915/oil system upgrades

[jdm61]

i will be installing the Steve W. chip, Fabspeed bypass and Fabspeed single outlet muffler in my '85 in the next month or so. I will also be either "modifying" the stock airbox lid or getting a new one. According to the various dyno runs on Steve W.'s website, this could mean anywhere from high 220's-mid 240's hp range. i would eventually like to go even higher.....3.4's, cams, bored out throttle body, etc. Short of paying $13k plus labor for a short bell housing G50, what should be done to the 915 tranny, if anything, in order to deal with increased hp and torque? Also should I think about getting the finned oil lines or even a bigger oil cooler for the engine? How about one for the tranny? Yes, the P-car OCD has apprently already set in

[chris57]

The 915 can handle way more power than you are talking about putting to it. If you car is a factory turbo look carrera I would strongly suggest really thinking about your mods wisely as original cars hold their value very well. I know people with cars pushing 300hps for the track that run 915 trannys. i think the steve wong chip is good as is the other mods you suggested. I have a 1985 factory turbo look carrera and I dont do any mods that I can not undo because it can greatly affect resale value. As far as I can tell there was only a couple of hundred or so factory m491 cars built so I say lets preserve them as best we can.

[ChrisBennet]

$13K for a short bellhousing G50? Is that a typo? Did you mean $3K?

A SteveW chip and making sure your car is in tune is the best bang for the buck performancewise and it won't devalue a relatively rare car (if yours is a factory widebody).

The various mods like 3.4L, cams, etc are a lot of money for a little gain. 3.4 P&C's are roughly $2K for a 6% displacement/13hp increase. That's $153 per horsepower just for the P&C alone. A 3.6 conversion while not cheap is a very good value by comparison.
(A 3.4/twin plug/964 cam motor is a fun project though, BTDT.)
-Chris

[jdm61]

Originally posted by chris57
The 915 can handle way more power than you are talking about putting to it. If you car is a factory turbo look carrera I would strongly suggest really thinking about your mods wisely as original cars hold their value very well. I know people with cars pushing 300hps for the track that run 915 trannys. i think the steve wong chip is good as is the other mods you suggested. I have a 1985 factory turbo look carrera and I dont do any mods that I can not undo because it can greatly affect resale value. As far as I can tell there was only a couple of hundred or so factory m491 cars built so I say lets preserve them as best we can.

Ahhh.......wel i was planning to keep the exterior of the car stock looking excpet maybe for some of the custom 2 or 3 piece Fuchs. The old wolf-in-sheeps-clothing thing i was not aware that the early turbo-look cars were that rare. Living in Florida is like living in Cali as far as Porsches are concerned. I have seen so many one-off and oddball Porsches over the years, especially in Miami, It never occured to me that a lot ofthem were pretty rare cars. Florida has been a HUGE market for exotics for many years. I may just do the Euro piston swap later. The interior is going to stay pretty much the same except for a 930S steering wheel, if I can get it refinished. And of course, possible upgrade to stereo did you install the turbo tie rods on your car? That kinda puzzles me that Porsche puts the Turbo suspension and brakes and not the tie rods.

[jdm61]

Originally posted by ChrisBennet
$13K for a short bellhousing G50? Is that a typo? Did you mean $3K?

A SteveW chip and making sure your car is in tune is the best bang for the buck performancewise and it won't devalue a relatively rare car (if yours is a factory widebody).

The various mods like 3.4L, cams, etc are a lot of money for a little gain. 3.4 P&C's are roughly $2K for a 6% displacement/13hp increase. That's $153 per horsepower just for the P&C alone. A 3.6 conversion while not cheap is a very good value by comparison.
(A 3.4/twin plug/964 cam motor is a fun project though, BTDT.)
-Chris

Not a typo.....i remembered the Patrick Racing tranny going for around $6k or so and somebody mentioned on the forum the other day that it is now $13k uninstalled.

[Joe Bob]

Patrick's stuff is over rated and expensive....find a nicer vendor with better prices and a better attitude. The guy is a prick.....

As to 915s and higher HP.....a 915 has some issues. Best to look at the WEVO website and look at the goodies he has. Talk to Hayden and Tyson....they actually pick up the phone and will answer questions and not make you feel like a worm.

I did a recent Wevo upgrade with the intermediate plate....we bought two and plan on doing my buddies ride next month...he also has a 3.6 in his 74. His is STILL in one piece...MINE exploded 2nd gear and I installed the plate during the rebuild.

[jdm61]

I looked at the WEVO site and read about that bearing work they do..interestinng stuff. What kind of benefits do you get out of adding an external cooler to the tranny?

[Joe Bob]

heat is death...it's oil cooled just like your engine.

[jdm61]

Originally posted by mikez
heat is death...it's oil cooled just like your engine.

Most of the external tranny oil coolers i have read about have been for RSR's and Turbo's with ridiculous horsepower. External oil pump, squirters for each gear set, etc, etc. Is there a relatively simple way to do this? As for heat being death, you are correct. The temps you see in an air cooled engine are actually high enough to temper (soften) hardened high carbon steel a pretty fair amount.

[Joe Bob]

RSRs and Turbos are less likely to be grocery getters and in the past Porsche made street legal race cars....not any more...they have cup holders....excpet maybe the GT2, 3 and the plastic thing that keeps getting wrecked by newbies on a cell phone....

[jdm61]

Originally posted by mikez
RSRs and Turbos are less likely to be grocery getters and in the past Porsche made street legal race cars....not any more...they have cup holders....excpet maybe the GT2, 3 and the plastic thing that keeps getting wrecked by newbies on a cell phone....

LOL.....by "plastic thing" do you mean the LMP2000 spec race car with a stereo? since it is made from carbon fiber, maybe we should call it the "plastic/charcoal thing"

[Bill Verburg]

Originally posted by jdm61
I looked at the WEVO site and read about that bearing work they do..interestinng stuff. What kind of benefits do you get out of adding an external cooler to the tranny?

There have been a 3 of threads about trans coolers, A search would be useful to you.

Short answer, for street use no cooler is needed even w/ 3.6&915, for track use a cooler will be useful if extended time is involved, won't hurt, but not 100% necessary for shorter events.

[RarlyL8]

Here is the WEVO bearing retainer installed in my 915.
I don't think it is necessary for your application. The 915 can handle up to 400HP IF YOU DON'T BEAT ON IT. The bearing plate is just an added brace to protect the bearings from shock.
An oil cooler is a good idea for track use but probably not needed for the infrequent DE event.

[Joe Bob]

Shhhheeeeesccchhhh, beating on it is half the fun.....