KarlS

Anyone have a source for current supplements? My source has been unable to come up with any after 79. They keep telling me they can't get them from PCNA. Karl

I looked at installing the Nokia CK-7W Advanced Car Kit but returned it. The connectors did not match with the cable provided by Becker and I didn't feel like making up a patch cable. Other than that, the kit comes with way you need to interface with the TP, no other circuit should be required. The TP senses the signal on that phone input and will mute the radio or CD. Karl

I don't know about the TP High Speed but on the old model TP there is an input for the telephone audio. Becker sells a cable to make the connection. Another option is to just use a Bluetooth wireless headpiece and save the money and trouble of installing the car kit. That's what I ended up doing. Karl

The word is this is for faulty valve springs and only includes 12 cars in the US. Is there any official notice out yet? Karl

Do you mean the workshop manuals? If so, these are very large, multi-volume sets. They used to be available through the dealers for around $500 but I understand that PCNA has raised the price recently to over $2000. Maybe you can find someone selling a set on eBay. The only other option is to download what you need on a per document basis from PCNA's web site Porsche Technical Service It's pricey though, $110 per document. Karl

Of the three you mentioned, the rear center console swap is definitely the most difficult. If you're going to pay the dealer for something, that would be the one job to choose. Karl

The part numbers are as follows: Aerokit II splitter 996.505.986.02 GT3 splitter: 996.505.986.92 I haven't seen them side by side, so I can't tell you what the difference is. Karl

Yes, you need to remove the wheels to make it easy to get at the fender liner retainers. Karl

Richard, Check your e-mail. Karl

You do not have to make any changes to the wiring harness under the seat. What you may need to do is transfer the seat belt recepticle from the stock seat over to the Sparco and reconnect the two wires running from the seat belt recepticle to the two pins in the wiring harness under the seat (I believe these are pins 7-8 but check to make sure before you disconnect the stock seats). If you do not do this, the air bag warning light on the dash is triggered (I don't know why). This is necessary for sure on North American cars but I'm not sure if it is with a Euro car, I think the safety and warning regulations may be different. Karl

The shop manual is silent on putting any coating on the brake caliper retaining bolts. However, a visual inspection of the bolts in my car showed that they were coated with an anti-seize compound at the factory (a light silver compound on mine, probably OptyMoly or something like it). Since these bolts are subjected to brutal heat and cooling cycles and because you have steel bolts connecting with an aluminum hub (remember ionization from chemistry class?), I was always taught to use anti-seize so that you can get the bolts out again when you need to. You definitely DO NOT want to use loctite or anything similar, at least not if you ever plan to remove the calipers again. The bolts will not vibrate out if they are torqued properly. If you don't feel comfortable with applying anti-seize, the best thing is not to use anything, since that is what is implied in the shop manual. I will also reiterate that the shop manual is very clear that you should only use NEW bolts when replacing the calipers. They don't explain why but they emphasize this point several times. The bolts can't be tested, since testing them involves finding the point at which they fail. It could be a liability concern or it could be that the engineers have discovered that the process of torquing them down and then breaking them loose weakens the bolts in some way. I know of race teams who change calipers many times a season but never change these bolts and I don't know of any failures. Karl

It would be difficult and very expense. You would need a new engine (it isn't possible to convert the M96), new tranny, new ECU software, and new wiring harness, at a minimum. Probably a bunch of other detail stuff as well. Expect to pay at least $50K for this conversion. Trading the C4S on a TT would be much less expensive. A more cost effective option would be to add a supercharger to the existing M96 engine. This has been done successfully on both 3.4L and 3.6L cars. Karl

OK, I'm doing this from memory, so you guys double check me to make sure I didn't forget anything. Here are the steps for a caliper change: 1. First, disconnect the sensors and remove the pads using the pad change DIY. 2. Loosen the two hex head bolts that hold the caliper to the wheel hub. I think these require a 10mm hex head socket. I recommend a 1/2" Snap-On socket because the 3/8" ones you get at Sears will sometimes snap when trying to loosen the bolt. You'll also need a big breaker bar to break the bolt loose. 3. Before completely removing the 2 bolts from the wheel hub, remove the 10mm bolt that secures the front brake line to the wheel hub. Note: this step is only required for the front calipers. 4. Have a short bungee handy so that you can hang the caliper from the spring so that the brake line doesn't crimp. Finish removing the 2 hex head bolts and hang the caliper using the bungee. 5. Before removing the brake line from the caliper, you may want to pick up some rubber brake line plugs from the local auto parts store. Plugging the line once you remove it will help minimize the amount of brake fluid you spill on the garage floor. 6. To remove the brake line from the old caliper you need a flare end or line wrench, either 10mm or 11mm, I can't remember which. A flare end wrench is a special type of open end wrench that wraps around 5 sides of the fitting so you don't strip it. Don't cheap out and try to do this with a regular open end wrench. You will surely strip at least one brake line and getting that fixed will cost a lot more than buying the right tool in the first place. 7. Loosen the brake line fitting where it connects to the caliper with the flare end wrench. 8. Remove the fitting and plug the end with a rubber plug to keep it from dripping all over. 9. Remove the old caliper. 10. Mount the new caliper on the wheel hub by just starting the 2 hex head bolts. Before inserting the bolts, coat the threads lightly with anti-seize compound. BTW, I think Porsche recommends replacing these bolts when replacing the caliper as they are only designed to be torqued once. I have reused them without problem but I wanted you to know what Porsche recommends. 11. Unplug the brake line and connect it to the new caliper. Tighten the fitting with the flare end wrench to 9 ft lbs, which isn't much. You probably can't get a torque wrench onto the fitting, so just snug it and make sure not to over torque it. 12. Screw the hex head bolts in the rest of the way to the hub and torque them to 63 ft lbs. 13. Reconnect the 10mm bolt that secures the front brake line to the wheel hub. Again, this step is for the front brakes only. 14. Replace the pads and sensors per the DIY. 15. Bleed the brakes. For a caliper change, I usually go around twice, just to make sure I get all the air out. You also should tap the calipers with a rubber mallet while bleeds to loosen up any air bubbles. Also check the brake line fittings to make sure there are no leaks while the system is under pressure. 16. Before moving the car, make sure you start it and pump the brake pedal until you get a hard pedal. DO NOT forget this step or you can end up running into something. OK, so what did I miss? BTW, if you find any of this confusing or don't want to invest in the proper tools, skip it and get a professional to do the swap. The last thing you need is to screw up your brakes and get in an accident as a result. If you're the least bit unsure, it is safer to have a knowledgeable pro do it. Karl

If you removed the seats, which requires disconnecting the wiring harness under the seat, and the key was in the ignition (you mentioned you were playing the radio), the airbag light was triggered. As Loren mentioned, you will have to have a dealer turn it off. Karl

Check the rear fender liner carefully for damage when you can. There are some plastic frame parts that support the rear bumper cover behind the rear wheel. When a tire starts flapping around, these plastic pieces are usually cracked or broken. Karl

It's easy to take out any 996 seat. Remove the 4 torx head bolts that fasten the seat rails to the chassis, disconnect the wiring harness under the seat, and the seat is ready to lift out. The GT3 seat is very light, so it's easy to get it out. Just protect the door frame and sill to ensure you don't scratch them with the seat rails. I haven't taken the seat backs off, so someone else will have to comment on how to do that. If you're painting the backs, you may want to consider also painting the plastic pieces that line the shoulder belt holes. That trim is fastened on with a couple of screws. Karl

The bar is constantly moving when you corner the car, putting pressure on that bushing. Since there is a tear in the bushing, it may have to be replaced, otherwise, it could continue to come out. Keep an eye on it as you said. If you slips or begins to work it's way out again, replace it. Karl

Unless the bushings are cracked or broken, they should be fine. I assume the noise went away once you tightened the bracket? Karl

Porsche does not allow or sell parts to enable a shop to rebuild an M96 engine, so getting a factory rebuilt engine is your only choice. Good luck on working down the cost. And stay safe in Iraq. Karl

The rear sway bar ( or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar, all are used interchangeably) is connected to the car in two places. From your description I can't determine which is causing your problem, so I'll describe both. One is via what is called a drop link. This is a 5-6 inch long, slim piece with a spherical joint at each end. One end of the drop link bolts through the hole at the end of the sway bar and the other bolts to the wheel upright, near where the shock and spring are mounted. The bolts that connect the drop links will sometimes work loose, causing the clanking sound you described. As long as the nut is still there, all you need to do is retighten it. The sway bar is also bolt to the rear cross member with a couple of bolts and a U shaped bracket, which uses a rubber grommet to reduce noise. If this part has somehow worked loose or fallen off, you'll need to tighten or replace it. Hope this helps. Karl

Don't know for sure but it only costs around $250 to get the windshield completely replaced, so it should be less than that. Karl

The DME is located under a metal shelf that is covered by a carpet piece behind the rear seats. Depending on where you are starting from, you can either route a wire under the carpet along the side sills or along the transmission tunnel and under the rear carpet back to the DME. Karl

Find the two main wiring harness that run between the DME and the engine. In my car they are on the passenger side of the engine. Trace the cables up to where they pass through the rear firewall, there is a rubber grommet the cables pass through. To get access to the rubber grommet from inside the car, you will need to remove the carpet piece that covers the rear firewall. With the carpet removed, you should be able to easily pass any additional wires through and tie wrap them to the engine wiring harness. Karl

It can certainly be done but it may be easier and cheaper to just get an aftermarket product such as Europipe. There are two Motorsports exhaust systesm, one for the GT3 Cup that uses cats but no mufflers and the other for the RSR that uses straight pipes. Obviously the problem with the RSR exhaust will be emissions and noise. Even the GT3 Cup exhaust has issues. First of all, it is also pretty loud and could get you pulled over just for that. Second, it only has fittings for 1 oxygen sensor per side, whereas the stock exhaust uses two. I suspect this will cause problems with the OBD II system but there may be a way around it. Another problem is that the Cup car cat is a single large unit with a center exit exhaust. To mount this on a street car you would either have to use the Cup car carbon fiber bumper cap (~$3K) or hack an opening in the street car bumper just under the license plate. You can probably make the Cup car exhaust work but you'll end up spending $6-10K for it depending on how much custom tuning to the DME is needed. After all that, I doubt you would find more than 10 HP. As for your question about wouldn't a straight pipe be better, in theory, yes. However, not just any straight pipe will work. The size and length are critical. It is easy to actually decrease HP with exhaust mods. The Grand Am teams spend a lot of time on the dyno tuning the length and profile of their exhaust systems to maximize HP. As I said, if you're looking to pick up a few HP, use a reputable aftermarket firm that has already done the design and dyno testing. Just make sure they offer a money back guarantee and make sure you do before/after dyno runs to confirm their claims. There are a lot of products on the market that will actually decrease HP, so buyer beware. Karl

It turns out the problem had nothing to do with dry seals or loss of coolant or actually anything physical. Believe it or not, it was caused by the TrafficPro I installed last year! According to the tech, whom I talked to directly, the DME was not sending a signal to the AC compressor to turn on. Why? Because it was looking for a CDR23 in the car and when it didn't find one, it registered a fault with the CAN bus communication. Somehow this fault caused the DME to think it couldn't communicate with the AC compressor either, so it didn't try. The fix? The tech said he unplugged the yellow C1 connector on the back of the TrafficPro. On the TP, this connector is only used for line out signals for an external amp, but I guess on the CDR23 it must be used to talk to the CAN bus. As soon as the DME was unable to "see" a headunit, it must have assumed there wasn't one and everything else went back to normal. The AC started working again and the TrafficPro still works fine without the C1 connector. I suspect the same thing could be accomplished by using a PST2 to tell the DME there is no radio but the tech did not try that. Dealer charged me about $220 labor for the fix. Pretty strange, huh? Karl