This must be one of the best and only videos of this major problem on the 986. Could not find anyone else that actually just changed the red/black ballpoint. Many thanks again!
Great instructive video. I was able to fix my 987's top for $22. I was able to leave the push rods attached only replacing the plastic ball joint. Many thanks.
Also sometimes it can be an issue with broken plastic gears, you can buy metal gears to replace them on amazon / ebay like did. They work 100% now, I am happy for this video thanks it helped me to open mine.
Great video. Gave me the confidence to do mine. Took 30 minutes. Dont need to undo main hex bolt as the lever will swing up and give access. Use open 12mm spanner to undo old and replace with new so you dont stress the mechanism.
Have a black 2008 boxster S and mine snapped on both sides today right when the top got to the down position . I will be hopefully ordering the parts from your link and thank you for making this video. I’ll be fixing it myself following your instructions.
I don't know what it is but when I work on my 986 I have more confidence that yes I can do that! On other cars I think hell no I can't do that. I think it's because you have soo many angles to get the job done. Love it!!
Congratulations for the upcoming baby! I am really excited to see more of these videos and the quality gets better each time! I had the same issue I think I bought the same plastic to change it but its been a while...
Congrats on the having the baby! mines 20 now and it's been the best thing in my life :) I appreciate all your videos! Keep 'em coming at whatever frequency that you can. Your life's about to get really really busy! :D
Yes my wife put my CD book in the back with top up and when I put the top down it broke the tip off thus that's why they are made of plastic to save your gears!! I bought the tips like you did and replaced it. Congrats about your baby coming!! Thanks for your video's I tell people about them all the time on the various 986 FB sites.
Hey your not dead!, good to know your still kickin haha. Just wanted to let you know that I resolved the issue I had with my alarm system a few months back and it's been perfect since. Good upload!. Oh and congrats on the new child!.
Haha! Thanks! Yeah, still a good bit of life left in me! But with everything going on, well, dropped off a bit! Anyway, nice work fixing the alarm! What was the issue?
Burner's Cars it was the suspected fault, the ignition switch. After I spent some time replacing it I could not some definite wear on the original. After replacement everything functions as it should!. Thank god because now I can actually leave the car in public with ease of mind now. With the issue before I could hardly leave it alone anywhere in fear of some form of theft. All peace of mind now. I think I'll work in the stock sound system next. Although that definitely will be pricy in that department for sure haha. I'll manage
Thanks once again Burner for your excellent video. Congratulations on the soon to arrive baby. So far my 1999 Boxster has had no issues with anything. Still gambling on the IMS not failing. I am doing regular oil changes and drive it like I stole it without overdoing it. I have been using an oil additive product called ZX1. It lasts for 40k km. I noticed an immediate reduction in engine mechanical noise when I used it. Hopefully it is doing the job. If engine does fail, then a 3.4 litre from a 996 will be going in. I love the car as it puts a smile😀on my dial everytime I take it out for a run.
Thanks. My '06 Boxster S was a little different, but close enough that I figured it out. Next time will be easier. One of my push rods was bent 90% so I had to bend it back to match the other. New plastic ends (I bought 6). So far, so good.
Yeah congrats on the baby.... Good video as usual... I have a 1999 boxster that had an issue with the door lock just spinning within barrel... porsche wanted quite a bit for parts but after buying a VW lock repair kit the part that was broken on the boxster lock was identical to the the VW replacement... think it cost £3.99 ... should have made a video doing it ... anyway good luck with the new arrival... j .glasgow
Very good video. My roof ball sockets have broken and I thought I would have to buy the whole units. I copied your link to Gary c and ordered two pairs. Have not heard from him yet so fingers crossed. If I can get these socket ends I will be very pleased so thanks again for the info.👍👍
Grease in the cups is really good, not to help it slide smoother as much as to make it easier to come off next time. A little grease on the threads helps the cup get screwed onto the rod too.
I'm guessing from the comments that this applies to the 911 996 as well? My 1999 Cab stopped today and it looks exactly the same problem. Clamshell opens, windows go down but that's it. I'll ask my mechanic about this and see where it goes. Thanks for a great video.
great video, thanks! the rubber bushes on mine were in good condition, so i have reused them. btw, any idea what effect the rod length has on the opening/closing? one of the rods had a lose central screw, so it would slide along the bar. get the feeling it should be fixed.
I tried this and the plastic ball cups seem to be just popping out of place, could this be a positioning issue? I didn't mark the positioning with tape before I took the plastic cups off.
@@SornGeorge Yes, if I remember correctly I did have my other 'control' arm and cup still intact so I just matched up the positioning of the new cup on the arm that was giving me trouble. To your question if the cups are not popped into the ball joint portion that should be step one. Once that's done I recommend testing the top-down procedure at least 10 times. Eventually the problem went away for me. My theory is that this issue is cause by the weather, and if its too cold the weather could cause the plastic cup to be stiff and more prone to breaking or popping out of the joint so I would also recommend driving around to get some heat built up in the back where these controls sit next to the engine. Once that's done it should soften the plastic enough to shape better around the ball joint- of course again, this is a theory, but I hope it helps.
@@BlackbirdProductions thanks for the response! Will be trying again today. The other thing I learnt is to avoid operating the roof while in motion, which I’ve been guilty of doing in the past. All the best
Last I closed the top on my 2004 Boxster, it was making a clicking sound (similar noise to a slipping gear). The driver side lid did not want to close the entire way giving me an alarm on the dash that the top had not closed completely. Now I tried to open the top but all I hear is a solenoid click. I am assuming that the plastic gear in the drive mechanism has been damage. The problem I have is how to open the top that is stuck in the closed position. Any ideas of how to open the top so that I can reach the drive components?
Thanks for the video just had the exact same problem about a month ago and fixed having found the exact same vendor who sells the plastic parts as a stand alone component. Much cheaper than buying the entire arm. I really enjoy your video's they are logical and step by step with excellent explanations. Hope you keep them coming have you done one on brake replacement?
Yay! Another episode. Congrats on the baby news. Excited to hear what the new project is going to be! I think I'm going to miss the old "studio" though....no garage at the new house?
I have the exact problem Can you please send to me the name of this plastic part so i can order a new one . Both plastics are broken I have a porsche boxster s 2007 Thanks
Hi I have a 2007 Boxster and today I noticed that my Boot is not closing al the way flush when I put the top down. D you know what might be causing that to happen. It 's not bad but would like to get ahead of any problem that might be coming the roof appears to be working fine other than that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi, I replaced both hydraulic cylinders for the convertible top but after replacing everything with the fixed Cylinders the top won’t go up nor down. Any help or ideas
My push rod popped off but didn't break. I just snapped back on. Should I replace anyway? Also, is there any trick to replacing a micro switch in the transmission? my motor only goes one way and someone suggested the micro switch could be the problem.
Hi Stuart. We discussed the problem, a micro switch was preventing movement of the roof in one direction, and you resolved it. I recommended that you replace both ball sockets since one fell off, and you ordered a new pair. The ball sockets tend to get looser and elongated with age, and sometimes fall off if they don't break, so it's best to keep a pair on hand. Thanks! ~Gary
OFF TOPIC: Ben, have you checked out James P on the IMS differential pressure problem yet? I would be interested in knowing what you think about his observations and solution.
I did! It's not so much that I thought he was wrong... but since you can only do this when rebuilding the engine, it didn't seem that useful. If you're rebuilding the engine, it seems like you'd have many options.
I had those same thoughts. It's an impractical solution for the average Porsche owner, however it did two things for me: 1. It identified the actual cause as being pressure differential inside the IMS. 2. It brought to light a dirt cheap solution on a rebuild. If I were rebuilding, I would drill the holes, install a ceramic bearing, and finish it off with Pedro's DOF. That should do it!
Hi there from the UK. Great video, but not hit this problem yet. Congrats on impending fatherhood! I do have a question though. What is your opinion of installing larger throttle bodies and plenums in search of extra power/torque? Interested?
Thanks mate! I've heard a good bit of anecdotal evidence on these changes, but I'm always a bit skeptical. I'd definitely like to have some time with the parts and a dyno to see exactly what's happening. You have to think about where the restrictions are. At a minimum, I think you'd need to replace the airbox, throttle body and plenum... but then you have the factory exhaust... so you replace airbox, throttle body, plenum, headers, exhaust... well, cost / benefit might not make sense.
Your wife is having a baby! That usually means YOU'RE going to be a DAD! Congratulations LOL! It's a weird feeling at first, as your go through the pregnancy phase but once they are born, everything changes (for the best)! Kids add a lot of memorable moments to your life, one of the first memories I have is when my daughter, who was about 2 years old, told me "no" for the first time, when I told her to eat her food. That's when I realized there really was a brain in there working all on its own! LOL Cool purple house too.
Wow! Thanks. I just bought a 2000 Boxster that needs a little love. This is Exactly what is going on with my top. Who is Gary and where can I get the ball cup? My Dad was a mechanic and he made me watch him as a little girl. Good thing. Im doing most stuff myself. So far, so good. MAF done, check engine light off, etc. I changed the battery in the key fob but ... no luck. There is no users manual and I don’t have any codes... Really don’t want to pay $200 for a key. The convertible window isn’t salvageable and I need struts so trying to make my money go to those things. A clicker is a convenience at this point. So. Gary. Ball cup. I can do this, just need the part. Thanks so much!!!!
Good thing I removed my convertible top all together and only use the hardtop. The entire damn frame was bent, I think the last owner had it in service mode during a hurricane Big project? Let me guess, Carrera swap?
Damn! I don't even know how that happens! (But yeah, having the hardtop is great!) Ok, not THAT big... it may involve composites. There. That's all I'm saying!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
This must be one of the best and only videos of this major problem on the 986. Could not find anyone else that actually just changed the red/black ballpoint. Many thanks again!
Great instructive video. I was able to fix my 987's top for $22. I was able to leave the push rods attached only replacing the plastic ball joint. Many thanks.
All your videos have been life savers for the shade tree mechanic inside me. It has been fun learning about the Porsche Boxster thanks to you!!!
This video was a great help to me after my ball joint broke. New ball joints and rubber bushings are now on my car thanks to you.
Also sometimes it can be an issue with broken plastic gears, you can buy metal gears to replace them on amazon / ebay like did. They work 100% now, I am happy for this video thanks it helped me to open mine.
Great video. Gave me the confidence to do mine. Took 30 minutes. Dont need to undo main hex bolt as the lever will swing up and give access. Use open 12mm spanner to undo old and replace with new so you dont stress the mechanism.
Have a black 2008 boxster S and mine snapped on both sides today right when the top got to the down position . I will be hopefully ordering the parts from your link and thank you for making this video. I’ll be fixing it myself following your instructions.
Great Video, learning all the time. These cars look difficult to work on but I have so much more confidence after watching you in your videos.
I don't know what it is but when I work on my 986 I have more confidence that yes I can do that! On other cars I think hell no I can't do that. I think it's because you have soo many angles to get the job done. Love it!!
Congratulations for the upcoming baby! I am really excited to see more of these videos and the quality gets better each time! I had the same issue I think I bought the same plastic to change it but its been a while...
Thank you, sir!
Congrats on the having the baby! mines 20 now and it's been the best thing in my life :) I appreciate all your videos! Keep 'em coming at whatever frequency that you can. Your life's about to get really really busy! :D
Thank you, sir! Always nice to hear a bit of encouragement from the more experienced!
Yes my wife put my CD book in the back with top up and when I put the top down it broke the tip off thus that's why they are made of plastic to save your gears!! I bought the tips like you did and replaced it. Congrats about your baby coming!! Thanks for your video's I tell people about them all the time on the various 986 FB sites.
Thanks as always, William!
Received my replacement ends from Gary in very good time. Just need to put them on. Thanks for the video and link to Gary's site.
Wow, congratulations on the your baby. Thanks again for all your help, without your videos, I would have sat idle just looking at my car.
Thanks! I'm always glad to hear people find these vids useful!
very helpful! Thank you for making this video and congrats on the new baby
Hey your not dead!, good to know your still kickin haha. Just wanted to let you know that I resolved the issue I had with my alarm system a few months back and it's been perfect since. Good upload!. Oh and congrats on the new child!.
Haha! Thanks! Yeah, still a good bit of life left in me! But with everything going on, well, dropped off a bit! Anyway, nice work fixing the alarm! What was the issue?
Burner's Cars it was the suspected fault, the ignition switch. After I spent some time replacing it I could not some definite wear on the original. After replacement everything functions as it should!. Thank god because now I can actually leave the car in public with ease of mind now. With the issue before I could hardly leave it alone anywhere in fear of some form of theft. All peace of mind now. I think I'll work in the stock sound system next. Although that definitely will be pricy in that department for sure haha. I'll manage
Ah, of course! Glad it's all sorted. Well done! The stock sound system is definitely lacking...
Thanks once again Burner for your excellent video. Congratulations on the soon to arrive baby.
So far my 1999 Boxster has had no issues with anything. Still gambling on the IMS not failing. I am doing regular oil changes and drive it like I stole it without overdoing it. I have been using an oil additive product called ZX1. It lasts for 40k km. I noticed an immediate reduction in engine mechanical noise when I used it. Hopefully it is doing the job. If engine does fail, then a 3.4 litre from a 996 will be going in. I love the car as it puts a smile😀on my dial everytime I take it out for a run.
Thank you! You are doing it right! Drive it like a Porsche, upgrade it when it breaks! :)
Congrats on the baby and love watching these videos. New to the channel. I have a 2004 with 80,000 miles so these are going to come in handy.
Welcome! (And thank you!) They take a bit of work, so I love when people get good use out of them!
Thanks. My '06 Boxster S was a little different, but close enough that I figured it out. Next time will be easier. One of my push rods was bent 90% so I had to bend it back to match the other. New plastic ends (I bought 6). So far, so good.
You seem like a real chill dude. Nice video
Yeah congrats on the baby.... Good video as usual... I have a 1999 boxster that had an issue with the door lock just spinning within barrel... porsche wanted quite a bit for parts but after buying a VW lock repair kit the part that was broken on the boxster lock was identical to the the VW replacement... think it cost £3.99 ... should have made a video doing it ... anyway good luck with the new arrival... j .glasgow
Thank you! Love the VW hack! What a great way to save money!
Very good video. My roof ball sockets have broken and I thought I would have to buy the whole units. I copied your link to Gary c and ordered two pairs. Have not heard from him yet so fingers crossed. If I can get these socket ends I will be very pleased so thanks again for the info.👍👍
Love your videos, Congratz on going to have a baby.
Grease in the cups is really good, not to help it slide smoother as much as to make it easier to come off next time. A little grease on the threads helps the cup get screwed onto the rod too.
I'm guessing from the comments that this applies to the 911 996 as well? My 1999 Cab stopped today and it looks exactly the same problem. Clamshell opens, windows go down but that's it. I'll ask my mechanic about this and see where it goes. Thanks for a great video.
where is link for getting parts????
So I took the plastic thing off without marking the threads. (Before I found this video). Any easy way to find out how far to thread the new ones?
Where is the link for the parts? Thanks so much.
great video, thanks! the rubber bushes on mine were in good condition, so i have reused them. btw, any idea what effect the rod length has on the opening/closing? one of the rods had a lose central screw, so it would slide along the bar. get the feeling it should be fixed.
I tried this and the plastic ball cups seem to be just popping out of place, could this be a positioning issue? I didn't mark the positioning with tape before I took the plastic cups off.
I am having the exact same issue, but after watching this video I get the impression that they need to be pop in with a wrench. Did you have any luck?
@@SornGeorge Yes, if I remember correctly I did have my other 'control' arm and cup still intact so I just matched up the positioning of the new cup on the arm that was giving me trouble. To your question if the cups are not popped into the ball joint portion that should be step one. Once that's done I recommend testing the top-down procedure at least 10 times. Eventually the problem went away for me. My theory is that this issue is cause by the weather, and if its too cold the weather could cause the plastic cup to be stiff and more prone to breaking or popping out of the joint so I would also recommend driving around to get some heat built up in the back where these controls sit next to the engine. Once that's done it should soften the plastic enough to shape better around the ball joint- of course again, this is a theory, but I hope it helps.
@@BlackbirdProductions thanks for the response! Will be trying again today. The other thing I learnt is to avoid operating the roof while in motion, which I’ve been guilty of doing in the past. All the best
Excellent knowledge , good reliable demonstration, thanks
Another excellent video! Congrats on the baby too.
Thanks!
Hello, i have the same vehicle and the top is moving really slow when i close it, any idea what it could be the problem?
Last I closed the top on my 2004 Boxster, it was making a clicking sound (similar noise to a slipping gear). The driver side lid did not want to close the entire way giving me an alarm on the dash that the top had not closed completely. Now I tried to open the top but all I hear is a solenoid click. I am assuming that the plastic gear in the drive mechanism has been damage. The problem I have is how to open the top that is stuck in the closed position.
Any ideas of how to open the top so that I can reach the drive components?
Where can I take my Porsche boxter top rear window holes
Thanks for the video just had the exact same problem about a month ago and fixed having found the exact same vendor who sells the plastic parts as a stand alone component. Much cheaper than buying the entire arm. I really enjoy your video's they are logical and step by step with excellent explanations. Hope you keep them coming have you done one on brake replacement?
Thanks, Anthony! I've bled my brakes, but haven't yet replaced the pads / routers... I'll probably need to in the not too distant future.
Is the next project how to install a baby seat in a 986? Congratulations! I hope you still have time to make some videos after the baby arrives.
Yay! Another episode. Congrats on the baby news. Excited to hear what the new project is going to be! I think I'm going to miss the old "studio" though....no garage at the new house?
Thanks, mate! Sadly, no garage. Fortunately, there's a driveway and place to park, so hopefully I can put up a car port up or the like. Cheers!
Congrats dude! glad to see youre still alive. :)
Thanks, Ben!
Mine is doing nothing and the top light is on ? Can you help ?
Same for me 986
I have the exact problem
Can you please send to me the name of this plastic part so i can order a new one .
Both plastics are broken
I have a porsche boxster s 2007
Thanks
Hi, the arms that go into the guide rail broke. I replaced them but can’t get it back into the guide rail. And advice?
I can't see how a small plastic part acts as a fuse to protect the metal transmission.
Thanks for the videos all great information and helps us save $$ on repair cost. Congrats on the new Baby!!
Hi I have a 2007 Boxster and today I noticed that my Boot is not closing al the way flush when I put the top down. D you know what might be causing that to happen. It 's not bad but would like to get ahead of any problem that might be coming the roof appears to be working fine other than that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi, I replaced both hydraulic cylinders for the convertible top but after replacing everything with the fixed Cylinders the top won’t go up nor down. Any help or ideas
Wish you can show up close how that ball have failed.
Am I missing where he links are for the parts?
Hi
Pls my porsche 987 convertible top won’t come all the way down
About 2-3inch unless I push it down
Any help pls?
Thnx
So the end of my arm with the allen wrench bolt has a lot of play. Is this normal?
Yeah, mine have a bit of play, too. As long as that rubber insert is in good shape, I wouldn't be concerned.
My push rod popped off but didn't break. I just snapped back on. Should I replace anyway? Also, is there any trick to replacing a micro switch in the transmission? my motor only goes one way and someone suggested the micro switch could be the problem.
Hi Stuart. We discussed the problem, a micro switch was preventing movement of the roof in one direction, and you resolved it. I recommended that you replace both ball sockets since one fell off, and you ordered a new pair. The ball sockets tend to get looser and elongated with age, and sometimes fall off if they don't break, so it's best to keep a pair on hand. Thanks! ~Gary
Ben, I really enjoy(ed) your videos. I hoe you are doing well. I miss your videos.
OFF TOPIC: Ben, have you checked out James P on the IMS differential pressure problem yet? I would be interested in knowing what you think about his observations and solution.
I did! It's not so much that I thought he was wrong... but since you can only do this when rebuilding the engine, it didn't seem that useful. If you're rebuilding the engine, it seems like you'd have many options.
I had those same thoughts. It's an impractical solution for the average Porsche owner, however it did two things for me: 1. It identified the actual cause as being pressure differential inside the IMS. 2. It brought to light a dirt cheap solution on a rebuild. If I were rebuilding, I would drill the holes, install a ceramic bearing, and finish it off with Pedro's DOF. That should do it!
Very awesome video~!
cheap insurance.. buy two pair of these ball ends.. now while you can get them.
Thanks Burner. Good to know. 👍👍👍
Congrats on the Baby!
Thank you, sir!
Hi there from the UK. Great video, but not hit this problem yet. Congrats on impending fatherhood!
I do have a question though. What is your opinion of installing larger throttle bodies and plenums in search of extra power/torque? Interested?
Thanks mate!
I've heard a good bit of anecdotal evidence on these changes, but I'm always a bit skeptical. I'd definitely like to have some time with the parts and a dyno to see exactly what's happening. You have to think about where the restrictions are. At a minimum, I think you'd need to replace the airbox, throttle body and plenum... but then you have the factory exhaust... so you replace airbox, throttle body, plenum, headers, exhaust... well, cost / benefit might not make sense.
What if the back metal part isn’t closing either
My problem too some sensor issur
Thanks, nice job 👍🏼
Your wife is having a baby! That usually means YOU'RE going to be a DAD! Congratulations LOL!
It's a weird feeling at first, as your go through the pregnancy phase but once they are born, everything changes (for the best)!
Kids add a lot of memorable moments to your life, one of the first memories I have is when my daughter, who was about 2 years old, told me "no" for the first time, when I told her to eat her food. That's when I realized there really was a brain in there working all on its own! LOL
Cool purple house too.
Haha! Thank you, sir! I'm equal parts excited and terrified. (It's a girl)
Good video nicely done
Fantastic video....crowbar encouragement :-)))
Wow! Thanks. I just bought a 2000 Boxster that needs a little love. This is Exactly what is going on with my top. Who is Gary and where can I get the ball cup? My Dad was a mechanic and he made me watch him as a little girl. Good thing. Im doing most stuff myself. So far, so good. MAF done, check engine light off, etc.
I changed the battery in the key fob but ... no luck. There is no users manual and I don’t have any codes... Really don’t want to pay $200 for a key. The convertible window isn’t salvageable and I need struts so trying to make my money go to those things. A clicker is a convenience at this point.
So. Gary. Ball cup. I can do this, just need the part. Thanks so much!!!!
Congratulations to you both. Look forward to the sleepless nights. Been there twice lol 👍
Thank you.
good video...thanks a lot
Thanks much for the video I just had the same issue with my 987
Thanks so much!
Good thing I removed my convertible top all together and only use the hardtop. The entire damn frame was bent, I think the last owner had it in service mode during a hurricane
Big project? Let me guess, Carrera swap?
Damn! I don't even know how that happens! (But yeah, having the hardtop is great!)
Ok, not THAT big... it may involve composites. There. That's all I'm saying!
Porsche uses the cheapest plastic every made. My cockpit is made of this stuff and almost every piece is broken or paint coming off..
Always entertaining :)
djambrosia enjoyed your description, what a life saver. Question is where do I buy the bits. Thanks Andrew
Awesome
I want we he is on.
Put your car on a battery tender!
You can order the ball sockets here- www.ebay.com/itm/191595585977 or here- isiplanet.com/987.html ~Gary
Don't understand how these cars still have a high reputation, it's pure garbage and full of defects. Make the roof manual and close every issue.
Driving Luca ..Driving....
creepy