2.4 MFI T --> 2.7RS Price Check
 

I currently have a 1972 2.4 MFI T engine and would like to build a 2.7 RS w/ MFI.

I have 3 estimates for the rebuild ranging from:

$7,000
$10,000
$14,000

Can anyone tell me what is involved and what a fair price for the conversion would be?

Thanks,

James

It really depends on what you're looking for. Do you want a 2.7 RS spec engine that is exactly like the factory version? Or something that makes 2.7 RSish power? Your engine case wouldn't be the best starting place anyway, but to convert, you would need to:

get 2.7 RS p/c's
bore case spigot holes,
have MFI recalibrated (space cam change)
port heads (I believe the RS used S port heads)
recurve distributor, replace rotor
other stuff I can't remember right off.

That said, it's a pretty cool engine when done.

Shooting for PCA race rules, Calssification E. Carrera 2.7 Spec.

With any mag case that is going to be a powerful 2.7L, you'll need around $1300 of case machine work, $1500-1600 for new RS Pistons/Cylinders, probably a better oil pump (I would)-$250, port out and rebuild your heads (easy $1000 bill), fresh cams (about $600) and the recurving of the dist., which adds to $4700 ish, plus all the typical bearings, gaskets, seals, rings, misc. stuff, plating if you want it, etc.,etc., which can add up quickly.

Accounting for the rest of the machine work and all the replacement parts usually will get you up to ~$6,000. In addition, your MFI pump needs to be recalibrated to run 2.7RS MFI, which costs $1200-1300, and the MFI stacks need to be bored to match the bigger ports ($1300 approx.).

So, now you're around $8,500 and you need to assemble it. You can do it, or if you're not feeling sure of yourself, there are a lot of great builders out there...typically this is $2-3k but there are some "Fancy Feast" Porsche mechanics if that's the route you want to take, and $14k wouldn't be out of the question in that case.

The bill on the last hot 2.7 I did came out to about $9,300. Mostly like this engine, except I used J&E pistons instead of the original RS P/C, which are a little lower in compression and a few hundred $$$ more expensive.

$7,000 is definitely too cheap; something that should/must be done is not getting done at that price.

Definitely one of my favorite engines around.

Best,
Scott

Yeah, you'll need to modify it just like the factory. Otherwise you may get bumped to a different classification.

Which case would you recommend?

A '74 - '75 7R case would be best. Since these didn't have thermal reactors, they tend to be less distorted, requiring less machine work.

'76 and '77 are also good, because at least some of the non-CA cars I've seen don't have thermal reactors, and they have the oil bypass modification for a bigger oil pump already done (that'll save you $80-100 in machine work).

I've seen several RS engines built on 3/4/5R mag cases ('70-72) and though they run and perform well, I'm not yet convinced that they have the longevity or durability of the 7R...even with the 7R, I wouldn't be running past 7300 all the time...bad things start to happen as the forces grow exponentially..good thing for you because the S cams will be ready for a shift right about then.

Good luck (and not to plug, but I have parts avail. Please email me if interested)!

Scott