912 Engine Question - Need expert advice
 

Hi,

Just bought a 1968 912 coupe body ($400) and I need an engine. I've never done anything with cars before at all, but have wanted to ever since I was a kid.

I have been told I need a 'type 4' engine, but that doesn't mean anything to me. I was looking on ebay and found a 2.7 litre from a 1974 Targa. Would this be a fit?

If so, it has low compression in the #5 cylider, needs a coil and coil wire, and the left side heater hose is missing. Also needs a CD box (PermaTune?). Expensive fixes?

Is this something I want? If not, what? And what would be a reasonable price to pay for an engine?

Thanks for your help --

Tim

Tim:
I'm not an expert, but here are my suggestions. The easiest route would be to find a complete 912 motor and bolt it in - no fabricating or guessing, etc. You can put a 6cyl 911 motor in, but there are numerous detail changes you'll have to make (oil tank, gauges, etc.) As for the other motor options, a type I upright VW will bolt in without a lot of work and these motors can be built up for small amounts of money. The Type IV you mentioned is the late VW/Porsche 914/912E/VW Vanagon "suitcase" motor. Installing these involves some work - this has been covered on this thread in detail. Like the type I, there are lots of relatively cheap aftermarket parts for these.

Final thoughts: If you're buying a "running" motor, make absolutely sure you hear it run and rev - if not, consider it a basket-case motor even if it's beautifully detailed and plastic wrapped on a pallet (unless you know the PO or it's at a legitimate shop.) Should you go the 911 route, I'd avoid the 2.7 and look for a 3.0SC (JMO.)It all boils down to how much you can & intend to spend on the project.
Good luck.
Bill.

Bill,

Thanks for your reply. What do you mean by a "JMO" engine?

Tim

Get in touch with John - "mein12" on this board. He's the SoCal 912 engine guru.

"JMO" I believe means "just my opinion." But I concur with Bill. Find a good 912 engine and bolt it in. I say this for two reasons: first, you sound like you are new to the Porsche family and you will find installing and working on the 912 engine much easier than the work involved in just trying to get a 911 6 cylinder engine installed. Second, you will find the cost of a 911 engine to be MUCH more expensive than the cost of a nice 912 engine. Not to mention the additional costs involved in wiring, exhausts, etc.

Hi,
Welcome to the board.
I looked into the 6 cylinder swap in detail and there are others on this board who have done it. It's not too difficult, but I wouldn't have make it my first Porsche project.
Budget for a new clutch/pressure plate, oil tank and lines, engine mounts, tachometer, new fuel pump and additional fuel line for MFI or CIS 911 motor, new exhaust, wiring conversion, throttle linkage and a possible rebuild on the 2.7 with low compression....OR find a good 912 engine, bolt it in and drive away. Whichever route you decide, the Pelican 911 and 912 board will be here to help.
Did the car that you bought come with a transmission?
Keep us posted.

Hi Tim,

I just bought a 1968 912 a few weeks ago and also looked into a Type 4 engine as it has lots of readily available parts compared to the 912. The problem is you need several aftermarket adapters, costing anywhere from $400-500, as well as various other adaptations that that add up to a lot of money. A 6 cylinder Porsche engine woudl be quite a chore and require a good mechanical aptitude in my opinion.

I decided to rebuild my 912 engine rather than swap in a Type 4. It had a blown cylinder so cost to rebuild will prbably be in the $1500 neighborhood. Four new cylinders and pistons were $530 alone! If you can find, as the other guys suggested, a running 912 engine, buy it, drop it in and go for a spin.

That's my 2 cents worth. As someone said recently, you can put anything in one of these 912s as long as you don;t mind spending the money to do it!

You should also know that the 1968 model wasn't very popular with Porsche enthusiasts because it was the first year Porsche put a bunch of crappy emission control equipment on it for import into the US. Seems a lot of people removed it over time. Mine came with it all missing and the engine ran fine without it (before it blew!). While I didn't own it when it blew, I have a pretty good theory as to why it happened. Several owners before me thought an after market oil cooler, of the raditator-fin variety with a screw-on contemporary filter, would be better than the stock setup. I think the oil cooler (radiator) wasn't mounted in such a way that it could get good circulation and it over heated. Hence, I wouldn't recommend after market cooling unless it's high end stuff.

Good luck!
Bill