Results of my DIY Maintenance and RMS

Well a lot of you guys saw my previous post on all the service work I did, so I figured I would make another thread summing up my opinions and giving some(lots!) of pictures... Well to start, I put this: In this: All in all, it was about 10hours to do everything...Lots of time was spent figuring out, rather than doing however... I did all the stuff myself for a few reasons: 1) I cant afford to pay the dealer 2) The dealer is a ripoff usually 3) I want to learn about my car 4) It is fun 5) I have time, and if I do it, I KNOW it was done RIGHT and not just done... I had no service records from the previous owner so i just decided to do everthing. I knew it needed a clutch and the RMS replace because of the PPI I had. Here you can see the leaks: Removing everything is all pretty straight forward and easy. Having access to air tools is a big help on the half shafts! Removing the tranny is a breeze with a long extension and a swivel socket. The hard part is the top bolt, but if you tilt the engine back, you can get that one easily. The slave cylinder was the hardest of all of them, just because of how the lines are. I got the tranny out to get my first GOOD look at the leaking...YUCK!! As you can see, my IMS was leaking like crazy. You can notice all of the coating and buildup underneath the motor. It looks like the leak had been going on for quite some time! I removed the clutch and WOW!!! It was so worn out, the rivets on the clutch were rubbing! It was literally down to the metal(see the shiney rivet)...Here is a comparison of the new vs. old and my dirty hands: Well now that i figured out why i couldnt shift smoothley, check out whats underneath... Wowzers! That IMS wasn't happy, and the RMS wasn't that bad...Well i cleaned it all up and on to the work To get the old seal out, i drilled a small hole into it, put a screw in, and used a pair of dykes to pry it out Now the special tool...You slip the seal over the crank with the installing ring, then you put the hub of the special tool on the crank. It has springs that go over 2 guides that put pressure on the tool's outer casing, allowing equal pressure to be put ont he seal while cranking it down. All done!! Now the IMS...The IMS is under tension from the chain tensioners, so it takes 2 people...Remove the old one and istall the new one. My buddy put a socket over the IMS shaft and used a bar to get leverage to force it to line up. We used the old bolts to get it lined up. Once the IMS was seated, we put the new bolts in...I was running out of time so picture taking slowed up... Next was the case bolts. Do them 1 at a time and it's as easy as 1,2,3,4 While I was in there, I updated the clutch release lever as well...Nasty tranny! Put her all back together and Voila! no leaks! Except the came cover I did the spark plugs and they were tedious but not bad... The fuel filter is a lot easier then it first seems, but still not fun...You just have to reach in from the back where the tunnel starts to open and slide it out...Dont take off or move any of the coolant lines etc.. The cabin filter takes a whoping 2 seconds I wrapped it all up, added Royal Purple 10w-40 and Royal purple 75/90 for the tranny...A lot of people have heard negatives about the RP and porsche, but my car shifts like BUTTER and runs smooth as all...I cant even tell the car is on sometimes!! The new clutch releases almost immediately and i LOVE it! Im putting the belt on today with my new clear tail lights and evo intake I am also going to get a sound clip of the Tubi exhaust that everyone wants here shortly... I hope you guys enjoyed, and maybe will start to feel comfortable with DIY projects! -Keith

Nice job!! You are a pioneer at this DIY for RMS...

Wow you are officially my hero. That looks like a ton of work but well worth it now. What is the IMS?

I do have to admit that there was one guys site that i saw with a RMS DIY writeup...Actually more of a how-to... I had to cross reference some part #s to his write-up, but we differed on some of the tactics... thanks guys!

Very impressive!

Nice job, thanks for the pics and sharing.

Were those special tools for the RMS expensive?

Very cool. With 38k on mine, I figure I may have a clutch in my future. So far, so good... but these things don't last forever. The pictures are worth their weight in gold.

I'll second that - what did everything there set you back?

I only bought the 1 special tool, there are a couple however... The important one is $230 or so...They sometimes can be hard to get ahold of though. When i bought mine there were only 3 stateside... I will rent the tool to anyone who wants it...PM me for details on that... -Keith

Keith It looks like the oil leak was from the IMS in lieu of the RMS from the photos. Below is a photo of another IMS leak. Excellent photos btw.

I agree with you, but there was still some build up around the bottom left side of the RMS, a small one at that. You can see how dust from the clutch gathered onto the oil. I will say that given the 2 areas and their severity of leaking, i would NOT of done this work if it were just the RMS because it wasnt severe enough... The IMS was leaking like crazy. I used the updated version so i should be good to go.

Wow! Wish I had a lift!

Nice work Gator. I have to ask this is the fuel filter under the coolant tubes or is it under the panel and you just could reach it with out taking the under carage panel out? Also I'm just wondering how did you DIY this because you're paying for that expensive Tubi exhaust?

Awesome Job Gator... !! great write-up.

From one DIYer to another...Good Job! I have never found a Tech or a person that performs a service that cares enough about the job he is doing to do it like he was doing it for himself. I am not a perfectionist by any means but I do any job so the end result is as least as good as it was before the work was needed and hopefully better. Sadly, I have never experienced this in work that I have paid to have done.

In the attached picture, the circled area is the fuel filter. It is above the coolant lines. I fyou look closely you can see the line coming off of it on the right side. Also, you can see the white/silver through the coolant lines that is the filter. To replace it, you have to get a screw driver between the coolant lines to remove the clamp. After that, squeeze your hands up there and unplug both line ends... After that, to remove it, reach your hand in from the back where the red arrow is pointing. Your arm can reach towards the fuel filter above all the lines (this is the area where the driveshaft would go on a C4 or turbo). Grab that sucker and pull it out. Put the new one in, attach the line, and secure it down. I opted to use zip ties to secure the filter rather then the clamp to allow for easier installs and removal in the future... -Keith

HUH?? it doesnt take money to DIY, it takes parts, and YES i bought the parts...What does my exhaust system have to do with this?? I didn't even "buy" the tubi exhaust, it was from the previous owner. And if it taps your curiosity anymore, one of the reason i DO do DIY projects is so that i CAN have money to mod my car. I dont know what your intent of the question was, but that's my best answer I cant agree with you more! Even if you don't know what you are doing, or stumble into a problem, you will take the measures to find out what needs to be done, or to get it done correctly... The difference between you and the knowledgable mechanic is the time it takes to completion, and maybe some tools... Keep on Doin On!! thanks guys! -Keith

Gator, You are Officially my HERO!!! Damn I wish you lived in my neck of the woods... I would like to try my hand at some lesser complicated DIY but lack the specific tools, and experience. Awesome job and excellent documentation.

Damn you are a bad ***.

Wow, awesome job and nice photo documentation!!

Nice job man. You're braver than I to try that.

Very impressive! One day I will have a lift and tackle big jobs like this. On the subject of finding techs that will take as good of care of your car as you do, I have three like this. I do not deal with service managers or order writers at dealerships. I go in the back and get to know the tech himself. For 20 years this has worked extremely well for me and all the guys that work on my cars I would give them the keys and let them go with any of my cars. Take them home, whatever. Just like most things in life it's about relationships. I use to even take my Porsche mechanic at the dealership to lunch once a month even if the car didn't need anything. Great guy, he moved to Austin and I go by and see him every time down there.

nice job, I really want to get an early 996 in the next year or two and I will by doing my own work on the car. It is great to see it can be done!

very impressive. and u have TWO lift???

Allllllright! Thanks for posting the DIY. Guess my bugging you paid off! I reckon you saved 10 hours and your back just by having a lift to use. I've been pricing them online and have seen them for less than $2K, but I guess the install would be permanent and also you need at least 12' ceilings in your garage...

Gator, I believe your post should be in Renntech's DIY database for all to read for ever and ever. Excellent work!

Its difficult for me to manage 3 different porsche forums, on top of all the other forums i am apart of... Eventually.... -Keith

Great Job!

Impressive.........Most Impressive......

I am jealous.......good job!!

Hello Gator, I did a DIY or a How-To for the RMS, I am wondering what parts did we not have that were the same? Did you change the tranny case bolts as well? The DIY I did for the RMS is at http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto_porsche.php The reason I ask is I would like to correct any errors or omissions in our DIY. Good Job either way! Raymond

OP, can you rehost the picture? I can NOT see the pictures in the original post. I'm trying to figure out if it's the IMS or the RMS that is leaking on 01 2.7L 986 auto w/ 41k miles.