Need advice on what to do with a 3.2 rebuild

cleonard · 01-30-2014, 03:38 AM

As a winter project I pulled the 3.2 out of my 911. It not only has 250k+ original miles but also hasn't been driven much in nearly a decade. I have it torn down to a short block (4 of the exhaust side head studs were broke) and am indecisive as to what I should do next. I want to do as much of the work as I can myself.

1) I have Wayne's book and feel comfortable splitting the case but after that any work to be done to the case, crank, or rods is really machine shop work. So should I just take it in and have them take it from here?

2) I am fortunate enough to live 15 minutes from Bob Farmer and planned on having him do the short block and heads. However he suggesting I let him put it back together, work the heads, and dyno tune it. Sounds great but 1) I am no longer getting the enjoyment of rebuilding my own engine and 2) he wants $13k to do the work! I am not sure if that includes new p/c's but I was under the impression it was re-nikasil the stock ones. Is there an cheaper alternative? Can any shop check the crank, rods, and case? He said it would be $8.5k just to do the heads/case. Does that sound about right? I know his reputation is impeccable, but I don't know if that reputation comes with a price.

3) I REALLY wanted to do a turbo conversion while I was in there. I know this creates new challenges but I have done a lot of research and it seems feasible. The plan was 3.3l p/c's, 3.2 heads/intake/cam, tec3 ecu. Oil return I would likely retrofit a 930 cam driven pump but may go electrical. Anyways, he says it simply won't work. He gave me a number of reasons (piston ring lands, 3.2 intake gaskets pushing out, etc). Should I take his advice or can I make my turbo dream a reality? I have built several turbo vehicles (Z06, Viper, even a 4wheeler) so I'm not going into this endeavor blind, but I realize a 30 year old 911 motor is a different breed.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Colby

sleepy911 · 02-02-2014, 09:26 AM

I was told you couldn't build a 912 motor with a turbo and have it last. Well I did and I beat that motor for almost a whole week before it broke the crank. Haha. Seriously I saw the supercharger from knoxville on a 3.2 and they ran the crap out of that thing.

AlfonsoR · 02-02-2014, 08:52 PM

It sounds like you're questioning your own capabilities, maybe. If you have done turbos for those other vehicles, then you should be able to handle a 3.2 rebuild.

In my opinion, it sounds like Bob Farmer's prices are reasonable.

If you do your homework and post questions here, there are plenty of knowledgeable folks on this forum that can help you when needed.

I don't know of the top, the differences between the turbo 3.3 and the NA 3.2, but IIRC one of the differences is the metallurgy of pistons and the valves, rated for higher temps. I don't know necessarily that you would need to upgrade these parts, but Porsche thought it was necessary, for what it's worth. Again, do a search on google, and it will more than likely bring you back here.

Good luck, and I say enjoy the adventure.