Rebuilding a 911 Engine - Beginner's Guide

[ItzaMe]

Hello fellow Porsche folks,

I'm hoping to use this thread to document the journey of me rebuilding my first Porsche 911 engine. What engine? To what spec? Not sure / TBD - that's the fun of it right? I've had an urge to do this for quite some time and don't have any deadline or even a start date currently.

I've done mechanical projects all my life and have an engineering background so it can't be that hard.. (I'm kidding) I know it takes a certain level of attention to detail mixed with skills mastered over the years as well as obtained wisdom.. oh and special tools. This would be my first engine rebuild on any car but anything is possible with patience and persistency

The majority of the car's I've come across include middies - SC's (1975 - 1982) so I'd most likely be opening up a 2.7 or 3.0

With the costs of a shop rebuilding an engine these days, I can afford to take the time to learn myself or at least slash the cost of a rebuild significantly on a future project (or a current car that might have engine issues and I don't know yet).

The process is something I can see myself enjoying and possibly taking on other rebuilds down the line. I'd like to get ahead of a few things on the front end to set myself up for success (or at least not complete disaster) lol.

With all that being said: (Assuming a 2.7 - 3.0 engine) What tools are a must? What is your favorite manuals / rebuild guides you've come across? Feel free to share PDF or video link etc. I know there are enough user manuals outlining Porsche specific expensive instruments but those who rebuild these engines often know what's actually necessary and worth the money.

Best method for securing the engine on a stand? Minimum required space for a rebuild? Your favorite cleaning product/lubrication product? The DO's and the DO NOT's. Your favorite secret ... or your worst lesson. Share as much as you like!

I've saw some very cool engine test stands built on this forum but that would probably be a future project. Baby steps for me.

Overall, I will try to document every step of the process and my thinking behind why something was done. I will not be doing any of the major machining work if needed but will share the reasoning behind why things might be sent out etc (some details that I found missing in other build threads). Hopefully this will help others who really need a "rebuilding for dummies" like I do

Any and all comments are welcomed. Thanks as always.

Mar

[doswald]

Mario, I just completed the rebuild of my ‘71T. The resources I found most helpful were: the factory manual, Bruce Anderson’s book, Wayne’s engine rebuilding book, the ************ YouTube series and the engine rebuilding forum. Take your time and enjoy the journey!

dho

[kevbo]

Tony's intro to engine rebuilding class is really helpful too

[Prestallion]

Originally Posted by kevbo

Tony's intro to engine rebuilding class is really helpful too

+1, Tony's class was fantastic. It's hands on and he walks you through it step-by-step so if you're nervous about tearing down/splitting open the case it helps overcome that anxiety.

You can also visit the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum if you have extra time.

[ItzaMe]

Originally Posted by doswald

Mario, I just completed the rebuild of my ‘71T. The resources I found most helpful were: the factory manual, Bruce Anderson’s book, Wayne’s engine rebuilding book, the ************ YouTube series and the engine rebuilding forum. Take your time and enjoy the journey!

dho

Originally Posted by kevbo

Tony's intro to engine rebuilding class is really helpful too

Originally Posted by Prestallion

+1, Tony's class was fantastic. It's hands on and he walks you through it step-by-step so if you're nervous about tearing down/splitting open the case it helps overcome that anxiety.

You can also visit the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum if you have extra time.

Thank you all! Will look into these resources.