2.8 liter

[97XRAY]

I'm thinking about doing a 2.8 liter conversion but know hardly anything about it.
I have an 85 944 2.5 standard.
Are there other alternatives, what do I need to know before going into this?
What should something like this cost me?
Could I do it myself (I've avoided ever paying a mechanic for this car as of yet - everything from rebuilding pumps to re-wiring most of the cabin...
Jake

[Bob's944]

First question is, can you completely remove and rebuild a Porsche engine? Basically what I know about the 2.8L 'Stroker Kit' is same head, pistons and cylinders, just a longer stroke to achieve 2.8L (the same stroke that the S2 uses just not bored fatter like the S2). How that is done is a different crank that brings the piston both lower and higher in the cylinder to achieve the greater displacement. I'm not sure if the cam has to be replaced also, but there's a good chance it will. Cost? I don't know. Just from what I see on here, I can guess that the crank alone can run a couple grand.

Alternatives? depends on how much power you're trying to get and how much money you have. Anything more than a 30 hp gain from chipping and exhaust and intake mod's becomes very expensive. Turbo and supercharging really requires and engine rebuild cause the pistons can't take the extra power. Small nitrous kits can be installed for 50-60 hp boost. The feedback you're gonna get on here..... sell it and buy a turbo if you want that kinda power.

[97XRAY]

I may be able to remove and rebuild the engine, but I wouldn't. Never having done that sort of work seems like reason enough to not do it.
What do you think about the oil leak situation? Worth the trouble of a new seal?

[Bob's944]

Oil leak??? How much is it leaking? where from? If it's leaking on any rubber hoses or belts... it's gonna tear them up. If it's not a big deal, wait until you have to go where the leak is, and fix it then. Front side seals when a timing belt or waterpump is done, rear seals when a clutch is done.

[97XRAY]

The timing was just replaced 8000 miles ago (2 years) and the Clutch master and slave are only a few months old, so maybe I missed my chance for a logical time to replace seals.
There isn't enough oil leaking to leave a mark on the ground, just enough to smell it when she's warming up. Once warm, there's no hint of oil.
Jake

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by 97XRAY
I'm thinking about doing a 2.8 liter conversion but know hardly anything about it.
I have an 85 944 2.5 standard.
Are there other alternatives, what do I need to know before going into this?
What should something like this cost me?
Could I do it myself (I've avoided ever paying a mechanic for this car as of yet - everything from rebuilding pumps to re-wiring most of the cabin...
Jake

It would be a lot cheaper to just drop an S2 motor in there or sell your car and buy an S2.

[Pilot_951S]

A 2.8 conversion requires a new crank, new rods and new pistons. The different geometry of the longer stroke setup requires relocating the wrist pin hence the new pistons and the new rods. Also you have two choices here; you can sleeve the block with iron sleeves or you can have the pistons coated so they don't tear up the factory nikasil coating on the cylinder bores. In addition some minor machining of the lower portion of the cylinder bores may be required to get clearance for the connecting rods. It does not require a new camshaft.

Expect to pay $12,000 or more for a properly built engine of this type.

Most people will tell you to buy Turbo but that has it's own problems since well maintained turbos are becomeing scarce. you can easily spend $12K putting a 951 in good order after you've bought the car.

An S2 conversion is also a nice way to go and would probably be less costly than anything else.

-Drew

[97XRAY]

How much would the S2 conversion cost, and where could I find out more about it?
Jake

[Pilot_951S]

An S2 conversion can be pretty variable. How much S2 do you want. Just the engine? Or the transaxle, the brakes the suspension, and everything else. Actually a little while back there was an article about swapping an S2 motor and M030 brakes into a 944S. I would look that one up.

Also if I remember right you need an S2 bellhousing because the clutch is way different than a standard 944.

Lots of stuff to think about.

[Britwrench]

With a project like this it's going to be "how much do I want to spend" rather than how much will it cost. I'm sure that a 2.8 engine with all the other stuff you would need could easily run to 12,000 - 14,000. That makes no sense at all. Don't forget the 89 MY 944 were 2.7 litre. If you are going to spend that amount of money you need to be starting from a different baseline.

BTW 944 - 944S2 all use same clutch housing, part number superceeded to 944 116 043 06. The Turbo is different.