Why so bloody expensive - rebuild
#46
Rennlist Member
Steve, you have walked me through several projects as a "value added bonus" for parts I have purchased from you. If someone can pull his own heads, pack them in a box, and ship them to you, are you going to turn them away if all they ask you to install is valve guides? Replace valves as needed, but you aren't going to require porting, polishing, bench flow testing and twin plugs. If they send you a box full of pistons and cylinders are you going to refuse to double check them? I don't think so.
Point is that work can be divided up between owner and shop and not every "while you are in there" has to be done.
Point is that work can be divided up between owner and shop and not every "while you are in there" has to be done.
BTW, 6" PVC pipe makes a nice cocoon for a crank. I think I used 2 1/2" or 3" PVC for the cams. Made a nice plywood "nest" for my cylinders.
Doug, your point is how MotorMeister makes a living. There's a lot of stuff not "absolutely" needed to rebuild a motor and fire her up and have it run. That, and substituting others' used parts in a warped Ponzi scheme, and you too can be in the rebuild biz.
#47
RL Technical Advisor
Steve, you have walked me through several projects as a "value added bonus" for parts I have purchased from you. If someone can pull his own heads, pack them in a box, and ship them to you, are you going to turn them away if all they ask you to install is valve guides? Replace valves as needed, but you aren't going to require porting, polishing, bench flow testing and twin plugs. If they send you a box full of pistons and cylinders are you going to refuse to double check them? I don't think so.
Point is that work can be divided up between owner and shop and not every "while you are in there" has to be done.
The Lion's share of any rebuild is the parts list and in the vast majority of cases, determines the lifespan of the job. Further, there are now wide discrepancies in the quality of parts and that too, helps determine the success of the outcome.
#48
RL Technical Advisor
#49
Burning Brakes
While I'm new to the 'Porsche scene', I have personally never owned a car for more than 50k miles, therefore, I can only suspect that there are plenty of owners who don't care near as much about their cars as Rennlisters or Pelicanites and would opt to 'just do enough' to get it to the next owner in the event there were additional 'while your in there' fixes.
Thats just my street sense....
Thats just my street sense....
#50
Rennlist Member
While I'm new to the 'Porsche scene', I have personally never owned a car for more than 50k miles, therefore, I can only suspect that there are plenty of owners who don't care near as much about their cars as Rennlisters or Pelicanites and would opt to 'just do enough' to get it to the next owner in the event there were additional 'while your in there' fixes.
Thats just my street sense....
Thats just my street sense....
#51
Addict
Ed, conscientious is one thing, but taking the car to your level is 1/1000. It takes a certain level of love or nuts that most don't have to do what you have done. Name 5 things that you didn't do while you were in there or are not on your short list of things to do.
#53
Addict
Can we agree that most 911's of our vintage will not need the case opened for a very long time. With preventive work to the top end and nothing too radical done to induction the motor will long outlive many of us. Now, pushed to the point of needing ceramic coated pistons, that optimism needs some revising downward. In other words a well cared for stock engine is a good engine.
#55
Addict
#57
Addict
#58
Really didn't know when I posted this was going to get this much response. As a relative newbie then, let me ask this question as a follow up. Why would I need a bottom end rebuild? What things go wrong? Obviously, broken parts - rings, connecting rods etc. But, in general, at what point is it just wear and how do you know? My car has 150,000 on the clock, pulls strong and does not smoke. It really doesn't even leak. As a convertible, and given its general condition, I don't think it has ever been on a track either. How many more miles do I have assuming I never track it and take care of it (as I do all my cars).
#59
Race Car
There was a thread not long ago addressing expected longevity. I've seen stock Carreras approaching 300K and running strong. The bottom end of a carrera is pretty robust. General maintenance and repair keeping the combustion process intact: head studs, valvetrain, and proper tuning of the injection go a long way. Basically keeping a good motor in keen tune and repairing things as soon as they are found is all it takes. Oh, drive it - often (sans abusive behavior).
#60
Drifting
At a 150K you probably have some valve guide wear - and you most certainly have layshaft bearing wear (and showing copper)
That said - I've seen Carrera engines go 300K miles without opening up.
Anything over 80K and you should probably replace the lower end bearings and seals. It just makes sense if you are that far along (assuming you have the top end to do) I'd also recommend replacing head studs. The 3.0 have suffered this - and age and cycle wise the 3.2's are getting to that magical time frame.
And of course - if you go into the bottom end - replace the 3.2 connecting rod bolts,
That said - I've seen Carrera engines go 300K miles without opening up.
Anything over 80K and you should probably replace the lower end bearings and seals. It just makes sense if you are that far along (assuming you have the top end to do) I'd also recommend replacing head studs. The 3.0 have suffered this - and age and cycle wise the 3.2's are getting to that magical time frame.
And of course - if you go into the bottom end - replace the 3.2 connecting rod bolts,