Cost & list of parts to rebuild a 3.0L

[VFR750]

Here is a parts list for a full rebuild on a 3.0 engine.

This could also be in the Engine Rebuilding Forum, however most people look to the Technical Forum first for advice ahead of time, and go to the Engine Rebuilding Forum "while they are in there"

Recent posts highlighted the lack of knowledge about the actual detailed costs of what it takes to rebuild a Porsche flat six. Here is the real deal, without labor.
(>$20K to have a professional do it all --> not surprising)

Major tasks:
Replace #2 Cylinder and #2 Cylinder Head <-- reason for the rebuild
CCR weld repaired the Crankshaft <-- big surprise
Re-plated Cylinders and new Pistons <-- disappointing added cost
New Camshafts <-- did this for the fun of it
New rocker shafts <-- another surprise
Rebuilt heads with new guides, valves and exhaust studs <-- Required
Reconditioned Rods and premium bolts and GT3 rod bearing <-- Insurance
Zero Timed cam drive system <-- failed tensioner & Insurance

Another way to look at it:
Zero timing the entire bottom end: ~$4,864
Top End: ~$5,213
New Cams: ~$1,086
Tools and stuff: ~$923

Some things you might not do. Some things will be a surprise. I chose to Zero-time the engine.

[tperazzo]

Awesome man! Thank you!

[Bob Kontak]

Thank you.

If all new P&C's add another $3k?

Bet this thread does not get the airplay of the other one because it's factual and undermines speculation.

[jjeffries]

Great job posting that. John

[VFR750]

Yes!!

Mahle P&C set is $3K additional cost over the re-plate and JE pistons.

So $15k in parts.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by VFR750

Yes!!

Mahle P&C set is $3K additional cost over the re-plate and JE pistons.

So $15k in parts.

This thread will be linked so many times across the years.

Thank you.

[freeform911]

Would a 3.2 cost about the same?

[Bphawk1]

Have not addressed all the CIS issues that costs more $$$. Only if CIS is in place.

[kc911s]

Having my ‘78 80k mile 3.0 rebuilt as we speak. Started out as a broken head stud(s) then progressed into a top end. Will be glad when it’s over.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Bphawk1

Have not addressed all the CIS issues that costs more $$$. Only if CIS is in place.

+1 Many, many, many hundreds even if in good shape. E.g., flow matched injectors for the serious.

Distributor refresh.

Engine tin and engine seals.

Send fan and shroud to Shaun for a spiff-up. Let's get a beefy alternator.

Raceware/ARP head studs and hardware/case through bolts and hardware

Clutch pack/main seal. TO bearing fork.

[VFR750]

Mild 3.0 only needs steel head studs to replace the divlar ones. Raceware/arp is overkill for a non-turbo non-race motor.

And I reused the through case bolts. Those are pricey.

Previous year was clutch job and rebuilt carburetors.

I think if you wanted to build a really strong V8, the costs would be very high too.

[VFR750]

Originally Posted by freeform911

Would a 3.2 cost about the same?

Yes, very similar. The only “savings” is you don’t have the $40-50/ea c-seals on top of the cylinder.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by VFR750

Mild 3.0 only needs steel head studs to replace the divlar ones. Raceware/arp is overkill for a non-turbo non-race motor.

And I reused the through case bolts. Those are pricey.

Absolutely. Wish I knew about the steel studs in 97 when I did top end. Lots of data came from Don at EBS. I bought Raceware but the cost was so less prohibitive then. Plus, I had a good job.

Through bolts are not required. The seals are a good add and you can do that on a top end only job.

However, for a comprehensive list of how much one can get carried away, through bolts are at least a consideration.

[betterair]

Don has seen and done it all ,great guy/source for engine rebuilds.
I would spring for Stomski Cam timing gauge/pick up and sell it after the event.(or keep it for the next one. Dead nuts on ,repeatable results.

[VFR750]

important points:

this list is mostly for part bought at pelican parts and some parts were made by oem suppliers and some had to be Porsche specific.

Shipping and taxes not included.

Cost of oil (10 quarts at a shot) also not included. That adds up!!

If you ask a shop to buy these parts for you, they will add a charge to do the work. Nothing is free, people get paid to do work.

Shops who stand behind their work will also insist on fixing things you don’t think you need. Don’t argue with them. They have the liability of messing up and they don’t need some small part screwing up their reputation.

I took the same approach: fix stuff that could cause you to avoid issues

Hence the GT3 rod bearings. Very expensive but sourced through Porsche because the glyco bearings had a bad rap, which could cause a rod failure. Money well spent on peace of mind.

I also bought new head stud nuts and washers. Also expensive. Controls heads leakage. Rusty parts should not be used for an assembly which is probably the most common problem in aircoooled engines.

That is how I approached the rebuild.

[VFR750]

One lesson learned:

If I really wanted to avoid the three subsequent top ends to fix the ring sealling problem I’d go to a new set a mahle p&c.

Shout out to EBS Racing:
They stood by their work
They inspected and re-plated my cylinders
They added a skirt coating to the JE pistons
They shipped them back to me
For FREE.
Solved the ring seating problem.


In the end, I should have bought a set of $4000 P&C from Mahle instead.

And a good shop may not take the job if you have KS alusil cylinders and you don’t want to pay the extra for Mahle replacements.

But I was financially tapped out at that point. Subsbsequent top ends cost far less than $3000 in new seals and gaskets. Labor was free. So maybe it was worth it

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by VFR750

If you ask a shop to buy these parts for you, they will add a charge to do the work. Nothing is free, people get paid to do work.

This is really important - these days everyone is the click of a mouse away from wholesale prices on parts and it has potential to cut into profit for shops. So $12k in parts from a DIY'er is going to be another, what - 30, 40%? more at a shop.

[euro911sc]

Wow... that's a S-ton of $$.... If you don't have to have the new engine tomorrow you can get a lot of this stuff on the Classified forum or eBay. I did mine about 10 years ago for under $4k, but it took me over a year to collect all the right parts for cheap. Just depends on your schedule and resources.


-Michael

[VFR750]

I don’t know what a shop would charge for parts, but it is their business. They have to pay the bills to be there when you ask them to do work. Can’t hold it against them.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Thank you.

If all new P&C's add another $3k?

Bet this thread does not get the airplay of the other one because it's factual and undermines speculation.

And not all engines are priced the same. If you get a set of 2.7 RS spec Mahles like I did, they are closer to $4000.