[Spenny_b]

A lot of the guys over here are just dropping in "new" M96 units...often cheaper than repairing a knackered one.....I did a load of research on the M96 when I had a '98 Carrera (3.4 of course)....the 3.4 was particularly prone to hairline cracking at the top of the 2 middle cylinders...which would then draw water into the cylinder, with inevitable hydraulic-ing upon next startup. This then remove a V shaped chunk from the top of the cylinder.

IIRC, Charles @ LNE has a cylinder solution....over in the UK, there's a guy called Nick Fulljames (YouTube him, lots of vids of him building Peter Morgans 72/73 engine) He used to work for AutoFarm, and developed a fix kit for them...he's since left and set up his own company called RedTek, focussing on the air-cooled stuff, but may be another option...he's certainly very knowledgeable, as is a guy called Barry Hart at Hartech. If you go onto PistonHeads.com, then search for Hartech in the Porsche forum, you'll uncover a wealth of very detailed threads that Barry has written (he also covers the IMS and RMS issues with the M96). If I were in your position, he would be my number 1 "phone a friend"

HTH
Spencer.

PS - appreciate you're over in the US...recommendations really meant as reading-up meterial for you.

PPS - I dont think I'd be using the car in that state....you're *probably* on borrowed time. Your rads/pipes are going to need a whole load of decontamination as well, once you've cleaned the engine out (or replaced it)