Rob: Try a little "Zen" shade tree mechanic technique. It will go miles towards eliminating.. (LONG)

The Cup seperated from the ball on the shift selector at the transmission... I was able to pop it back on but came off again. Time for a new one. Both times happened under hard shifting at Autocross.

Question is can I buy a seperate piece like at the front of the cable (I have replaced that once, cheap plastic/nylon cup that wears out) or do I have to buy the entire cable? Does the ball wear out as well or just the cup? It appears to me that the cup is integral to the cable.

I needed just the rubber bushing and was told it is only available with the entire cable. Seems like you might be able to zip tie it or wire it to the lever?

It is zip tied right now as insurance against poping off again, got me through last autocross with no incidents

Zip ties rock

I looked at it up close today and agree it looks like a new cable is in order.

I don't mind having it like this at autocross but will fix it before Mont Tremblont next month, don't think I need that kind of excitment at 120

Thanks

Job is enough of of P I T A that it makes sense to replace it all if you are going to the trouble. That is true of most things on a Boxster. I love mine and plan to keep it for a long time but the access issues are maddening at times.

Quote
Rob in CO
Job is enough of of P I T A that it makes sense to replace it all if you are going to the trouble. That is true of most things on a Boxster. I love mine and plan to keep it for a long time but the access issues are maddening at times.

THE feeling of frustration that inevitably arises due to the mid-engine layout and the resulting access issues. IMO, German cars are particularly prone to having no "give" between the various parts and that's what always gets me.

I can summarize it this way: You can usually see a bolt OR you can reach a bolt...but you can't both see AND reach/touch a bolt simultaneously!

So, you have to consciously look away (i.e., don't fight it) from the bolt that you want to turn/rotate/loosen/tighten and, once you feel the bolt, just zone out and try to imagine what the bolt looks like and what you are "willing it" to do...Sometimes you have to think of the tool in your hand as an extension of your arm or fingers and "feel" the head of the bolt "through" the tool.

After a while you will find that the socket on the end of the ratchet can "find" its way to the nut/bolt head and then you can apply pressure to rotate the fastener as you visualize what is actually happening under there, all the while looking away. The sky is a good place to focus, and it can then make all of the frustration evaporate....until the next time you discover another area that calls for the same technique!

In that case, a Long Island Iced Tea can do wonders!!! The two little 10mm bolt heads at the base of the AOS come to mind if you try to reach them from underneath, and ditto for the OEM spring clamp at the base of the AOS bellows. Just ask Boxtaboy! I'm sure others here can list numerous examples and that those who have experienced this will find themselves smiling here.


For the OP...This seems like an analogous situation to the plastic ball cups not being available separately from the rest of the front pushrod assembly on the convertible tops of 986's/987's...Ridiculous, IMO. A few years ago, on PPBB, there was an attempt to compile a list of parts that commonly break on Boxsters and that can be successfully sourced from other makes and models, as they are the IDENTICAL part save the Porsche part number on some occasions. (Another Kudo to Mike Focke here!)

You can usually see a "VW", "Audi", or even a "BMW" logo on the part, and in some instances, the manufacturer's logo/trademark is the only thing stamped on a part...e.g... IIRC, the blower assembly for the Boxster is the same as that on a VW Jetta Wagon of 1994 or thereabouts.

Here is an example of one that had me scratching my head for a while...This is the inboard face of the "A Version" transmissions normally found on all '97 to '99 Boxsters:



(Ignore the RED and the YELLOW arrows and take a close look at the logo to which the WHITE arrow is pointing and you'll see the reason for my initial astonishment! )

I never found out if this transmission would be less costly if bought directly from BMW, but it's got me thinking again.


Regards, Maurice.

Thanks Maurice. I will try to be more "zen" and "be the bolt" on my next project. My new least favorite is bleeding the clutch slave cylinder. My arms and hands just won't get in there easily from any angle. Coolant tank was also bad. AOS actually went pretty easy for me.

Track days this weekend so all will be worthwhile.

I'm sure the track days will erase all remaining unpleasant memories of that exceptional Coolant Tank Placement Design.

I find it fascinating how working on a particular area of the car makes you better aware of what is actually going on when you, for instance, depress the clutch pedal in preparation for your next upshift/downshift.

IIRC, they have corrected the location of the coolant tank by placing it inboard of the vertical bulkhead at the front of the trunk to engine compartment interface starting with the DFI engines?.

As for the transmission-mounted clutch slave cylinder, Porsche made it surprisingly easy...if you
first remove the transmission!

Regards, Maurice.