In over my head with engine rebuild?
 

Hello guys,

I just picked up a 1976 Porsche 911S Targa and got a deal.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6544e5cf0.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...54e9e7d2c.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...88de1a276.jpeg
It’s in decent condition but will need work. Previous owner had the car for 20+ years and pretty much sat for the last 6 years.

After looking at the engine and with the miles (147k), I’m probably going to have to do a engine rebuild,

Now, I work on a lot of motorcycles and have done a lot of engine rebuilds with motorcycles. But not with a car. I purchased 4 different books and have read through them. I feel as though I can do it but I know that if I mess up in one spot and forget something when putting back together, it can be a big failure.

Am I day dreaming in thinking I can do this work on this engine?

Thanks Guys.

Definitely you can. Get the factory service manual and the little spec book. But I wouldn't do a rebuild if it's not necessary.
Check the engine first, leak down etc. to verify the condition. Tons of advice here what to do when bringing a car
back in life after hibernation.

Don't be shy to ask here, here is a lot of knowledge and people are willing to share it.

I agree with above ... if you can work on motorcycles this will be a breeze.. as it is the same principle as a motorcycle engine. Each cylinder has 4 studs, slide on cylinder, slide on head . etc.

But also 147K is NOT a lot of mileage and may not need a rebuild at all .. or maybe just a top end.

i would DEFINITELY pick up wayne dempseys 911 engine rebuilding book. I rebuilt mw entire top end with it including replacing studs and its a great book to have even if just for the reference info.

The middies definitely have some issues,, but if you dont mind a few oil leaks you could run this car for quite a while.

interior needs work lol

This is a great forum with plenty of knowledgeable guys and loads of help. You should also check out Pelican. Many of the posters here are also on Pelican. It makes sense to check out both because they are different and you may catch something on one that has not shown up on the other. Also, remember that the search feature is your friend. Many problems you may run into have already been hashed out in detail already and are available for the asking.

No doubt, many of the best left this site long ago .
Pelkican even has a forum dedicated to rebuilding your engine... far and away the best online resource for air cooled tech info.

Definitely pick up the book by Wayne Dempsey, it's the authoritative guide on rebuilding aircooled engines.

Agree with all the above. And yes, if you don't have Wayne Dempsey's "How to Rebuild and Modify Porsche 911 Engines", get that too.

Some thoughts - those 2.7L engines ran hot. Their emission controls included thermal reactors that made things much worse. But you being in California and the car being newer than 1974, you need to have those reactors in place. Not sure what to do there, although I think you may be able to find hollowed out reactors so you'll pass the visual. Just something to make sure you understand before you dive into the rebuild.

At 147K miles on a 2.7L, with thermal reactors, I wouldn't be surprised if it was already rebuilt at least once. So you may be OK. As Juha advised, check it out with compression and leak down tests first.

If it does need a rebuild, especially if it hasn't been done before, these magnesium case engines often need a lot of machine work. You might consider swapping to a 3.0L engine - it may end up being cheaper.

Mark

I would start by checking the engine and trying to get it running. If it runs reasonably, work on the cosmetics first. 911 engine rebuilds are VERY VERY Expensive even if you TRY to do it yourself

I just picked up a 1976 Porsche 911S Targa and got a deal.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6544e5cf0.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...54e9e7d2c.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...88de1a276.jpeg
It’s in decent condition but will need work. Previous owner had the car for 20+ years and pretty much sat for the last 6 years.

After looking at the engine and with the miles (147k), I’m probably going to have to do a engine rebuild,

Now, I work on a lot of motorcycles and have done a lot of engine rebuilds with motorcycles. But not with a car. I purchased 4 different books and have read through them. I feel as though I can do it but I know that if I mess up in one spot and forget something when putting back together, it can be a big failure.

Am I day dreaming in thinking I can do this work on this engine?

Thanks Guys.[/QUOTE]

If you already have a good mechanical/ logical background you should be able to rebuild the engine yourself !
Lots of support on the forums ,especially on Pelican.
I’m on my third race engine build with my SP2 car , you just have to be patient and triple check everything as mistakes can be expensive.
Luckily, i found a smoking deal on a 95 3.6 that i swapped in my 89 rather than rebuilding a 217 hp 3.2 at the time.Finding a good 3.0 from a more recent car
might cost you just as much as rebuilding a sensitive magnesium 2.7 but you would be better off in the long run.

Cheers
Phil

No such thing as a good deal on an old 911 :-)
You can rebuild it. Porsche engines are quite complicated, so the book mentioned is a great:

Keep in mind these engines may have some quirks as they are mag cases. They are light, but, mag has some issues you need to be aware of.
You'd do well to look at it first, ensure it rotates, and do a leak down / compression test first.
Most common issues (aside various leaks!) are head studs pulling out and top end valves.
There are some specialized tools needed for setting the timing

FWIW I sold a good running engine for about 10k, complete with weber carbs.

If you live in a place you don't need to do emissions tests, putting webers and ssi headers on the car even with a stock engine build will give you nice performance.