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The Maintenance Files |
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Air Filter
- 62K miles
Uhhh. This one doesn't need a description. If you can't figure out how to replace it, go set your car on fire right now. To get the amazing HP boost possible from a 'cup' type of airbox lid, I bought a used one from a PCA guy & broke out the jigsaw. Nice increase in engine 'music', but the reality is, of course, that there is no HP gain with a 3.2 Carrera. It also lets you finally close that top rear clip on the airbox, the one you need a midget contortionist to get normally. Bump Steer Kit Since I did lower it, I figured it was time to install the bump steer kit that had been aging in my garage. Another no-brainer. Just follow the directions in the pack & Wayne's book & it's hard to go wrong. Prying up the rack to fit the washer in can be a bit of a challenge because of the tight spaces involved, but it is still easy. Either this, or my 1st attempt at front toe did manage to throw off the centering of my steering wheel. Use the front toe adjustment on the tie rods to solve this irritation. - see Alignment in Pictures. Door Gasket Replacement Take it off carefully preserving those rubber ends that are glued on. Remove them & clean. Glue in new gasket using a good weather-strip adhesive - the spray kind is NOT a good choice here. Glue on the ends & clean excess with acetone. Fuel Filter Install was textbook. Use Wayne's 101 & the Bentley & it's really hard to mess it up. Just use the two wrenches like they say & have something ready to catch the fuel that pours out of the bottom of the filter as you're lifting it over your fender . . . Leather Seat Renewal Leatherique. Buy it & follow the directions to leather seat bliss. Does require multiple applications. Rear Shock Absorbers - 63K Miles You know your rear shocks are shot . . . when . . . well, assume they are shot if you don't know or can't remember replacing them. After 40K or 50K & multiple years carrying the engine around, chances are good that you need replacements. I have heard/read that the front shocks are seldom shot but the rears typically are. The bumper jump test doesn't work well on torsion bar cars, so pony up the cash & fix them. The big decision is - which one? Boge are widely distained by many & they opt for the stiffer Bilstein. I decided to stay boringly stock - I do have a 'cruiser cab' anyway & a couple of Porsche 'experts' have warned that you can stiffen a cab too much to the point it stops being a fun 'cruiser' but the inherent lack of rigidity will never let it be a stiff track carver. So Boge rears were my choice. I will do the fronts in the fall or next spring, although when I had them open to remove the infamous rubber bumper, they still had some spring in them. Install was textbook. Use Wayne's 101 & the Bentley & it's really hard to mess it up. Nice improvement in handling. Less roll on corners & the back is very hard to break loose - surprisingly hard. Of course, I also put in new Neatrix bushings & finalized alignment & ride height. Spoiler (Carrera Whale Tail) Gasket The gasket on my Whale Tail had a case of droopy. The glue - adhesive strip - was old/gone/whatever. Took the tail off & re-glued it back on. I tried to stretch it with clothes pegs to keep it in place. With the corners & contours, this was not practical. See Spoiler for pictures, if you must. So, I cleaned it for the 2nd time & re-glued without stretching. This worked leaving a gap at the bottom. I just glued in a tiny rubber piece to fill the gap cosmetically. Transmission Fluid Change - 63K miles More textbook stuff. I opted for Redline 75w90NS gear lubricant. The NS means No Limited Slip Differential. The fill plug came out easily after a 24 hour soak in penetrating oil & a homemade extension on the 12mm Allen wrench (1/2" copper plumbing pipe fit over nicely). The drain plug had some fur on it, but no chunks. Yipee!
The shifting smoothness was
instantly improved, as was the reduction in transmission chatter.
I'm a Redline believer now. Valve Adjustment - 68K miles Well, I can't really offer any new insight on this much-discussed topic. I dropped the covers, drained the oil & went at it. Then I buttoned it up & went for a drive. Then I did it again. And then I got it right the 3rd time. Yep. 3rd time. Well, OK the 4th. It is a PITA because of the tight quarters. I attempted the new fangled Clearance Check. But I thought it was worse than the adjustment using that 'factory' tool from Pelican. Then, I went at it again using 2.7's method in that link. It works & it makes it more of an exact science. 0.0025" fits. 0.003" doesn't. No more of "Well, you tighten it until you think you'll rip the shim etc" stuff. It's yes or no. It still doesn't give you anymore space to work though.
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