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Alternator is out, with the help of a little bit of pry bar leverage. The threaded bushing at the far end of the long bolt seems very frozen in place. I put the long thread rod back in, minus three turns, and "three gentle taps" per service manual didn't do squat. Larger hammer and greater force did nothing either. I threaded the shorter bolt into the bushing all the way, thinking maybe hard torque would free it up. No joy there either. I think I can get it back in as is, but would be nice to free it up. Liquid wrench tonight, one more try tomorrow.
GBox 2nd gear detent arrived. What a ridiculous price for this widget. ($206 incl tax). If it's not patented, would someone please machine an alternate source? Yikes.
Send the detent back. You can accomplish the same thing with a $.50 ball bearing from Porsche.
Thanks for the guidance on the G-Box detent. I will return it, likely suffering their 20% restocking fee. Embarrassed I didn't do better research before hitting Buy Now. Looking forward to the 50 cent fix.
Someone somewhere, perhaps on another alternator thread, suggested putting some heat on the frozen threaded bushing. I assumed that should be with my [propane?] plumbing torch? As opposed to my heat gun, soldering iron, or hot air reflow gun? Should I apply heat to the alternator body surround, the steel bushing itself, or both? Then try to loosen it while it's hot or wait for things to cool down? Haven't thawed a frozen part with heat before.
I did make a modest financial sacrificial offering to the Snapped Bolt Gods in the form of purchasing four small Cobalt bits and corresponding extraction tools, hoping that these will keep said gods from f*cking with me on this 20 year old engine. Though obviously my time is coming in that regard.
Use a plumbing torch. Heat just the outside of the surround, not the bushing itself. Do it fast, hot and direct and then immediately work the bushing to free it.
Thanks for the guidance on the G-Box detent. I will return it, likely suffering their 20% restocking fee. Embarrassed I didn't do better research before hitting Buy Now. Looking forward to the 50 cent fix.
Someone somewhere, perhaps on another alternator thread, suggested putting some heat on the frozen threaded bushing. I assumed that should be with my [propane?] plumbing torch? As opposed to my heat gun, soldering iron, or hot air reflow gun? Should I apply heat to the alternator body surround, the steel bushing itself, or both? Then try to loosen it while it's hot or wait for things to cool down? Haven't thawed a frozen part with heat before.
I did make a modest financial sacrificial offering to the Snapped Bolt Gods in the form of purchasing four small Cobalt bits and corresponding extraction tools, hoping that these will keep said gods from f*cking with me on this 20 year old engine. Though obviously my time is coming in that regard.
Tim on 6speed has an excellent write up of installing the ball bearing on the detent spring which effectively places pressure on the detent spring. It's even a Porsche part. I think I paid like 40 cents for it years ago. It's a little tedious install, but I did it without removing anything but the rear wheel. You just need to get creative with extensions, wobbles and bits.
Tim on 6speed has an excellent write up of installing the ball bearing on the detent spring which effectively places pressure on the detent spring. It's even a Porsche part. I think I paid like 40 cents for it years ago. It's a little tedious install, but I did it without removing anything but the rear wheel. You just need to get creative with extensions, wobbles and bits.
@Carlo_Carrera thanks for guidance on the torch. It worked. Threaded bushing is loosened up, and hammered toward front of car enough to be flush with the alternator arm surface. I believe that will make re-install simpler/easier.
@s65e90 and @k9turbo thanks for the 6speed link. I saw that thread a few days ago, and good to know that's the best source for the 50 cent mod.
Voltage regulator removed from Alternator. Check out the difference in brush lengths between old (right) and new (left) regulators. Fingers crossed this explains the low and wobbly charge voltage, and that nothing else is bad on the alternator. Anyone an expert in decoding Bosch VR codes?
Here is an old thread on Pelican forum that does a nice job describing alternator removal/replacement, and also discusses the various Bosch part numbers for voltage regulators that appear identical in form factor and similar/identical in performance, on his Porsche. My VR part numbers aren't an identical match, though I suspect the new one is going to work just fine.
EDIT: both AutohausAZ and Pelican web sites confirm the new part number works for the 996TT (and other non-TT 996's). If the internet says so, it must be true, right?
There is probable more things wrong with the old regulator than just brushes. Replace the whole thing.
Exactly. Brushes are pretty simple and yours look like they were probably be fine ... I think the endemic fault in our alternators is the regulator circuitry itself and $40 is a gift compared to the $3,000+ your local friendly porsche dealer would likely charge you for a full alternator replacement!
Is that what a dealer would charge? Has anyone had their local Porsche dealer replace their alternator? Very curious.
I'm sure it would be ridiculously expensive...
I'm showing list price for a Porsche-boxed alternator at ~$1,800 (997-603-012-07), local dealers almost always bump it up 10% or so above 'list', plus 3+ hours of labor at $180, shop supplies, etc. and I bet it would be close to $3K at most dealers.
It's really shocking how affordable it is to maintain our Turbos if you do most of the work yourself, fix rather than shotgun parts changing, and buy OEM parts instead of the identical part repackaged into a Porsche labeled box.
The alternator is about $1500 plus $250 for the pulley. Labor @$150/hr at my local pcar dealer I would guess about 3 to 4 hours plus tax. How many hours will you have in it including diagnosis ?
locally I can buy a new replacement unit for something like $300 no exchange needed. I seem to recall it's the same as a vw part.
I'm showing list price for a Porsche-boxed alternator at $1,950, local dealers almost always bump it up 10% or so above list, plus 3+ hours of labor at $180, shop supplies, etc. and I bet it would be at least $3K at most dealers.
It's really shocking how affordable it is to maintain our Turbos if you do most of the work yourself, fix rather than shotgun parts changing, and buy OEM parts instead of the identical part repackaged into a Porsche labeled box.
agreed, dealers are insane and usurious. i replaced mine with a reman bosch ( about 400? ) a few years ago and *we* did it in about 2 or 3 hrs in my driveway.
04-23-2020, 02:52 PM
