Rear Spoiler Wall InstallationContributed by: Garey L. CooperDecember 8, 2000ForwardThe 993 Series of Carerra’s
(with the exception of the Aero kit and Turbo cars which have a wing) utilize
an automatic raising and lowering spoiler. Porsche claims aerodynamic stability
enhancement and better cooling of the 3.6 Liter motor are the technical
reasons for the flap. The spoiler was first introduced on the 964 Series
cars in the late 1980’s.
The spoiler has a convoluted
plastic piece that is referred to as a “Rear Spoiler Wall” in the documentation
at the back of the assembly. The Rear Spoiler Wall directs airflow downward
into the engine compartment after it has been raised with the spoiler.
 The Rear Spoiler Wall
is convoluted or articulated so that it can fold down when not deployed
and pull straight across the rear of the car when extended. The nearest
analogy is the room divider curtains that can be drawn across some hotel
rooms to divide them into smaller units. Because the spoiler wall is plastic
and folded it will sooner or later tear or separate in long-term service.
My own lasted for nearly six years in a 1995 Model 993 Carerra 2. You cannot
tell if your spoiler wall is torn or beginning to separate unless you deploy
the spoiler and inspect it visually. In the flat or folded down position
it is not possible to see any separation (at least I could not). So, to
see whether your Rear Spoiler Wall is separated park your car and raise
the spoiler, using the switch on your center console to do so.
InstallationPreparationYou will need to raise
your spoiler to have access to the area for assembly and disassembly. So,
just as you did in the inspection phase use the center console switch to
raise your spoiler. However, in this case do not raise it fully. Raise
to approximately ¾ or so of its’ full available height. Once you
have the spoiler in this position remove the key from the ignition and
proceed to the repair.
Removing Grill
detached. Because my Rear Spoiler Wall had completely separated the grill simply lifted right off. If yours has not completely separated it will be necessary to cut the remaining attachment points to easily remove the grill. Place the grill on a smooth surface upside down.
Removing Old Spoiler WallThe spoiler wall is held
to the upper and lower attachment points by channels that are molded into
either end. The lower or bottom attachment of the Rear Spoiler Wall is
connected to the fixed point via a rubber channel. Both the upper and lower
points can be snapped off by hand. In doing so note which part of the Rear
Spoiler Wall is up and which is down. After carefully noting the orientation
of the original Rear Spoiler Wall snap it out of the attachment points
on the grill. Then return to the car and snap the remaining half out of
the car it self. Remove the rubber channel from the lower half of the Rear
Spoiler Wall.
 Clean the rubber channel and inspect its’ suitability for re-use. In my case the rubber channel was in excellent shape and I would imagine that it is rare that this rubber channel would also need replacement. Installing New Rear Spoiler Wall Connect the bottom or
lower portion of the Rear Spoiler Wall to the rubber channel. Return to
the car and attach the rubber channel to the edge of the engine cover from
where you removed it.
 Now experimentally raise the Rear Spoiler wall and note that there is a channel that runs across it from side to side about half way up. This channel is a locator that goes behind two dowels on the channel of the lifting and raising mechanism. Using care, place the channel behind the two dowels. After having done this the Rear Spoiler Wall will be extended about half way up (at least to the dowel attachment point) and fixed at its’ bottom location.
Next reattach the grill to the two front Allen bolts, leaving the back half of the grill “floating”. Once again be careful not to scratch the paint, I used two shop rags on either side to keep the grill from contacting the engine hood paintwork.
This next part will test your patience a little and does require some careful hand manipulation but it can be done. Just use patience and be conscious of using too much force that could result in damage. Raise the Rear Spoiler Wall and tilt the grill so that you can begin one side of the channel engagement for attachment. Start there and work your way across the grill pushing the Rear Spoiler Wall onto the attachment lip approximately one inch at a time. You may need to align the spoiler as you go for the side-to-side clearance. As you approach the end you should hear and feel as well as see a last, satisfying “click” as the final bit of Rear Spoiler Wall snaps into place.
Finally, reattach the last two Allen bolts to the grill. The raising and lowering mechanism has arms that the Allen bolts attach to and they will move around a bit as you try to put them back into place. Again, use patience and be careful not to bend or force them and they should move right into location for final tightening. There is no need to over tighten the Allen bolts, they are not worked very hard. Snug them down and they will stay that way for a long time. After this stand back and check the side-to-side alignment of the grill and folding mechanism, it should be fine but it is worth a double check. Next reinsert the ignition key and raise the spoiler to the fully extended position. Check it visually for alignment or any other problems. Then, cycle the spoiler to the fully down position and check it once more. I took the time to raise and lower the spoiler a couple of times to ensure that things were in alignment and working fine. It is difficult to get things too far out of alignment (unless you bend them!) because the raising and lowering mechanism is made to keep things more or less in synchronization. For your last act stand
back and admire the simplicity and ruggedness of the entire system and
don’t forget to brag to all of your friends “I did it myself”!
Notes;1.The
Allen bolts or screws for the grill are specially designed with large shoulders.
They are black in color and made out of a fairly soft metal. Use caution
when removing them, if they are in very, very tightly I would recommend
using the correctly sized metric wrench to avoid stripping the heads of
the bolts. There is no nut on the back of these bolts, they thread directly
into the arms of the raising and lowering mechanism.
2.While everything is apart is a good time to clean the entire area of the rear spoiler. Just remember to keep the removed pieces in order on your bench so that when you return to them twenty or thirty (or more) minutes later you don’t have to remember in which order they reassemble! The Rear Spoiler Wall is not symmetrical and there is a right and a wrong way up! 3.The
raising and lowering mechanism for the 993 series cars is notoriously noisy.
While mine was disassembled I used Lithium grease and 3-in-1 oil to lubricate
various parts to quiet this noise. It didn’t work, it still sounds like
a coffee grinder going down, so I wouldn’t advocate spending a lot of time
on this task.
4.I
intend this article to be used as a guide to others with the same interest
as I do in the proper maintenance and operation of their vehicle. I cannot
take responsibility for any problems that may arise in the application
of the thoughts and instructions that are contained in this article. I
would guess that the degree of difficulty of this procedure is “medium”.
I would not recommend undertaking this procedure without any prior mechanical
experience. The time to complete this task for me was approximately one
hour total.
Addtional update: 1/16/2006 Contributed by: Thomas Schulte
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