Probably not news for you seasoned 993 vets but for any new owners....

These can fail at anytime without warning. They will most certainly fail while you have your head and arms stuffed in the engine bay attempting to reach some unreachable part, leak, lost nut, tool etc....

Also, if you have a fixed wing and did not cover the three wing motor studs they will leave really nice holes in your back that will also result in the "when was the last time you had a tetanus shot"? Great, now i know when the last time was.....

Ordering new struts now....

 

That's not good ...So when was your last tetanus shot? Yesterday?

 

Yup - writing the date down for what that's worth....

 

Ouch!

 

pics or it never happened...

 

What are the chances of BOTH shocks failing at the same moment?!

THIS...

 

Cold weather can make a seemingly good strut not so good.

 

Make sure you order the correct ones. They are not all created equal although some aftermarket suppliers treat them as such.

I installed a set for a local owner who bought them from one of the popular aftermarket Porsche suppliers. The spring rate was such that the engine lid acted as a catapult...great if you want to fling burgers...not so great for your engine lid hinge mounting points.

My original front and rear 993 (with retractable spoiler) struts list 370N and that is what I got from Sunset Porsche for a few dollars more than aftermarket.

 

Ouch sorry to hear that. Didnt you get any signs at all the struts were going bad?

THREAD

 

good old pvnrt in action
PV=nRT

 

Yeah, its a bit weird - usually they go really soft, then support the lid marginally or slowly creep down, and maybe then do not support the lid at all. It's rare to see it support the lid well (i.e. no warning they are not in good shape) and then suddenly collapse.

I second the point to make sure you get the right ones, they vary depending on the model, and the Porsche sourced ones seem, at least to me, have the correct lifting power. I have seen cars where, pull the latch, and BANG up goes the lid - not good for someones face, and hard on the hinges...

Not hard to change, but definitely put a towel or cloth under when you pull the clips off the support pins - its really easy to drop the clip and pin, and impossible to find at the rear of the engine...

Cheers,

Mike

 

I gave up on engine lid struts long ago as their service life can be short. I use a custom made one-of-a-kind super duper wooden stick to hold it open now. Works great and has lasted for years with no failure in sight. Same for the trunk lid as well. A really great DIY fix job!

 

A nice alternative to a wooden stick and much cooler is to use a discarded shaft from a graphite shafted golf club. Go to any golf shop and ask the guy who works on the clubs for a shaft he is going to toss out, usually get them free. Ultra strong and light for the purpose.

 

IMO, a car with struts that are shot, and don't get replaced, sets a bad first impression. Its not like they go out every year or take hours to replace.

 

Being struck by the engine lid is never a good thing! In this case, sounds especially painful.

To help prevent future incidents, here are a couple of engine lid shock options: 993 Hood & Engine Lid Shocks

Mark/Pelican Parts