2.7 rebuild or swap???
 

I have my 911 on the for sale section but at heart I'd rather keep it and set it up for entry level racing in Southern California. I have built V8 motors in the past but the 6 seems a little harder to work with. What is the best deal, Motormeister has ads running 4K for a2.7 done or are their any others local that I should check into? I have never had a Porsche engine apart. Is it as expensive at it appears? Can a entry level guy do this in a fair time frame, Short blocks better deal etc etc. :confused: any advice would be great!:D

If you have experience rebuilding engines, get yourself a few books from our host here and do the work yourself. You can upgrade the engine at the same time for a few extra dollars. What other questions do you have?

Do a search for Motormeister and you can come to an informed decision on them without risking your hard saved pennies.

Thanks, I have a few books already and it seems straight foward yet the places to get parts seem unreal....not sure which in the end would be cheaper to my wallet

OK now I'm real worried, I read all the MM stuff....No way. I'm on a very LTD budget and worried this will become a true nightmare, My friend is on the way to Thunder Hill and he is going to ask around but I'm very worried. I cannot see spending half the value of the car on this, I may still sell her or just brake down and do it myself....I was in the market for 5K done....what I read is 10K or more if done right....that won't work. Who sells a 2.7 rebuild kit that is solid?

mayfiebl,

I'm in the final stages of rebuilding my 2.7L. I am probably the last person to talk to about this right now. After months of work and thousands of $$$ the engine is in, but it barely runs. I just don't know enough to make it run correctly again - too many things have changed at once. My experience level also was a few V8s, and the actual rebuild was not technically hard. What was hard was that there is not "a kit" for rebuilding. You have to find all the parts - and for me, I'd go until I ran into something I needed, then I'd have to order it, and wait. Then it's hard to find one shop that will do all the machine work required. I had parts scattered all over the country. Right now, if I had it to do over.......I'd probably suggest buying a running engine to install. That doesn't guarantee that what you buy won't have its own set of problems. Unless you want the experience of rebuilding it yourself.

Rex (I used to live in Lancaster)

Our host does have an engine rebuild wizard that will walk you though everything eneded for a rebuild. Another reputable vendor that sells rebuild kits is EBS Racing.

Thanks I will look into this, If she does not sell by the weekend I'm pulling her apart.....Gut this thing and start over.....

Another option would be to find a good used 2.7 and swap it. I've seen low mileage engines that are guaranteed for $1500 so you can continue to enjoy your car while you plan an upgrade, etc....

Why does the motor need to come apart.

Ed

If you can rebuild an engine buy Waynes book and do it yourself. Do it over the winter and take your time. There's no reason you can't do 90% of the labor yourself.

Hey Charles- where have you seen these low-milage 2.7 guaranteed engines for $1,500? I'm not trying to be flip- I really want to know where to find one for my project!

_curt

Both at Stoddard's this year and at Hershey and Porsche parade. They were actually kinda piecemeal in the amount for sale, with exception of an original 2.7RS engine that they wanted tons of $$$ for (that looked like it came out of a barn).

Guess I'll need to do a better job of keeping my eyes open!

There is another option.

Pay a professional, get it done right (the first time) at a fair price and get a warranty to boot.

You might find a pro can do your engine for about the same price you could do it yourself leaving you time to do what you truly love. Golf, skiing, poker?

let me suggest.......................

Cheers

If you have no vw exp. (seems most have) then its a little diff. But I would have to say if you do know a torq wrench from common sense, that you can do it.- You might have questions and there are enough of us here to help you threw. A real guarantee is when you do it, you know its done right.
There are a few things that need a special Machine Shop....not the one dwn the street (probably)- Like the 2.7 case needs some up dates . Dont do these at home .Case savors, oil pump mod,line bore, ect. I would say DOIT.
The cam timing is a lil diff,but it will all come togather as you go

OK.Its been a week of driving all seems well I do notice a 500RPM increase of idle when the engine gets hot but otherwise it runs like it always did, no noise no smoke...I have no idea what it was but it still sits in the back of my head..oil pump? Rod Bearing? etc etc, well 200 plus miles later something should have gone. I agree after much reading and posts it seems very tempting to go thru her myself, but again IF I screw up...$$$$, For now the car seems fine, but down the road I would love to build her up a bit and I think at home(90%), Next project I'm picking up a well used 914 2.0.....little less costly to learn on and Track with.

Well over a century of experience at Porsche engine rebuilding in my shop and to read this it has no value.
Pleeeeeease.
We build 60+ engines a year and except for a faulty rebuilt alternator I can't remember the last complaint. Read this board and see if the DIY crowd is posting that kind of success.
I enjoy helping the DIY people on this board but don't think for a moment that what you do in your garage compares in any way to what my pros produce in mine.
I'll correct myself, you are spending as much building it yourself as my customers are.

I'm sure your much better than I and when the actual time comes to do it I would be open to your shop, However with it being a third Porsche and a ltd income I may HAVE to do it bit by bit....That would be the main reason for my knuckels being busted, I'm a Mecahanical Calibration guy at Lockheed but again its not Porsche engines.... I would make lots of mistakes I'm sure of that.I will bookmark your site.....Keep all digits crossed so I don't NEED your service for a while

I called Henry over a year ago about a rebuild. I liked the price he gave me, but I decided to do it myself so I could spread the cost out over a longer period of time. After $3k worth of machine work and a considerable tool investment I accepted the fact that I couldnt do it right for cheaper than he could. I obviously wasnt going to get a warranty either. I applaud the successful DIY engine rebuild guys, but if I had listened to Henry then, Id be driving my car today instead of trying to figure out how to fund my engine swap after abandoning my DIY rebuild project.

My 1 st one came out just fine. Many more will say the same about their 1st one too!!
Henry,I respect your advise and authority,......but I do not think you need to scare up business.......do you????

My intent is to give the best advise I can. If I frightened you I apoligize.

Recently your advise to another Pelican was "just grind off 20 grams to make a set of rods match. That's what you did."

After saying something like that, when no other qualified engine builder or machinist would do the same seems to betray your statement.

"A real guarantee is when you do it, you know its done right."

Thank you so much for continuing to do so, your expertise is certainly appreciated.

ouch...now now guys

not sure if this is directed at me, but there is no sarcasm in my post.

Cheers,

Andy

not at all.....glad everyone gave a dam to post in reguards to my motor issue. love this site, 1st class

To me a real guarantee is when it doesn't work right someone else fixes it for free.

You get that by paying someone like Henry.

You get the personal satisfaction (and possibly save money) by doing it yourself.

End of story.

Well like I say "works for me"" Henry and I am not about to spar words with you.
...Would like to make clear ,Never read the law book on physics that 20 grams is too much,
I do not have aGedi warrior to help me
A Yoda would be good too
And a force help full.
You are a great force full of brimming knowledge My pt is a P. eng.is just nuts and bolts and metal. Nothing more.
I like to encourage people to try it (fix stuff) not discourage. Is it not what this board is all about? That's what Wayne's Book is all about.

The professionals at Supertec are Jedi warriors.
I am Yoda (at 50) and the force is created by the synergism of all these parts.

synergism = cooperative action of discreet agencies such that the total is greater than the sum of the effects taken independently.

Although Porsche engines are not magic they do have a complex combination of challenges that only the most experienced among us can fully comprehend. It is not my intention to discourage anyone, it is however my goal to be honest when confronted with naive optimism.

Good luck to all who try.

This board is the Borg and we have been assimilated.
knowledge is pwr
he who tries has the keys to success (some will fit)
No one taught the wright bro to fly
Schools are where peo go to be taught by peo who may have never done anything,but are willing to tell you everything

This thread just go way to deep for me. I'm off to the Boxster forum to discuss color co-ordinated clothing and interior decorating.

Interesting reference> If you compare the Wright brothers efforts to the efforts of the DIY engine builder, you are doing them (the DIY) a disservice.

The flight at Kittyhawk was monumental but by toady's standards not very impressive.

I would characterize the efforts of the DIY on board as ambitious if not courageous. Most understand that they know very little and are asking to be taught.

"Most people don't learn when they see the light, they learn when they feel the heat."

I think that's the diff. there was no one there to tell them how,- they did it,- here there is lots of help......but one has to put forth the effort or nothing gets off the ground.