3.6 rebuild question.

[Jeff Alton]

Lets say you have a 3.6 apart and are going to rebuild it. The P/C set is all within spec but it is an early non head gasket 3.6. It has never leaked. Would you put it back together that way and take your chances on leaks, or buy new cylinders and have the heads machined? Also, Steve at Rennsport was telling me, if I understood correctly, they could machine the exsisting cylinders and the heads to use a gasket. Anybody else heard of or had experience with this type of solution? If that works it would certainly be more apealling from a cost standpoint.

Thanks, Jeff

[350HP930]

If the mating surfaces are in good shape just lap them a little before reassembly.

[Jeff Alton]

The head surface will be machined when I get them rebuilt so that will be good for sure. Would you lap the two of the sufraces together with a valve lapping compound? Just put a little compound on the mating surface and rotate the cylinder around and back and forth? I have lots of 3.2 and 3.0 experience, but this is my first 3.6.

Thanks, Jeff

[350HP930]

If the heads are machined then I would just lap the cylinders with a piece of slate first and then lap the head and cylinder together. If the cylinders have not been touched they may not be perfectly flat and I would not want to whittle the new head surface away in an attempt just to remove any distortion to the top of the cylinder.

This might all be unneccesarybut if it was my engine thats what I would do. I'll admit I am a bit OCD when it comes to working on my own stuff.

You might want to get the opinion of someone like Henry Schmidt before you go through all the trouble since he does just porsche engines for a living.

[Jeff Alton]

Thanks, very much appreciated!

Jeff

[Wayne 962]

Steve is one of the experts I defer to on the 3.6 engines. I have indeed heard of this procedure, and if done properly, it's the right thing to do...

-Wayne