3.6 conversions- have you had to do any major work after-the-fact?

[k9handler]

Another 3.6 from Harald is in my car, and since I am in Germany he installed it. No issues with the engine that I did not expect...just having a hard time with the 915 gearbox and LSD. =o(
And I agree with Neil...right now you lose .25 on every dollar against the euro so it's not the time to buy from europe or the UK ($1.98 to the pound)!

[jfpound]

Hey 3.6 guys,
A little off the subject, but is your throttle position sensor connected? Mine is not plugged into anything and there is no connector on the harness to plug into it.

And Ed, I love my 3.6, no other than standard issues.

[efhughes3]

After finding out Harald is not in the US (I guess I've been sleeping-I've never heard his name before) that was immediately off of my list. I think I'm going to stick with looking at a 964 motor, a 50HP/25% jump in STOCK performance. With headers and the chip, a sizeable increase to what I'm looking at with a rebuild of my 3.2.

[CBRacerX]

Ed,

I too had the 3.2 rebuild/buildup vs. 3.6 dillema. And I am comfortable with doing the rebuild myself. But having owned cars with both 3.6 stock (and breathed on a bit) and stock/worked 3.2 engines, I felt that the 3.6 was just a much more streetable engine, and the torque is simply outstanding. Really makes the car move from all the way down in the RPM range.

I bought a 964 engine, then got a bit silly and put a 993 Varioram intake and exhaust on it. But that was just me making extra work for myself. The early 3.6 still goes like gangbusters and is easy to tune and hop up.

Enjoy!!

Chris

[JBO]

What did you guys spend total on average for the 3.6 swap? Did you sell your old tired engine, and what did you get? Can the 915 trans handle the 3.6 OK?

[efhughes3]

Chris: You've nailed it for me, that is music to my ears!

[Carrera3.5L]

Ed,

if the costs end up being somewhat comparable, the 3.6L is probably the better choice for most people and I would strenuously research that option first.

If you find a major difference in price (and you might), a 3.4L or 3.5L from your 3.2L would be fine as well and look more original in the back of your car. I think that 255-280 horsepower is the range you can expect with keeping your original Motronic depending on how you build it. This would not be a highly stressed motor.

You could put the money savings into upgrading your suspension for the power increase if you haven't already done so or better yet, buy something for your wife to keep her happy.

Ralph

[efhughes3]

That was my thought exactly-with the money I'd save on the 3.6, assuming sale of my 3.2 for a decent figure, I'd have a few bucks for suspension and/or brakes..

[Kevin Stewart]

Watch the video



http://www.gruppeb.org/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=871&sid=7d8b8fb9f806a696d61ae284b9e4462b

[Mike Feinstein]

Not here to advertise for Steve Timmins (www.instant-g.com), but why not give him a call and talk to him? There's few people in the world with his experience with this. I know he can answer all your OBD1 vs 2 questions, etc. When I bought mine from him, not only did he provide leakdown and compression numbers, but he sent many photo's of the guages and their readings while on my engine. Also a bunch of pictures of the new flywheel, clutch, etc, going together. Even a few of the finished product being lowered into the shipping crate. Not fool proof, but good peace of mind.

On another topic...don't write off Varioram just yet. Why spend all that money and stop just short of the real finish line? I've owned a 964 and now have V-ram in my 911. The V-ram torque is well worth the extra money. This is not an investment, it's pure fun. In the previous posts there is evidence of that (V-ram added to a 964 engine, and a 964 swapped for a 3.8 with V-ram). It's much cheaper to install a proper V-ram engine than it is to add it, or swap for it later when you get out-pulled coming out of a hole at the track a few times...or when you just crave more torque. Your call.

[Craig 930 RS]

The 3.6 Varioram is going well for me.

A few of (idealistic) pointers for a person looking for an engine:

If you can, buy it from someone who actualy owned the engine.
If you can, have verified/documented mileage
Maintenance receipts/history

I was very fortunate to have all of the above. I bought it from a guy in Ohio - a person who is known by several Pelican & Rennlisters. He changed the oil and both filters, Mobil 1, every 3k miles. Used it at the track - HARD. Engine is in fantastic shape - the guides & internals that we could test/see looked superb when we did the cams.
I received all maintenance paperwork since day 1.

Wait for the motor of your choice then jump on it.
-I waited for awhile until a reputable engine came on the scene-

[CBRacerX]

I second Mike's comments on Steve - he is an honest guy.

I also second the suggestion that you don't "update from 964 to 933" in any way - either is more time consuming and expensive than just getting the right thing from the get go! Ask me how I know

Chris

[efhughes3]

Guys-I fully intend to give Steve a call. Part of my whole process is getting feedback from people who have dealt with him. The other is to talk to people who have gone the conversion route, and put together my questions and aspects I need to specifically address.

I've spent a fair amount of time on Steve's website already, and from posts I've seen, it's clear: Steve may have limited patience. I want to get my list of issues in order prior to talking.

[Moses]

Originally posted by efhughes3
Steve may have limited patience. I want to get my list of issues in order prior to talking.

Good idea. If Steve's patience is limited, I'm sure it's because the guy is so busy.

He helped me unravel some issues with my transplant that my ex-mechanic screwed up. Steve was sometimes abrupt, but ultimately helpful and I trust him absolutely.

[Craig 930 RS]

Ed - Good point.
I caught Steve on a bad day, bad mood, & one too many questions.

[blue82coupe]

Steve is definetly a direct and to the point kind of guy,but he was always helpful. Dan

[rattlsnak]

Im dealing with Steve right now. I finally ordered the kit for my project yesterday. It has been just email up until this point however.
You should go with the 993 3.6. Bill V. can post the differences between it and a 964 3.6. There are MANY..



>>Has anyone done a 965 engine conversion? It would seem obvious, yet I don't know of any offhand<<

Well, now you do..... This is from my '78 SC.

[Bill Verburg]

Guys , remember that the 964/993 conversions are a side business for Steve, he has a real day job and a new family to take care of. He is very good at his side business and does oput a lot of time and effort into his passions. Be considerate and try not to waste his time.

[Speedster94]

hallo
I sold about 30 used 3.6 Engines ,2 of them had issues and i tried to clear those as good as possible by paying for the parts ( from Pelican )and the work . But in both cases i refused to pay for a complete rebuild .
I offered Kevin to ship the Engine back ,long before he had it in the Car and neither one of us knew there is a Problem with the Engine itself .
When he thread me and called me all kind of Names i stopped the conversation .
Than ( 3-4 month later )i read in a posting that the Engine has a Problem and I email him and offer to help . He takes the Engine out again and brings it to a shop to have it checked . I talk to the Shop owner and ask him what he needs on Parts and order anything he wants ( All Bearings ,Pistonrings , Gasketsets )
Later i get a Bill from him for the Work and I pay .
I email Kevin and tell him i am sorry this happened and hope that everything is fine now .
He replies ,saying that he also rebuild the Heads and want me to pay for that too or he will post that i sold him a bad Engine and didnt care about it . After that i did not respond to his emails and i wont .
Maybe i would have paid for the Heads too , but to much is too much .
There is always a chance if you buy a used Engine but i always check the Engines ( Copmpression / Leakdown ) but sometimes the Donor Cars are wrecked so i can not hear them running ( and evtl.Knocking )
If i sell it and there is a Problem i will solve it if you talk to me in a normal manner ,like in the second case .
The second Engine was Ingos ,i paid for Parts and machining and he did a lot of work himself and paid for some Parts too as he decided to go trough the whole Engine . We discussed it and found a solution we can both live with . It can be easy if both Parties want .
harald

[JeremyD]

Harald -

I have read your posts over the years and would not hesitate to purchase an engine from you - even with a higher than normal exchange rate -

You have been straight forward and know you have many happy customers. When buying a used anything there is a certain amount of risk, especially an engine on a high performance car.