steve_wilwerding

I know that there are some old threads on this topic, but I'm just wondering if there is any new information. Would like to put 986 Boxster S brakes on a '98 Boxster. I know the rear calipers/rotors don't fit, and I've seen that Brembo sells (or at least used to sell) "hybrid" rotors that fix the issue. Is that still the case? My guess is that I can buy Boxster S calipers on the secondhand market a lot cheaper than I can buy the whole kit from Brembo, and if I could just get the rear rotors from them, it would cut down the cost. Any other new options available? I would like to do all four calipers, rather than just doing front S brakes.

Answered elsewhere. Thanks.

I have been using Pagid Oranges for track pads, and have been very happy, except that they leave so much buildup on the rotors as to make the car nearly undriveable when I put the street pads back on. A few places on the Internet have good things to say about Carbotech XPS10s. Anyone run these? Any other suggestions?

Some folks cut off the little feet on the bottom of the accelerator to help this - you'll notice that the butterfly can open a little more than with your foot on the floor. I cut off the feet/tabs, and now the throttle body is open all the way.

Had to get a brand new rear bumper - I just got it back from the painters, and I have a few questions. First, the new bumper does not have the cutouts for the frame that is covered by the rubber bumperettes - what is the best way to cut the new bumper? I'll try to make a template off of the old bumper, but what should I use to cut it? Second, I plan to drill out the old metal piece that is installed on the bumper just above the exhaust outlets - any tips for doing that?

I'm not sure of the age of the engine, but I would look at water pump, serpentine belt, chain tensioners, spark plugs, RMS seal, and spark plug tubes. Haven't heard of any issues with water hoses or power steering pumps, but if they look bad, change them. You could go with Pedro's solid engine mounts, but you'll get a lot of vibration on the street. As for clutch flywheel, if you are doing any street driving at all, I would recommend stock. If it's mostly or all a track car, you can look at a lightweight flywheel and something like a Stage 3 clutch, but that will make the car unlivable on the street.

You would have to get your engine reprogrammed to ROW specs as well - you can't just put the ROW piece in there because it doesn't have a cat. Unless emissions are a big deal in your state, it's not a bad change to get your engine reprogrammed to ROW specs.

I don't fill up my Motive - I just fill up the car's reservoir to full and attach the empty Motive, then pump up to around 12-15 pounds. Works the same, and you don't have to worry about cleaning out the Power Bleeder.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to software - I think the guy who did the conversion used Softronic - my best bet may be to email him and see if we can work out the kinks.

I have cats in the mid-pipes, not in the headers. No error codes, just doesn't seem like it has as much torque as it should.

This summer, I swapped a '99 996 3.4L into my '98 Boxster. I really love the conversion, but it definitely seems to be down on torque below about 4K RPM. Not having driven a 3.4 996, I don't know if this is normal or not. The engine was programmed to RoW specs with the idea of using catless headers, catless mid-pipes, and an aftermarket exhaust, but because of fitment issues, it currently has catless headers, Boxster S cats, and an aftermarket exhaust. It has a Cayman airbox and filter. Does the computer need to be re-programmed for this setup? What else can be done?

Thanks, Maurice - I probably need to start calling scrap yards to see if I can get the pieces.

I'm talking about the heat shields on the outside of all of the interior bumper pieces - look under your rear bumper and you will see them. There is a center section and two outside sections.

There are heat shields that essentially line the inside of the rear bumper - I need the part number for the lower right one (or all of them, if available).

I have item #5 available - it did not fit in after my 3.4L conversion. If anyone is interested, shoot me a PM.

Thanks Todd - I was not impugning the conversion work - I knew the NHP parts themselves were to blame.

On my 3.4 conversion, I am currently running NHP headers, Boxster S cats, and the NHP muffler. Seemingly, the NHP headers are not made for a lowered engine, and therefore the exhaust never fit quite right, which manifested in the U-tube breaking at the track on Friday and shooting hot exhaust onto the rear bumper, which burned through the heat shield and melted a hole in the rear bumper. So, not only am I in for a new bumper, but I need to figure out what to do with the exhaust. Wayne at PelicanParts is running the FabSpeed setup, but at around $3,000, that's a little more than I want to spend. Anyone else who has done the conversion, what are you running? I've heard a Cayman S exhaust will fit, though getting the muffler mounted seems like a challenge. Any help would be much appreciated.

Sounds like I could probably get away with 225/50s on the front, and 245/45s on the rear. Thanks.

The TSB doesn't list anything other than 205/55 225/50 for 16" wheels.

I have some 16" wheels for my 98 Boxster that I was going to put race rubber. Stock tires sizes are 205/55 and 225/50 - can I go any bigger on stock 16" wheels without rubbing?

The easiest swap would be another 2.5 with the updated IMS from Flat 6 and new chain tensioners, etc. Past that, the easiest swap is a 3.4L from a 996. Putting a Boxster S motor in is difficult - reprogramming the computer, new pedals, etc. Boxster S transmissions are not easy either, since you need new halfshafts and new hubs for the rear wheels. Sent you a PM.

After some consideration, Wayne, I decided on your approach, and ordered the parts from Pelican on Monday. Now the next question - anybody have any tricks on cutting the hole in the front bumper. I like Pedro's approach, but any other suggestions are welcome.

I agree with you in the sense that you wouldn't want to run lines of that type - however, if you look at the specs for that fitting, it is meant to stand high temperature and pressure up to 200 psi, which is far more than a Boxster runs by a factor of about 15-20. Also, consider that is is really just sleeving the hard line - it is not "free standing", and therefore doesn't need to be very durable. I suppose you're correct in saying that it could blow out, but I figure it's about as likely as the other folks who tightened the large diameter hose over the small diameter hard line, or the probability of it leaking or blowing out with a smooth copper fitting in the line. I guess I'll take my chances - I rarely drive my car far from home, so if it needs to be flat-bedded at some point, so be it.

Well, I think I've hit upon the answer. The trick is that you need a rubber hose 1 3/4" long, 1" ID, roughly 1 1/4" OD (it can be a little bigger, as the outside hose will stretch a little). The other requirement, as I mentioned above, is that the hose must be made of solid rubber, not rubber impregnated with thread, as coolant hose is. I went to Lowe's today to see if I could find something that would work - I didn't really want to use PVC hose, and none of the other broad selection of hoses looked good. However, I finally hit the dishwasher isle, and lo and behold, a dishwasher to disposal rubber hose seemed to be the answer - the OD is about 1 1/4", and the ID is 7/8". Also, it is made to handle hot water and pressure, so it seemed an ideal choice. Plus, they were $1.79 a piece, so I thought I'd at least try. I brought them home, and cut each one 1 3/4" long, which cuts off the narrower section. I then test fit on the hard line on the car - unfortunately, the 7/8" ID would not stretch quite enough to slip over the hard line. So, I got out the Dremel with a sanding disk and sanded the inside down until it was about 1" ID, making sure to keep everything as smooth as possible on the inside. I then thoroughly cleaned out all the rubber bits, and test fit on the car - perfect! I have just now put everything back together and ran the car up to operating temp, and everything looks good - no leaks (though this time, I did use double hose clamps on the hard lines). I'm going to let it sit overnight and check for leaks tomorrow, then run another test up to operating temperature. If all looks good, it will be time to make the template for the front bumper and start cutting, then (FINALLY) get everything back together. Anyway, thought this might be helpful for those attempting this in the future, and it saves a lot of money over Wayne's solution. It's the part in the lower right of this picture - you can buy it separately from the hose.