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For such a known wear item, you think the engineers at Porsche would have designed this part to be a little more accessible. I just changed out my PCV unit on one of my Volvos. It wasn't easy, but a heck of a lot easier than the AOS on the Porsches. Volvo engineered it on the front of the motor. I still had to remove the air box to get to the top bolts and then go up from the bottom to remove the bottom bolts. At least I didn't have to drop the engine or anything.

b3freak wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 1:11 pm For such a known wear item, you think the engineers at Porsche would have designed this part to be a little more accessible.

Please.

Ford engineers apparently believed that alternators NEVER fail. Especially when you put them on the bottom of the motor in a vehicle that can be used off road.

In my old 04 Escape I had to replace the alternator 4 times. You have to remove the passenger wheel. Remove the half shaft. Unbolt the motor and then jack it up 6". The factory alternator price with dealer markup was $150. The labor was $900

b3freak wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 1:05 pm

808Bill wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 12:04 pm

I think he's referring to me putting my motor in without proactively changing it first. I was on a tight budget and was losing my storage space to work on the car. I had to button in up and get it on the road. 3K miles later...He's just a smart ass

Sorry bout that Bill. I'm not trying to add insult to injury. Just feeling' your pain when I see you agonizing over PITA job like the AOS replacement. I done it many times. People will say, "Don't forget XYZ when you're in there". I skip it thinking I have plenty of life left in the part only to find out it failed shortly thereafter. Keep you head up. At least we're not reading about how you killed the motor from hydrolock.

LOL! No worries bud, it's all good...Birds of a feather!

b3freak wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 1:11 pm For such a known wear item, you think the engineers at Porsche would have designed this part to be a little more accessible. I just changed out my PCV unit on one of my Volvos. It wasn't easy, but a heck of a lot easier than the AOS on the Porsches. Volvo engineered it on the front of the motor. I still had to remove the air box to get to the top bolts and then go up from the bottom to remove the bottom bolts. At least I didn't have to drop the engine or anything.

Is a MK1 any easier? The design of the AOS on the MKII cars seem to hinder the process a little. I expect that with my car at 75K or so, this part is going to give up the ghost soon. Next year my IMSB is due for replacement, so I'm hoping it can hold out until then.

OceanBlue2000 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 6:17 am

b3freak wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 1:11 pm For such a known wear item, you think the engineers at Porsche would have designed this part to be a little more accessible. I just changed out my PCV unit on one of my Volvos. It wasn't easy, but a heck of a lot easier than the AOS on the Porsches. Volvo engineered it on the front of the motor. I still had to remove the air box to get to the top bolts and then go up from the bottom to remove the bottom bolts. At least I didn't have to drop the engine or anything.

Is a MK1 any easier? The design of the AOS on the MKII cars seem to hinder the process a little. I expect that with my car at 75K or so, this part is going to give up the ghost soon. Next year my IMSB is due for replacement, so I'm hoping it can hold out until then.

I think it's basically it's the same PITA job. That's why it's so important to replace the unit when the transmission is dropped. Of course, if the engine is removed... easy! (see picture - top is 3.4 and bottom 3.6) You can notice the AOS unit on the top right of the motor...

The trans in or out is not the issue.

I’m speaking from an accessibility standpoint.

b3freak wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 7:02 am I’m speaking from an accessibility standpoint.

I really don't think the trans removed would have made things go any easier or faster to be perfectly honest, at least on my 02. I can't speak for the earlier cars. And, I'm 6'1" with wide shoulders and long but thick forearms

I have to retract my trans comment. Although, I had no problems working from under the car when I started undoing the AOS. I did find it would be easier without the trans as I was working on my back.
A lift would have made things go much quicker...Took me another four hours to button everything back up.

I took the 996 out for a warm up and then to the local Hy-Vee for some ethanol-free premium. Added a 10 oz Driven Defender + Booster to keep the injectors happy. After spending a good chunk of yesterday cleaning up the ML350, today I got out all of the car cleaning arsenal and gave the 911 a decent bath. With all of the road crud from the PCA event in Topeka last weekend, detail spray alone was not going to cut it. One of my older neighbors saw me using the foam gun and thought it was a fire extinguisher! I know I should have done before and after pics, but I got so absorbed in the process that it didn't happen.

Changed the oil! Not 2000 miles on the oil, but its been six months so out it went. I found a great place to empty / buy new oil, which was the crappiest part of this job. Recycle your oil! But we don't want it!

For once I didn't get a significant amount of oil on the driveway, so I am not in the doghouse.