pk2

My 2 cents is forget any a special kit or paint. I used duplicolor engine enamel (probably even overkill, the rotors dont get that hot) and ebay decals also. Mine are fine condition after 5 years(?) which tells me powder coating is way overkill. Fools my freinds and the guys at the car wash(lol)

I would behoove anyone to tell the difference in color unless my calipers were right next to the real things. Besides, I believe the real red calipers are a different performance oriented animal. They look different, bigger pistons. Anyone who could tell the diff in the shades of red, would already know you don't have the real deal because of the size & shape.

The single most important thing for a good Finnish and longevity is prep. Those pups a dirty and greasy. Clean thoroughly however would want. When think your done. You really want it "chemically clean" but good with a "prep solvent. I use 3m adhesive remover, same stuff, petty easy to find, You want to wipe it on and before it evaporates wipe it back of.

Prety hard to sand, do you best and off you go.

Thanks guys,

I didn't put any anti-seez compound on them, in fact changed I never changed them before. The first guy must have done the sin....in more ways than one...four kryptonite electrode plugs(or something something like that) ...Weird though isn't it. 3 people on just these forums, all within a couple of weeks, report the same problem.

So is the theory that, we three (and by extrapolation, many,many more outside of these forums) are the victims of anti seize compound?

Regards, PK

heavens, a dishonest tire dealer?....

I always thought 4 years was the beginning of the end, but, 4,6 whatever. Maybe not so fast sitting on a shelf though. Your tires are really tortured just rolling straight down the highway at say 35. Every thing is constantly flexing and generating heat and hardening, not to mention the effects of UV and hot pavement. As I understand it, it is reformulating the molecular configuration, sort of like work hardening. So, it's not just tread but but the composition of the tire that also takes a beating... But still...

I would not give your tires back pronto but make arrangements with the joker pronto, for your good reason. Site BBB, ASA, etc standards if you have to. Line up the new tires you really want (preferably elsewhere). and get them on before you return anything.

Regards PK

Toolpant 2x unless thep lasic was inferior and outgased...unlikely.

PK

Alot depends on the climate you live in. Fuel is a good call, you can smell really bad fuel. Trick will be getting rid of. If you don't have much fuel, and it doesn't smell horrible. dilute the 'ell out of with fresh fuel, toss in some Techron. Technically your oil should not have changed much but if your selling it, you'll want to change it anyway , make agood impression. Good idea to disable the ignition (not the starter) and crank it around a good length of time to get the luids coursing through its veins before you start it.

If your tires were a few years old (or not) when you parked it, they may have flat-spots on them which will feel like your driving over rail road track, shaky steering etc., that could freak you out ...but since I warned you. Coolant should be O.K., Drive around a bit and have look. It's supposed to be a life time proposition. As to brake fluid itself, (someone help me), Ive seen master brake and clutch cylinders fail due to moister that was kept agitated and suspended in the fluid but, with inactivity it settles and does what water does to metal.

Other than that, you'll probably want to drive it around for awhile before you sell it, while two years of natural aging catches up and lets go. Electrical connections can get corroded, wreak little havoc to.

Again though, were it stored in Arizona, much would be moot. My take is based on dusty old exotica I've hauled out of probably indefinite storage kinda worse case.

Regards, PK

To whom it may concern,

Is there a thing with these spark plugs and the alloy of the heads? Mine will be the 3rd instance i have of heard of, of these sparkplugs practically falling out in so many weeks. Mine were in just about finger tight when I replaced them at 35k. This was despite the fact that they have , if I recall, a torque spec that is pretty high.

PK

What you probably have you can call a slow burn short... that can be where you have big wiring is shorting or has a bad connection but is just a little bit bad. Not enough to pop a fusem but given time can burn. Like a soldiering . A short circuit that is hot but won't blow a fuse

The beauty of this is that the wire will be pretty obviously burnt. However the short could be on the on either end of said wire or a device on either end,

A good thing is to start at one end of the problem. like the fuse box or the lights and trace the along until you find something fishy..

There maybe a very comon problem, I don't know about, but I'll leave that someone else

Jake Raby just quoted me $895 for the IMS upgrade...

Is that for the LN design, or something new and different?

Is either available to other mechanics, like whoever beelzy finds in central California? (I seem to recall some sort DYI about upgrading the thing somewhere)

ALSO, since we're not on the topic & maybe should be, on a another thread, there's a long discussion about how accurate the temp gauge is. without getting into any detail, at all (sorry, go read it, Just remember 986, shows last posts first) http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?...ge=2&pp=20). it's apparently not at all. when gauge is moving around within the number "180" it is actually running between 200 & 210.

I mention this because there's always rumbling about heat induced IMS failures.

The solution is apparently to replace stock 180f thermostat with one rated at 160...Which presumably runs the thing at a pretty constant 185. I'm kinda sold, because on 2000 (and Before) Box's and before, you manipulate your HVAC panel to give all sorts of temps around the car including engine temps. However , even though predictably the engine temps are much higher than the gauge, the feed still goes through Porsche circuitry, so, who do you believe, Porsche or Porsche.

But, I wonder why I have never heard of this before. I've always followed all the IMS disaster story posts and D chip stuff because I'm pushing the 'ell out my motor, and always looking a the diffintive explations and the fixs.

So, I think we could all benifit, By a show of posts,

1)You have a 160f degree thermostat?

2) Not heard of the issue.

2) Anyone who thinks it's bs and has a better tail to tell.

Regards, PK

That alot information to digest, The really short answer the shop sounds horrible. Poster child or abuse.

They should have gone for a spin in your car once "fixed". If it was doing the same or anything questionable, should have gone right back to the garage with a big red flag. However you heard it al too, should't really accepted it.

Umm...so much to say. Every time I've had water in the oil. the block, head gasket or head were the culprits. The cars runs hot depending how bad it is and where the leak is. Usually grey streaks up the dip stick and, the grays accumulate in high places so under the filer cap is a good place look. But that's when the stuff is combined through the pressure cooker called your engine. If it just spills out independently or hasn't been under a- lot of heat stress, Its' oil and water trying not to mix together on dark ashalt. On the pavement it would hard to discern which is which Neither will evaporate soon. You can feel the difference and smell the dif.

Personally I hope you're not grieving rt. now, cause your very lucky. I wouldn't personally drive my car 50 feet with the symptoms described, It could have been a total disaster. As best I can tell you had the right symptoms and the rt apparent outcome. Event though you got off lucky with no catastrophic failure , you still could have done a lot of damage by driving it.

Your shop sounds that it is not just incompetent but, negligent, deceitful and, vindictive and would be a perfect study for a cautionary Better biz Bureau short (film). But even ven if your paying top dollar and lobby where the coffees really good, Stuff happens, mechanics aren't the same your problem is the first of it's kind I've ever heard of. I'm befuddled by the 12 hours to change the tensioner I haven't done but I was real close, nothing obviously remarkable about it.. a relatively competent mechanic could have the whole motor out in that time.

Regards, PK

Geoff,

You know I'm probably the in worst person to comment about what are to me, degrees of niceties. I lost the 1st 2nd and 3rd sychros a year or 2 ago, all within a week. (30k go figure). However I was pretty versed in double clutching and I adapted pretty quick. It wasn't long before I got completely complacent and the trans began slipping down my "to-do" list. It's down around #57 now. (#1 is "put laundry in dryer"... if your were interested.)

But, enough about me. Have you done good search on the subject here (and the other forums)? I've heard lot gripes about cold operations with third party gear oils. If I remember correctly, it almost always winds up just being the wrong weight. I'm thinking as Im writing and the heavy gear thing, that's been true for eons when the oil is to heavy. In-fact, I remember my dad telling me about used car dealers wat back when, routinely using heavy weight gear oil tighten up sloppy transmission (heavy oil, oatmeal, bananas or all three were also used...not kidding).

But back to this century and your car, If you put a heavy oil in a sloppy transmission and it tightens it up, stands to reason if you put to heavy oil in a tight trans., it going to make it way to tighten it up allright, give a siezure. I am almost possessive I heard someone with same complaint about the same oil , same car, and the problem was the wrong weight gear oil.

But, as to your other theroy, the 11mm level thing, I really just don't under stand it and I was hoping one of the brighter bulbs around here would pop in and and enlighten us all. But gut feeling is, if you toy with it, I can't see a problem if your off...even a-lot. In fact maybe that would be good, just cut to the chase. Fill it or drain it by a significant amount and drive it just far enough to see if it made a diff. If it did, I'd start filling it (or draining it) in steps till it starts getting sticky again, then just back off. That is, drain or fill, till it working wel again.

Just had a brainstorm on the measurement thing,It just might work to. Think of a floating buoy rising with (and on) the tide.

Not spacey like it sounds... gotta go

Regards, PK

Huh,

Fumy thing, I tried something like that, figured I'd just stick my finger in and down, pull it out and measure the oil on my finger. Problem i had was once my finger was in those tight confines, it had oil all over it and, everything in there was the same temp so I couldn't even tell if my fingertip was in the oil or not.

My manual though went into great detail as to how to modify an allen wrench, of some exact size, by grinding a little notch exactly 11mm down the short side. Then, with surgical precison, you presumably stick it in through the hole and lower it into the abyss. As I recall. the abyse was had a front back wall/baffle about 15mm apart, Hit just one, front or back, and you've just got oil allover you ridicules little dip stick. Start allover.

I would love an explanation what is so critical about the 11mm (not 10, not 12, 11). It's obvious they designed and built the case with the fill hole 11mm higher than they would have liked but, gosh, a simple little down and dirty "fill it till it spills" turns into major surgical proposition.

Regards PK

BoB C welcome aboard.

That sounds very, prudent & sensible and deserves a short but honest discussion Don't take it the wrong way and go away and never come back as I might sound harsh. I think we might both might learn something, You will have to work through some challenging, grammar misspellings, and sentence structure (dyslexia)

So, Have you ever seen an arch in your engine bay? If so where did it come from?

I owned, rebuilt and sold awful lot of cars years ago, about 25-30 in all. Paid for my schooling selling them once got them shi[ shape, I got to own and drive a lot of cars no starving college student should be seen in. I'll tell you though, to get those things up from the dead and ultimately running sweet (they usually came to me on flatbeds in pretty sorry shape) took an elluva lot of starter fluid (among many, manyother things), to make them sing and sell.

Basically what I observed in those days was that the stuff never stuck around long enough to catch fire. I think you could probably flick matches into the spray, a foot from the nozzle, all afternoon, and never see any pyrotechnics. It either dissipates or vaporizes shortly after leaveing th can. I have only seen a flame when deliberately screwing around with a lighter, right in front of a spraying nozzle. It's a big flame, but only till the very instant you shut it down. Then it's gone. poof with out a trace

My theory is, and I think its a good one,Its extremely volatile, can be ignited at very low temps, but, only when the conditions ar perfect. The occures in only to places 2 in it's journey to the spark plug from the nozzle(I've studied this suff a bit), that's at the nozzle & when It's Sucked in to vacuum/manifold system. That's due to it's critical A/F value the starter fluid needs to ignite, (Our cars have a 14:1, A/F ratio nothing burns well if at all to far from that ratio.

In the can, the fuels compressed with very little air, it's way off. Way, way to rich to burn. Start spraying and at about an inch out, its mixing with air, now close enough to it's A/F value that it can ignite. But maybe a foot away , It has dissipated some and vaporized and now theirs way to much air to let the it ignite, The A/F value has tilted to the other extreme.

(Jeeze, did I say a "short ...discussion") At the other end its going to start to return to its flammable A/F ratio as it' sucked into the manifold it starts to equalize it's ratio with that of the fuel there at 14:1, good enough to burn. ( but note, Its really whisked away fast into the manifold where it's safe from your arc. Once in the cylinder with correct a/f ratio, its compressed and ignited and boom. I'ts more flammable and explosive than fuel, but again, only at the a very good stoichiometric value (A/F ratio). It has that value just outside the can and in the vacuum system but not dilute wit air wafting around the engine bay,

Just an educated guess but it makes sense doesn't it? Other wise, odds's are by now, what was left of my head would be out in the stratosphere somewhere.

But, your correct, if your not comfortable around the engine (or, one with engine?) have someone else do it. The beauty is it's really, really fast and the alternative require $$ equipment and more time $$. I gave my Box the once over after some extreme mods to it's plumbing. In 20 mins or less I found and fixed four leaks an checked dozen more.

Regards, PK

Have a morbid , I guess, question. Had my car for years, read often about this curse, kinda understand what gives. But, how do you know it's happened. Is it just a blood curling crunching and thrashing about behind.

Is there any justifiable comfort to be had with a preemptive replacement?

Regards PK

This your Mother speaking (grin)

Did you etch the raw metal or use a self etching primer?

Regards PK

In genreal, spraying a motor down without covering tightly every electrical connection and breather is trouble. My guess is your trans. is fine but electrics are compromised. You could go over every place you sprayed and look for any and all electrical connections , pull them off, make sure all is dry maybe spray them with contact cleaner and put them back together. If you didn't burn short anything out might just get up and go

PK

I think Amsoil has that reputation (here come the reps). I wouldn't worry about the level of the gear oil cause I don't know who the ___ could fill it exactly to 11mm below. There'd be a lot of gear grinding around events if it mattered.

The most clever way I have heard of though, is do some algebra and measurements, and figure out the angel you need to to tilt the car so the oil would start spilling out if it were 111mm down when level. Than you take the plug out and lift one side with jack to the right angle. let it spill or, fill.

Regards, PK

Once I knew, but have forgot the nuances. I do know you can't see the actual part that counts without taking it out. If no-one pipes in you can contact Pedro at Pepdros garage in Florida. He would be happy to tell you...he makes reproductions (find him on Porsche Pete's Boxster board or google it

PK

Is your temp gauge reading where it should be (need to elaborate) and it's just your light(?), before you go to nutz, find out if it is really overheating with a long thermometer. I'd lean towards Lorens thought a sensor, maybe even just a sensor wire grounding (or not). Intermittent problems are more likely to be electrical than mechanical.

Regards, Pk

See mom was right, politeness will get you everywhere,

For Jackng there are hard spot's all over the place. basically, any hard spot is fair game, that is, anypoint where the weight of the car is transferred to the wheels. Aside ftom that it just kind of comes with experience. Got to think i through. A pad of some sort, is helpful in these unofficial spots from screwing thing up, I just use a block of 2x4.

I use up to 2 floor jacks and 4 jack stands and, depending on how precarious it is, wedge a wheel and tire underneath some where if your nervous (especially isf you have a curious prescooler around or live in earthquake country or both). When you jack it up , get your jack stands in place lower the jack slowly onto the stands till you have evenish pressure on jack and stands. If the jack isn't in your way, leave it with some there with pressure on it...may give it a 1/2 pump for good measure till it's snug.

I use a 2nd little 35 buck Orielky/kragen/et' al, 2500lbs floor jack firstly to get the car off the ground high enough to fit my big jack under it and, then later to fudge things around (like a dangling swing arm or to reposition a stand etc..

Regards PK

I think it only had one wheel on the ground

Has he demonstrated this to you? Don't know anything about tips but if it's in neutral, can't see how fluid level would make a dif.

PK

A vacume leak is a good possibility. There's a good old fashion way he could use to find vacuum leaks himself. Sounds scary but not even, (I'd explain why but...).

Simply get a can of spray starter fluid (with the little "mini straw" extension). Fire up the motor, and start selectively shooting focused blasts at all the suspicious vacuum connections and devices. When you hear the engine surge a little (takes a second to register) and it's predictably repeatable, bingo. there's a leak.

Regards, PK

Cool,

You passed the test and are probably a lot smarter than me. I'm not completely clear on your details but, I can envision what your saying.

My Ideas involved 2 "latching" relays (probably the same function as your timers, I think) . Or, better best, hack a generic, and contemporary electric window lift control (ebay about $40 at the time) They do every thing you wish your top would do (including interference detection (your neck): detect-stop-& reverse). A few problems with this one but could be overcome.

There's some funny things with the existing circuitry, Mine doesn't work right but I wonder who needs it if you have the switches. Maybe we should collaborate?

Regards, PK

Ok I get you, RFM Is correct. You might want to use something soft and thin to get a couple corners up so you can get your fingers in there and pull it.

I looked into doing something like that (one touch) , figured out 2 ways to go but it took cobbing or modding some electronics together. It was to have all the the features functions it should( precise auto stop and emergency stop,etc), but, you need a top that works correctly and mine doesn't (won't stop by itself)'...maybe some day.

The timer idea is down and dirty could work in a way, but I think you'll never get it to stop in the exact same place you want. If you time exactly the time it takes for the top to open or close correctly & all the way under different conditions, I think you'll find the times all over the place.

With a timer, you'd have to have a 2 touch deal, 1 touch to it close most of the way and another to bring it home. Could work perfectly though with one touch but it will take more than a timer i think.

Regard,s pk

"Cheers" A Brit? Do you mean your canvass top? Do you have any experience in electrical engineering?

PK

Elaborate about your patient. (When you said it wouldn't start, it still cranked no?), is it misfiring? listen at the tail pipe for little poofs, you can feel them to with your had in front of the exhaust pipe to. If it is, is it even & steady or arbitrary hit an miss. Does it run rough all the way up to the recline. Again abitrary or even.

Is it just slugish but still running smooth? Did it die on you or did you just wake one morning to a little surprise? Doing anything weird last time you drove it?

Regards, pk