how to modify a 944 engine????

[AaronM]

Originally posted by dally_de
ok AaronM....if u say so....anyway...thanks for ur replay...i will write what i will end up...also waiting for other opinion..one thing Aaron if u didnt know...with a modified cam on this stock engine u can ad fron 10-20 hp...and that is a fact.

I would be very, very surprised to see a peak increase of more than 10 hp from a cam/chip combo.

In any case, it's not enough to make a difference. Measureable differences in performance typically require a 15% or greater change in engine power output. Even if you managed to get 15hp from a new cam, it's less than a 10% improvement, which is not going to be noticeable unless it also changes the torque curve rather significantly. A 15hp increase would also be the MOST I've ever heard of someone getting out of an N/A motor without serious modification.

Example: A guy I knew back when I lived in Ohio had an '89 944 N/A (the 2.7 litre car) with a chip and a cam. The car was race-ready and raced consistantly (he won several autocross titles with it). It felt pretty dang fast. A couple years ago he went to the 944 Fest in Ohio and they had a group dyno day during the meet. His car dynoed...

138hp at the rear wheels.

If you want 200 hp, buy an S2 or a 968. If you want 250+ hp, buy a 951.

Seems that everyone gets pissy when they hear the truth.

[JivenJim]

Welcome to this forum.

Your question gets asked here a lot.

Lots of upgrades that can be done. None are cheap that I know. Even rebuilds which should typically be done before major upgrades, will cost you say $1800+ just in parts. And you will probably not get the gains you want. If you can throw $5000+ (not sure the conversion) and 6 months of mechanical work at your car, you could have a very nice ride.

Don't forget removing weight is the cheapest way to gain speed. 140 HP in a 3300 lbs sport cars is a lot slower than 160 hp in a 2500 lbs car. Also loud exhaust makes your car feel faster. At least some guys in a Honda civic told me that ;+)

Here's a post that covers some possible gains and $$
944s Performance Upgrades

Stay warm and try not to be offended by some ugly Americans. We're not all bad.

[jcommin]

Has anyone heard of using a 2.7L short-block in place of the existing one? I understand all the remaining stock components are used. Essentially you are increasing the displacement. I'm not sure of the cost, risk or complexity of this. It's something I am toying but not researched since there aren't many aftermarket or other economical alternatives.

[dally_de]

i'm not offended,i just want to hear diferent opinion.here r not that many 944 or 944turbo...that's why i signed here for some help and suggestion's.my uncle is a ex-racer and mechanic (he won national's back in the 70')and we want to start a project next year,and i want to hear few diferent opinion from 944 owner's,so i can make a decision...i have a 944 from 85.5 with 120kw ,engine is working great and run quite strong..but it's not enough for me...thank u for ur post's...and for opinion..i'm waithing for some more opinions

[speedracing944]

I think webcam makes a cam for 944. I have thought about buying one next time I have to pull my cam tower. So lets see what I would do...

Cam ($600.00 just for the cam)

Free flow exhaust (Mine is pretty free flowing already though due to being dissasembled, gutted and reassembled) ($$$$???)

Mega Squirt engine managment to do away with the barn door AFM and have ignition timing modification at my disposal. ($700 for needed parts)

Up the compression and increase ignition advance while using a knock sensor to make sure everything is happy (Due to Mega Squirt)

I think even with all that work I would only see maybe 175-180HP at the crank but my parts bill alone would be more than $2000.00

The 944 can be driven very quickly if you have skill. That would be the best place to start to make your 944 faster. Can you get involved in racing or autocrossing?

Good luck,
Speedy

[moorepower]

I agree with Speedy. The best way to make your car faster is to learn how to drive it properly.

[Techno Duck]

138rwhp on what type of dyno? Every dyno reads differently. 138rwhp is almost spot on what he should be making with a completely stock car. No dyno reads the same as the factory rating. What was he putting down before on the same dyno completley stock? That comparison is useless without that info.

I dont think anyone is getting pissy here, i just think its annoying when people regurgitate what has been said in the past by people who have have never tried what they are talking about.

I should really just bite the bullet and buy the $650 JME cam. This way i can finally be proven wrong, or finally prove everyone wrong once and for all.

I personally think the ticket to getting a few extra HP and a more responsive engine all around is a custom grind cam with overlap in it, MAF conversion and a full 2.5 inch exhaust. Pair that with a custom burned chip to take advantage of the new cam and i would think anywhere from 15-20hp is not completely unreasonable. Please note though, i have no practical experience actually doing this..its all speculation.

[Slam]

My own experience has been that simple is best. Cure all vac leaks, make sure the sensors and senders are in good shape and do regular tune-ups. The mods I've got are also simple. I got a used 2.7 cam and had my cat removed. The car's fun to drive and a little more responsive than it was when bone stock. There's no way I'd even try to get significant gains out of the stock 2.5. Not worth the time or money. Just love the car for what it is.

[jcommin]

Simon,

I'm interested in your 2.7 cam in the 2.5 engine. Did you need to change anything else or is it a straight swap. Additionally, which mod, cam or exhaust did you see the biggest gain?

[Tervuren]

Originally posted by AaronM

138hp at the rear wheels.

If you want 200 hp, buy an S2 or a 968. If you want 250+ hp, buy a 951.

Actualy, an S2 will not yeild 200HP at the wheels.

All of the three 944's I've owned have had different setups, and I can tell the differences. Also different ages, etc, so hard to say whats what. Having raced the '86 against the '84 to 45MPH, the '86 doesn't have the low end torque of the stock '84, but it out pulled it significantly despite that and beat it.

[Slam]

Hi, Jim,

I replaced the whole cam box, lifters and all, with one I got from George. That helped, gave me a little power, but the car didn't really wake up until I got rid of the cat. Could have been as simple as the cat being clogged, but a friend in a Porsche club figured the car was quicker than other 944s he'd known even without that mod.
I never dynoed the car so I don't know what gains I got. Probably minimal RWHP but the car felt more peppy. I had to replace the cam assembly anyway, otherwise I wouldn't have even made that swap. Considering an increase in power simply comes down to an increase in flow, I started there.
I still think the only way to get really dependable huge power from the car is to put in a V-8. The 4-cylinder is what it is...

[Schumi]

I may be totally wrong but my ears tell me just by listening to our cars that they already have a pretty aggressive cam from the factory.

I have always wondered the exact specs on the 2.5L cam.

Edit: Ever think Alina is just a Ferrari Chat joke that has just gone on way too long?

[jcommin]

I'm the original owner of my 83. When I first got behind the wheel, I thought the power of this car was awesome. This thing doesn't come out of the hole screamin' (get a muscle car ) or stuff a SM block Chevy it, but nothing grips like this car on a turn or traveling 80 - 90 mph on the highway. just got to appreciate the design of this. Porsche did a great job with this car; it wasn't the Car and Driver 10 best back in the day for no reason. It still stands the test of time. I wouldn't trade it for nutin'.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas to all!!!

[dally_de]

i would really like a muscle car(as for my second car)..but here we dont have them..and that is sad...u r right...porsche did a great job with 944 and it is too bad that the dont want to bring back the 944 series..Marry Christmas to all!!!

[surfdog4]

I think everyone needs to review the "old" Alina posts before they spend too much time offering advice..

AJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJ!

[Britwrench]

Having a car here at the moment (not a 944) with Megasquirt, I can only say that you have to have a lot of free time available to play with the system. I'm sure it works great but I don't really see the point unless you are racing, in which case Motec would be the way to go.

[Techno Duck]

Schumi.. http://members.rennlist.com/951_racerx/CamProfiles.pdf

[fabiraning944]

Alina post deleted -Z-man.

[JivenJim]

Nice Fabiraing944. You might need that internal Crank Piston and Head work to get you to total insanity. You can meet me there!
Sounds like a killer setup. Way to push the Edge!

I've been off the deep end for about a year now.

Passion is illogical. So be it, says the Engineer.

[Techno Duck]

Fabiraing944, do you have dyno charts available? I am not disputing what your car is making, i am just curious to see how the modifcations done to your car shifted the powerband.

Do you feel the car is any less powerful at low RPM?

I think most of the work that could be done to net more HP will only be seen at higher RPM's on a regular 8v motor.