JFP in PA

Logray, that is exactly the "low bucks" approach we need to see more of; thanks for the idea. :thumbup:

For those that have never assembled this part of an M96, this is the tool with the clip inserted:

And here is Jake Raby using the above tool on the end of the "insertion device" to pop the clip into a piston:

And the clip installed in the piston:

Because you are "building a ship in a bottle" so to speak, when the clip holder gets stuck, it can be a major headache............

Before I would jump to a 5W-50 weight oil, I'd try a quality 10W-40 full synthetic, providing your ambient climate is not frigidly cold. The slightly higher "W" weight typically offers a bit better film strength, particularly at start up and low oil pressure situations, such as at idle, which can help with the noise.

If you are using a quality full synthetic oil, and the engine is running fine, no additives of any kind are necessary. If the car is showing signs of high mileage (poor leak down values, noise, oil consumption, etc.), no additve is going to help...........

I am having the clutch replaced on my 1999 Carrera 2 and the shop doing the work has recommended replacing the dual mass flywheel with a single mass flywheel. Can anyone explain the advantages and disadvantages of this option?

The dual mass flywheel is the only source of harmonic dampening in the engine, removal of that capability can lead to serious issues, like cracked (or worse) crankshafts. These engines are not particularly well internally balanced from the factory, so the dual mass dampening is rather important. More than one leading Porsche engine builder has recommended against using single mass flywheels unless the entire engine components and the flywheel are properly rebalanced as a unit.

A second consideration is how well the single mass itself is balanced; we have seen several that were 10 grams (and more) out as delivered. These flywheels are also difficult to have accurately balanced; only a handful of machine shops can do a proper job. And even after one is correctly rebalanced, they still can be a bit of a pain to drive on the street due to clutch chatter related issues.

Update: So my 911 has been running without the CEL coming on this month. I have been reading that report Dustin provided and will probably opt to add the 3rd radiator kit.

Dustin, where can I find a similar thermostat as the one you installed on your Carrera S?

Pelican Parts sells them... as I'm sure a bunch of other places do as well. They are called "Low Temperature Thermostast" they start to open at 160F instead of 181F

The OEM stat starts to open at 186F, and is not fully open until well north of 200F..............

But it should be able to show hours run time and average speed, from which you can calculate (within certain bounds) the milage.

Any time............

Yes, you can read a variety of data stored in the DME that can tell you a lot about what usage the vehicle has seen.

You need to scan the DME with either a PIWIS or Durametric software system to find what you are looking for. You should also be aware that it is rather difficult to alter the odometer read out.

While I am not aware of the TSB you are referring to, the full array of technical service bulletins this site has available are found under the “DIY Tools” tab at the top of this page, but are available only to contributing members.

With a leak that large, I find it difficult to accept that you cannot see the source you should be able to see where it is coming from with the car up in the air. You could also make sure the car is full and start it while it is up to look for it.

Being second to market is not as simple as it looks. It is often quite easy to copy a proven solution to a known problem and offer it a lower cost; the hard part is usually the associated support required (special tools, technical support, training installers, remotely trouble shooting blown installations, etc.,). The second part is where you both earn (and typically spend) the profits garnered in the first section................

Hi all,

This is a 1999 Boxster. The car always starts with no problem. Driving high speed is OK.

The problem happened when driving low speed such as stopped at the stop sign, the engine then stopped.

After that it's very difficult to start again and I need to wait for a day and the car will start again with no problem.

I have replaced the crank position sensor and the problem still persists.

I am starting to suspect it's the fuel pump or fuel pump relay. But the car always starts with no problem which puzzles me.

Also there was no check engine light, no OPB code.

The next area I suspect is the throttle body. May be it's too dirty and needs to be cleaned.

Any suggestion is appreciated.

Steve

If you suspect the fuel system (pump. etc.), it is a 5 min. test to attach a fuel pressure gauge to the test port and check it . A quick scan with either a PIWIS or Durametric system should also tell you about any pending codes that might be related, as well as test just about everything else you have mentioned............

Not as long as it is a sealed battery.

I don't think they make one.

I wuold still take the time to check the cables; bad cables will not only continue the problem, they can also hurt the new alternator. A few min. with a multimeter is all it takes to test the cables for excessive resistance.

You can use any dielectric grease (couple of bucks at any auto parts store), which is nothing more than a silicone grease that is compatible with plastics and rubber. Works fine.

I'd also take a look at where the cables attach to the gearbox, they are held in by clips that sometimes pop open, resulting in the cable not moving the selector. Quite often, they can just be snapped back into place and everything is fine.

I'm not sure if they can be obtained by themselves. I'd give someone like Sunset Porsche parts a call.

Why all the excitement about a magnet? All oil goes through the filter anyway & if you are inspecting the filter you'll find ANY stuff that gets sucked up, not just ferrous stuff from only inspecting the plug.

Simple, one of the largest threats to these engines is an IMS bearing failure, which starts by producing significant amounts of a very granular ferrous debris before the bearing itself actually fails and kills the engine. Because the oil system in these engines routes the oil through the oil pump before it goes to the filter, this granular metal wreaks havoc on the oil pump gears, sometimes even totally jamming the pump and shearing off the oil pump drive, ending any oil circulation in what was up to that time still a viable engine.

Because the LN magnetic drain plug uses a large and very powerful neodymium magnet, it can collect even small amounts of this debris before it gets circulated and alert the person servicing the car that further investigation is required.

Next change, add a magnetic drain plug; cheap insurance and a diagnostic tool all in one.

Do you have a recommendation for a magnetic plug?Thanks!

We like the LN Engineering unit; very well made with a strong magnet.

Next change, add a magnetic drain plug; cheap insurance and a diagnostic tool all in one.

There are a multitude of potential ferrous sources in these engines, but I would pull the sum cover and also check the cam deviation values as well.

I checked the cam deviation values. Both are steady at 0 degrees.

With that being the situation, most likely it is not the IMS bearing. To find the source, you are going to need to do some digging. Have you pulled the sump cover off yet?

There are a multitude of potential ferrous sources in these engines, but I would pull the sum cover and also check the cam deviation values as well.

Thanks everyone for responses and helpful suggestions. The rationale for my initial post was based on the premise well articulated in the Porsche manuals, as Porsche advises us not to exceed 4200 RPM until the engine has reached the optimal operating temperature. In 996 cars (M96 and GT1-based engines), the only available indication for normal operating range is coolant temperature gauge. In 997 and Cayenne (and perhaps other newer models), there are two temp gauges: coolant and oil. I have observed consistent temporal differences between coolant and oil temp gauges in both of my cars (997 turbo and Cayenne TT), with the oil temp rise always follows the coolant temp regardless of ambient temperture (in colder weather the difference is larger).So the question is which one is more reliable reflection of engine operating temperature in early stages of driving, or does it really matter?

Oil temp is the most important of the two. Because these cars use an oil to water oil cooler system, and the fact that oil will always take longer to warm up, the oil temp will always lag the coolant until everything is at full temp. Then the oil will always be hotter than the coolant.

Every time someone calls the shop about removing "a simple broken bolt", I cringe. As Mike noted, this job could go either way: simple or horrific. You never know why the bolt broke; was it the wrong bolt (very common on these water pumps) and it bottomed and also cracked the case before breaking? Was the bolt the wrong thread size/type, and buggered the hole before failing?

Basically, you have no idea what you are going to get into until you get there……