987.2 Serpentine Belt Replacement

Unable to find any specific DIY info on the 987.2 engine. There is quite a bit of articles on the 987, but nothing I can find on the 987.2 . Does anyone have any advice on the differences on changing the serpentine belt on the 987.2 from a 987? -Callahan-

Good question. I have to do mine soon too. A DIY would be nice to avoid having to feel my way.

Do you know at what age or mileage this belt should be changed at?

I have read that the serpentine belt should be changed "every 90,000 km or every 6 years" (or 60,000 miles...) Many Planet-9ers keep spare serpentine belts in their cars and change their serpentine belts at 40K-50K miles. If the belt goes you can be stranded a while waiting on a replacement. A few other Internet sites say that the 987.2 changing of the serpentine belt is different from the 987 and more like changing the belt on a 981 (I have not verified this yet.) There is a ton of DIY articles on the changing the 987 serpentine belt and someone on Youtube has a video of doing it under 3 minutes... Here is the video (not sure if this site allows this): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B68RTFIjbE -Callahan-

My car is an 07 with 55k, I bought a belt and opened up the engine compartment only to find the original still in excellent shape. So the belt is in the trunk just in case. Speaking to a few other Boxster owners they all have told me they still have the original belt.

Bump - would also like to find some 987.2 specific info; Pelican Parts has a helpful DIY for the 986 , which I gather may be a bit of a different procedure.

It sucks that there's no good DIY on this topic. I'm relatively new to this forum. I recently faced a really weird issue: The top bolt which holds the idler pulley on my 987.2 base Cayman , sheared off. The belt obviously came off and I pulled over, but I have no idea how and why would that happen (50k miles). I just bought a new bolt and tensioner, installed everything, but I'm not able to put the belt on -- using a torx socket and rachet on the pulley and going clockwise isn't working. What am I doing wrong here? Any help would be appreciated.

I don't know as I don't have a 987.2 . There is an article for your car on Cayman Register; if you are a PCA member you can request admin approval: Cayman Register There are some DIYs on ******** for the 997.2, which I am sure is slightly different due to where the engine is mounted.

OK - so here is the answer on this topic. I have a 2009 Porsche Cayman . The engine is the 2.9 L base engine. This model is the 987C Generation II (987C.2) or 9A1 engine. The replacement of the serpentine belt is exactly as readily available online, as in the attached video. However the belt tensioner is completely different. The pulley itself has a plastic cap and underneath a 8 MM XZN Spline Drive nut. You do not need to take off this cover or use an XZN driver, it is not relevant unless the pulley is being replaced which is not needed for serpentine belt replacement. This is different than the prior engine configurations which belt tension was released by using a 24 MM socket directly on the nut of the tensioner pulley. Next to the pulley is a large fixed connection point (six point nut of sorts) on the arm of the tensioner apparatus. This fits a 3/4" 30 MM drive socket or open ended wrench, either will work. If you use a 3/4" 30 mm drive socket you will need a 3/4" breaker bar (not a ratchet) because of space limitations. Apply torque clockwise and tension is released. This apparatus will not retention due to a shock type tensioner allowing easy removal, until you retension counterclockwise after the new belt is on. This is also different than prior models. [h=1] Video: How to change a Porsche Boxster drivebelt in 3minutes [/h]

the 3 min is hooking up the thing.. the guy forgets to tell you that it takes about 40 to get everything out.. Lemon

Thanks for the update dweezel. Eddie

Yes. Thanks for the 987.2 update. The belt is winter project for me and this answered a couple of questions I had.

I did not need to take driver side seat out by the way. Just taking the passenger seat out left me enough room. I even left the seat connected so as to not get any codes when I was done. Just padded the door sill and left the seat there.

So, unbolted the passenger seat from the floor and moved it forward, still connected, as much as possible? I'm trying to picture this in my mind's eye. Thanks, Eddie

I was able to do the job without removing the seats at all, just folded the backs down and slid both of them as far forward as they would go. I sat on a stool placed by the side of the car and leaned in with my upper body. Worked great, and it was a quick job. This is in a 987.1 , but I doubt if that makes a difference.

Yes, no need to remove the seats to change out the belt in either the 987.1 or.2. my seats slide forward enough that you can put your feet or knee(s) on the floor of the car between the seat backs and the bulkhead. I have manual seats in both and access is the same. I don't know if power seats make any difference in this access though. Also, with the tension release device that the 987.2 has, the belt is easier to change than in the 987.1 . In the 987.1 you have to keep tension on the wrench/breaker bar while sliding the belt onto the roller. In the 987.2 you release the tension by 'camming it over", and you can set down the breaker bar and feed the belt onto the roller with both hands, and then apply tension again with the breaker bar.

Heres the belt routing.

please check #7 .. while installing in the new belt.. make sure its free and does not bind in any way.. thats usually the culprit for people doing it again.. Lemon

I'm going to replace the belt on my 2010 Boxster S . I need t buy and bring the parts to the indy shop that will do it. 1. what belt is recommended? I mean Porsche one is probably a no brainer (as with all parts) but Pelican offer some much cheaper ones. 2. my hydraulic tensioner is leaking - so it needs to be replaced to. Same question - Porsche or the or INA? This time difference is really huge, 30$ vs 190$. 3. the shop suggested to get a new roller too - is it required? do i need just the roller wheel or the whole assembly? many thanks !!!!

I have always purchased OEM parts for my Porsches. They are not the cheapest, but they are significantly less than the "genuine" Porsche parts, and are the same thing made by the same manufacturer. They just don't come in the Porsche -labeled box.

about OEM parts, any recommendations where to buy? i see they have the oem porsche in pelican parts for $79 and the continental contitech for $31 would the latter be OEM?

I am a longtime happy customer of Pelican Parts . I also buy from RM European, who usually have good prices. If the Conti belt is not labeled as such, it would not be OEM. However, they are a well-respected name brand, so I'm sure that belt would be fine. It's always a judgment call - for a simple piece like a belt, a quality non-OEM part works fine. For something more complicated like an ignition coil or a fuel pump , I get much more picky.

I have replaced this bolt with an ARP racing bolt. I have also found there is a 19 mm longer belt (Gates?) that enables easier installation. You cannot get a stock length belt that has ground grooves in it onto this engine. I use the longer belt with molded grooves. The tension to release the spring arm is 30.5 ft. lbs. versus the 35.5 ft. lbs. for the stock belt which feels like the tensioner is bottomed out against the stops. Have about 20,000 on this new longer belt with no problems.

Replaced mine last month at 55k miles. Still looked great, but I'm all about preventive maintenance. I'm also a stickler for quality parts. After researching the heck out of it, I went with the Continental Contitech belt (original size). Easy job overall, but the hardest parts were wrestling the new belt around the crank pulley and finding a socket to fit the tensioner bolt. Had to make a special trip to the store for that. I always say, 90% of any job is having the right tools.

thanks everyone for the feed back, just to be sure, what size socket would that be?

For a 987.2 , the socket is 30mm, but a large crescent wrench works too.

For future reference, here is the serpentine belt for the 987.2 . Both Continental and OEM Optibelt available. Schnell Autosports - Serpentine Belt (6DK X 1853)

I already had a 30mm socket, but it was 1/2" drive. However, my 1/2" wrench was too big to fit in the confined space near the firewall, so I had to buy a 3/8" drive socket instead. So, if you buy a 30mm socket, 3/8" drive is probably a better bet.

I wrote a quick instructable about this. With a short video of where that 30mm socket goes. https://www.instructables.com/id/Porsche-Boxster-9872-Serpentine-Belt-Replacement/

Hi all. Not sure if this thread is still active or not but here goes. I have a 987.2 Boxster S (2011). The belt tensioner bolt snapped so I bought a new one from Porsche . Now I cant get the belt back on. I’ve checked so many times and the route of the belt is correct. But even when I’m putting heaps of pressure on the tensioner, the belt just doesn’t Have enough slack To fit back on. The tensioner seems in good order, it has oil in it and springs back when released. Everyone says this is an easy job. What am I doing wrong?!?!?!

See my reply in the other thread you started on this topic..