Sweet Victory's 2001 C2 Aero

With all of the new build threads popping up, I felt inclined to copy and paste my project thread from another forum to here. It's nice having one place to informally document everything, but I feel like I'm missing out on some of the commentary a more active forum like rennlist offers. Anyways...here we go! I've been slacking off with documenting maintenance on my 996, so I figured starting a thread here will kind of help aid in resolving that and act as sort of a photo journal. I have receipts of the major maintenance work since 2008 when a Porsche re-manufactured motor was installed. Here is a brief summary up until now: 09.29.2008 | 50,234 Alignment 11.25.2009 | 58,250 PCA Tech Inspection 01.27.2010 | 59,571 60K Major Service 04.30.2010 | 60,048 Replaced brake pads K&N Intake Install 05.06.2010 | 61,121 Tech Inspection 07.05.2010 | 66,742 Rear Main Seal Clutch Pressure Plate Flywheel Pilot Bearing Release Bearing Clutch Release Arm Gear Oil 12.03.2010 | 69,684 Air Oil Separator 01.29.2011 | 70,800 Air Mass Meter 08.30.2011 | 77,544 Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers 11.15.2011 | 79,322 Steering Lock Housing Switch 06.29.2012 | 87,692 High Pressure Power Steering Hose Power Steering Fluid Serpentine Belt 07.03.2012 | 87,797 Water Pump Water Pump Gasket Coolant Expansion Tank Cap 01.25.2013 | 91,289 Oil Oil Filter Transmission Fluid 04.02.2013 | 91,642 IPD Plenum Fabspeed Maxflo ECU Tune 08.15.2013 | 93,114 Brake Rotors Brake Pads Brake Pad Sensors Brake Fluid 12.04.2013 | 98,603 Alignment 02.27.2014 | 100,948 Air Oil Separator Spark Plugs 06.29.2015 | 111468 Camshaft End Plug Camshaft Cover Piece 08.01.2015 | 113000 Ownership Change 12.01.2015 | 115,521 Oil Oil Filter LN Engineering Magnetic Drain Plug 07.22.2016| 120,724 Oil Filler Neck Oil Filler Neck O Ring Oil Filler Cap Serpentine Belt Note: Cleaned throttle body, broke AOS plastic cooling line fill neck replacement. Adapter replaced with double barb end coupler. 09.09.2016 | 122,489 Rauch & Spiegel SS AOS Cooling Adapter 11.25.2016 | 125,452 Oil Oil Filter Rebuilt Air Injection Pump 03.05.2017 | 130,384 Oil Oil Filter Goodridge Stainless Brake Lines Brake Fluid Flush Transmission Fluid (Motul) 12.05.2017 | 134,578 Oil Oil Filter Fuel Filter 01.09.2018 | 134,924 MA Shaw GT2 Wing Installed Side Skirts Repainted 02.24.2018 | 136,558 Numeric Racing Shifter Numeric Racing Billet Cables BBE Headers Installed Header Gaskets Exhaust Manifold Screws Header Flange Bolts & Nuts 04.09.2018 |137,745 Front Bumper Repainted Radiators Cleaned 06.01.2018 | 139,515 Oil Oil Filter 09.20.2018 | 140,087 Driver Set Door Lock Mechanism Note: Replacement unit defective and replaced. 10.26.2018 |140,364 Air Mass Meter 11.11.2018 |140,895 Coolant Expansion Tank Coolant Expansion Tank Cap Coolant Level Sensor Water Pump Water Pump Gasket Thermostat Thermostat Housing Gasket 3 Way Coolant Hose Coolant 03.01.209 |142,984 Rebuilt Starter Motor Rebuild Air Injection Pump Installed OEM 997 3.8 Intake

05.31.2019 | 143119 Oil Oil Filter Housing Oil Filter Note: Switched from 0W-40 to 5W-40. I finally got to use a real oil catch can with my Danmar lift. Got to love zero mess! Oil Filter dissected and thoroughly inspected. All is well here. It looks shiny in the photo, but it's just the lights above reflecting off the oil. Picked this up from Suncoast a while back, and finally got around to using it. It was something like $20ish for the kit, so I figured why not since I have no record of it ever being replaced. Also got to try out a new tool today. It's a spout that screws to the cap and provides a spill free oil change. I got two of them; one for oil and one for coolant. It screws into it self, so it doesn't leak everywhere when you store it.

06.07.2019 | 143119 Coil Pack Heat shield Upgrade Wanted to tinker in the garage on Friday night. Making a list of maintenance items to do at ~145k miles and I went to inspect the condition of the coil packs, since my spark plug tubes are beginning to weep. (No leak yet, but it's getting that dusty oily build up starting around that area) Figured since I removed the heat shields, I would go ahead and practice applying Design Engineering heat reflective sheets. Don't ask me why; I just wanted an excuse to play with this stuff. There is a drastic difference between the real stuff and fake copies; the real stuff has a fiber weave in it, so if the tape doesn't look textured, it's a good indication it's fake. I started by prepping the heat shields; degreased and used a roloc scotchbrite pad to scuff up the surface. After my first attempt, I decided to use masking tape where I knew I would be removing the shield. The adhesive sticks REALLY well, and if you try trim and cut it, it delaminates and is a pain to remove the fibers still sticking to your surface. Having the layer of masking tape definitely led to a better end result. Since the surface has a lot of curves, this is actually a pretty difficult piece to "wrap" for a first timer. Having smaller strips instead of one large piece would probably help to minimize that, but I had only purchased a large sheet and wanted to try doing it in with one piece. The gold layer tears very easily, so you have to constantly have a sharp edge on your razor, and the fiber glass weave can be difficult to cut. Scissors leave a nice edge, but probably only realastic to make precut templates for flatter pieces. The end result still came out decent. No data or anything to justify doing it; just wanted to play with a new material.

12.04.2019 | 143170 Battery Replaced The car hasn't been getting driven enough. Between taking on a new mountain of responsibilities at work, getting a company vehicle for daily commuting, and working on home renovations, less than a hundred miles got put on the 996 in the past few months. I decided that it needed some TLC, so I splurged on some new Adam's detailing equipment since they opened a physical store in OC, roughly 15 minutes from my office. One of the items I picked up was their ceramic coating. Over the course of a few weekends, I would chip away at the paint correction process panel by panel. When I was roughly 75% complete with this, the battery on the car lost a cell. I accidentally left the decklid open for a week and it drained the battery to about 4V. I had it on a charger for 2.5 days and it wouldn't hold a charge about 8.5V. Given it was over 5 years old, I couldn't complain. I figured since the battery would come out, and I was detailing the car, I cleaned up the compartment space and checked the water drains. The drains were completely clogged! This is a SoCal car that is garage kept, so was pretty amazed to see how much build up there was in there! Good as new-ish. The battery tray was a little crusty, so cleaned that off too. The threads in the battery tray had some battery acid/corrosion/funk in them, so cleaned those out and preserved it with Fluid Film. New Interstate H6 battery from Costco.

12.09.2019 | 143170 Adams Ceramic Coating Chipped away little by little over the weeks performing a paint correction and then applied Adams Ceramic Coating. Looks stunning. Have to fly out for the holidays, so pics will have to wait for now.

12.29.2019 | 143269 Inspected Suspension Components & Bushings After returning from visiting family for the holidays, I took the 996 out for a drive. The last time I drove it, I felt some vibration through the steering wheel. I figured I would see if the vibration persisted to make sure it wasn't just flat spots on the tires or anything like that. A few weeks later, I still felt the vibration so I did some digging. I removed all the wheels and cleaned the wheel/hub interface to make sure there wasn't any crud preventing the wheel from sitting correctly. Thoroughly inspected mounting points, and found I will need sway bar drop links and thrust arm. The sway bar link dust boots have completely failed (passenger & driver side), and the passenger side thrust arm dust boot is starting to fail. Top hat mounts look tired, and are showing cracks. I'm not sure how thick the rubber in the top hat is, but I'm also looking for reasons to upgrade to monoball top hats. Driver Side: Passenger Side: When pushing wheels side to side and felt no play. I read that the best way to check for inner tie rod end play is to disconnect the tie rod end and pull/push from there. I did this on both sides, and felt no play. When pushing wheels up and down, I felt some place on the front driver side wheel. I will need to replace this wheel bearing. I already own an OTC Hub Grappler kit, so I can change the bearing without removing the upright. I'm hoping this is the source of the vibration I'm feeling when I'm at ~70mph. I did not see any signs of missing wheel weights.

Great thread and I applaud you for putting miles on your car!

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Nice thread. But what kind of nut has to document their every step? Oh wait.... A couple questions: the kit from Suncoast, that's the filter and filter housing, correct? I did the same thing to get a fresh pressure regulator and start fresh on marring the exterior. I like that oil fill tool. Especially the ability to close it off so as not to dribble all over the place. Have a link? Keep it up. We'll have a contest to see who can pile on the most miles, once I get mine running again.

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Nice work -- thanks for sharing! This is NOT good for filling 996 oil with its sidearm filling tube, but for general funnel use and avoiding dribbles, the "Funnel Buddy" is pretty handy:

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Haha, it's funny you mention that. I used to never bother with it, but one Christmas I bought myself a Sony A6300 and a Zies 24-70mm lens and it's been such a joy to use. Photography kind of blended with all my projects, and now everything gets documented! Yes the kit was from Sun Coast and included the filter, oring, and housing. The funnel is called an ecoloop. It's available on Amazon for $21. Here is the link! Speaking of tools and marring the oil filter housing - I highly recommend this $16 oil filter housing socket from Motivx. This $16 socket is vastly superior to the rebranded Assenmacher versions being sold on the Snap On, Mac, and Matco trucks. Heres a link for that as well

Very well documented and the supporting photos are awesome. It's clear the enjoyment the car gives you both keeping it in good shape, but also stacking on the miles using it. Thanks for sharing.

Not sure which one I enjoy more, but have been enjoying every moment of ownership! Garage time is my happy time. Yesterday was my birthday and my girlfriend got me some performance driving lessons and some seat time in a nascar stock car. She also bought an extra admission/experience so a good friend of mine could join me. I think I found a keeper.

01.15.2019 | 144389 Observed Idle Fluctuation Between 740 - 800 RPM Put about a 1000 miles on the 996 since the beginning of the year - I sure missed driving this car! As the car climbs in miles, I'm expecting and looking for signs of wear and tear. (I look for any excuse to buy tools and stuff ). After today's drive, I noticed the idle slightly fluctuating. I plugged in my durametric tool and found the idle to be fluctuating between 740 and 800rpm with the AC off. It's something I noticed after I reversed into my garage and could hear the change in exhaust note. It's been a while since I changed spark plugs, cleaned the throttle body, etc. so I'm probably due for some maintenance at 145k. I have a bunch of parts accumulating that I need to get to anyways. With all this talk of AOS going on in the forums, it's probably time I invest in a manometer to check the health of my AOS. I've never had a hard to remove oil cap, or sooty tail pipe, so I haven't had reason to believe my AOS has failed ..yet. I do recall seeing a light film of oil in the intake runners when I serviced my starter, so chances are it's beginning to fail. I'll know for sure soon.

Great documentation. I have the same with receipts and photos in the 6 plus years of ownership. The scary part, on a cold snowy night last year, I got the file out and did a dollar total. NOT SAFE FOR MARRIAGE. It is now hidden and broken up into two files .. .. ... after finding the exhaust file. Only a 996 lover can semi justify the $5k, for a 2.5 feet long exhaust system.

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The previous owner was an enthusiast and PCA member; good traits to look for in a seller. Yeah...don't do that. In school, we learned about complex and imaginary numbers. I guess in marriage, you learn the stretch the definition of an imaginary number. You mean that $1.5k exhaust, right?

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Sweet You are correct , I must of added wrong, thanks

Parts have been slowly coming in the mail. Wondering if I should also just go ahead and get ignition coils as well? They're the previous revision, and I don't have any record showing they have ever been replaced.

Got my Dwyer 475 Mark III in the mail earlier this week. Still had the calibration sticker on the back and scored it lightly used for $35! Very nice, made in USA tool. I usually drive my 996 to work on Fridays so I'll finally be able to check the health of my AOS. I've read a failing AOS can cause some idle flutter - it would make sense as it would introduce a vacuum leak if the diaphram begins to fail. I also bought a new oil filler cap. I filled the center section of the cap with a Lord structural epoxy. After curing, I drilled and tapped a 1/4" NPT port for the hose barb fitting.

01.26.2020 | 144404 Began wheel bearing replacement - found bearing is fine. Strut mounts are the issue. Replaced Spark Plug Tubes & O Rings Replaced Spark Plugs Inspected Coil Packs This weekend I started working on what I thought would be a bad wheel bearing. After getting brake caliper off, I really didn't feel anything wrong with the bearing. When the wheel was on, I could feel some play by grabbing the wheel at the 12 and 6 o clock position and trying to wiggle it. After some additional investigation, it turns out the play is coming from the coil over mount. I don't have that part, so I put everything back together and prepped to move to the back of the car. I like to make sure any mating surfaces are clean before they go back together. There was a bit of crud between the caliper and upright faces. Very thin coat of anti seize to help the next guy out....me. No anti seize on the caliper bolt, only a dab of blue loctite. The next item on the to do list were the spark plug tubes. The driver side of the engine was bone dry (replaced by PO many years ago), but the passenger side of the engine shows some oil seepage below the spark plug tubes. Here is the removed assembly. At a glance, the "old style" coil packs looked okay and I considered reusing them. The apron/boot on a few of them had been partially or complete torn off. Used the transom plug method for removal. It took 2 or 3 tries to get the tubes to come out on the passenger side. I have a philosophy of "cleaning to inspect," and after giving them a good wipe down, I will not be unable to reuse any of them. They all had a crack in the same position. I won't post 6 picture of identical coil packs, but here is a close of of the worse one. You can clearly see the crack running at least 50% of the length of the body. Here's a close up of the spark plugs, starting with cylinder 1 on the left: Before I prepped the spark plug tubes for assembly, I noticed quite a bit of flashing in the o ring glands. A little annoying given that I paid a little extra for the genuine porsche brand. Took care of the flashing with a file. All prepped for assembly: Here is what I use to start spark plugs. I know you can just use an end cut of tubing of start the spark plug, but I don't have any. The Thexton set is like $7 for two different lengths. I also use an aerospace grade anti size specifically for this application. No worries of "insulating" the spark plug, as this is a conductive compound. After installing, they get torqued to 21ftlbs-ish.

02.03.2020 | 144404 Installed 6 New Beru Coil Packs Tried out a new vendor, FCP Euro. Price was better than Pelican, and Warehouse33 didn't have the Beru coilpacks. Their lifetime warranty was also very appealing. Some of their pricing is really good, and some of it is bazzar. Compare Bosch injectors on Pelican vs FCP - very stark difference, so it still pays to price shop. (IIRC Pelican had the same injectors for something like $50 less) Treated the contact points with a light film of 3M Silicone Paste. Keep in mind dielectric grease/silicone paste is non conductive; do not place this where you need to maintain continuity. Use sparingly and apply where you don't want the rubber to "fuse" to what it's touching over time. I also applied a light film where the coil pack connector seal slides in the housing. This makes installation and removal easy, and less chances of snapping old plastic clips. Bank 1 coil packs installed: Bank 2 coil packs installed:

Took this photos for the interior modification thread, but I noticed how sideways that thread is going, so just decided to throw into my thread instead. One of the first modifications I did after buying the car in 2015 was installing an OEM leather center console. It's held up spectacularly since I've had it, and definitely elevates the interior. I've also really enjoyed the Function First aluminum ****; I prefer the solid feel over the hollow oem ****. Hidden under there is a function first shifter with their upgrade cables. This combination of mods have been hands down my favorite tweaks to the car. Second would be the Sony XAV-AX100. The trim and ***** are all flat black and it has a minimalist design, so it easily blends into the interior. Cannot stand head units with flashly leds and chrome bezels.

That center console is a nice touch, seems less "cheap" and I noticed it before even reading that is what you did here. Also looking at this reminds me I need to do plugs and inspect my coils, getting a shimmy at idle but the job seems like a pain for routine maintenance.

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The only "con" to the leather console is finding one. I scoured US and German ebay for a few months before one in good shape turned up. I left one aspect of the coil plug job off the post. I wanted to drive it around and play with it more before sharing here. If you get the 997 coil packs, your head shield cover will not seat correctly on the valve covers. It will hit the top of the coil. I ended up replacing the screw with a stud, threaded spacer, and nut. Going to swap the nut to one with nylock insets, and then I will share the results here. I think the stud with a threaded spacer is far less finicky than trying to reinstall the heat shield with a spacer and bolt.

03.06.2020 | 144529 Installed Bullet Nose Race Stud Conversion (Apex Competition Systems) This has been on my wish list for a while, and finally got around to ordering and installing wheel studs. I went with the 71mm "bullet nose race studs" and "Porsche PRO Series Nuts" from Apex Competition. The 71mm stud turned out to be perfect for my application as I was shooting for only 2-3 threads of stick out. Anymore is just redundant weight, since these have a 22mm nose. Here are the crusty OEM lug bolts I've been putting up with for a while. I've wire wheeled them clean once before in the past. Before just throwing the studs in there, I gave the spindle a good dousing of brake clean to remove any "junk" that might be in the threads, and followed up with a cleaning tap. This ensures the blue loctite properly does its thing. And here is one wheel all buttoned up. Rinse and repeat three more times.

04.25.2020 | 144911 Installed 3rd Brake Light Delete Having 2 3rd brake lights has been annoying me for a little while. I could live with it, but knew that at some point, I would install a delete kit. The Getty Design GT2 wing has a 3rd brake light on the decklid/wing assembly, as seen below: I finally got that resolved with a turn key, delete plate from Bumper Plugs. Sent some money, and a color matched part Porsche part showed up at my door. Once I removed the 3rd brake light, I removed the electrical connector and preserved the ends of the wires with adhesive lined marine grade shrink tube. I did not want the connector bouncing and making noise back there, so some tesa tape was also used. If I ever need to reinstall the light, I can repin the wires and have the connect back on in a few minutes. The only OEM alternative to this is to replace the entire sheet metal panel between the decklid and rear glass, but this part is spot welded in. All in all, I'm very pleased with the quality and fit/finish of the part. What you would pay for the Porsche part and have it painted, the $200 is very reasonable, especially when compared to the cost of replacing that panel. Before After

Having to not update this thread for such a long period of time is a good thing. I like being able to just enjoy driving the car. Got some upcoming maintenance: fluids and filters

I like seeing all these performance upgrades at 100k+ miles.

Hey SV, Are those CCW C10's ? Can you throw up some more pics and specs...

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Close, these are CCW C14's. I'll take some updated pics after next car wash. Wheel Specs: Front: 18x9ET44.5mm 245/40/18 Rear: 18x11ET60.5mm 315/30/18

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See specs in post above. These offsets are perfect for a C2.

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Hey man, you need to keep a close eye on those deviations. Even though they're not 6˚ of deviation between both banks. You'll notice both are in the negative. That points to wear.

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Absolutely. This vehicle got a replacement motor from Porsche in 08, so I probably have some additional time compared to other 01's for when I'll be due to change out pads. I've been inspecting the filters every oil change for any cam pad material; so far haven't found any chunks. I plan on dropping the sump pan next oil change since the joint is starting to weep.

That my friend is a gorgeous car. Wow. Impressive receipt list. I added my list up when I had my Boxster. I won�t do that again.

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Appreciate the kind words!

I've been looking at the spin on filter adapter from LN and came across the filter mag. Pretty neat little thing. Anyone here try one out? http://www.filtermag.com/

10.08.2020 | 146038 Replaced Transmission Fluid (Redline 75W90NS) Removed, Inspected, Cleaned, & Reinstalled Sump Plate Replaced Oil & Oil Filter (Liqui Moly Molygen 5W40) Trying out Mac's new RBRT hex bit. It's unfortunate Stanley Black & Decker decided to offshore this product line to Taiwan, but oh well. It's available through it's subsidiaries Mac, Proto, and Facom. The fit and finish is great, and while originally designed to removed stripped fasteners, it's also advertised to avoid stripping fasteners. Picture below shows just how tight it fits. You can see my sump is starting to seep oil, and with my cam deviations boardline out of tolerance, I wanted to drop the sump plate and see how much plastic was in there. (Spoiler alert...a decent amount) In case anyone wondered...yes. I still love having the Danmar M6. First up is the oil filter inspection. This is my first filter cut open since trying out Liqui Moly. All was well...not much to see here. Here's what the sump plate looks like after being dropped. I soaked up some oil with a rag to give you guys a better view. If you guys decide to drop the sump plate, I highly recommend removing the oil pick up tube and the baffle. You will find equal amounts hiding in corners and the filter screen. Here is everything that was recovered. I had to use tweezers to remove them from the filter screen; they were stuck in there pretty good. Between this and my cam shaft deviation, I'll definitely be planning to drop the motor and replacing the vario cam pads. Will probably tackle a bunch of other things when the motor/trans gets dropped. Timing is up in the air, as I'm expecting to move in the near future. The previous owner bottomed out the rear sump plate on something and it's had a slow sweep since I've owned it. It eventually got worse, so decided to see if this is something that could be fixed by resealing it or if it'd need replacement. I inspected the flatness at work on a calibrated surface plate using feeler gauges. I was able to fit a .010" shim. I'm not sure what the flatness tolerance is, but threw it back on to see if it'd hold. If it leaks again, I'll probably spring for the FVD motorsport oil sump/baffle kit. I used Drei Bond1209 to reseal it, and I didn't care for it. Since it's transparent, it's a bit difficult to gauge how thick your film is. After that was back together, I moved to the trans. Recently picked up the Assenmacher Specialty Tools trans filler, and it's super handy. Very nice quality and made in the USA. Filling trans fluid with Redline 75W90NS. This has no friction modifiers for LSD's, so I'm eager to see how this feels compared to the Motul I previously had in the transmission.

Hope to hear how the Redline trans oil worked out for you, been using redline 5w50 oil for a while now in the engine, going to do trans next.

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Did you get just the one, or an entire set? Ive been thinking about getting a set, but most of the would go unused. I may just buy the more commonly used sizes.

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I just got the 8mm to try out. I think I'll be picking up the 7pc extractor set, but undecided on a torx/hex set. I need a SIR/Baum Timing Kit more than I need more bit sockets. Already have SO torx and hex bit sets and I don't have issues with rust in SoCal.

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Put a few miles on it. It's butter smooth again, 2-3 and 3-2 are back to feeling as they should. It also looks like the sump plate is still weeping. I don't want to lap this thing in flat and mess with it anymore. Just going to splurge for the FVD sump plate.

I have been using permatex great stuff on my pan and its 100% sealing it up. My motor took a hit when the po was on the track. I bought the car as a roller and welded up the flange. Needless to say the sump pan mounting flange is not flat, nor is the t-stat flang. The great stuff has worked well in both. Also recently put the 2qt ln pan on and it sealed that up after the locktight stuff allowed a leak.

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Wow! Props for keeping that motor going! Apart of me is looking for an excuse to buy the FVD anyways. I ordered the kit, which already comes with the Loctite 5900 sealant. Is that what leaked on you?

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now that i think about it im not sure what i used first. It was not the locktight because the tube that came with the ln kit was hard as a rock. I must have used some sort of permatex that i had, probably the regular black that i use on diff covers.

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If the loctite comes in expired/hard, I'll probably spring for the Permatex Great stuff. I'm $50+ into sealants so far...hope the loctite works.

Went for a canyon drive at GMR this morning. Loved every bit of it.

Got the FVD Motorsport sump in. It sure is nice. Ordered a few additional bits from Tarrett before I get an alignment done.

love the build! what color is your car? it looks like ocean blue (like mine) but i can't be sure from the pics

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It's Midnight Blue Metallic.

Update - put some major TLC into the 996 this month. Detailed post to come soon New inner/outter tie rod ends / rear toe arm Front gt3 control arms w/ tarrett inner mounts All new control arms everywhere else New strut mounts front and back FVD motorsport baffled sump Tarrett adjustable sway bars, adjustable drop links, rod boots for front and rear New Michelin PS2's 245/35/18 in the front and 315/30/18 in the rear Sebro slotted rotors in the front & rear w/ textar pads

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Very nice! How�d it ride with the new mounts? I have a squeak coming from the right front going over bumps. Have a feeling my mount is probably disintegrating at this point. Will know for sure when I swap out the old drop links after Christmas and stick my head up there.

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I've only driven it around the block and the gas station since I haven't had it aligned yet. The bearings in the front mount were toast. The front and rear mounts both looked original and were replaced. The rear rubber isolator that came with the bilstein PSS10 set was in very poor shape; there was severe compression set and cracking. I found other people have ordered the oem rubber isolators and trimmed to fit which is what I elected to do. All in all, the original mounts looked far better than I expected them to, but this car has lived its entire life in Orange County, CA.

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I hope to install mine soon. This is definitely not my day job. What is an isolator and what are the part numbers? I'm not clear on them. http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-p...section=502-00

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It's not shown on the autoatlanta exploded diagram. It's item #8 on this Porsche Diagram. 1997-2012 Porsche Suspension Strut Mount Reinforcement 996-343-511-00 | Sunset Porsche Parts

Got all the new suspension arms/mounts and tires installed. While waiting on a few other odds and ends to put on the new brakes, I decided to pass the time with a wash and maintenance coat on the Adams ceramic coating. Have to do a bit of traveling for work, so new brakes and alignment will have to wait till mid January. Argh. On the bright side...this photo was taken today. Probably one of the only few "perks" of living in SoCal. Tires are Michelin Pilotsport 2's. Went with a 245/35/18 up front and a 315/30/18 in the rear. With the previous 245/40/18's, there was a bit of scrubbing when fully turned.

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How does it feel with the new arms/mounts?

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I haven't really driven it since I'm on a work trip and car isn't aligned yet. I will say that the steering wheel felt very tight/firm (in a good way) driving around the block to get gas. I'm itching with excitement to get it aligned and on a mountain road. Should've done this sooner!

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Dang!

Been itching to drive the heck out of this car. Just waiting to get a scheduled date for the alignment. Also just ordered an elite UAOS kit from @Porschetech3 .

Have my appointment for corner balancing and alignment at West End Alignment this Friday. I found them through @RyanH. 's build thread. They look like THE place to go to in LA; nothing but raving reviews from all sorts of enthusiasts. West End Alignment - 147 Photos & 284 Reviews - Auto Repair - 18008 S Vermont Ave, Harbor Gateway, Gardena, CA - Phone Number - Yelp

01.15.2021 | 146360 Replaced OEM oil sump plate and baffle with FVD Motorsport Oil Pan + X51 Baffle Installed GT3 Brake Ducts Installed Tarrett Front & Rear GT Series Sway Bar Kits Installed Tarrett Front & Rear Adjustable Drop Links Replace tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 2's Replaced Front & Rear Thrust Arms Replaced Front & Rear Strut Mounts Replaced Front Strut Bearings Replace Front Coffin Arm w/ GT3 Adjustable Arm + Tarrett LCA Rubber End Replaced Inner & Outer Tie Rods Replaced Rear Toe Arm Replaced Rear Dog Bones Replaced Rear Litronics Height Sensor Linkage My previous attempt at resealing the sump plate still resulted in a leaky plate. I've since replaced it with an FVD unit that has the X51 baffle. I don't track this car, and I figured a new sump and baffle at this price point was reasonable. I replaced this sometime last year and just included it in this post. It's been a few months and not a drop of oil, so I can't complain. I had started getting a vibration in my steering wheel around 75mph which prompted me to start looking at tie rod ends. Given the age and mileage of the vehicle, I said F it and just replaced everything that keep the car to the road. While the car was on the lift and I was waiting for parts, I took the wheels to America's Tire for new rubber. I went with 245/35/18 in the front and 315/30/18 in the rear. I did have a small amount of rubber at full lock out with 245/40/18 so I decided to go one side smaller this time. While researching this project, a lot of people had issues with getting their sockets to fit in the lower coffin arm to torque the two studs there. I had zero issues using Snap On 1/4" Drive Swivel sockets. Given the amount of "tight" spots you run into while working on common issues, I highly recommend investing in the Snap On 1/4" swivel socket set. Another thing to note is I followed Tarrett's recommendation with swapping the driver and passenger side coffin arms if using 16mm worth of spacers. If you have a litronics equipped car, make sure you get the sensor bracket for one side and a 1mm spacer for the other. Ignore any of the eccentric bolts in this photo - this was before any an alignment was done. I have some feedback on the Tarrett Kit. I think the sway bars were okay, but feel the drop link kits left more to be desired. They used good quality rod ends, but my first annoyance was paying $30 worth of rubber boots that did not fit. $60 gets you enough boots for the front and rear, but they only fit the rears; they do not fit the font rod ends. I was able to get larger boots for the front from McMaster Carr. EDIT: Tarrett�s site actually offers both correct size boots! I ordered my kit from Rennline and that�s where I noticed they do not offer the correct sizes! My second issue was with the inserts for the front link kit; some of the spacers were a nice slip fit with the rod ends and fasteners, but one side was a press fit. I had to use a mallet on one side to get the bolt out. As someone who has a good amount of machine tool experience, I would probably guess an insert on their turning tool was worn, so the bore of the spacer was on the low side of the tolerance. It made something that should've taken a few seconds take about 20 minutes. My last issue is with the supplied bolts. If you have Bilstein PSS10's the bolts for the rear upper mount are too long; your bolt will hit the bottom of the shock tube before it actually clamps down on the rod end. I got all new hardware for the rod ends. After getting my hardware issues sorted out, I installed the boots. I'm a bit of a belt and suspenders type of guy. I cleaned a surprising amount of metal swarf and chips off the rod ends, then protected them with silicone grease and installed the boot. I then crimped the boot, so that water will not drip down the link and collect in the boot. For people thinking about the boots, save yourself a lot of swearing and grief and just but the installation tool. It allows you to open the boot and slip the rod end in. You will likely rip the boot trying to stretch it open without the correct tool. Here is a good shot of everything fully buttoned up. I also got yellow zinc plated bolts that were 5mm shorter than the ones supplied. The supplied hardware had quite a bit of excessive threads sticking out. After the suspension work was finished, I took the car to Darin at West End Alignment. We did a corner balance and alignment. For anyone in the LA area looking for a solid alignment shop, Darin in your guy. We spent the first 20 minutes of my appointment talking about what my expectations were and how I use/drive the car. I went with -2.5deg camber in the front, and -2.3 deg camber in the rear. Total front toe is about 1/16" and rear total toe is 3/32". My only regret in this entire process is not doing this sooner. It has completely transformed the car. Everything feels tight, responsive, and firm. I had never driven a 996 prior to owning mine, nor have I ever driven someone else's 996. If you own a 996 and the suspension looks original, refreshing the suspension is worth every penny. I have new sebro slotted rotors for the front and rear, along with new textar pads. I held off on installing them since I had to do a bit of traveling for work, and I'm toying with the idea of refinishing the calipers and rebuilding them. FCP has OEM rebuilt kits for around $45 per caliper. Debating if I have time to try and refinish myself with something like VHT or taking it to a professional. I also have an UAOS with aluminum accumulator on order. Lots of projects to keep me busy, and the 996 running well.

Did you initially get the same size rubber boots for both front and rear? I'm currently installing the same Tarett components all around. I didn't have any issue with the boots, but they supplied me with the larger boots for the front drop links and smaller for the rear.

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I ordered my Tarrett kit from Rennline during a 10% sale. I just noticed that Tarrett�s website has a drop down menu for two different sizes. The Rennline site only offers one. I�ll go back and edit my post since that issue isn�t Tarrett�s fault.

Ordered all my stuff direct from Tarett a few days before finding out about the Rennline sale. Seem to recall Rennline didn't have everything I wanted on their site so I would have needed to place an order with Tarett anyway. Ira knocked a bit off so the difference would have been under $50.

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Just as an FYI, if you order Tarrett parts from Rennline, they're drop shipped from Tarrett.

Here are results from corner balancing. I found it interesting that with the rears adjusted as high as possible, the front's still had a lot more adjustment to increase the ride height. I wanted to maintain roughly a "2 finger" wheel gap. This essentially maxed out the max ride height on the rear PSS10 coil overs. Anyways, 3296 with a half tank of gas and my 175lb sack of flesh. This vehicle has had no weight reduction other than fabspeed maxflo mufflers, which saves 11lbs. All interior pieces are intact. I cannot stress how much more enjoyable driving the car is with the suspension refresh and proper alignment! I've been daily driving more modern cars with thick steering wheels, so every time I take the 996 out, the steering wheel always feels like a noodle. I think a steering wheel and a nice seat are in store for future mods...

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I have a thick Raid/FVD style steering wheel that I might be willing to trade for a three spoke steering wheel. I was really looking to go alcantara over leather, though.

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Hi, I don't think either of us would end up with the steering wheel we were looking for. Appreciate the offer though!

Came across this. Thinking it will compliment people running upgraded shifters and cables. Wondering if there is a noticeable difference over the factory sheet metal version? Care to chime in @RyanH. @zbomb ? CMS PORSCHE 996/GT3 CABLE BRACKET – California Motorsports Inc

I'll take a pic of the stock bracket tomorrow or so when I get around to finally putting my cables in. I'd be surprised if there was flex in the stock bracket unless it's made of cheese.

Here's the stock bracket, it's steel and decently thick, I highly doubt it's moving at all during shifting:

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Yeah, that's what I remembered when I installed my cables/shifter a few years ago. I wonder why this product exists then..... hmm

That bracket is for the threaded cables like on cup car. Maybe if you were converting to cup (not sure if street GT3 same) you would want the bracket for the conversion. A coat of black paint would go a long way to making the stock one (at least from my car ) not look like ****. May do that while the gearbox is out...

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I have been putting together a tooling list to be able to apply cerakote. Have you looked into it? Far superior to powder coating or paint, in my opinion. Probably a million different things I want to cerakote between firearms, car stuff, misc. projects, etc. Cerakote Projects & Photos | Cerakote Gallery

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My workhorse 1911 is cerakoted and it is a very durable finish, not indestructible but very good. For me on most car parts a rattle can is good enough most of the time but stuff like valve covers etc... I think cerakote would be a really good option.

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Sweet 1911! Love me some Chip powermags too. Cerakote is fantastic but it's only drawback is when it begins to chip... it goes quickly. I've used Duracoat for things that require something more durable than spray paint and something that can be touched up without too much work to strip. Amazon sells 2 part aerosol Duracoat kits so you don't need to use an airbrush to apply.

A big thank you to @Porschetech3 . I returned from a work trip to find a box with this in my office. I've been loving driving the 996 after the suspension refresh, so it's going to be hard to want to tear into the 996 again.

It’s worth it... looks great and Skip is the man !

I appreciate your use of the phrase, "Belt and Suspenders." Now I don't feel like an old fuddy-duddy. -Matt

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Thanks guys !!!!

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Hi Skip, I haven't been following the UAOS threads while traveling, so I apologize if this has been addressed there. It appears that you changed the design to be completely plug and play? I don't see any wires that need to be spliced; is my assumption that this is now 100% plug and plug correct?

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Yes, completely 100% Plug-N-Play !! I finally found some appropriate connectors after searching through thousands of them for months...

Really enjoying this thread! Subscribed...

Update - I have loved the 996 so much more since the suspension refresh. If I ever get another 911, it will be the first thing I do! Car is getting dropped off at a very good paintless dent repair shop to fix a few door dings that have been irking me every time I get in/out of the car. Also have a few other odds and ends waiting to be replaced.

04.02.2021 | 147253 All door dings and dents removed! Woo hoooo! Replaced windshield cowl & gasket Replaced frunk lid gas struts Replaced cabin air filter Gave the girl some cosmetic love. Had all the little door dings and dents taken care of at Beach Cities PDR. They really did a great job and provided an excellent experience. Highly recommend to anyone in OC/LA seeking PDR services. I ordered my cowl from @FCP Euro - free shipping on a such a large item was a very welcomed surprise! Cowl gasket came from Sunset. First time I've ever had an issue with them (wrong part sent), but Brian took care of me and had the correct part out in no time. These Stabilus struts are an OEM supplier. Amazon had the best prices on these. (And came with prime shipping) The frunk lid flies open now..hope they clam down a bit. Most of the time was spent cleaning all the crud under the cowl. Everything went back together better than I found it and the new plastic really helps keep the car looking "young".

05.16.2021 | 147489 Oil & Oil Filter Changed Replaced brake pads (Sebro Slotted) Replaced brake pads (Textar) Replaced brake hardware & wear sensors Brake fluid flush Today's (and for the foreseeable future) flavor of kool aid is DT40. The price difference between LiquiMoly and DT40 was negligible, so why not. Customary oil filter photo. Brake part goodies. I have been using @FCP Euro quite a bit lately, and haven't had any complaints. The one time I did need to contact customer service, they were very prompt and helpful. I guess I have brake parts for life now in this photo? Hah. My calipers could certainly use some TLC. I would like to have them refinished in Speed Yellow, and replace all the seals. I will replace the bleed nipples and caliper bolts at that time. Also, I ditched the caliper anti squeel pad things. The ones up front add a considerable amount of unsprung weight. Photo of the front brakes. Before installing new rotors, be sure to clean the wheel hub and apply a thin layer of high temperature ant seize. This will make the next guy's life easier! (Probably me...) I also apply a thing coat between the rotor and wheel to keep down any corrosion. Here is photo in back. If you look closely, you'll see that the rotor retaining screw has been replaced with one that has a torx head. I far prefer torx heads over phillips; I think they're far less likely to strip out. A dab of high temp anti seize should hopefully make this a non issue in the future. Permatex ceramic extreme brake lube is my preferred lubricant. A moderate layer on the back of the brake pad will achieve the same result as the anti squeal pads that were removed. Lastly, the brake flush. I use ATE Racing Blue. In my previous brake flush, I used the last of my blue fluid. The new yellow makes it easy to see when the fluid has been replaced, but I'm bummed that the blue stuff doesn't appear to be available any longer. I use the "dry method" Motiv bleeder in conjunction with a catch can that has a check valve. I modified my bleeder to use quick disconnect fittings in conjunction with Assenmacher's adapters. The adapters are very nicely machined pieces and made in the USA. I have a long hose (for whatever reason I ordered yellow tubing) that attaches to a short whipline on the motive bleeder. This allows me to pressurize the bleeder on the ground with the vehicle on my lift.

I like the rotors! I might have to see if they have them in 350mm to go with my BBK.

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Sebro makes rotors for most pcars, so I would be very surprised if they didn't.

I forgot to include this in the previous post. While the oil drains, I like to do a visual inspection under the vehicle. I noticed the transmission mount is beginning to fail. New mount and aga transmission tool have been ordered.

05.21.2021 | 147539 Fabspeed Supercup Mufflers Installed Fabspeed Quad Muffler Tips Installed I have been wanting to experience first hand what Fabspeed's supercup exhaust sounds like. When I saw @Performify 's ad for a set up super cups, I scooped them up. The transaction was smooth and painless; solid guy to work with and wouldn't hesitate to do future transactions with him. In just a few days, they showed up well packaged, and I quickly got the car on the lift to install them. They only had ~5000 miles on them, but I still gave them a scrub with 0000 steel wool. Half a Joe Rogan postcast later, and they came out looking mint. The super cups replaced a set of Maxflo's, which are two completely different animals. I'm really glad I got to experience the two different mufflers back to back. I absolutely love the sound and burbles you get with the Maxflos, but it does come at a sacrifice. The Super Cups produce a drone at about 2500rpm if you're on the throttle, and are about 3x louder. The drone is enough to vibrate the cabin. The simple solution is to keep the rpm up, and damn, it sounds fantastic from the driver's eat. The supercups have their place, and would not recommend them if you're using your 996 to sit in stop & go traffic; you will probably be much happier with the Maxflos. If your 996 spends most of the time on a track or canyon road, you'll be smiling ear to ear. I'm not 100% sure if the Super Cups are going to stay for certain, so I'm not selling the Maxflo's just yet.

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Once you're done with the AGA Tool, I'd probably be interested in taking it off your hands. What did you remove from the brakes and how much do they weigh? Lastly, regarding the Supercups, they look very similar to the After Hours Exhaust which are intoxicating in the canyon but driving in stop and go around LA can be a tad annoying since you can't avoid the drone range.

I'm sorry but I am not sure I have seen a full shot of your garage set up. Maybe you already posted one in this thread or elsewhere. If so, please do not direct me to it. If not, please refrain from doing so now... Respectfully, C ps. How do you know if your tranny mount is shot?

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I'll send you a PM when the mount is replaced. I replaced the anti squeal shim; most people have long since thrown it out, so don't be alarmed if your brakes don't have it. The rears just clip in, but the front shims have two large solid cylinders. I did not weigh them, but I distinctly remember thinking "Wow, these are heavy" as I chucked them in the trash. I've done a bit of digging on the drone issue, and some found some claims that the X-pipe helps to reduce/eliminate the drone issue. I'll be going with either the fabspeed or M&M xpipe with 200 cell cats. I just had the smog check done, and I'll likely be out of CA before the next one is due.

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Looking good! Glad you're enjoying both sets

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It's not very big, but I can do a lot with it. You sure you don't want a peak? I know the tranny mount is shot because there is a massive tear in the rubber that secures the inner portion to the OD. I'll make sure I post a picture; it will be become quite obvious then.

05.26.2021 | 147585 Transmission Mount Replaced Numeric Racing Billet Rod End Bushings Replaced From my last oil change, I had noticed a tear in the rubber. It's not easy to get a visual on since you have two bracket in the way, and a rubber flap. This only allows you to see a small section of the bushing. After doing this job for the first time...if the bushing looks even a little torn, replace it. The bushing looks like it has nearly completely failed. This is the best photo I could get of the mount with it in the car; the brackets and rubber flaps that are normally there have been removed. All that was visible during my last visual inspection was the "small tear" at the 10'oclock position. Here is the solution! I want to recommend @FCP Euro once again - they had a competitive price and free shipping. The amount of time it took for it to arrive was a fraction of what was originally estimated when I selected the free shipping option. (Note: AGA tool bought directly from AGA. Only the mount was purchased from FCP) Here is the AGA tool in action. It worked well without any incident. I installed from the passenger side since there is a chamfer to get the bushing started during reinstallation. Here is the bushing removed. And wow...one side only had less than 1/8" of rubber that hadn't been sheared, and the other side was around 3/8". What I thought was a part beginning to fail was actually a part about to completely fail. And lastly, plopped in new bushings into @Numeric Racing 's billet shifter ends. Here's what the old bushings look like after ~3.5 years of use. The shifter/cable upgrade is by far my favorite mod I've done to enhance the driving experience on this car.

If RyanH. doesn't take the AGA tool off your hands, I'd be interested in buying it.

Fantastic work. I'm doing new transmission fluid change today and will take a look at my mount but quite sure it will need replacement too. I got to say, you have one of the cleanest and best "owner history" threads on here complete with great photos and information. Well done

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Sure thing. You've got second dibs. Appreciate the kind words. The mount is relatively inexpensive. If you shop around, you'll find semi solid mounts available from different vendors. The only reviews I could find about the semi solid mounts were not that confidence inspiring, so I went with the OEM Lemforder.

Yes, I'll definitely go with the OEM mount for this one. I recently upgraded my motor mounts to the RS oem version and it's been a nice upgrade with very minimal NVH (really only at idle) and wouldn't want anything more than that.

Got up at 5am to ping pong up and down Ortega Hwy with some close friends. I can't get over how much I love driving this thing; I'm approaching 6 years of ownership and the car has never felt more dialed in. Some thoughts from recent changes: Regarding the exhaust - I'm still on the fence about the super cups...they sound awesome ripping up and down a mountain, but less than ideal at commuting speeds. I read that x pipes help with the drone at 2.5-2.8k rpm, so I'm bit tempted to double down and try them with the x pipes. Brakes feel great - nothing really to report. I'm happy with the Sebro/Textar set up. My driving skills do not demand anything more out of the vehicle. Suspension/alignment feels sooooo goooddd. I felt planted the entire drive. I suspect a better seat/belts to keep me in place would benefit more than anything else at this point. Transmission mount - I could not quantify a tangible difference. Super cups made it hard to hear the NVH that I could hear prior to changing the mount. Don't ask me what the wet spot is in the gravel...I was a bit startled by it and checked it out. Everything was bone dry underneath, so it must've been left by something else.

@Fabspeed Motorsport could you provide any insight into how the x pipe with 200 cell cats would change the acoustics of the super cups and the maxflos? Looking to see how they would affect the volume of the maxflos and supercups, and if they reduce/eliminate drone. Thank you

Snapped a quick pick from the last car wash. I'm digging the black chrome fabspeed tips, so I may sell the Porsche large oval/sport tips I previously had on.

Finally got my Valentine V1 G2 in about two weeks ago. Mocked up the V1 using a Blendmount. The system is not wired yet, as I'm still on the fence about how I want to power it. I'm still deciding between: savvy, tap into fuse panel, tap power from sun roof. Any input from others who have hardwired their detector is welcomed. ​​

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I love that pic! Looks fantastic.

The wheels really finish the car off. Perfect OEM+ look.

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Hey Sweet Victory, Sorry for the delayed response, we did not get a notification for the mention. Our 200cel X-Pipe is the perfect addition to both the Maxflo and Supercup systems. It dramatically increases flow and power output while eliminating the majority of, if not all, drone. (P.S. The new tips look great!)

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I have a V1 that I originally hard wired into the fuse panel. But I've since changed to using SAVVY. That is the better way to go IMHO. I really like the auto-mute for speeds under 50MPH.(that's selectable) When I'm in stop and go traffic, or stopped at a light, it mutes after the first couple of beeps. But when I'm on the freeway or an open road, where an alert really matters, it does not automagically mute the alert. I liked it so much, I got a second SAVVY for our mini-van that I'll eventually install when we take our next vacation. The only downside to SAVVY is I have to disconnect it if I want to run my KIWI 3 for Harry's Lap Timer. But if I'm on track, or at an autoX, I don't really need my V1. I also use a Blendmount, but I've added a remote display on top of my steering column. I wish there was an easy way to hide the V1 and just use the remote display.

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Hey Tex, you're one of several people who have said the same thing about the Savvy when I asked the same question. I think I'll start with the Savvy since it's the least invasive hardwire install. My only concern with the esavvy is that I don't want to accidently kick the dongle getting in. With the Danmar M66, I have to squeeze into the car since it's not an asymmetrical lift; I've accidently bumped into my blue driver while doing this.

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I've never kicked the SAVVY loose myself. But since the OBDII is on the left side, I did purchase a flexible/flat cable OBDII extension that I used before I got my SAVVY. Mine was similar to this one: Amazon Amazon That way I could easily log using my Durametric without having to step over the Durametric cord. I had my ODBII port between the drivers seat and the console. I uninstalled it when I installed my rollbar, since I removed my seats. You could use something similar to get the SAVVY dongle up and out of the way.

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Appreciate the kind words. The CCW C14's are excellent. These are the marginally lighter "racing" versions which do not offer a center cap. I've been contemplating machining my own center caps that use a neodymium magnetic to retain it to the axle shaft, but that has been low on the priority list. No worries, I know you probably get tons of questions between the various forums. That's great to know about the drone elimination. Would you say the increase in volume is cumulative with the Maxflo and Supercup? Or is the "moderate" increase in volume only applicable to the oem muffler set up? Just trying to gauge how much louder it would make the Maxflos, as little more volume would be welcomed with the Maxflos. If the xpipe makes the supercups louder, I would probably switch to the maxflos. Appreciate the assistance

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That looks like a perfect solution. Appreciate your help with this

06.28.2021 | 147929 Hardwire Valentine V1 via Savvy Spent Saturday afternoon putting together my first attempt at a radar detector hardwire install. There was a criteria I wanted to meet that lead me down the road I went: Minimally invasive to factory wiring No extra/slack wire bundled and ziptied in a corner Aesthetically pleasing Prepare yourself for this rabbit hole.... I don't have powered rear view mirrow, so back probing switched power in the mirror was not an option for me. I found some threads where people tried to tap into power from the sunroof, but were having issues; decided I would find another option. I ended up going with the Valentine Savvy. This plugs into the OBDII port and allows you to mute alerts below certain speeds. The only issue with the Savvy is it would be mounted in an area I would probably kick all the time getting in/out of the vehicle. I bought a short, flat cable that relocates the OBDII port. We can't just have the cord dangling around in the foot well, so I poked around under the dash to figure out the best way to proceed. I decided to notch the mount that holds the OBDII plug so that wire could be neatly routed and mounted the Savvy to the top of the fuse box. The notch had no noticeable effect on the rigidity of the bracket. There is a good mount of webbing/gussets on the back side that keep this thing from bending. The mount very neatly tucked away. I mounted the Savvy to the top of the fuse block using Scotch extreme fastener. It works very well. After getting the Savvy mounted, I was ready to make a harness to connect the two. After trying a few different loom materials, I ended up with this. I wasn't crazy about the mesh looking loom material, but it's very easy to feed long spans of wire through. The nylon sleeving looks nice, but there was no way I was going to be able to feed the wire through that entire length. I used thick, adhesive lines shrink tube as a strain relief on the RJ11 plugs. The wires under the are twisted together, so that's why the nylon looks a little bumpy. Here is the loom installed. I pulled the A pillar on the driver side to tuck the wire away neatly. It was definitely not as hard as it was made out to be. Final thoughts.. I probably made this way harder than it needed to be, but I'm very particular about how I want things. Only thing I'm not crazy about is the wire harness. I may make some test pieces with different looms to see if I can come up with something I like more.

Your car is absolutely gorgeous. Nice job.

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Appreciate the kind words.

Knocked out a little chore that's been bugging me for a while. When I initially installed my double din head unit, I ran the microphone to the sun visor. After living with it for 2 years, it bugged me enough to finally do something about it. A consensus that I found across several different forums was that the steering column is the best location for the microphone for audio quality. Even so, there was no way I was mounting the microphone that had this large c clip attached to the back side of it. (This style microphone comes with just about every aftermarket head unit) After a few minutes on Amazon, I found this round, flush microphone round, flush microphone that I thought wouldn't look too out of place in the 996 interior. I ditched the mounting bracket it came with, and used a razor blade to remove the retention nub that holds it in the mount. After making the bottom flat, I used double sided tape to mount it to the top of the steering column. When seated, the microphone is out of view since the steering column drops down about an inch or so. After testing it out, I'm pleased with the audio quality and the new location of the microphone. The other nice thing about this spot is that the head unit is in close proximity, and you don't need to run any wiring in the foot well. I used an oring pick to fish the wire from the center console opening. (Don't ask me why there are "lines" on top of the steering column - I think just a lighting/flare effect from my flood light. )

This is a nice and clean solution. I assume there wasn't a way to make it fit in the round cover near the voltage gauge? If and when I get around to installing a new head unit I'd like to be able to mount the mic there.

Very clean install!

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I did research that option, and this thread ultimately shut that option down: Anyone installed a microphone in the instrument cluster location? - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums For how finnicky of an install I foresee it being (it would also get in the way if you ever removed the cluster since a mounting screw is behind the grill) I would rather not have the microphone than mount it in that spot. I think the steering wheel column with an incognito microphone offers the best "attributes" as far as aesthetics, functionality, and ease of install goes.

Not a lot of updates since last post. Life has been busy, and the 996 hasn't been giving me any issues. Planning on swapping the mufflers back to the Maxflo's this weekend, and replacing the parking brake shoes & hardware. Parking brake has been making some noise that an adjustment wouldn't resolve.

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I mounted the mic there and it was pretty straight forward. Had to do a little Dremel work on the grill cover backside to hole the mic in place with a little wrap around of elect tape. But overall, easy peasy. Just leave enough slack on the mic wire so it pulls out of the way with the grill for removing the mounting screw.

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I assume you weren't able to use the coil pack heat shields with the updated coil packs?

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fyi, fcpeuro includes spacers and longer bolt when u buy the "kit".

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I used the stock bolts with standoffs.

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I replaced the stock screws with a stud, threaded spacer, and nut. Image below gives you an idea of how they go together to retain the shield. I've since preemptively replaced the nuts with nylock nuts to be on the safe side. Getting the shield on/off is a breeze with the stud conversion.

Your pics and attention to detail are absolutely top notch. Car looks fantastic. What color is it?

11.07.2021 | 148529 Parking Brake Pads Replaced Parking Brake Hardware Replaced Fabspeed Supercups removed and Fabspeed Maxflo's installed I've had a squeak from the parking brake at low speed that's been bugging me - I think what bugged me most is that I knew I should've replaced them when I replaced pads and rotors earlier this year. I figured with the squeak/rubbing, the springs that keep the pads in tension might be getting fatigued, so I replaced them at the same time. I noticed a lot of comments on the Textar pads saying they did not fit. I had no fitment issues when whatsoever. Gave the area a clean up with a wire brush and brake parts cleaner. Hardware installed. A very light film of ceramic brake lube where the pad backing material contacts the aluminum rotor. Pic of the Maxflo's reinstalled.

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Appreciate the kind words! Color is midnight Blue Metallic.

01.21.2022 | 148846 Sun visor repair Work has been killer. Need to find time to do an oil change and install the LN adapter I picked up during black Friday. I did manage to find some free time this afternoon to tackle a project that's been on my to-do list for years...fix the dang sun visors. I was a bit skeptical of these given the name and country of origin, but these sun visor lids are great. Link to them here. Link to them here. The texture is a perfect match, and the color is a perfect match to non-faded plastic. If your plastic is a bit faded from using your sun visor along the driver side window, there will be a very subtle tone difference. I really only noticed it on my bright work bench; it's really not noticeable in car. The lids have threaded brass inserts rather than just plastics hole likeyou'd find on the oem unit. The instructions give you two options depending how your sun visor broke. If the lid hinge snapped, and the base is intact, installation is very straight forward and you can just pop them in after you move the two spring clips. If the tabs on the base are what snapped, you have to drill two holes and the lid is then using the supplied screws as hinges. My lid hinge is what broke, so I did not need to drill anything. Here's what they look like once installed on the bench. I also took this opportunity to remove the obnoxious air bag warning label with denatured alcohol. Here's how it looks in the car.

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I just need to know how in the world do you keep everything so spotless. Are you Mr. Clean? I'm sure the wife really appreciates your attention to detail.

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I think it's wired into me. I work in an engineering/r&d & manufacturing environment for the defense industry where a high degree of cleanliness and fod control is required. Something that you really have to live, not just got through the motions of. The future-wife loves it when I clean, but hates it when I ask the same of her. Oh well, she keeps me balanced.

02.27.2022 | 148846 LN Engineering Spin On Adapter Installed LN Engineering Magnetic Drain Plug replaced Oil Change Work has been super hectic, traveling a lot, and car/house projects have been put on the back burner. Unfortunately, not getting to drive the 996 as much as I'd like. Came back from a 4 week work trip, so haven't put any miles on the car since the sun visors were replaced. This LN Engineering oil change/spin on kit was ordered on black friday, so I've been meaning to get to it for a while. The LN drain plug I had on there has been in use for about 5 years and the broach where the hex key goes was looking pretty worn. Figured I'd pre-emptively replace it. Obligatory oil filter picture. Nothing interested to see; did pick up 3 tiny pieces of RTV - not surprised to see given I haven't put too many miles on the car since replacing the sump plate. LN adapter installed; both o rings oiled and torqued to 18ftlbs. Not having a plastic oil filter housing on the bottom of the engine gives me a little more piece of mind.

That�s one sweet looking oil pan/sump plate? Is that one of the LN Engineering billet one�s?

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FVD https://www.fvd.net/us-en/FVD2079880...t-oil-pan.html

Quotes source post: 18000050

@zbomb got it right. You can see post about it and the internal baffles here: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post17168683

Have the Super Cups listed for sale: https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1293288 Already have them boxed up really well. Double boxed, seams are stapled and taped with the commercial grade stuff. Lots of kraft paper and foam dunnage. Ready to ship. edit: sold

08.28.2022 | 149918 Oil changed with DT40 Oil filter replaced Belt pulleys inspected Brake light switch replaced Did some routine maintenance on the 996. Oil change, oil filter change/inspection, and I inspected the drive belt pulleys. I think I've been hearing some noise on start ups. Oil was changed, and nothing to note from the magnetic drain plug or the filter. I haven't purchase an oil filter opener yet, but some good quality tin snips don't have a problem cutting through the top seam of the filter. I do plan on getting the tool, I just haven't found one I like enough to get yet. These USA napa gold filters are really well made. A lot more difficult to open to inspect compared to the OEM style filters. Removed the belt to inspect pulleys. Both of the small idler pulleys were making some noise; to be on the safe side, I ordered both idler pulleys and the tensioner pulley. My cruiser control was not turning on, and my durametric brough up a code for the brake light switch. Replaced it, and all is well now. Pro tip...move your driver's seat all the way back and use a foam kneeling mat. You can get these are your home improvement stores for $15, and if you've spent any time under the dash of a 911, you know this is the best $15 you can spend.

09.21.2022 | 149918 Lower Idler Pulley Replaced Upper Idler Pulley Replaced Tensioner Pulley Replaced Cabin Air Filter Replaced Intake Filter Replaced Had to do a bit of traveling for work, so the 996 sat while I waited for parts to show up. The last time I checked pulleys I was on the fence about the AC compressor clutch bearing. I think it needs to be replaced, and after listening to a few videos on youtube, I might as well swap out the bearing. I also decided to go back to stock motor mounts, so when those arrive and I have time, the intake box has to come off and I'll replace the AC clutch bearing at the same time. Edit: An entire new Denso AC compressor is only $260. Apart of me is thinking to just replace the whole thing at this price point.

Denso is OEM. I also recommend Nissens. I took an AC class from them and they make decent quality components. They're huge in Europe. I've also used UAC when I had no other choice and they have lasted. I would replace the entire compressor. The few times I've opted to replace a clutch to save the customer a few dollars, the compressor has gone out a few months or years later. I now replace compressors, condensers, and receiver dryers/expansion valves when I fix the mechanical part of the AC system. Also flush the evaporators before filling with oil & refrigerant.

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I'm pretty sure I don't have a mechanical failure within the condenser, just a noisy bearing on the clutch side. It's audible when spun with the accessory belt removed. I didn't feel any play in the bearing, just spins without resistance and a bit of noise. Not sure how much noise is from rubbing the clutch, versus just the bearing. When the engine running I don't hear any audible noise with the AC on or off. I could very well be overthinking this and mistaking the clutch material rubbing for a failing bearing. Your process sounds solid if there's a mechanical failure. I'm not super knowledgeable about AC systems and not tooled up for it. Anything you recommend I take a close look at to diagnose? AC still blows nice and cold, but obviously I'm a big fan of preventative maintenance and correcting issues before catastrophic failure.

Most likely it's the clutch. I normally suggest driving it as-is but keeping an eye on it. When the clutch is about to go, you'll notice it when looking directly at the clutch. I've seen clutches still work with only 1 bolt still holding the clutch together. You will see a lot of play in the clutch before it finally lets go.. (remove the belt in order to see it, or run the engine and allow the clutch to engage/disengage) It's a lot easier to see the clutch on the 996 compared to transverse FWD engines.

07.15.2023 | 151261 Oil changed with DT40 Oil filter replaced I've really not had much of a life outside of work this year, and that's showing in how little I've driven the 996. Glad to finally get the oil changed, now to put some miles on her this summer. I'm still doing all of the maintenance myself in the garage. The Danmar mid rise lift is also still going strong and makes maintaining the 996 a breeze. I've got an accumulation of parts for the 996 that I eventually need to install: new OEM motor mounts, UAOS, and new injectors. I had to smog the car this past spring, and wanted to wait until afterwards to do the UAOS.

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Glad to see you�re still kickin!!!

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Glad to be noticed. Hopefully will be around more. Drove the 996 to work this work this morning.

The 996 is finally getting some love. New rear wheel bearing (which I think I'll replace both rear ones at minimum after inspecting the first one), motor mounts, and parking brake cales. (Broke a cable while removing an axle). Glad to be wrenching on her again. Work, new fianc�, new hobbies, travel, etc. didn't allow much zen time in the garage.

GMR & Ortega Hwy... Are you in North SD or roughly where in SoCal? Handful of 996 canyon drivers out here and I've never seen your car. Looking good

Quotes source post: 19581995

Long Beach/Seal Beach area.

Scope creep kicking in...wondering if I should replace CV boots now.

03.08.2025 | 151606 Motor mounts replaced All four wheel bearings and axle nuts replaced CV axles rebuilt Wheel studs and nuts replaced Parking brake cables and tube replaced Oil and oil filter change Finally got around to finishing this. I'm glad I changed all the wheel bearings...the typical "rock the wheel" to check for play is not effective on the 996. All of the wheel bearings were bad, even though 3 of them didn't have any play in the wheel. Hindsight is 20/20, it would've been nice to have done them at the same time as the suspension refresh. I recommend anyone considering doing a suspension refresh to include wheel bearings and cv axles if you're 996 has more than 100k miles. I picked up an OTC Hub Grappler kit a few years ago. If you don't have a wheel bearing kit or press, this job will require you take the uprights to a shop. I had a local reputable shop rebuild the axles. It wasn't much more than the cost of me buying the parts myself. I've been traveling a lot for work, and got a new daily driver, so the 996 hasn't stretched her legs for a while. Will put more miles on her in '25. I got new wheel studs and nuts from Tarrett. You can see the previous ones looked worse for wear. The only studs that didn't look like this still had some anti seize on them...so going forward I will be keeping them lightly greased. This is a southern california car that's never seen salted roads - this is corrosion pretty much just from car washes. There was nothing wrong with the old motor mounts. They were rennline mounts with their sporty inserts. After seeing FSI's video about the knock sensors being affected, I figured I'd swap these out. Getting the old parking brake tube out was a bear. I used a punch and chisel to get them out. To put the news ones in, I used an air can upside down to shrink the diameter a bit, and tapped in with a soft deadblow.

Great attention to detail in this thread, I enjoyed going through it. Would you mind sharing what lights you're using in your photos? I see you've used brake cleaner on the underside more than once when freshening things up. You might also like Aviation Safe Simple Green if you've never tried it. I've been going through my engine/suspension with this + a wire brush with great success. Makes far easier work of old cosmoline removal.

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Thanks for the recommendation, I don't think I've used that specific simple green product before. I cleaned most of the bottom of the engine with detailing APC/degreaser and a steamer. I imagine trying to clean everything with brake cleaner in my garage would be a pretty psychedelic experience. lol I have a few different lights I use. These three are probably the ones I use the most on the 996. 500 Lumen Dual-Sided Mini Flex Light (Black) | ECARL032BLK | Snap-on Store 600�800 Lumen Dual-Sided Flex Light (Red) | ECARD062 | Snap-on Store 550 Lumen Auto-Focus Light | ECARF052 | Snap-on Store

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Thank you!

Been on the fence lately about selling this car. I'm probably only putting a ~1000 miles a year on it, if that. I think she needs to go to a home where she'll get more time on the road/track.