Ray Calvo

Is it NECESSARY to remove mufflers? Accd'g to a friend who is a mechanic at an independent shop, no. He does them without taking the mufflers off. Personally, I don't see how he did it!

4 hours for a shop to do it? For a double-jointed person with excellent vision and hand/eye coordination in tip-top shape and who does this day in and day out, seems excessive. Since this doesn't describe me, it took me prob. at least 6 hours. This includes running down to the hardware store when I snapped at least one of the bolts clamping the mufflers to the exhaust pipes.

RE Snap-On: my vote still goes to Craftsman. I have a combination of Craftsman and Snap-On sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers, plus Allen-headed wrenches and sockets. The Craftsman seem to fit better. Also, I have stripped the Snap-On Allen-head wrenches and sockets a lot faster and more frequently than Craftsman. Plus, when you're working on your car on a Sunday and find you need an oddball Metric wrench, where are you going to find a Snap-On dealer open? I bet your local Sears will be open!

Edward

Agree with Ray (and Robin) on the time...sparkplug replacement is easy on the exhaust side and cylinders where it's easy, and an enourmous PITA where it's a PITA! In short, easily over 4 hrs for us who've done it the first time. If you want to save the $$, read up, take your time, and DIY.

If I may also chime in on tools, while I love the Snap-on finish and quality, I find Craftsman by far easier to live with since access to a Snap-on Rep (or Mac or Matco) doesn't even come close to the convenience of accessing your local Sears. Think about that if you ever do break/need a tool in the middle of a job. Hope this helps

Edward

Robin 993DX

[quote]Originally posted by Ray Calvo:
<strong>Is it NECESSARY to remove mufflers?

4 hours for a shop to do it?

The Craftsman seem to fit better. </strong><hr></blockquote>

Pops,

It is not necessary to remove the muffler, but you can get a much better feel of the plug by doing so, and also I am not sure how your friend can remove the right side engine shroud without removing the muffler. Read my DIY and you will know why. So your friend probably took the easy way out and skiped replacing the top upper plug. I have seem that practice being done from independent Porsche repair shops.

I can definitely do it in 4 hours, assuming no nuts and bolts gets broken or stuck.

John W

[quote]Originally posted by Robin 993 DX In Atlanta:
<strong>

I can definitely do it in 4 hours, assuming no nuts and bolts gets broken or stuck.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Robin,
we have taken the plunge and decided to do it.
I now have some qwuestions, which undoubtedly your DIY will tell me (printed it out to read later), but incase it doesn't, can you suggest which would be good bolts to have on standby incase they snap ?)

Also, anyone know of a good place to get snap-on stuff at a sensible price ?
I just priced up a flexible ratchet, and it was 80 GBP plus shipping. If I bought that (and the sockets to go with it) it would probably cost me at least one ******** too <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />

Cheers,
John. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

wallwork

John

Forget Snap On, go for Britool. However, price may be similar. I will check local tool specialist tomorrow - I also have the ctalogue at home. As we agreed, you buy the ratchet I'll buy the allen socket he, he, he .......

Halfords also do a pretty solid professional range of tools, they may be worth a look too.

John W

Hey, sidcup steve !

I prefered your other description of your self that you sent me. heh heh heh

I've looked at the Halfords stuff, and the machine mart stuff.
I have mostly Kamasa at the moment, but it is getting on for 20 years old, and I didn't want to give you rounded nuts

What am I saying.
lets face it - its a guy thing and this is as good an excuse as any to buy some new gear <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

Catch ya later.
Gotta go watch some tv for John D <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Cheers,
John.

P.S. snapon rules, but so does its price !
I'm going to take a look in my Hazet book tonight...

Steve in the UK

Snap On Tools - Over priced - Over rated - and Over here. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

That should set the flames alight.

The Britool swivel ratchet is £48 plus VAT. The 5mm allen key socket(for the shroud)is £8. How many do you want Ha Ha Ha. <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

John W

Steve, 3/8" or 1/2" drive ??

The hazet 3/8" swivel ratchet (8816GK) is 46GBP + vat, but I can get 25% off

The 5mm allen socket comes in various flavours :-
8801-5 --&gt; 43.5 mm long 7.35 +vat
8801K-5 --&gt; 60 mm long 5.67 +vat

They also sell 'wobble' extensions, and several different types of spark plug sockets...
There is a section in the catalog that lists the tools required for a porsche, so I will have to take a closer look.
(they list the 8801-5 for the P car, not the K version, and also the standard non-hinged ratchet)

Hmm, just hada look and we obviously don't have plugs, as they list no spark plug socket

What is more, the picture doesn't even show one...

I'm going to get an exact price for the ratchet, extension, socket etc, and then decide.
After all, they may not have them in stock...
Your snapon guy doesn't answer his phone by the way.

Cheers,
John.