Death by Engine Lid

[5chn3ll]

My aero lid only has one strut...

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 9.40.11 AM.png (241.82 KiB) Viewed 1815 times

[gnat]

Question: I keep seeing people talk about engine lid "strut". Mine has two struts. Is it just understood that strut is being used to indicate two struts or what?

It varies by model/generation. Our 01 only has a single strut and that is with the Taco attached.

[32wildbilly]

My aero lid only has one strut...

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 9.40.11 AM.png

Question: I keep seeing people talk about engine lid "strut". Mine has two struts. Is it just understood that strut is being used to indicate two struts or what?

It varies by model/generation. Our 01 only has a single strut and that is with the Taco attached.

WOWZA! If I were one of you with the wing and one strut I would definitely put some kind of lid support device in place before sticking my head in there.

[5chn3ll]

The aerokit II wing/deck lid doesn't weigh much, and when the deck lid is open, the weight of the wing blade is cantilevered past the hinges. I haven't tried disconnecting the strut entirely, but I wouldn't be surprised if the GT3 wing/decklid stays open with no strut at all.

I remember a post somewhere that moving from a stock spoiler/factory deck lid to a fixed-wing setup saves 30-35 lbs. Not sure how accurate that claim was, though.

[gnat]

The aerokit II wing/deck lid doesn't weigh much, and when the deck lid is open, the weight of the wing blade is cantilevered past the hinges. I haven't tried disconnecting the strut entirely, but I wouldn't be surprised if the GT3 wing/decklid stays open with no strut at all.

Don't know about your incorrect wing, but that is true of the Taco. When replacing the strut I can pop off the strut and the lid stays open all on it's own (I still put my shoulder against it though as I'd rather not lose my hands to that particular guillotine...

I remember a post somewhere that moving from a stock spoiler/factory deck lid to a fixed-wing setup saves 30-35 lbs. Not sure how accurate that claim was, though.

I don't buy that number. The Taco isn't heavy, but it isn't an insignificant weight either. The wing lid has more metal surface on it as the hole for the automatic wing is covered. As near as I can tell the structural support of the lid is the same for both styles. So I just don't see how the motor, arm, and wing plus sundry fittings add up to 30+(weight of the aero wing).

I've been wrong before and Porsche engineers have a knack for bending the laws of physics, so who knows...

[02TX996Cab]

Porsche engineers likely include a generous weight allowance for the cr*p that builds up on the bellows beneath the stock "wing"...or maybe I'm the only troglodyte who cleans it maybe once a decade?

My '02 Cab has a single strut for the engine cover, by the way.

[5chn3ll]

I hope you properly bag the engine before removing the spoiler debris.

[OceanBlue2000]

I've got a single strut on my 2000 and that seems to be correct, but I questioned that because it seems like you could add one on the other side if you wanted to. Maybe for lids that have wings added?

[gnat]

I've got a single strut on my 2000 and that seems to be correct, but I questioned that because it seems like you could add one on the other side if you wanted to. Maybe for lids that have wings added?

Nope. As mentioned, neither Schnelly nor I have a second strut.

It's probably another one of those cost cuts on the 996. The engineers designed it with 2, but then a bean counter noticed one would hold it up and decided they could save an extra $5/car...

[32wildbilly]

I've got a single strut on my 2000 and that seems to be correct, but I questioned that because it seems like you could add one on the other side if you wanted to. Maybe for lids that have wings added?

Nope. As mentioned, neither Schnelly nor I have a second strut.

It's probably another one of those cost cuts on the 996. The engineers designed it with 2, but then a bean counter noticed one would hold it up and decided they could save an extra $5/car...

I've got two on my 05 with the standard engine lid i.e. no racer bouy wing. Maybe by late 2004 Porsche got tired of all the decapitation lawsuits, fired the accountant and added an extra strut. Just guessin here...