MotorMeister 3.6 conversion?

[johnnytarga]

I have a 1988 Carrera that needs a rebuild.
Like most of you out there I would like to get more horsepower out of my motor.
The 3.6 conversion seems to be a hot topic on this site from time to time.
MotorMeister offers their conversion for about $4K in parts and machining.
Anybody have experience with this kit from these guys?
Is it worth it? Does it last?
Is it dependable? How much more HPs?
ANY info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[anh911]

If oyu do a search for MotorMeister you will find a lot of information/discussion.

[surflvr911sc]

Does that price include the engine? Run Away!

If you want to do it we'll help guide you, and help install it if you are in So CA.

[aigel]

I would not go any higher than 3.4 on the 3.2 you have. If you have to have a 3.6, convet to a later engine and sell your 3.2.

George

[aigel]

Gereral rule: You can assume a power increase that is linear to the displacement increase. 3.2 to 3.6 is a 12.5 % increase in displacement. There are bolt on / chip mods that will do close to this for you.

George

[anh911]

duh, add the chip, exhaust cams etc. AND make it bigger. Ask the 3.0/3.2 guys who have 98 and 100mm P&Cs if it was worth it...

The Meister "kit" is really just 102mm bore P&Cs. If you want to split the case and spend another $2000 on a crankshaft you can get 3.8 from the 3.2 case. (I don't mean to endorse anyone here)

Don't trade in your 3.2 for a 3.6 unless you have $15,000 to spend doing it.

[Jim Richards]

jonnytatga, most will recommend that you research a vendor offering a product or service (perhaps here - using the search engine that's so thoughtfully provided) as a part of making your decision. That's simply a smart thing to do. The vast majority of times you'll find that you get what you pay for.

[johnnytarga]

Thanks guys, for the advice. I do appreciate it.
Jim, I agree with you. You usually do get what you pay for.
I'm just trying to get the most for my money. Something I don't have an abundance of.
Still trying to decide if I can even afford to have a Porsche anymore.
After you bust your ass all day long to make a buck you want to be able to come home and enjoy the finer things in life. Having a Carrera was it for me.
Unfortunately, the mechanic that did the PPI for me screwed me over and now I have a money pit. I would say who he is but I should probably wait till the lawsuit is over. The seller was no saint either.
What I can't understand is how one Porsche enthusiast could screw over another.
I know money is the root of all evil (that and cute redheads), but some people should be dragged out into a field and shot!
They take the fun out of life.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Johnny,

Many people here have ended up with lemons. Time to do the lemonaid routine. After the suit is settled and you have public record, we would appreciate the sharing of information. Until you have public record of results...

What exactly is going on with the 3.2? What are your symptoms? What do you plan on doing with your toy? In many cases, refreshing/rebuilding what you already have might give you the extra horsepower you are missing. The motor might have several issues that are robbing the power and giving you poor performance.

Please let the guys here know what you are up against and the advise will follow!

[aigel]

If you have a well running 3.2 and exchange it for a well running 3.6, I believe it IS a financially wise modification. The 3.2 will bring about 5-6k. All you need to find then are 8k. Those are EASILY spent on p and c's, head work, injection system etc.

I stand by what I said. Based on the 3.2, you don't want to go higher than 3.4 if the car still should be reliable transportation. Now, if you want to count longlivety in hours instead of miles and build a race engine, that's another story...

George

[anh911]

Johnnytarga, sorry to hear you got a raw deal. Unfortunately not all Porsche owners are what you would call part of the family. Why don;t you list the problems that you are having with the car? There might be some good experience available from others who have had similar problems. Also tell us where you are, I'm sure someone knows a good wrench in your area.
You are SO right about those redheads...

[rdane]

Originally posted by johnnytarga
I have a 1988 Carrera that needs a rebuild.
MotorMeister offers their conversion for about $4K in parts and machining.
Anybody have experience with this kit from these guys?
Is it worth it? Does it last?
Is it dependable? How much more HPs?
ANY info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

When I first started looking at rebuilds Motormeister came up. Nothing flattering on the BBS. But I called to hear their story. The 3.6 conversion on a 3.0/3.2 was pushed on the phone. I talked at length with them and got a written quote.

Mahle P&Cs are $3400. I know because I just bought them in 98s. There is a good bit of machine work needed to get a set of 102 P&Cs on your case. Then you'll need twin plugs which start at $2500 (and go up) done correctly. Single plug Crankfire, which is what Mostermeister suggested and said they do everyday on 100mm P&C sets, aint going to cut it. Sales guy sounded worse than most used car salesmen. Best one was "car looks stock, we have a good number of racers doing the 3.6 in PCA stock class with no one the wiser". Ya, sure they do.

Little experience.
It isn't worth it.
It won't last.
It won't be dependable.
HP? I suspect you could do better by looking at the current 3.2 that is running. A valve job on a 3.2 and taking it ot a 3.4 with the correct mods would be a nice engine. 10thousand+ to have a shop do a 3.2 to a 3.6 rebuild correctly. Better off in this case to do a later model 3.6 transplant.

[johnnytarga]

Thanks for all your responses.
It appears that the whole big bore kit from MM is a recipe for disaster.
Let's attack this from another angle - the recommended 3.6 transplant.
Why not let Porsches engineers do the work for me.
They have already designed a 3.6 with all the proper periferials.
Now I have to ask - what would be the best 3.6 for my '88 Carrera?
What year did they go to hydrolic lifters? (95?)
What mods am I going to have to do to the car to make it work?
Thanks in advance.

[Jim Richards]

Hydraulic lifters started in 95 (US models). The 95 3.6 is OBD I (easy to chip for HP increase), 96 on went to OBD II. 96 on went to Varioram induction for 12 HP bump over stock 95's 270 HP. Lots of Pelican's have done the 3.6 conversion and can provide the details. Also, the search engine on Pelican should turn up some very helpful info.

[hugo454]

you sound like you spoke to good ole Roy at MOTORSHEISTER.
caveat emptor!