![]() 03/27/2018 at 19:20 • Filed to: None | ![]() | ![]() |
This is weird. I’m actually intimidated by wrenching on the 996. I have no idea why, I’ve done an engine swap in a Miata, full cooling system in an E36, gas tank, suspension, interior in Hondas, lifts on my Jeeps, etc etc etc. I’m not scared of digging into a project, and I’ve got a big garage and tools.
But there’s something about wrenching on my 2001 Porsche 996. I’ve had it for a year now, and I need to fix a rattle in the Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE). The valves rattle and parts break loose internally, which makes my car sound like bolts in a coffee can. All I need to do is pull the damn thing off and have an exhaust shop cut in and reweld it, or just replace them with used parts. This is not a difficult job, especially on a car like mine that has 0 rust.
Can’t explain it, but the thing intimidates me. I’d never consider paying someone else to do something like this on any other car I’ve owned, but I have for this. Tomorrow I’m going to put on my big boy pants and dig in though. I don’t want to drive the car like it is, and I want to drive it.
Wish me luck.
![]() 03/27/2018 at 19:37 |
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You might just be scared to find a bigger problem that’s gonna cost you an arm and a leg or in other words average Porsche replacements party’s cost.
![]() 03/27/2018 at 20:14 |
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Ehh. I don’t buy things new. Salvage yards and eBay are good sources. I didn’t buy a new one for a reason, and I could get pretty close to what I have in it even without an engine.
![]() 03/27/2018 at 20:20 |
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I’m with you. I’m on year two of my 09 S8 ownership and this thing still intimidates me a bit. I read and re read the service manual and search all over the internet before I dive into a repair. I finished the decarboning right around the new year and this week I need to replace the oil cooler and I’m hoping it goes smoothly, but I always plan for the worse.
![]() 03/27/2018 at 20:20 |
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Nothing to worry about. Rear engine Porsches are some of the easiest cars you will ever work on. The older front engine, water-cooled models are some of the most difficult.
![]() 03/27/2018 at 21:09 |
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Underneath it all; it’s not all too different than other cars. Good luck!
![]() 03/27/2018 at 23:32 |
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If I can work on a Cayman, where you have to pre-plan how to get to the particular part of the engine (firewall, from on top, from underneath) then by God man you can do it!
![]() 03/28/2018 at 07:30 |
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1. I was slightly scared when I built my A543/568 hybrid manual for my old car.
I had never torn a transmission apart before that, so it was very intimidating.
I tore it down, piece by piece, on a clean sheet of cardboard, and made sure to take pics at every step. Ended up being very simple and straightforward.
2. Tearing apart our 6.0PS. I had never worked on a diesel prior to owning this truck, so it was extremely intimidating. Once we got tearing into it, I realized it’s not much different than a gas engine, everything’s just heavier.
![]() 03/28/2018 at 09:00 |
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My 128i was not only intimidating but in some ways seemed actively hostile to anyone who wanted to work on it. Combine that with how badly the few minor things I did do went and I didn’t want to touch it.
Meanwhile, my Fit has the friendliest oil pan of any car I’ve owned. Isn’t that a weird sentence to write...
![]() 03/28/2018 at 10:06 |
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You’ve got this.