[3.8RSR]

Trashed engine last week at 110,000km.

Thanks to all who can contribute advice in dealing with this.

Details:
A good friend has owned his '98 996 Tip for 5 years, and just rang me yesterday for advice. Porsche just advised his engine case is cracked quoted him $A24,000 for an exchange engine!

His car is 100% factory serviced every 10,000km which is better than required, and has just experienced a destroyed engine less than 3 mins from home on a cold morning.

He had the car serviced by official Porsche centre only two weeks before, and went OS on business for a week, leaving the car at home. Upon return, drove off to work, cruising at only 70kph. Still warming up, the car then lost power fairly suddenly, without any symptoms, all gauges temps, pressures seemed normal, no overheating of course, NO warning lights on. He then slowed to about 20km/h, with no power, pulled over to the side, then the engine light came on after a few moments. Arranged tow truck and taxi, straight to Porsche.

Porsche pulled plugs and noted water in the cylinders on one bank, and drips from heads on other bank. Leaking like a sive they said. They pulled the engine and removed one head, and reported a cracked cylinder...bad bad 996 news.

Not repairable they said!!! No offer to rebuild. No options given other than "U need a new engine sir". $62,000 new or $24,000 exchange airfreighted from Germany.

So yesterday I rang a highly respected independent Porsche shop and they suggested this is a problem in early 996s... head gaskets fail causing a hydraulic lock situation, and this pressure commonly blows the 996’s thin walls of the cylinders which is the engine block in a 996. Also common in 928GTS's he said.

Can all 996 owners expect a destroyed engine when a cylinder head gasket finally goes?
eg this is normal in old cars for gaskets to eventially fail. Ok then, say overheating or loss of compression to be expected, that's one thing, even say warped heads maybe, but to hear expect a DESTROYED ENGINE IN A PORSCHE???

Cam tensioners problems and head studs on a 2.7 911 I can accept. But I cannot accept not blown engines due to a simple gasket failures if this can strike ANYONE at ANYTIME???

Questions:
1. Should Porsche service centre be responsible since they (a) have always serviced this car 5 years and $$$ and (b) just serviced the car so recently and did not report any problems?

ie What DO the factory do in their $115.00 per hour services? Rub their hands together as they log the milage??? Sorry I am very cranky about this.

2. Is the Porsche Factory somehow responsible in someway? (If this a known problem)
ie. Should the factory specify all 996 head gaskets be changed like a timing belt in a Honda... say at 60,000km or earlier if this problem is to be prevented.

What about regular compression tests? Should this be a mandatory check & maintance expected by a Porsche centre when (I am assuming...) cracked 996 engines and head gaskets are a "known issue"?

Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.

The new engine is now on order. It is cheaper than a rebuild aparently, even with airfreight. And you do get a 2 year warranty for your $24,000.