steve_wilwerding

I'm getting ready to remove my calipers to paint them, and I'm already planning on replacing the rotors "while I'm in there", though in truth, they do need to be done.

I'm wondering if it's worth replacing the "outer" caliper seal while I'm in there. Last time I changed pads, the seals didn't look too bad, but if they're cheap, and easy to replace, I'm thinking I should just do it.

Is this a good idea, or not?

Thanks!

OK, then how do you remove the rear bumper cover? I know there are screws along the bottom - anything else you have to unfasten?

I need to remove the rear fender liners on my rear wheels to clean behind them. The front fender liners on the rear wheels have just two nuts, but it looks like the rear fender liners are somehow attached to the rear bumper cover. Is there a way to take out the liners without removing the rear bumper cover?

Thanks.

As part of the 30,000 mile maintenance on my 98 Boxster, I checked the power steering fluid. Not only was there none on the stick, I stuck my finger in the reservoir and it was dry.

I have not noticed any noises coming from the steering rack, even when I turn, and the steering seems to work fine. I'm worried that I may have damaged my steering rack, but I would think it would make noises if it were going bad? I have not seen any fluid drops in the garage, so I'm assuming that I don't have a leak, just 7 years of normal fluid loss.

I'm off to the dealer tomorrow morning for some Pentosin - I'm crossing my fingers that I don't need a new steering rack.

Assuming the hand brake is released, do you have to loosen the screw on the rotor that adjusts the brake shoes?

I'm about to change rotors myself, and the method outlined in the Tech Manual says you have to loosen the adjustment screw, then when you're putting it back on, you have to tighten, then loosen it 5-6 notches.

I would think that the newest 986 S would make the best swap. Brakes on the S are, I think, the same size as a 996 (or if not exactly the same, pretty close). You could put a 3.6L eGas engine in a late model, which would give you ~30 more HP than a 3.4. Five-speed vs. six-speed pretty much comes down to personal preference.

The only issues with using a later model is that they are heavier than the earlier models, and a late model S would probably cost around $20K more to begin with than an early mode.

The only problem with drilled rotors is that they act like cheese graters against your brake pads. Unless you're doing serious track time, non-drilled rotors work fine, and don't eat up your brake pads.

I'm about to embark on this same project myself, though I'm painting my calipers also. You will need rotors (I bought mine from paragon-products.com), pads (I presently have relatively new set of Pagid Blues that I bought from Paragon last year - they are good street/occassional track pads. If you don't track much or don't want to spend a lot money, stick with OEM pads), stainless brake lines (which is what I'm assuming you're talking about), and brake fluid (I recommend ATE Blue or Gold).

As for tools, you need a 19mm socket to get the lug bolts off, a hex socket to take the caliper bolts off (I don't know what size - either 8mm or 10mm, I think - I just have a set of hex sockets), a flare wrench to remove the brake line (sorry, I don't know what size), and a screwdriver to get the rotor screws off (you may need an impact screwdriver to get the screws off, though).

Check out this site - it outlines the whole procedure: http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/proje.../change_rotors/

Bump - anyone?

I want to paint my calipers, and to do a thorough job, I want to remove the calipers from the car. Three questions - first, what is the best place to disconnect the brake line from the caliper? Second, I assume that once you disconnect the brake line, all the fluid in the reservoir will drain out? Third, assuming two is correct, is a Power Bleeder sufficient to purge the air out of the lines once the calipers have been reinstalled?

Search for something called the RedLine cocktail - 2 quarts of Redline 75W90 non-LSD oil with half a quart of Redline lightweight gear oil. That's what I used in my 98 and I have been very happy with it.

I've decided that I'm probably going to stick with the CDR 210, so I'm going to try to "fix" it. I've heard cleaning the contacts between the faceplate and the stereo often helps, and I will try the CD cleaner again. I'll let you know if I have any success.

What do mean about the alarm contact for the radio?

My CDR210 has been acting pretty flaky lately. It skips very easily, loses track of where in a song it is, which requires you to go back to the beginning, and generally does not work well. I've tried a cleaning CD, but that didn't seem to make a difference.

So, I'm thinking about upgrading to a CDR220. Are there any issues installing this into a 98 Boxster? Do I need a different wiring harness?

Thanks.

My 98 Boxster has traction control, and I was wondering if there are any differences between my engine and a "stock" Boxster engine. I know that traction control-enabled cars have different ABS units, but as far as the engine is concerned, is the TC just controlled by the DME, or is the engine itself somehow different?

The reason I ask is that I like TC, but am thinking of upgrading to a 3.4 996 engine. I'm wondering if I would have to get a TC engine, or whether the engine could just be dropped into the car I have (with a DME reprogram).

Thanks.

Is it a new engine? If so, where did you buy it?

And, yes, please document the process. I still have not seen a step-by-step way to do the swap, and I'm interested to know what all needs to be done.

When my top is up, the top "mechanicals" squeak a lot. It seems to mostly come from the joints in the bend of the top, where the top slopes from where the rear window is to horizontal. There seems to be a gear-type thing in the bend that seems to cause the most noise.

Has anyone ever lubricated these parts? Are there any other parts of the top that need to be lubricated?

While we're on the subject, where are the top drains and what is the best way to clean them?

Spare tire up front, only one strut for the rear decklid. Also, no oil dipstick.

If you're not doing any track driving, buy stock pads. Even if you do light track driving, stocks are pretty good.

If you do serious track driving consider Pagid Blues or Pagid Oranges.

Make sure they check both the intermediate shaft seal and the rear main seal - they can both leak, and could possibly both need to be replaced.

While you're in there, you could put in a lightweight flywheel. You might also think about a new clutch, if you haven't done that already. Engine mounts are probably somewhat easier to get to, but unless they have a problem, I wouldn't replace them. Throttle body is not any easier to replace with the transmission out.

I figured that I would never use my sensors, as I check the brake pads often, so I cut the wires down to about an inch, soldered them together, and put heat wrap over them. The brake light won't go off, it looks a lot cleaner than tying them up to the strut, and they don't get in the way of anything.

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

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Manual, not power, mirror.

Does anyone have a PDF of the B&M installation instructions for a Boxster/996? I need to replace my parking brake lever, and it seems like the B&M instructions contain good diagrams as to how to remove the center console.

My 98 Boxster has all of the normal black accessories in the center console (black mushroom shift knob, black hand brake lever, etc.) I'm slowly replacing everything with gray leather to match my interior. I have a line on a gray leather parking brake lever, and I'm just wondering how easy it is to change. I know it involves removing the center console, but is it pretty straightforward from there?