Boxster 987.1 5 spd. Transmission Oil Change

Time for manual transmission oil change. Read quite a bit about it and would like to hear from the fellow owners their experience. The fill plug is easy to locate and take out. But the drain plug is under the transmission cover and it needs to come off. It is also structural part of the suspension. Seems a little bit more involved than I would like but it is what it is. Anything I should be aware of? Any concerns? What is the chance this may disturb rear wheel alignment? Any recommended place to get this peculiar tool for the drain plug ? Kind of don't feel like paying $40 for a socket bit. Does anybody know the drain plug size. I am seriously thinking replacing it with standard hex plug . Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

If you put the car up on jack stands or a lift, you will not affect the alignment when loosening the bolts to remove that cover. Many of us have drilled a hole in the cover right under the drain plug so that it is no longer necessary to remove the cover to drain the tranny. Be sure to research/read on how much fluid to put in. As I remember the 5 speed has a different fill level than the 6 speed.

Yes, according to the service manual the 5 spd. is 2.25 L vs. 2.9 L for the 6 spd. I read about the drilling the hole and I am not sure I feel comfortable with it. I don't mind doing a little bit more work, it is a hassle anyway but for 50-60K miles duration I can handle it. Any oil recommendations? I am thinking about Mobil 1 Delvac Synthetic Gear lubricant. What are you guys using? No tracking or racing here - just farting around. I guess any decent synthetic lubricant with the right viscosity will do.

If you're not tracking the car, the Porsche -approved oil listed in your owner's manual will be fine.

Did you look at this article http://www.planet-9.com/reviews/cayman-performance-modifications/p474-vdo-323-055.html It has dimensions to drill an access hole for drain plug. You'll need to make a dipstick to ensure the fluid level is 11 mm below the fill hole. Do not fill to overflow on the 5 speed.

Great info! Thanks! I will look into drilling the whole in the plate when I take it down. But I will definitely get the new drain plug with the 17 mm. hex and replace the original one.

I just finished changing the oil my 2007 Cayman 5 speed. Taking out the plate wasn't a huge deal, removing it took less time than cleaning the gunk collected on the transmission Two observations: - Was expecting the fill to be a 17 mm hex but both the drain and fill holes were 16 mm triple square and both had identical (non-magnetic) drain plugs. - Fluid came out very clean (currently at 78K miles). I have maintenance records from day 1 from original owner and did not see any record of transmission oil change. In any case now I have the peace of mind knowing what's in it. Went with Redline 75W90NS btw.

An access hole for the drain plug is a labor saving mod described here: http://www.planet-9.com/reviews/cayman-performance-modifications/p474-vdo-323-055.html

Hi, I have a cayman 981 S PDK 17k miles with over 24 track days (not weekends). So after reading this thread I decided to have my fluid changed. To my shock, the PDK involves 3 hours of effort. You just don't drain and fill. On the brighter side, the oil sample test results from Blackstone came back with flying colors (See pic). Sounds too good to be true, especially with all the talk about how often to change fluids.

Good evening. So in my case that I can only use rear wheel ramps and Two jacks to level the front of the car, should I have problem reinstalling the alu pan and brackets?? I cannot have the rear wheels hanging. Thank you and waiting your reply. Chris

Good evening. In my case that I can only use rear wheel ramps and two front jacks to level with the front of the car, should I have problem reinstalling the aluminium pan and brackets?? I cannot have the rear wheels hanging. Thank you and waiting your reply. Chris

My understanding is that if the plate is removed while the suspension is weighted it can impact the alignment. It is simple enough to get the car aligned after your fluid change and if you haven't done it in awhile it isn't the end of the world.

Thank you for your attention. Regards

I would recommend against removing the rear plate with the weight on the rear wheels. That will put load on the suspension which could interfere with removing & reinstalling the plate and bars. I would suggest either getting two more jack stands, or cutting the hole so you don't need to remove the plate.

Noticed. Thank you very much for your attention and reply Chris Noticed. Thank you very much for your attention and reply Chris