@@VinN-xn2bw I drive over plastic ramps backwards and do oil change but you can also lift it on jack stands. I haven't worked on E90 N46 BMW before so can't really comment on it. I would say if you don't need to take apart the engine like removing valve covers and stuff, it is not hard to work on it. Spark plugs, fuel pump, exhaust, intake, water pump, alternator, AC compressor and all the pulleys are easy to access.
@@VinN-xn2bw You basically get access to a big window above the engine, a smaller one at the front and the whole bottom side. Since the engine isn't cradled between the wheels, all the supports under it can be removed easily for even better access. Another nice thing is that there's no radiator in front of the engine, so you get full access to the serpentine-drive accessories without anything in the way. Takes 5-15 minutes to get into service position, depending on whether you want to see the top, front, bottom or all of them. Dipstick, oil and coolant caps, however, are accessible through the trunk without any covers. The service position procedure is definitely annoying with shorter jobs like inspecting the accessory belt or replacing the air filter, since it'll turn a 1-minute job into a 6-minute job, but becomes less noticeable when you're doing more involved things like a vacuum system teardown or AOS replacement, since you only have to strip the covers and put them back on once. The car can be driven without them, so it's no big deal to just leave them off for a test drive during service, or to loosely put the lids on with 2-3 fasteners. I do my underbody work on ramps, laying on the ground. I haven't had to do plugs/coils yet, but when I do I'll need the rear on jack stands so I can get the wheels off to access the heads. In short, it takes an extra handful of minutes to access the engine for service, but once that's done, you can reasonably work around it without excessive cursing, as long as you have a little patience. A few major things hide under the intake plenum, but it's also designed for removal, and you get ample access once it's apart. There are sacrifices made for a mid-engined boxer layout, but it's well worth it (to me) because the handling is very unique, even compared to something like an MR-2 or Fiero, whose FWD-based drivetrains have a noticeably higher CG. The reason the Boxster isn't as bad to work on as it seems is that it only ever had one engine block. That means every opening is strategically placed to help you access every component, there are no afterthoughts or omissions. Compare that to an E90 that had inline 4's and 6's both NA and turbo, and even a V8, and you can see the advantages - it's very hard to plan for every engine to be fully accessible without major compromises. That said, the N46 should be the easiest of the bunch since it's the shortest and narrowest. Suspension is simple front and back thanks to MacPherson Struts that use the same upright, wheel bearing and LCA front and back (cost-cutting actually working in the customer's favor for once). The transmission comes off fairly easily for a clutch job, and RMS and IMS can be inspected/replaced while you're in there. The fuel pump assembly is right under the battery and can be pulled out without hassle. The air filter is designed for quick and easy replacement, so are the cabin filter, battery mount, headlights, taillights and brakes. The car comes with a surprisingly comprehensive toolbag, spare tire and jack in the huge frunk. I think the biggest perk of working on a 986 is that almost all of them are virtually rust-free, having lived relatively easy lives as garage-kept Summer cars. Mine was, too, until I slapped snow tires on it.
The Boxster 986 (1997-1999) has a 96.20 (2480 cc) engine which has the original double row bearing and has no problems. From 2000 to 2002 were M 96.22; from 2003 to 2004 of M 96.23; the S from 2000 to 2002 for M 96.21 and from 2003 to 2004 for M96.24. who have the IMS problem.
The Boxster is prone to have some issues.....so I agree with this method if issues come up that the engine has to be taken out. Might as well get it over with IF you plan on keeping the car.
One other thing to think about replacing is the crankshaft position sensor. Also worth knowing is that the secondary air injection system isn't fitted on UK cars (and possibly many other countries as well).
My God! So that cheap $7400 boxster w/ 115k sitting all nice and shiny down the street is waiting for all these projects to be done cuz I he didn't do it. Run Forest RUN!
Question for you, with the power steering pump in place, does the PS reservoir cover the lower hex bolt holding the Belt Tensioner element in place? (The Round black thing between alternator and PS pump) on the dark side of the engine??
@@timsuddard6502 The IMS bearing issue was never fully sorted. Ultimately Porsche went to direct injection and eliminated the problem. Actually the earlier cars had "better" bearings. All 986's had either iteration 1 or 2. The 987's had either iteration 2 or 3. The latter is not serviceable. So while bigger, I would argue it is worse to have. There were basically three era's of IMS bearings. 1) through 2000 (ish) - double row, fairly robust and serviceable. 2) 2000-2005(ish) - single row, not as robust, but still serviceable (these bearings are most prone to fail). 3) 2005 to end of the IMS engine single row, larger and more robust, but not serviceable without a full engine rebuild. If you have the third iteration, you are probably only looking at a DOF product to attempt to extend the life. If you have the second iteration, you should plan IMS replacement as a service/maintenance item as those do fail substantially more often than others. If I was in there, I would probably put in the LN plain bearing. If you have the double row, indications are generally good, but they do fail. I might consider replacing like for like on that one and let it go. This is an important issue, but not as gigantic a deal as it is made out to be. Unless your car is the one on which it fails that is..... I own a 2000, 2.7 with 79K miles. This issue is looking right at me. I suspect I will put the LN plain bearing in, but I am still weighing options. It is a fairly straightforward repair to swap the bearing as a maintenance item. You can buy an awful lot of OEM bearings for the cost of one LN. But the LN is a lifetime repair and I plan to keep the car. I have had it 20 years already and the car is like new - so perhaps 30, 40 more?
I was interested in purchasing boxster, but I think I'll just buy Japanese toyota or honda or Nissan. I've been driving japanese and only thing I do is oil change and it goes....;p
Boxsters/Caymans are very easy to work on. You can access everything quite easily. Don't let this video to scare you away.
How easy compared to a E90 n46 BMW? Do I need a lift or can I do basic stuff with a normal jack and SAE tools?
@@VinN-xn2bw I drive over plastic ramps backwards and do oil change but you can also lift it on jack stands. I haven't worked on E90 N46 BMW before so can't really comment on it. I would say if you don't need to take apart the engine like removing valve covers and stuff, it is not hard to work on it. Spark plugs, fuel pump, exhaust, intake, water pump, alternator, AC compressor and all the pulleys are easy to access.
I agree
The air filter pays almost an hour. I wouldn’t exactly call that easy
@@VinN-xn2bw You basically get access to a big window above the engine, a smaller one at the front and the whole bottom side. Since the engine isn't cradled between the wheels, all the supports under it can be removed easily for even better access. Another nice thing is that there's no radiator in front of the engine, so you get full access to the serpentine-drive accessories without anything in the way. Takes 5-15 minutes to get into service position, depending on whether you want to see the top, front, bottom or all of them. Dipstick, oil and coolant caps, however, are accessible through the trunk without any covers. The service position procedure is definitely annoying with shorter jobs like inspecting the accessory belt or replacing the air filter, since it'll turn a 1-minute job into a 6-minute job, but becomes less noticeable when you're doing more involved things like a vacuum system teardown or AOS replacement, since you only have to strip the covers and put them back on once. The car can be driven without them, so it's no big deal to just leave them off for a test drive during service, or to loosely put the lids on with 2-3 fasteners. I do my underbody work on ramps, laying on the ground. I haven't had to do plugs/coils yet, but when I do I'll need the rear on jack stands so I can get the wheels off to access the heads.
In short, it takes an extra handful of minutes to access the engine for service, but once that's done, you can reasonably work around it without excessive cursing, as long as you have a little patience. A few major things hide under the intake plenum, but it's also designed for removal, and you get ample access once it's apart. There are sacrifices made for a mid-engined boxer layout, but it's well worth it (to me) because the handling is very unique, even compared to something like an MR-2 or Fiero, whose FWD-based drivetrains have a noticeably higher CG.
The reason the Boxster isn't as bad to work on as it seems is that it only ever had one engine block. That means every opening is strategically placed to help you access every component, there are no afterthoughts or omissions. Compare that to an E90 that had inline 4's and 6's both NA and turbo, and even a V8, and you can see the advantages - it's very hard to plan for every engine to be fully accessible without major compromises. That said, the N46 should be the easiest of the bunch since it's the shortest and narrowest.
Suspension is simple front and back thanks to MacPherson Struts that use the same upright, wheel bearing and LCA front and back (cost-cutting actually working in the customer's favor for once). The transmission comes off fairly easily for a clutch job, and RMS and IMS can be inspected/replaced while you're in there. The fuel pump assembly is right under the battery and can be pulled out without hassle. The air filter is designed for quick and easy replacement, so are the cabin filter, battery mount, headlights, taillights and brakes. The car comes with a surprisingly comprehensive toolbag, spare tire and jack in the huge frunk.
I think the biggest perk of working on a 986 is that almost all of them are virtually rust-free, having lived relatively easy lives as garage-kept Summer cars. Mine was, too, until I slapped snow tires on it.
Sure would love a to do list when you have the engine out. About to drop the 2.5 out of my 986.
Aaron Nichols how did it go ? I have a 2001 boxter S
@@vladimiralvarez1162 real slow. Cant get the car high enough to clear, have to go get taller jack stands
The Boxster 986 (1997-1999) has a 96.20 (2480 cc) engine which has the original double row bearing and has no problems.
From 2000 to 2002 were M 96.22; from 2003 to 2004 of M 96.23; the S from 2000 to 2002 for M 96.21 and from 2003 to 2004 for M96.24. who have the IMS problem.
The Boxster is prone to have some issues.....so I agree with this method if issues come up that the engine has to be taken out. Might as well get it over with IF you plan on keeping the car.
Very cautious when you bring a car in for regular maintenance and they want to rebuild your engine. So unnecessary.
he's talking about additional items to replace when you drop the engine to save on labor; this video has nothing to do with regular maintenance
One other thing to think about replacing is the crankshaft position sensor.
Also worth knowing is that the secondary air injection system isn't fitted on UK cars (and possibly many other countries as well).
where r u guys located?
The failure is only in 9% of boxters. The 90s models have a double bearing that's only a 1% failure. Change oil every 5k u good
My God! So that cheap $7400 boxster w/ 115k sitting all nice and shiny down the street is waiting for all these projects to be done cuz I he didn't do it. Run Forest RUN!
Not at all.. Boxster is highly reliable. All cars have maintenance. All he's saying is to do it if the the engine is removed.
Step 1: Drive it to a Toyota dealer
Step 2: Trade it in
In all seriousness, great video and very educational
As long as it's not for a HiLux. Unless you like paying $$$$$$ for a new DPF every year
co-designed by Toyota-assembled in Norway.
Question for you, with the power steering pump in place, does the PS reservoir cover the lower hex bolt holding the Belt Tensioner element in place? (The Round black thing between alternator and PS pump) on the dark side of the engine??
Do the 987s have all the same issues mentioned here for the 986s?
The earliest ones have many of the same issues, including IMS Bearing issues. Shortly after production started the IMS Bearing was made more robust.
@@timsuddard6502 The IMS bearing issue was never fully sorted. Ultimately Porsche went to direct injection and eliminated the problem. Actually the earlier cars had "better" bearings. All 986's had either iteration 1 or 2. The 987's had either iteration 2 or 3. The latter is not serviceable. So while bigger, I would argue it is worse to have. There were basically three era's of IMS bearings. 1) through 2000 (ish) - double row, fairly robust and serviceable. 2) 2000-2005(ish) - single row, not as robust, but still serviceable (these bearings are most prone to fail). 3) 2005 to end of the IMS engine single row, larger and more robust, but not serviceable without a full engine rebuild.
If you have the third iteration, you are probably only looking at a DOF product to attempt to extend the life. If you have the second iteration, you should plan IMS replacement as a service/maintenance item as those do fail substantially more often than others. If I was in there, I would probably put in the LN plain bearing. If you have the double row, indications are generally good, but they do fail. I might consider replacing like for like on that one and let it go. This is an important issue, but not as gigantic a deal as it is made out to be. Unless your car is the one on which it fails that is.....
I own a 2000, 2.7 with 79K miles. This issue is looking right at me. I suspect I will put the LN plain bearing in, but I am still weighing options. It is a fairly straightforward repair to swap the bearing as a maintenance item. You can buy an awful lot of OEM bearings for the cost of one LN. But the LN is a lifetime repair and I plan to keep the car. I have had it 20 years already and the car is like new - so perhaps 30, 40 more?
How much is the cost of all this work guys? Do tou have shop in Miami?
@@JavierGuzman-cs2lg There was about $5000 worth of work done to the car. The shop that helped us is in Orlando.
classic up sale
Beware of you should replace this and that. Of course they want the engine out, that way you get talked into changing more parts
.08 Hard to comprehend that enormous lump of hot metal is whirring away just 6” behind my ears.
IMS bearings will last if you use 15w50 in the summer and 5w40. That is all.
I was interested in purchasing boxster, but I think I'll just buy Japanese toyota or honda or Nissan. I've been driving japanese and only thing I do is oil change and it goes....;p
Song Kim / 🤔a Honda S2000 is much more fun, 😜especially for Your wallet😷
@@j.r.arnolli7494 NO NO NO... the boxster is the best of the best by far.
if you want to wate your moner, get a NISSAN. ...RUST RUST RUST BUCKETS
Best way to make your Boxster reliable is to buy and drive an MX5 ...
Because BMW never has problems? Right
@@scottmorris2070 Scott, an MX-5 is a Miata.
The most effective way to enjoy a porsche is to trade it in for a japanese vehicle, ever day is a new problem in the life of a porsche.