987 Boxster 2007 top problem

Hello, I just bought a 07 Boxster and it is having a top problem. When i try to make the top go down and press the button, it would make a clunking noise like it was trying to but couldn't. I tried to pull it manually and it was very tough, It would move little by little while i pressed the button but it is very slow and seems stuck. I thought it may by the control arm plastic pieces, so I manually opened the back piece, unhooked the cable, and then pressed the button which opened it more. But to my suprise it looks like the plastic piece still looks good. I attached some pictures here as well as a video I uploaded on my youtube channel. Maybe I am looking at the control arms wrong? Could this be the motor transmission? Please help as I am trying to learn and fix this, but have not been able to find a resolution. here is the youtube link (Wont let me post for the first post) Thank you,

https://youtube.com/shorts/8ZLsO_9kYDI?feature=share

FWIW, not an expert...(and one of the lessons learned through years of DIY is check the basics first )...is anything "stuck" or caught in the compartment (or below the arms) preventing the motor to spin or any parts loose?

Unfortunately, with these mechanisms there are several things which can fail or hang up. A common problem is the plastic ‘cup’ like fitting which snaps onto the ‘ball’ joint, but looking at your pics, they seem ok. I had a similar problem with my top which necessitated some parts replacement, and a hefty bill. Inside the motor driven ‘transmission’ are plastic gears which can jam or break, leading to the clunking sound you may be hearing. In my case, that failure also led to bending of the control arms which needed replacing also. If you are up for the challenge, you can follow some of the YouTube videos to diagnose, and possibly repair it but there are a lot of moving parts that need to work in sync when the top is in operation. And in my experience working on this issue, it seemed to require a second person as I couldn’t be on both sides of the car at the same time to sync and align and adjust all the lever arms, pivot points and control arms to have success, so I finally brought it to my indy shop for their expertise. Good luck.

Thank you both for the advice, I am working on the transmission gear. Unfortunately while taking it off with my mechanic friend, we noticed one of the screws keeps spinning in place. So I will have to think of a way to take it off and finally get to the gear. Wish me luck tomorrow, I will keep updating the issue.

Hi Kevin! Welcome to Planet-9, The Friendly Porsche Forum for owners with broken tops.. "Oh wow" indeed... something is seriously amiss. If you disconnect both of the plastic ball sockets from where they attach to the top folding frame, you should be able to open and close that manually by hand. I'd suggest trying that and making certain nothing is binding up in the top frame. Is this car new to you? Or have you owned it and have experienced the top working correctly? A few things to check - In the parts image, channel #24 - is it free and unobstructed on both sides? Is #26 fastened correctly to the top-lid arm, and does it look like they're gliding correctly in the channel? The jerky movement of the top could be the mechanism binding, or the plastic gears in the geardrive have failed. Those only fail if something is binding and causes them to self-destruct. It seems you have the correct plastic sockets on the ends of the arms going to the top frame, some people replace those with steel, only to find they've now transferred the breaking point back to the gearboxes, a much harder and more expensive problem to fix. Also - your 3rd photo - can we get that one in focus? And PLEASE read the notice at the top of this (and every other) page about how to post photos here.

It was the gear! I will have to order a new one. Trying to see if there is a good aftermarket one, if not i will go with OEM. If anyone has recommendations please let me know

I replaced mine with an aftermarket plastic one, didn't bother with the brass but NOTE: The gears are different between the passenger side and drivers side so make sure you order the right one...

DO order plastic ones. Not metal ones. These are a secondary "fused-link" on the top mechanism. The first is the ball joint receivers/sockets on the pushrods to the top mechanism. If something jams in that mechanism these are supposed to break (and I've personally tested this.. it works.) If something jams the bellcrank (the oddball boomerang shaped thing) - the gear is supposed to break before the motor burns up. The metal ones won't break, and the plastic ones won't break normally. When you have it apart - try to find the reason your gear(s) broke. There is a rather long thread here someplace on aligning these after replacement, it's not a trivial exercise, my suggestion (although it looks like it might be too late) would be to mark everything before disassembly - the position of things. That could help getting it back together and the two sides synced. You need both bellcranks to turn the same distance and end up at the same rotational point at the ends of travel of the top mechanism, it they aren't it will twist the top mechanism and chances are you'll be back doing this job all over again. The manuals (and AllDataDIY) have instructions on doing this, using some markings on the gears and housings.

Broken plastic gear, just as suspected. Deilenberger is right-on about using the plastic replacements. Saw a video where a guy machined new ones out of metal thinking they would outlast the plastic ones but that is a recipe for disaster. With your Boxster being 17 years old, it seems about the timeframe for these parts to self-destruct since my failure occurred around the same age. Plastics get brittle with age and since there is quite a bit of torque on these gears it’s only a matter of time before they implode. Scary and sad picture of your gloved hand holding the remnants. Good luck with your repairs.