Building an engine from scratch. Anyone done it?

[JabsZA]

There are many threads around engine rebuilds, upgrades to bigger displacement etc...

but has anyone started with a engine case and built the whole engine from the ground up with new parts etc....and done it themselves, and not taken it to a professional??


i have not come across such links....

[Charles Freeborn]

Depending on what engine you're after it could get prohibitively expensive.
I worked at a Honda Motorcycle shop some years back and the parts guy did a quick cost study on building a bike from parts at dealer cost. He didn't get much further than frame, engine and wheels before it was well over the cost of a new complete bike....

[Bergo]

way cheaper to start with a complete engine. looked into it, very briefly, makes some of the crazy for sale threads look a bit more reasonable.

[gliding_serpent]

There are three types:

1. Folks who know enough to know that they do not know enough, so they pay someone else who knows enough to do it right.

2. People who know enough to do the basics but dont have the time/space/gear to do it all at home so they farm some stuff out like machining. Orthers may take it on, make mistakes, learn, and with lots of time, save a few bucks.

3. Diy folks who are basically pro's who have pro lifts, all the special tools, a machine shop in their closet, access to 3d printers and custom design software. Their budget is always unlimited and everything they fo is better than oem, and looks so easy on the internet. Their threads tempt people from #1 to become #2, sometimes to failure.

[JabsZA]

Originally Posted by Charles Freeborn

Depending on what engine you're after it could get prohibitively expensive.
I worked at a Honda Motorcycle shop some years back and the parts guy did a quick cost study on building a bike from parts at dealer cost. He didn't get much further than frame, engine and wheels before it was well over the cost of a new complete bike....

Good point....my thoughts are along the lines of taking a 3.2 carrera engine case, and building it out to a 3.5l (big bore) complete engine - new cam, pistons, cylinders, heads, fuel etc...one would say that would cost in the 25k range...and they wouldnt be wrong.

However, some folks have purchased an aging used engine in relative decent shape...(approx $12-$15k?) and then had it rebuilt...($8-10k?)...all in all roughly also in at $25k?

Difference being a practically new engine vs a rebuilt engine....

To my un-educated mind, the first option sounds more appealing....and you have a brand new engine at the end of the day...no???

[Flat6pac]

Regardless, the thing to remember "the sum of the parts exceeds the value of the whole"
Bruce

[vintagecarlover]

I totally agree with start with a long block at minimum BUT
A shrewd buyer with a lot of luck can find the parts at a deal. Gotta know what to look for and have funds ready a lot of stuff can be sourced right. Make sure u have a caliper in pocket and know tolerances or have the books available. Look for guys clearing out storage instead of the guys that full retail their parts. Don't be in a hurry but be ready.

It's the same concept of finding a roller and then sourcing engine Trans and interior. Just gotta be constantly seeking and being THE ultimate opportunist. Guys that buy a case and build an engine do it every day. They just stockpile their lucky buys so they can build out of their hordes.

Glws. Let us know how it works out.

[cabmandone]

I haven't but I'm wondering if a few UPS workers aren't trying it.

[gliding_serpent]

On the cost of rebuilding an engine from the ground up with new parts... a few years ago BMW classic build a new 72 or 73 2002Tii out of new old stock parts. The parts cost over 150,000$.

I always find the cost analysis stuff of DIY interesting.

I make more per hour than my mechanic charges, so I lose money in DIY. But I do what I can anyway, because it is not about money, but rather the enjoyment of my hobby.

Used parts are great if you don't live in an area where shipping eats away at your savings.

Used parts are also just that. Buyer beware. Sometimes is is nice to spend a few more bucks for something new and not have to worry about it. The trick is knowing what you can source new and used without compromising the build reliability. Used bearings no. Used rings no. used sensors no. Used gears probably. Used 7:31 R+P... depends.

If you enjoy searching for parts deals, than that is great too, you will probably find more deals. If you have a deadline and just want to drive your car, than the savings here and there may not be worth the delay.

It all depends on what you like. I prefer driving my car to anything, so my priority is always to minimize the time my car is out of commission. Mind you, now that the big work was done by a pro last year, I get to tinker in my garage over the winter. I also enjoy learning about theory and other armchair stuff, but I can still to the holy trinity of brakes, oil and basic suspension. I have been adding stuff like electrical, interior and tuning to my resume.

[Charles Freeborn]

Perhaps one of the most impressive (to me, at least) aspects of the Porsche engineering philosophy is how they continually strived to improve. As materials became available they incorporated them way before anyone else (Nikasil for example). They never cut corners, at least not back in the day, and still not now, striving for perfection. This is quite unlike many other companies who had and still have bean counters controlling the design process. Therefore, the best way to see how to improve a Porsche is to simply look to the next generation of whichever era you're working on. For example, when the Mag cases had been pushed to their maximum limits, they re-engineered and we got the venerable SC platform. The racers with enormous budgets can find more performance within any given genre, but it is not without a cost - both money and reliability.
All that said, if you want the HP that a 3.2 produces, get a 3.2. If a 3.6 floats your boat, well there you go.....

[doublebuffle]

Originally Posted by gliding_serpent

There are three types:

1. Folks who know enough to know that they do not know enough, so they pay someone else who knows enough to do it right.

2. People who know enough to do the basics but dont have the time/space/gear to do it all at home so they farm some stuff out like machining. Orthers may take it on, make mistakes, learn, and with lots of time, save a few bucks.

3. Diy folks who are basically pro's who have pro lifts, all the special tools, a machine shop in their closet, access to 3d printers and custom design software. Their budget is always unlimited and everything they fo is better than oem, and looks so easy on the internet. Their threads tempt people from #1 to become #2, sometimes to failure.

What. Is. This?

I agree with the sum of the parts stuff; however, what you are saying is discouraging to DIY in general.

In case you missed it, this is the technical forum. People here may be inclined to take on a challenge.

Above you mention that you make more than $75 an hour(or whatever your wrench charges). Congratulations. I'm sure that everyone here can relate (probably not). Someone who makes that much should know that there are many solutions to a problem. Some are more "right"; some are less.

You may be shocked to hear this but here goes. There were many assessments, judgments, and decisions made by your wrench when you were not around. He did not tell you about them.

Then again, you trust him, so he probably did it "right"... whatever the hell that means.

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by JabsZA

There are many threads around engine rebuilds, upgrades to bigger displacement etc...

but has anyone started with a engine case and built the whole engine from the ground up with new parts etc....and done it themselves, and not taken it to a professional??


i have not come across such links....

here? nah........

[unclebilly]

This is how you build a short stroke 2.6... Or any other custom displacement engine.

It has been done many, many times.