Non OPC Specialist - has anyone tried them

[Guest]

Firstly if I have not found the thread that answers this question I apologise.

However, I am very unwilling to pay the hideous price that the West London Porsche Centre charges for it's work (I halved the cost of replacing all the disks and pads by going to a good non-specialist) I would like to find out if anyone has had any experience with either of the following Porsche specialists.

I have a Boxster S that keeps jumping out of second gear and so there is some fairly expensive work to be done.

The two organizations are

JAZ Motorsport
Tel: 020 89031118
Unit 1, The Mirage Cntr, First Wy, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 0JD

Who seem to sponsor and maintain porsches for racing (which I guess is an good thing) and:

TAG - run by a person called Tim
9A Purcell Cressent
Fulham SW6

Who I cannot find any reference to at all.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Dapster]

Algy

I haven't had any experience of the 2 you mention but as you must be reasonably West Londoney, then perhaps you should look at Camtune in Guilford. I used them for my disks and pads replacement and while not the cheapest, reassured me that they knew the marque absolutely through and through. The free courtesy car was a bonus too.

If you suspect some major car trauma is impending, then having had a full OPC history will mean that you may get some goodwill from Porsche if you are in for a biggie like a new gearbox. If they sniff that you have had anything done outside the network, you'll be on your own.

 

[Guest]

I think I am already sunk on the goodwill from Porsche. They have already said that as I bought the car privately and not through them there was a very low chance that I would get any goodwill. That is why am am heading out of the network. I'll get in touch with camtune and see what they say.

Thanks for the pointer though

Algy

 

[NicD]

I doubt if many firms, even OPCs have had experience of Boxster gearbox rebuilds as they are rare so far.

I would add JZ Machtech to the list as they are very technically qualified and will not stiff you. They are near the M25/M1 junction

 

[Need4Speed]

ORIGINAL: algy

I think I am already sunk on the goodwill from Porsche. They have already said that as I bought the car privately and not through them there was a very low chance that I would get any goodwill. That is why am am heading out of the network. I'll get in touch with camtune and see what they say.

Thanks for the pointer though

Algy

Algy,

As long as your car has a full OPC service history and is under 5 years old, it shouldn't matter that you purchased it privately and not through the OPC Approved used car programme. If this is the case, I would contact PCGB directly and speak to Customer Assistance and push for a goodwill claim. I personally think the lottery of goodwill claims has a high bearing on how good the OPC is dealing with PCGB on your behalf and in some rare cases how much they can actually be bothered.

I purchased my car on the Tourist Delivery Programme and collected it direct from Stuttgart. In view of this, I haven't experienced any problems with warranty claims and recently had a goodwill contribution awarded from PCGB. At the end of the day, PCGB is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAG"¦end of story.

Best of luck with it anyway!

Andy

 

[Guest]

I'll give JZ Machtech a call, I have found them on the internet, and get a quote and if the M25 is not too hideous on Saturday I'll try the original OPC that the car was bought from (East London I think) and see what they say about the chances of a goodwill award.

The gamble is that I may have to pay twice the price (or more) on the off chance that I will get something back from Porsche GB and I have no idea if that is a good gamble or not, though my conversation with the charming customer assistance people at Porsche GB was not hopeful. However the quotes I have had range from GBP5000 to GBP1500.

- I thought I was indecisive before - now I am not so sure -

Thanks for your advice.

Algy

 

[Guest]

Just to tidy this thread up should anyone be interested

I took the car to JAZ in Wembley in the end. Steve could not fix the gearbox so recommended I get one from a breakers yard. I am guessing that thanks to the miserable weather we have been having over the last few weeks quite a lot of people have stuffed their cars into ditches there were a fair few around (I put out a request on www.247spares.co.uk and www.find-a-part.com). Steve then called the breaker up to check it did not come off a stolen car and had fairly low mileage.

My car now seems to work beautifully and Steve at JAZ was very patient as I tried to find a cheaper way out of the problem and then helped to check the geabox and source.

The net result has been that what could have been a very very expensive problem has merely been an expensive one.

Thanks for the helpful advice.

Algy

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

A little point of interest, someone can perhaps chime in if I have got it wrong. Porsche no longer supply gearbox parts they will only supply new gearboxes. Hence the rather large bill if one lets go. You will not be able to even get parts direct from the manufacturer as Porsche hold patent over the maker and forbids them from selling the parts even if they wanted too.
I should add this applies for the watercoolded model ranges not the older aircooled cars or watercooled cars with substantial aircooled car technology (gt3)

 

[NicD]

according to Steve McHale at JZ, 996 gearboxes are non serviceable, I think he said the shafts were force fit, while Boxsters were fully serviceable and parts readily available.

He had not found problems with more than 1 or 2 gboxes so far, so for him, not an issue.

 

[NicD]

Algy,

did you speak to Steve at JZ also? He told me no issue for his firm to repair Boxster boxes

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: NicD

according to Steve McHale at JZ, 996 gearboxes are non serviceable, I think he said the shafts were force fit, while Boxsters were fully serviceable and parts readily available.

I understood this to be the case too.
The parts are an "interference fit" and cannot be disassembled.

 

[JCB..]

The parts are an "interference fit" and cannot be disassembled.

Speaking as an ex-engineer that's no reason for things not to come apart. You just need a bigger hammer!

[&:]

 

[Mark_Bennett]

It's not the coming apart that's the problem in that case - but the shoving back together... They won't be an interference fit any more - more a loose-fit!

 

[Guest]

By the time I finished my research I am afraid I can no longer exaclty remember who I asked what question. The universal answer was when I approached people to actually fix the greabox they said 'oh I assumed you ment the five speed, no we cannot do the six speed as we cannot get the parts'

Steve at JAZ was unable to obtain any parts but did find someone in Belgium who was willing to take them apart. I did not get their name. They did not have any gear boxes on the shelf so it would have taken ages to have the work done.

Secondly someone at a garage called TAG on the Dawes road said he knew of someone however he did not get back to me in time to verify it.

I was also told that the six speed gearbox is interface fit (if that means to manufacture one you cool down the shaft and heat up the gears then assemble them). So applying a bigger hammer is to subtle, I think the technique used is a hack saw and then install new gears. However I too am no engineer so what you have is my laymans interpretation of the process.

Thanks Algy

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

well if that's the case (boxster g/box parts are availiable) then that's good to hear. Must admit that I had heard about the 996 g box and made the assumption that both boxes shared some comonanality (installed position apart). Obviously not the case. Sounds as if it's a different story for the six speeder.

 

[Melv]

Coincidentally, I was at GT1 in Chertsey on Friday, and Craig likes a challenge.....

He showed me a rebuilt Boxster gearbox. He also has a rebuilt 996 gearbox, the idea being that he will keep a permanent rebuilt spare so owners only lose the car for the four hours it takes to replace.

He is also rebuilding the 964RS/Cup and Turbo high pressure brake system -where there's a will..........

01932 569911/944. Craig or Peter -tell 'em Mel sent ya!!