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It's pretty much the same install for any 987 and 997. The difference in the kits is just the shape of the ducting to facilitate the different bumper opening shapes, but install is the same steps and difficulty. There are videos showing start to finish install on these related cars.
It's straightforward using DIY procedures found on various sites. The biggest problem is bleeding the system. After a few weeks of trying all the internet lore for getting the air out, I bought an airlift vacuum system off ebay, drained & refilled the coolant with no issues. I would recommend doing this first.
Also, if the center opening of the bumper cover is closed off, consider removing that piece because you're not really getting the full benefit of air is not flowing through the radiator.
I installed mine about 6 months ago and it is a pretty easy diy project. I followed the same video that is posted above. It took me about 6 hours and that included flushing out the entire system a few times before refilling. Watch the video, it really helped.
I’m about to jump into this project. Does anyone think it’s a good idea to pre-fill the radiator with coolant to minimize air? And/or try to connect the rad pipe before all the coolant comes out (esp from the radiator on the passenger side)?
I’m about to jump into this project. Does anyone think it’s a good idea to pre-fill the radiator with coolant to minimize air? And/or try to connect the rad pipe before all the coolant comes out (esp from the radiator on the passenger side)?
YES, That's exactly how I did my install. I also pre-installed the radiator in the framework and the rubber duck work prior to putting it on the car. I had my wife assist with connecting the hoses to the right and left radiator as I put the third radiator in place. I may have lost half a quart of existing antifreeze. I was lucky and ended up with no airlock in the system. I pre-installed the radiator hoses on the third radiator. I also jacked up the front of the car and left the rear on the ground so it was tilted toward the rear to assist with not losing a lot of the antifreeze.
Don't forget to do the bumper cut-outs so the air flows out of the bottom of the bumper.
YES, That's exactly how I did my install. I also pre-installed the radiator in the framework and the rubber duck work prior to putting it on the car. I had my wife assist with connecting the hoses to the right and left radiator as I put the third radiator in place. I may have lost half a quart of existing antifreeze. I was lucky and ended up with no airlock in the system. I pre-installed the radiator hoses on the third radiator. I also jacked up the front of the car and left the rear on the ground so it was tilted toward the rear to assist with not losing a lot of the antifreeze.
Don't forget to do the bumper cut-outs so the air flows out of the bottom of the bumper.
Same for me (987.2 Cayman):
Pulled the radiator plug on the passenger side (the high one) barely any coolant came out, reinstalled the clip
Pulled the driver side clip, got the plug moving a few mm, and reinstalled the clip in the right spot (it didn't go into the grooves because of the plug but it was in the right place)
Preassembled the radiator, including the ducting, and prefilled it with coolant
Attached both hoses to the radiator
Mount the radiator and click in the passenger side hose
Pull the driver side plug and immediately click in the hose for that side
Go to the back, add coolant to the max line, and remove engine cover and flip up the bleeder
Idle the car until it is good and warmed up and I also ran the heat on high. The front radiator got warm as a quick check that coolant was circulating there
Top up the coolant again. A few drives to get the car warmed up, each time checking the coolant and adding if needed.
After 2-3 times, no more coolant was needed.
Total coolant added during procedure - .5 gallon of porsche coolant mixed with .5 gallon of distilled water (for a total of 1 gallon)
On the 987.2 the tricky part was removing the two clips for the fog light connectors - I believe that is different than the 987.1 and some videos don't show it, or show removing all the clips up in the bumper. The little latch gets moved toward you and away from the plug and then it slides right out. Here is one that shows it, queued up to the right spot at 9:01
Hi, I have a quick question. When you installed the third radiator did you also change the stock thermostat to a lower temp (106 degrees)?
For those considering this on a street driven (smogged) 987.2+, don't do it, for two reasons.
One, the thermostat is not what's causing your track overheating, it is a heat evacuation issue which is sufficient with the center rad. (or 3 larger rads for extreme conditions)
Two, the reduced temperature is very close to the DME flag of the engine not heating up quickly enough for emissions. The 987.2 DME
will store this info., and if your state uses the CARB standards, they now check long term history and you will fail if the DME has not reset the error.
I also did not change out the thermostat. I was just looking for a little insurance cooling because of New England, Cape Cod bumper to bumper traffic during the summer. Good luck with your project!
03-21-2019, 12:01 AM
Center third radiator kit in a 987.2 manual?
