at least partially housing that has expanded from heat pushing the square end of the cable out from the top motor. When I looked on the inside, there was this greyish gunk, like a gel, but not on the working passenger side cable. Who knows?

Clearly, the cable must be replaced, I'll do both for my 98 boxster, but Tool Pants, I have another question that has left me very confused.

While trying to manually open my top from its roof up position... I disconnected all the ball joints but noticed the driver's side transmission refused to twist while the passenger's side swiveled with minimal force! I discovered this upon trying to swivel the levers out of the way of the top mechanism. To my knowledge the passenger's side of my top should works fine, only the driver's side has problems. Does a cable problem explain this? Or is there something stuck in that driver's side top transmission/worm gear/cable connection that prevents swiveling? Thanks. James.

[Tool Pants]

Have no clue what you mean when you say one of the top transmissions refuse to twist.

If you can rotate the V-lever on one side but not the other then the motor has driven the worm gear off the half moon gear on the side you can rotate.

Chuck the square end of the metal drive cable in a drill. Run the drill in X direction while you turn the V-lever to see if it will catch on the half moon gear. If that does not work then reverse the drill in Y direction.

Time for some pictures I think. Hard to fix a car over the internet.

[boxster_nut]

Hi:

Like James, I am also struggling with a (yet another) top problem. I have three questions:

1. Please explain how to put the top in 'service position'...I DON'T have my owners manual.

2. I have the old style transmission cables for my convertible. The dealer(s) told me that the old style cables can be replaced directly with the new style cables. Is this true???? (i.e. the convertible transmissions do not have to be replaced...)

A related question: Are the two cables the same, e.g. p/n986 561 717 03.

3. I was told the convertible mechanism needs to be timed/aligned if I replaced the pushrods (I replaced one). How does one do the alignment?

Thanks a lot!

John

[Tool Pants]

Follow these instructions. http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.a...7-21908F9162BF}

The replacement cables we use to use was left 986 561 717 01, and right 986 561 718 01. These are reinforced. They are the exact same length as the original cables. That is why we were able to use just the plastic housing. I have been told these have been discontinued.

The only cable now available is 986 561 717 03. Same cable used on both sides. This is the cable used on the new style transmission, but it also works on the old style. The only real difference is that it is 1" longer. You cannot therefore use the housing with your original drive cable - the housing is too long. The cable 986 561 717 03 needs to be a bit longer because the mounting point on the new style transmission is in a different location than where it is on the old style.

Timing the transmissions has been covered several times already in this section.