First time rebuilder gaining momentum!

[ChrisBennet]

The 964 gasket kit comes with metal crush rings. The fiber ones were superceded at some point and the factory manual says to use the new metal ones. If you want the fiber ones, Wrightwood Racing still had some last I checked. They are wholesale only but Pelican should be able to get them. I used the fiber ones based on the recommendation of a friend who's built a lot of 911 motors.
-Chris

[Don Settergren]

Obviously my Porsche shop and Bentley Tech data manuals are a bit dated - neither show any head gaskets! The fiber ones were flawless at 24k on my car, but I think I'll go with the latest technology and use the aluminium ones. Do they change the torque spec for the cylinder to case from the 20MN + 90 degrees asmy old manual states? Do I need to apply anything to the gasket and\or groove? I wonder why Optimoly is used in the cylinder bolt threads instead of Locktite...

[Jeff Alton]

Optimtimaly is used becuase you are not really concerned about them comming loose, it jsut helps (in the factories opinion) to reach the proper torque? That is my guess anyway...

Jeff

[350HP930]

Your guess is correct. Vibrating loose is not an issue with head or rod bolts so loctite is not necessary.

[Don Settergren]

Yikes, those circlips suck, but I managed to push through Sections 4 (P and C) and 5 (Heads and Cams) of "the book." I busted the special Porsche tool, P-9500, on my second clip, then did the rest by hand. My advice, pad your knuckles!

Another hint - do an inventory of the bolts and washers for the cam housing to cylinder head. There are three smaller washers that go on the longer bolts that fit on the exhaust side of each cam housing. If you use one of the smaller washers where a larger one is expected, later you'll be trying to fit a large washer in a small hole - hopefully before you've wrapped up the #4-6 and moved on to #1-3 and your Loctite has cured. So, lay them out at the beginning!

So far so good. Wayne's right, it does start to look like an engine after Section 5!



I gotta watch some hoops (Go Badgers), then I'm going to lay everything out for Sections 6 and 7 (Chains & Rocker and Cam Timing).

[Jeff Alton]

Looking good..........

Jeff

[Don Settergren]

Ok, for those of you with power steering on your 964, the gasket kit does not include the case to power steering housing gasket (it's the same three-bolt circular hasket used at the rear of the engine for the case to cam housing). While you're in there, replace the seal and o-ring (oddly this is in the kit). I'm on hold awaiting my gasket and seal....

[Don Settergren]

Is it unusual for this factory stock motor to go from 1 shim behind the left cam spocket and 2 on the right, to 5 on the left and 4 on the right? That's 1.5mm more on one side and 1mm on the other. It seems odd as this engine has basically no wear at 24k miles, and the stock parts are going back in...

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by Don Settergren
Is it unusual for this factory stock motor to go from 1 shim behind the left cam spocket and 2 on the right, to 5 on the left and 4 on the right? That's 1.5mm more on one side and 1mm on the other. It seems odd as this engine has basically no wear at 24k miles, and the stock parts are going back in...

Personally, I found measuring sprocket parallelism to be difficult and error prone - until I got the Stomski Racing tool. I think there is a good chance your measurements are in error.

Every 911 motor I've seen had 4 shims on the left and 3 on the right - except one. I've only seen around a dozen so it's not a big sample size.

That one was a 964 motor. It had 2 shims under both sides. That didn't seem right but hey, "Maybe it's a 964 thing" I thought. Sure enough, when I checked/measured it, it took 4 on the left and 3 on the right just like all the other 911 motor I've seen. I know that motor had been apart so I suspect someone lost the 3 shims for the right side and just split the remaining 4 between the both cams.

-Chris

[axl911]

Chris,

You said you used the fiber ring on the cylinder, based on a recommendatin. What was the reason for not using the steel ring?

I have the steel ring in my gasket kit. Wondering, should I use the fiber one.

thanks,
anthony

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by axl911
Chris,

You said you used the fiber ring on the cylinder, based on a recommendatin. What was the reason for not using the steel ring?

I have the steel ring in my gasket kit. Wondering, should I use the fiber one.

thanks,
anthony

I can't remember why he (my mechanic friend) advised the fiber ring.
-Chris

[Don Settergren]

Chris, your explanation makes me feel more confident that there is no unusual wear or a mistake. I put all the shims on one side and the measurement using Stomski setup is nearly within spec. It's amazing how the now 3mm out of spec side noisily rattles the chain, while the spec side is smooth and quiet! A few more shims and she'll be butter. My local dealer doesn't have them in stock, but I'm hoping Kelly Moss Racing has some sitting on the shelf so I can continue working. It's so hard to visit their shop as they have every sort of perfect Porsche there...

[Don Settergren]

Wow, that was a rough and rewarding afternoon. A couple of shims brought the cam sprockets into spec. But then I spent a lot of time scratching my head, reading, turning the crank while watching the #1 and #4 pistons and studying the cams trying to figure out this cam timing thing.

I thought I lost my TDC as just mounted the crank pully shaft which has an alignment pin - but not at TDC! I split my crank pully to clean it and didn't mark TDC on the shaft. But it was easy to watch the pistons hit TDC and then mount the pully with TDC at 12 o'clock.

I still don't understand why the intake valve opens just before TDC while the exhaust valve is still closing (maybe some sort of pressure to draw the air\fuel into the combustion chamber?), but I have timed the cams by the book. I consistently hit 1.22-1.26mm lift at TDC on both #1 and #3 intake valve.

Having the right tools really helped and reading everyone elses posts were a godsend. My chain tensioner is a steering wheel puller I had laying around (Plews Tools 72-269). See it in action below.

[Don Settergren]

Woohoo! Yipeee! Beers for all! My engine is in, and it runs, the oil pressure is at spec and steady as a rock, and best of all, the oil no longer has chunks just a nice shiny glow! So far no leaks...

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO POSTED ON THIS THREAD, I couldn’t have done it without you. Special thanks to WERK-! For use of some tools – I’ll get them back ASAP.

Progress was slow since my last post as I took a week vacation. But once back, I threw myself into the rebuild full bore. After timing the cams, I found two rockers that rocked in way too many directions. My local machine shop didn’t have the bushes, I didn’t want to order a whole set, so I called Henry at Supertech. What a pro. He had the rockers to me exactly when I needed them.

With one valve cover off, I finished mounting in exhaust (oil lines first), then intake. I found it easy to mount or preposition the cruise and AC bracket before the intake assembly – it gets tight in there. It is also easier to install the intake flanges to the head without the intake runners in the way (I still managed to miss one Allen screw that I noticed as I was adding oil). Afterwards, the intake runners go on easy with hose clamps.

My biggest screw up was mounting the pulleys only to realize the belt tensioner\sensor mounts behind the lower pulley. I have now memorized the torque specs for belt installation! If I was adding this step to a book, I’d add it way early, just before the chain install when TDC and the pulley are necessary.

Oh, yeah, another screw up. I pushed in the clutch with the slave disconnected from the tranny. The pressure blew the seal and piston right out of it. As I was waiting for the rocker, and there is such a thing as FedEx’s overnight delivery, it didn’t slow me up.

And my last hint is take\leave the darn alternator\fan assembly off if you are doing an engine only drop\install. There is much more space to angle the motor in place and slide the four bolts into the tranny. Heck, I left the entire exhaust, the side and rear shields. They, along with the electronic, air, oil, fuel and other body to engine connections are easy to make with the engine dropped a few inches (but not too much to stress the tranny mounts)...

In fact, I had so much room, I was able to pull the engine away from the tranny with ease after dropping the bushing that holds the clutch for shaft in place. Thus, I’d suggest plugging the tranny access holes with plastic wrap while you’re working in the area.

In all, I took my time, read the books, asked lots of questions, and didn't hestitate to redo something that I was unsure of.

Pics: Why spend 2 hours cleaning up your heat exchangers when they get covered by an aero panel? …because they look great in pictures like these.


Room to spare:


IN!


I gotta get back to the garage and refill the oil, mount the heat\cooling shields and the bumper. Then, it’s time to hit the road…

[axl911]

Congratulation!!!!

I am still in the middle of mine. Things are going VERY slowly.

---anthony

[Don Settergren]

I don't know how mty rebuild stacks up to others, but it took nearly 3 months from engine pull to first drive. I didn't make any upgrades, just rebuilt a stock 3.6. With that said, I can't imaging taking less time and still having the same confidence upon turning the starter key. Take your time and enjoy the confidence while driving your Porsche another 100,000 miles!

[jpnovak]

Congrats on the completion. I know you will enjoy it.

[stevepaa]

Don, did you notice any issues with those bolts that hold the aux blower on. The threaded inserts on mine rotate so I have to get a needle nose plier in there to hold them.

Also some Porsche mechanics recommend not putting on all those sound baffles as they tend to make the engine run hotter.

I am just about to put my camshafts in. It is slow.

[Don Settergren]

I had no trouble with those rubber mounts on the auxil fan, but I did have trouble witht he identical one on the air filter box. It was best to remove them and lock tight them to the mount then the air box bolt could be easily removed without the entire rubber bushing loosening.

I really cleaned those air panels and I'm wanted to stay stock for my first rebuild, so I mounted them as per factory spec. I can't imaging they do much except keep the air from the cooling fan around the engine while stopped or slow moving.

If you're installing cams, then you are getting close! The assembly seemed to accelerate once the cams are timed. Keep after it - your garage will get noisy sooner than you think!

[stevepaa]

The word from Porsche people is that the baffles and bottom panel are purely for sound deafening.