Your engine uses a serpentine belt to power the accessories like the power steering and water pumps. Over time, the belt gets worn out and can slip or even break. Visually inspect your serpentine belt for cracks, fraying, and other damage. In any case, it is a good idea to replace your serpentine belt according to the manufacturer’s recommended service interval.
For an overview of the general procedure, check out the video above from YouTube channel, Gordan Rudman. While the video is for a 987.1 Boxster, the process is nearly identical for the 987.2 Cayman. You can find detailed parts, tools, and instructions below.
Tools Required:
Parts Required:
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare your car and work area
- Ensure engine is cold, so you don’t burn yourself.
- Put on eye protection and gloves.
- Gather parts and tools.
Step 2: Gain access to the engine
- As shown in the video from SummitLife, slide and tilt both seats as far forward as possible to give yourself room to work.
- Remove carpeted panel behind the seats by using a pry tool to pry up the edge closest to the front of the car, then lift and pull the carpeted panel out.
- You should now see a metal engine cover. However, you DO NOT need to remove this.
- Go inside the car and tilt both seats all the way forward.
- Grab the vertical carpet panel from the bottom and pry it outward; work your way around until the carpet panel is loose all around except for the top portion.
- The top portion of the carpet panel is now held in place via the plastic trim just above it.
- Carefully pry the plastic trim piece upward until the metal clip gets undone; then while lifting the plastic piece up, slide out the remainder of the carpet panel.
- Remove the engine metal cover, which is held by 7 10mm bolts; you should now see the engine pulleys.
Step 3: Remove the old serpentine belt
- Before you replace the serpentine belt, take a picture of the belt routing pattern.
- Locate the serpentine belt tensioner and use a shallow 30mm wrench to rotate it clockwise as far as it can go. This will remove tension from the belt.
- While holding the tensioner in this position, use your other hand to remove the belt off the alternator pulley.
- Slowly allow the tensioner to return to its original position, then guide the old belt off the remaining pulleys.
- Remove the belt, then inspect each of the pulleys for excess play, binding, etc. If you detect any issues, it is a good idea to replace the defect pulleys.
Step 4: Install the new serpentine belt
- Guide in the new belt and install it in reverse order.
- Start with the coolant pump pulley and route the belt through the rest of the pulleys as shown in the diagram; put the belt over the tensioner pulley last.
- Use the 30mm wrench to rotate the tensioner pulley clockwise.
- Slide the belt over the tensioner pulley, then slowly allow the tensioner to return to its original position.
Step 5: Reinstall everything in reverse
- Reinstall the engine lid and just snuggly hand tighten the fasteners.
- Refit the vertical carpet panel and compartment cover.
- Clean up your work area and put away your tools.
