Floorboard install issues

[450knotOffice]

I know an awful lot of you guys have installed aluminum floorboards in your 911's so I am asking for some input.

The car is a Cab and has had a trashed wooden floorboard for the driver's side since I bought it (about a year now). The trashed board didn't bother me much because it's been well hidden behind the carpet. However, I decided to buy a Rennline floorboard to spruce things up a little and add some strength back to that area (I could feel the old, trashed board flex under the pedals sometimes).

The problem is that when I try to put the new one in, it almost slides in perfectly. The clips at the top line up nicely but when I try to push the bottom into place, the left side of it jams right up against the structure to the left of the pedal cluster before the board has a chance to seat properly. What seems to be holding it up is a large wire run under the carpeting on the sidewall that looks like it is most certainly supposed to be there. It looks installed by Porsche. The wire run protrudes up underneath the carpet just enough to interfere with the placement of the floorboard.

I'm thinking that I'll just trim some of the floorboard away where it interferes with the wire run until everything fits nicely. What do you guys think? Have any of you run into this issue before?

It seems a shame to have to trim away some of that beautiful aluminum in order to get it to fit. And yes, it is a board for a Cab. I ordered it properly because I know that they are different slightly in that area than those for the coupes.

Thanks guys.

[m325ix]

could it be that you ordered the right one BUT they sent you the wrong one?

I had no issues with my boards

[Hugh R]

Sweet looking interior.

[450knotOffice]

Man, I just love looking at that car of yours.

Yea, the board is the right one. I even went to the Rennline site and checked the pictures against mine. It's the right one.

I'm pretty sure your car does not have the wire bundle running through that area like mine does. Or maybe it does, but it was placed differently than mine. My car's structure doesn't seem to be in the way, the wire bundle seems to be the culprit. I don't want to force it for a number of reasons, not the least of which I don't want to pinch that bundle.

[DW SD]

I have the same DME bundle heading into the trunk. I suspect that is what it is. I installed my carpet up there, so I know for sure what you are talking about. I'd think you can move it to a spot which clears the board. If not, notch the board as you suggested. Peel the carpet up. You can always glue it back down or use velcro "hooks" to stick it back down.

Doug

[450knotOffice]

Excellent Doug. I was hoping you'd offer some advice on this issue. You said what I was thinking just a few minutes ago. I'll peel back that carpet and see if I can move the wire bundle over a bit.

I'm glad you chimed in buddy!

[450knotOffice]

Doug, do you remember how your DME cable was routed? Did it go horizontally over the top directly under the dash toward the A-pillar and then downward next to it toward the floor?

[DW SD]

Scott,
Starting from the computer (under the driver's seat).....Mine goes along the floor on the cabin side of rocker panel forward.... it wraps around the wheel well and around the left side of the pedal cluster and through a grommet into the firewall.

Mine is a cluster of wires which go to the fuse panel. I think one powers the fuel pump. Maybe a pack of five or six wires about as fat as my middle finger. Is that the same pack of wires?

Doug

[450knotOffice]

Yup. That would be it. I'll look at routing optons tomorrow morning.

Did you install your own carpet, btw?

[DW SD]

Scott,
I installed the easy pieces of carpet which amount to the floors. The complex ones I worked with a pro who is a neighbor and does interior work for high-end cars. He used to own his own shop. I was lucky to have him.

My wire bundle clears on the outboard side, along the floor of the floorboard. I didn't have to notch. I don't see notching as a big deal.

Doug

[EWPurdy]

Another cause for interference with the floor could be damage caused by poor placement of a jack/lift. Depending on where the interference is, some gentle persuasion with a rubber mallet can help. The floor is fairly soft. When I got my carpets out, I could see the passenger floor had been caved in some by the PO.

[450knotOffice]

The floorboard is in! The job took a while but it turned out pretty nice.

I ended up relocating the wire bundle a bit forward so that it didn't interfere with the side of the floorboard. The bottom of the floorboard still interfered with the bundle so I ended up trimming maybe 3/4" off the outboard corner using a skill saw. I followed the general contour but basically took off the little section on the bottom that flares out a little. It took 2 minutes. I did a test fit and it was perfect. Then I went back and filed it down and smoothed everything down until it looked like it had been cut that way.

It looks perfect now, you'd never know I trimmed it.

The floorboard was installed, the aluminum pedals put back on, and the Porsche mats were re-installed.

This was good practice for a couple of weeks from now when I'll remove my peddle cluster and rebuild it. The bushings are shot. I suspected as such because the clutch pedal feels like it's hanging up near the top of its travel. When I got down there today it became pretty obvious that the cluster needs rebuilding. There's a lot of slop and binding in the shaft when I push on the clutch pedal or brake pedal by hand.

Projects...will they never end?

(said tongue in cheek. I secretly love this stuff)

BTW, as far as the floorboard being crushed in in a few places, yes, it is. But not in that area. It seems that in the car's 21 years of existence, some mechanics or owners have tried to jack the car using the floor as their lift point. Those spots are in the back though, for the most part.

[DW SD]

Scott,
I'd suggest you may look at changing your clutch cable at that time, unless you know its current age. I had some binding in my clutch action and found one of the inner plastic sheaths to have been broken and actually binding the clutch action. I didn't have time to order a new one, so I cut out the damaged section and lubricated everything and re-installed. It worked like a new clutch - increidbly smooth. I should have put a new cable in when I rebuilt the cluster. I found a nice painting process that results in a great finish - email me offline and I'll give you my phone number for a quick discussion. The paint is nearly as hard as powder coat and pretty easy to work with (rattle can).

I'll be changing my cable in the next week or two.

Doug

[450knotOffice]

Thanks Doug. As for the cable, yea, I changed it a month ago and really noticed no difference. I suspect my old cable might have been fine. But, hey, at least I know the age of my new one, right?