Boxster top parts question...HELP!

[mikes_box]

My convertible top broke today and i find out its the part that the red/white ball joint attaches to. It the part with the ball screw and nut attaches to. Sorry don't know what its called...if anyone has a part number for this that would be great...thanks.

[1schoir]

My convertible top broke today and i find out its the part that the red/white ball joint attaches to. It the part with the ball screw and nut attaches to. Sorry don't know what its called...if anyone has a part number for this that would be great...thanks.

Mike:

The parts (left and right side are the same) are called push rods (or joint arms to differentiate them from the black hydraulic pushrods that operate the clamshell).

Part number is 986-561-279-02 for Boxster MY97-04.

Cost between about $40 to $75 each, depending on where you get them. Must buy the whole pushrod, they won't sell just the white plastic ball cup (used to be red plastic in the early years).

PM me if you want address and phone number of where I found reasonable price.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited September 8, 2007 by 1schoir

[1schoir]

My convertible top broke today and i find out its the part that the red/white ball joint attaches to. It the part with the ball screw and nut attaches to. Sorry don't know what its called...if anyone has a part number for this that would be great...thanks.

Mike:

One other thing I forgot to mention. From your brief description, it sounds like only one pushrod broke. Be VERY CAREFUL after you install the new pushrod to verify that both sides did not get out of sync. If the sides are out of synch you could cause major damage (read $$$$) , including bending the clamshell. Don't operate the top by the button for more than a second at a time until you have verified this.

Regards, Maurice.

[mikes_box]

My convertible top broke today and i find out its the part that the red/white ball joint attaches to. It the part with the ball screw and nut attaches to. Sorry don't know what its called...if anyone has a part number for this that would be great...thanks.

Mike:

One other thing I forgot to mention. From your brief description, it sounds like only one pushrod broke. Be VERY CAREFUL after you install the new pushrod to verify that both sides did not get out of sync. If the sides are out of synch you could cause major damage (read $$$$) , including bending the clamshell. Don't operate the top by the button for more than a second at a time until you have verified this.

Regards, Maurice.

hi, unfortunately its not the push rod.... i replaced that last month because it broke... the new one was the one with the white top... the reason why the first one broke was because the metal ball that it attaches to fell off because the bolt on the back came lose... this time the piece that holds the metal ball broke off... check the white push rod and for some reason its still intact... i need to find out the part that the metal ball screwed into because that's the part that broke....help please...

[mikes_box]

hi guys found a picture of it on another forum but can't find the right part number...here's the picture of what broke off....

[Tool Pants]

At the work on cars day Mark showed me the male ball (that goes into the female plastic joint on the end of the push rod) which had come off the top frame. The threaded end of the ball goes into a hole in the frame mounting lug, and is held in place by a nut.

I asked how the male ball came off, because that usually means the mounting lug has broken off the frame. Mark told me the nut had come off and that the mounting lug had not broken off. The male ball was bolted back onto the lug (I think you bought a new nut but the old nut was found under the top).

Since then the mounting lug has broken off the frame?

[mikes_box]

At the work on cars day Mark showed me the male ball (that goes into the female plastic joint on the end of the push rod) which had come off the top frame. The threaded end of the ball goes into a hole in the frame mounting lug, and is held in place by a nut.

I asked how the male ball came off, because that usually means the mounting lug has broken off the frame. Mark told me the nut had come off and that the mounting lug had not broken off. The male ball was bolted back onto the lug (I think you bought a new nut but the old nut was found under the top).

Since then the mounting lug has broken off the frame?

[/quote ]

yes jeff, unfortunately the mounting lug has broken off the frame..... it was okay when mark and i checked it out at the work on cars day... but just two days ago the lug broke off... so i guess i need a new part but can't find the part number... i don't know if the part can be welded back... do you possibly know what type of material is used in this part of the car... funny thing is that the top can still go up and down with the switch...

[1schoir]

My convertible top broke today and i find out its the part that the red/white ball joint attaches to. It the part with the ball screw and nut attaches to. Sorry don't know what its called...if anyone has a part number for this that would be great...thanks.

Mike:

One other thing I forgot to mention. From your brief description, it sounds like only one pushrod broke. Be VERY CAREFUL after you install the new pushrod to verify that both sides did not get out of sync. If the sides are out of synch you could cause major damage (read $$$$) , including bending the clamshell. Don't operate the top by the button for more than a second at a time until you have verified this.

Regards, Maurice.

hi, unfortunately its not the push rod.... i replaced that last month because it broke... the new one was the one with the white top... the reason why the first one broke was because the metal ball that it attaches to fell off because the bolt on the back came lose... this time the piece that holds the metal ball broke off... check the white push rod and for some reason its still intact... i need to find out the part that the metal ball screwed into because that's the part that broke....help please...

Mike:

Sorry I misunderstood what the problem was. I don't know that part number, but I will try to find out and let you know. Did the psgr side or driver's side break?

Regards, Maurice.

[Tool Pants]

Then you are #4. http://986forum.com:80/forums/showthread.php?t=11615

That is not good. This is why, when I saw the male ball in Mark's hand, I asked him to check to see if the mounting lug had broken off, because that is something that could not fix at Henry's house.

Next time I'm at the dealer I'll ask the mechanics I know what kind of fixes are available, but I already think I know what they will say.

I have never removed the complete top/frame from the car, but the mechanics have. They say it is just removing a few bolts on each side, disconnect the push rods, then lift it out of the car. If you have the broken piece and if it can be welded back on, then that will be a first to me.

[mikes_box]

Then you are #4. http://986forum.com:80/forums/showthread.php?t=11615

That is not good. This is why, when I saw the male ball in Mark's hand, I asked him to check to see if the mounting lug had broken off, because that is something that could not fix at Henry's house.

Next time I'm at the dealer I'll ask the mechanics I know what kind of fixes are available, but I already think I know what they will say.

I have never removed the complete top/frame from the car, but the mechanics have. They say it is just removing a few bolts on each side, disconnect the push rods, then lift it out of the car. If you have the broken piece and if it can be welded back on, then that will be a first to me.

yeah when mark and checked it, it was okay that's why we were able to reattach the ball....don't know if using a larger bolt and possibly it being too tight could have caused the break...it's on the driver side....

[1schoir]

Then you are #4. http://986forum.com:80/forums/showthread.php?t=11615

That is not good. This is why, when I saw the male ball in Mark's hand, I asked him to check to see if the mounting lug had broken off, because that is something that could not fix at Henry's house.

Next time I'm at the dealer I'll ask the mechanics I know what kind of fixes are available, but I already think I know what they will say.

I have never removed the complete top/frame from the car, but the mechanics have. They say it is just removing a few bolts on each side, disconnect the push rods, then lift it out of the car. If you have the broken piece and if it can be welded back on, then that will be a first to me.

yeah when mark and checked it, it was okay that's why we were able to reattach the ball....don't know if using a larger bolt and possibly it being too tight could have caused the break...it's on the driver side....

Mike:

I spoke to and went to see a friend of mine who works in the parts department of a local Porsche dealer here in NY and this is what we were able to come up after also talking to the techs at that dealer:

It looks like the part is one component of the "Main Folding Top Bow" and has a part number of 986 561 037 0070C and that it sells for over $2,000. I checked with Sunset, and their price is $1,594.56. The smaller part (where your steel ball broke off a little "ear") does not have a separate part number that we could locate on the system. OUCH!!!

I asked my friend to let me know if they get a top in that they have to remove as I would like to have a look at that individual part directly and see if it has a part number that can be looked up.

Sorry I don't have better news.

Regards, Maurice.

[Tool Pants]

I asked the mechanic today. He does most of the top replacements at the dealership. He takes the top off and replaces the bow. He has not tried welding the broken lug back on, as they are a dealership and replace broken parts with new parts.