Jonttt's 993 C4S Journal

Got the rubber care stick today (helpfully translated by memsahib!)

I'm planning a happy ave applying liberally to ALL rubber surfaces ..

Yes , Zingo , opening for you!

Raid Steering Wheel Install

So I got the chance to fit the Raid steering wheel at last.

Earlier in my journal I posted a picture of a 340mm wheel I had ordered online from one of the popular Porsche suppliers. However after a few weeks they admitted that they had none in stock (to be fair I think most source to order) and could not get hold of the one I had ordered.

In the meantime I had had second thoughts about a 340mm wheel so this worked OK for me to cancel the order.

I have a 340mm wheel in my Z3m which I love. However, although it does not sound it going from 380mm stock wheel to 340mm is quite a change. One factor to consider would be it does make the steering heavier which worked fine in the Z3m. The reason I had second thoughts was the fact that the 993 already has relatively heavy steering. I was concerned that going to 340mm may make it too heavy.

Ultimately I decided to order a 365mm wheel which is close to the popular porsche options. I also decided to go for full leather and I knew that if I did not like it I always had the option of swapping it with the 340mm wheel in the Z3m.

The cheapest supplier I could find who I was also confident could actually supply one was Gert at Carnewal. So whilst ordering my RSR exhaust I ordered these (and some moer goodies to be revealed another day) and everything was received yesturday for the planned RSR install tomorrow.

Firstly its worth stating that I'm pretty experienced at swapping steering wheels and did a lot of research into the subject on previous projects. However whilst researching anything I should know the is paculiar to the 993 it became apparent that although there is plenty of info on the internet there were no really clear instructions for a novice so I thought I may as well fully document the process.

Secondly its worth noting that this really is an easy task on the 993. The most complex thing is simply fiddling with the blind retaining screws that secure the airbag. As always it helps to have the appropriate tools which I will also detail.

The only major thing to consider is the types of airbag systems and airbags being used to ensure compatability. In simple terms there are two types of system. The earlier single stage system which the 993 has and the later dual airbag system which I presume later Porsches have (certainly BMW's after 1999 mostly have dual stage). You can install a single stage airbag into any system (you have to use resistors on the unused circuits to avoid Airbag faults) but you cannot install a dual stage airbag into a single stage system car. This was no issue in this case as the 993 is a single stage system and the raid wheel has a single stage airbag. The only thing 993 owners would need to be wary of is if they ever tried to fit a later dual stage airbag as it would not be compatible.

Another consideration is usually "slip rings". These are basically a ribbon which winds / unwinds as the wheels turns and acts as a bridge between the cars wiring harness and the wiring in the wheel (for horn, airbag and on later cars all sorts of other things). It means the wiring does not get itself in knots as the wheel turns more than 360 degrees.On some makes of cars these are fitted to the steering wheel itself and so have to be transferred to the new wheel complicating the process as they usually don't fit and have to be adapted. However in the case of the 993 it is fitted to the steering column and not the wheel which makes things a lot easier.

So to the install.....

You have to order a "hub adaptor" that is specific to the 993 as the raid wheels are generic and the hub adaptors are used to ensure compatibility with many models of cars.

IMPORTANT: UNPLUG THE CAR BATTERY.

There is something about messing around with an airbag which makes you do things by the book :cop: Most internet write ups will tell you to unplug the battery (ie disconnect the earth cable completely) and leave the car for 20 minutes. This is because some cars have a capacitor which stores and electrical charge to set off the airbag. However I think in the 993 this does not apply and by the time you have disconnected the battery and undone the securing bolts there would be no risk. So what did I do ? I waited 20 minutes :bandit: :hand:

Tools needed:

- T27 Torx driver (to remove the OEM 4 spoke airbag)
- T30 Torx Driver (to remove the Raid airbag and install the raid hub adaptor)
- Stanley knife, wire crimpers and electrical tape (to fit the raid airbag connector to the car wiring)
- 24mm socket to remove the steering wheel

Here is the wheel and hub adaptor. You also get 2 wires to connect the horn, a wire to connect the airbag, 4 screws to secure the hub adaptor to the wheel and some shrink wrap (I used electrical tape as I did not have a heat source where I installed).




The first job is to remove the OEM 4 spoke steering wheel from the 993. This is achieved by undoing x2 T27 torx screws which are accessed from behind the wheel.

Here is a 27mm Torx driver




The problem is that the 2 airbag retaining screws are recessed about 20mm into a hole which is not very big. So if you nuse a torx bit from anm interchangeable set the shaft of the driver is likely to be too wide to either go in the access hole or if it does have enough play to "wiggle" the bit into place.

You need to turn the wheel 1/4 turn to get access to the retaining screws. This can be done without the power steering easily but remember to put you keys in and turn to position 1 or the steering lock will engage ;-)




Here you can see I have access to the hole but I had trouble locating the screw head as it was a tight fit




I therefore resorted to these which had thin shafts and were much easier to use. Also note anthying longer makes it harder as well as you end up hitting the lower dash constantly.

PLEASE NOTE you are working backwards so clockwise is to undo them ;-)






Once both screws are loosened you can pull off the centre airbag.




Before removing however get the wheel dead centre. Its easier for your eye to do this with the airbag in place. You need to ensure that the new wheel goes back on dead centre and some state you should mark it all up. In practice once you have the wheel centred there is no reason for it to move so I did not bother.




You can then remove the airbag connector. This can be stiff put you just need to pull it off.




This then reveals the interior of the wheel.




There are only 4 wires you need to consider:

x2 horn (+ve and -ve) - it does not matter which is which

x2 airbag - again it does not matter which is which.

The two horn wires are seperate and are conencted to the wheel using spade connectors.






Just pull these off to disconnect them.

You can now remove the wheel from the car by undoing the 24mm bolt and washer.

Removing the centre bolt and horn wires disconnected




Once the bolt is remove you can pull the wheel off the steering column and feed the airbag and horn wires through the access hole in the wheel.

Wheel removed leaving the slipring attached to the car. Note the slipring has two pertruding tabs at 12 and 6 o'clock. These fit into two holes on the back of the wheel (hub adaptor on the Raid)




and the retaining nut and washer removed




Now that the wheel is removed you can compare the two. Note the hub adaptor mirrors the back of the original wheels with the 2 recesses for the slipring tabs and access hole for the wiring.




New wheel on top of the old one and there does not appear much difference but 20mm and a thicker wheel make a world of difference ;-)




So now the old wheel is finished with. You can refit the airbag so as not to loose the retaining screws.

So now we have to fit the hub adpator to the raid wheel. Its easier to do this when you compare it to the original wheel as this makes it obvious which way it fits.

Hub in place to mirror original but not fixed




Recess on side of hub adaptor also line up to give access to airbag retaining screw holes




Once orientated correctly flip the wheel and hub over to line up the 4 hub retaining holes correctly




and then fit the x4 hub retaining screws (note the blue locking compound they come fitted with as you do not want these working loose with vibration.)






The two black horn wires which are supplied are simply connected into the connecting block located in the wheel.

(nb I did this before fitting the hub adaptor)




So the final thing to sort before putting it all together is the airbag connection.

The connector from the car will not fit the raid wheel. The raid wheel comes supplied with a connector but this must be wired into the car buy removing the old one. This can be done various ways with spade connectors being the most flexible as they allow easy reconnection of the original connector should you ever want to put the original wheel back in quickly. However for ease I went with the supplied connectors but it would still be a 5 minute job to refit the old connector and wheel.

The new airbag and connector cable




The original airbag connector on the right which has to be removed and new connector on the left which has to be wired in to the car.




You have to cut back the original wiring sheath




and then cut off the old connector. Leave enough cable to work (about 70mm) and also enough to the old connector to be able to reconnect it if ever needed.




Then remove the end of the rubber isolator to expose enough wire to fit into the new connector




Simply insert the exposed wires into each connector and crimp tight. This is easier with a crimper tool than pliers as some force is needed. Also don't worry about which colour connects to which colour as it does not matter ;-)




When both are securely connected then tape together (or you can shrink wrap if you have a heat source eg hairdryer but remember to slide into place before connecting the wires)






Now we can finally fit the wheel.

Slide the two horn wires and airbag connector through the large access hole in the back of the hub adaptor connected to the wheel and pull through from the front. Note that one of the horn wires is a lot shorter than the other and you have to slide the wheel into place on the central spline to pull it through properly






Connect the short horn wire from the car to the spade connector fixed to the wheel.




Connect one of the horn wires from the wheel to the adjacent spade connector (it does not matter which of the 2 horn wires from the wheel).




Now connect the second horn wire from the car to the other horn wire from the wheel






Put the 24mm central retaining bolt and washer back in place and tighten up. You can then tuck the horn wires away.




Connect the airbag wire up to the airbag




Finally put the airbag back onto the wheel and secure using the x2 T30 Torx Bolts at the back (this can be fiddly so be patient and make sure the screws are engaged and secured tightly).

Now for the moment of truth.

- Remove you keys from the ignition.
- Connect up the battery.
- Turn on the car ignition (I do this standing outside the car with my eyes closed :grin: )
- check that the airbag light comes on the dash
- start the engine and check that the airbag light goes out
- press both horn buttons to make sure they work
- take for a test drive to make sure fitted dead centre. If not you will need to remove the wheel and refit.

Job done :thumb:

The finished article....




I'll expect some comments about the Porsche badge. I had the same when I fitted one to my BMW but its staying because I like it and thats all that matters

How does it feel / drive = fantastic but I knew it would as I've been there and done it before

Nice work Jon and breaks up the blue :thumb: Good job you didn't ask Stuttgartmetal what size socket as you would still be there now :grin:

Thanks, I'm really pleased with it, the silver stitching works well with the silver top of the gear stick and of course the car is silver.

The added bonus is I get a brand new airbag and don't have to rely on a 16 year old one.

Inspection and RSR Installation

I had the car booked in today at Unit 11 in Warrington. You would not believe how many recommendations I have had to use them and so I had high expectations and they did not disappoint

There was a dual purpose for the visit.

Initially it was for an inspection to see if there where are major issues I should know about that I can get addressed under the warranty when I purchased the car / any smaller age related items I should look to refresh in the normal OCD type of way :dont know:

Secondly whilst there I decided to get them to fit the RSR mufflers and big oval tips as its much easier to do with the car off the ground.

In terms of the inspection they were very thorough and I spend nearly 2 hours going over the car with them with a fine toothcomb.

Most importantly my confidence that this was a good, sound, honest/genuine car that would provide a good basis for my obsessive nature was confirmed

Some jobs I suspected would be needed in the near future where confirmed and only one item I will need to go back to the Strasse about under warranty.

The full list:

- NSF Brake Shield Corroded
- OSF Brake Shield Corroded
- NSR Calliper Plate Lifted
- NSR Rear Brake Discs Rusty (probably caused by above)
- NSR Brake Flexi Hose Splitting (they are prone to corrosion due to trapped water)
- OSR Brake Flexi Hose Splitting
- NSF Bump Stop Rotten
- OSF Bump Stop Rotten
- NSF Strut Shroud Missing
- OSF Strut Shroud Missing
- Boot Floor water drains missing x2 (I had already spooted these and on order)
- Gearbox Cover fixing missing (replaced after inspection)
- Rear Shocks and Springs corroded
- Bottom Tappet Covers / Gaskets / Bolts slight oil seepage (advisory only)
- Cat Heat Shields and fixings corroded
- Condensor Motor not operating properly

I knew the brakes needed a refurb and that the rear suspension was original (front dampers where replaced a few years ago) and it was my plan anyway to have all the brakes refurbished and a fresh uprated suspension fitted next winter so most of the above was no surprise and all will be addressed after summer when I'll leave the car with Unit 11.

It was nice to see that all of the bushes had been replaced recently and yet there is no record of this in the cars history.

The only item I need to go back to Strasse over under warranty is the Condensor motor so I will speak to them next week.

All in all I was very pleased with the results and Unit 11 summary was that it was a very genuine car.

So after the inspection onto fitting the RSR mufflers.

Out of the box. I had also ordered heatshields and bought the big oval tips from Chester OPC.




The car up on the ramp




Cutting off the old and very corroded bolts




Fitting the new heat shields to the RSR's. nb the old heat shields had completely corroded and to say there was not much of them left is an overstatement.




New straps fitted (before being tightened up)




and a bit of time getting the tip lined up / orientated correctly the job was done






So what do they sound like. Well I'm very pleased. They are "meatier" than stock with no droan or resonance (I came back partly on motorway) just a nice burble that brings a smile to your face. They are nowhere near as loud as the Eisenmanns Race setup on my Z3m but thats what I wanted. The S54 engine on the Z3m has no character so the exhaust compensates. The 993 is different and the RSR bring out the engine character perfectly without being overbearing.

I've taken some before and after videos but I'm always wary of doing this as I know the sound never captures the real character of the exhaust note and you really need to listen to these first hand if your undecided whether to get them or not.

Before - OEM setup and tips




After - RSR Mufflers (from Carnewal) and OEM Big Oval Tips (widebody offset)

Gorgeous :thumb:

You can definitely hear the difference. Love it.

Well done, best mod ever as you share it with the world, ha-ha.

Having had a good look under the car when the RSR mufflers were fitted I had a nice delivery waiting for me today on return to the UK.......

A 16 year old car deserves a refresh now and again :wink:

- Aluminium Bottom Camshaft Covers (x2), gaskets and bolts (x22 total for L&R lower covers)
- Cat Heat Shield
- all new exhaust system nuts/bolts/gaskets/etc.....
- Front Brake Shields
- Stainless Brake Hoses x4




I believe that the lower OEM Rocker Covers which are plastic warp with heat and are a common cause of oil leaks. The upgraded aluminium parts are less than twice the price of the plastic ones and should not warp so a no brainer upgrade for me.

http://design9114-px.rtrk.co.uk/fu/prod2983/Camshaft-Cover-LOWER-ALLOY-Porsche-993-1994-/

Is that a pair of engine mounts lurking at the back :dont know:

Word of caution on the disc back plates.

I replaced them on my last car, and after having refitted my discs in the same locations as before, I had a rather annoying brake judder.

I ended up with the expense of new discs and pads to sort it. Yours could be fine, but I would say best left until you actually need discs too.

jontt, you certainly put the hours in on this forum.

Great write up, great pics :thumb:

Zingari said:

Is that a pair of engine mounts lurking at the back :dont know:

Click to expand...

Nope, part of the exhaust fixings refurb kit. My engine mounts seem fine and I need to leave something to do in later years ;-)

The good thing about the recent inspection is that it confirmed everything I expected (apart from the air con to be resolved under warranty) ie car is a good solid genuine base car and things are as they should be ie things that you would expect need a refresh at c60k miles do need a refresh (eg dampers / springs) and those that need a refresh after 16 years need a refresh eg exposed nuts and bolts to the exhaust system.

There is nothing urgent on the list but being OCD I'm stocking up on the parts now and will get all of the work done at once.

Now trying to decide on which dampers / springs to go for. I'm edging towards B8's and new M033 springs ie effectively just upgrading the dampers to more modern units whislt retaining original 4S ride height and quality.

dommorton said:

Word of caution on the disc back plates.

I replaced them on my last car, and after having refitted my discs in the same locations as before, I had a rather annoying brake judder.

I ended up with the expense of new discs and pads to sort it. Yours could be fine, but I would say best left until you actually need discs too.

Click to expand...

Thanks I'll bear that in mind but they are an easy on/off so will probably get them fitted and see what happends, there is not much left of the originals !

I've enjoyed reading your progress especially looking at the pictures. Looks like you've raided your piggy bank with all these goodies!

jonttt said:

dommorton said:

Word of caution on the disc back plates.

I replaced them on my last car, and after having refitted my discs in the same locations as before, I had a rather annoying brake judder.

I ended up with the expense of new discs and pads to sort it. Yours could be fine, but I would say best left until you actually need discs too.

Click to expand...

Thanks I'll bear that in mind but they are an easy on/off so will probably get them fitted and see what happends, there is not much left of the originals !

Click to expand...

Easy enough to take discs off right enough. But the problems started for me once I had disturbed their original fitment.

Your call.

I'm holding off on this job on my 4S as I know it will lead to discs, pads, and a caliper refurb

Not the best of pics but my daily driver with matching regs....



I will have to get a better pic of all 3 lined up at some point but you can just make out the Z3m in the background (well the wheels in the shadows anyway)