can you look at these engine specs and tell me what you think?

[rookie76]

Hi Guys, and greetings form Australia.

I have found an ad for an engine for sale. I won't beat around the bush.. I'll just hit you with it so you can take it all in.

I just really wanted your first reaction to it and whether it could be a good deal for me. I've been looking to build my currently standard 2 litre in to a much bigger engine, but this could suit as a transplant instead.

comments please.

I have some extra info that the guy emailed me, explaining the use that the engine has had so far, and a photo. send me a pm with your email address if you want to see it.. it wouldn't be fair to put it up on the main post here as he sent it to me personally. or skype me and we can go from there..

thanks in advance...

Luke.


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2.4 litre type 4 complete turn key engine for sale

- 2.0 Type 4 case with new bearings
- Re-ground and balanced standard 2.0 914 crank (71mm)
- JE 103mm Nikasil barrels and pistons
- ARP rod bolts
- ARP chromoly head bolts
- ARPM dry sump conversion. Prevents oil surge and bearings running dry under heavy cornering. Case fully machined with 2 scavenges to allow proper oil circulation. Can supply with cylindrical aluminium dry sump oil tank if required, and some of the braided lines required.
- FAT performance cam, 495 lift, 302 duration
- Straight cut cam gears
- Lightened flywheel, machined for high tensile bolts.
- Porsche 911 heavy duty clutch
- Heavily modified heads, machined by a specialist head builder. 45mm/39mm stainless steel sodium filled valves, bronze valve guides, spiral cut to allow oil to run down them and prevent valves sticking. Matched to inlet port, and flowed to the optimum on a flow bench without moving the exhaust port. Bolt on rocker covers, standard valve gear.
- Bosch 009 distributor with top quality silicone leads
- Weber 44 IDF carbs, with dual return springs
- Porsche 911 upright alternator conversion with the more efficient 11 blade fan
- Amazing one-off aluminium fan shroud. An exact replica of the fibreglass upright conversions, this was pain-stakingly made out of aluminium by a friend of mine – completely smooth, it looks externally like it has been made from just one piece of aluminium, truly amazing and nothing like it anywhere else

The engine was built to deliver loads of torque and totally reliable power – it was run in for the first 2000 miles without exceeding 4000rpm, and has done a further 3000 miles since, electronically limited to 6000 RPM. I have it set up on a rolling road by a specialist Weber tuner every year, and it delivers 160bhp, though with different rockers and electronic ignition or bigger jets I have no doubt it could produce 180bhp. It produces peak power at just below 5000RPM, and is still there at 6300RPM, but we set the limiter to protect the engine. I have a permanently run oil cooler at the front of my 914, and it runs at both steady temperature and pressure on long runs, even in standing traffic. It is totally reliable, and will be turn key bar needing an exhaust for whatever application you chose and the dry sump plumbing. You will not find a better spec engine for the money.

Genuine reason for sale – I have run the car for 3 years, and have just bought a 6 cylinder 911 engine for my car, hence the sale. I would love to mothball it for another project, but my wife would kill me! It cost $20,000US to put together in all, have receipts for everything bar the machining, and I am asking $8000US as described. The engine will be removed in 3 weeks for the start of the conversion, so is available now in a running state to demonstrate just how impressive this is. The engine looks, sounds and goes unbelievably, it is totally awesome.

[John Rogers]

Everything sounds good except for the "standard valve gear "standard valve gear" that was mentioned at the end of the nice writeup about the heads. I would hope that the springs, retainers, rockers and other bits are NOT just stock. They will never hold up on a higher HP engine such as this. Otherwise it is a great sounding piece.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Who built the motor? There are builders with good reputations, and those who have "other" ones. This sounds a little like one of the "other" ones--though not completely... (Are the Nikasil barrels adapted 911 parts? Are they some sort of special J&E parts? Something else?)

It could easily cost someone $20K to do an engine that size "very well", at least if you were paying someone else to do most or all of the work.

I'd be triple wary of this, especially buying from that great a distance.

--DD

[rookie76]

Hi Dave,

Thanks very much. It was built by one of the owners of this company: http://www.904gts.co.uk/

You're advice is very sound.. buying from so far away is quite nerve-racking. I just can't help thinking that if it is that good.. and genuine, I could be missing a great opportunity. So torn both ways.

Thanks again.

Luke.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

OK, that isn't any of the "other" builders that I know of, so there's a better chance it's fine. Will the seller consent to taking the car or the motor to a shop to have them checked out?

--DD

[djpateman]

NOTASIX would be the best person to answer your questions.
The sodium valves are not the best. The stock crank may not be the best.
Not too sure about the cam and the valve train.

Where is the engine? The 'builder' appears to be in the UK. That is on the other side of the world, and shipping would be huge. You might be better getting a turnkey engine from Jake, and get reliable HP near 200 from a 2270.

[NOTASIX]

I see many questionable selections in the proposed engine combo.. Especially the Nikisil 103mm cylinders. There are a lot of totally "non developed" Nikisil cylinders on the market that are being made in China and using the LN Engineering "Nickies" reputation to be sold- the difference in the LN product and the Chinese knockoff is vast. Dozens of people have had issues with the knockoff components and the producer of these has no intentions of actually developing the component or sub components to enhance them, like specific head studs and etc.


Sodium filled valves were leading edge technology 30+ years ago when these engines were new, today they are old news and do nothing buit cause issues. When a sodium filled valve fails it leads to a catastrophic engine failure that usually deems the entire engine junk. This is due to the sodium's reaction with the presence of the atomized fuel in the chamber leading to an explosion within the chamber. I refuse to use them in any of my engines.


You need to do some more homework, there are much better components available that will help your engine run more efficiently, make more power and run cooler....

Remember: The entire engine is a combination, that combination is the determining factor for the rest of the engine.

[rookie76]

Jake... and others. Sincerely thank you. All very useful information.

Regards,

Luke.