Constantly alternating between full throttle, hard braking and high g-force cornering will take its toll on any car. The Porsche Boxster handles this better than most, so our winter overhaul is more akin to a full service and some preventative maintenance. No full strip down and rebuild needed!
First job was to remove the starter motor. This has been getting more and more sluggish recently, struggling to start the car when the engine is hot.
It
sits on top of the engine so removal of the throttle body and air
intake make it easier to get to. These are cleaned up as we go, as is
the BMC performance air filter which is has to be washed and re-oiled. A two- foot-long 2 foot socket extension is needed to get to the last bolt, which is accessed through the engine cover behind the seat.
 |
| Top of the engine minus throttle body and starter motor |
While we are in this area of the engine, the oil air separator is notorious for failing, allowing oil to be sucked into the engine. Our intake showed some signs of oil residue. There is a motorsport version - but this isn't available for our earlier model car. Special hose clips and small arms from above and below are needed to replace this.
Lastly we turned our attention to underneath the car where we've been seeping fluid. A length of hose had to be cut out. Initially we thought this was power steering fluid, however it turned out to be coolant. Porsche factory fill with a yellow liquid which isn't available any more. Given the potential problems with mixing different coolant types we'll flush the system completely and refill after replacing the hose.
Phase two in the new year will be to change the oil and filter, then replace the front bumper. Finally we'll be removing more unnecessary wiring and getting a lighter weight exhaust fitted.
