Euro951

My question : Is the 944 turbo block the same as the naturally aspirated 944 block with the exception of the balance shaft cover with turbo oil feed? Thanks, Barry

Jeremy Himsel

That depends on who you believe. There have been rumors and even articles posted in excellence about casting differences between the blocks indicating that the Turbo blocks have more material but based on my personal measurements of the mains, cylinder walls, water jacket depth, and block thickness and they're identical. I also doubt Porsche would have spec'd different metallurgy for the blocks to increase strengths.

The early blocks NA are different from the later 44 and 51 blocks so you do not want to use that because the oil feed journals are smaller which is why the early cranks were x-drilled. Somewhere around late 84 and early 85 they opened them up. To be on the safe side (id you don't know what your looking at) stick with an 86+ block for turbo use.

Do you need a block?

Mike Lindsey

You want to use a 87 or 88 944NA block if your substituting. Earlier have thinner cylinder walls or no auto tensioneer.

Voith

hmm what about aluminum crossmember that front arms and engine are mounted on, are na and turbo crossmembers the same or is turbo strenghtened in some way?

Mike Lindsey

Since we have modified a couple hundred at least, we can speak with confidence here. They are interchangeable. However, you will see some NA parts with the holes not tapped for the engine mount heat shields and rarely not even a place to tap. On the webbing or gussets to the steering rack mounts on the top of the cross member, the gussets can vary in size, but probably not enough to make a difference in a decision. Turbo being the larger gussets as seen on this picture. Other are 75% the size.

Euro951

Thanks guys, I am not a fan of the auto tensioner. Are the cylinder walls on the 86 NA's the same thickness as the 951's

Mike Lindsey

Not a fan? Curious why not?

reno808

Lol you should see what Special Tool does to them and what he did to mine lol. there are a couple of reasons.

Euro951

I don't have any good reason other then I am a old school VW manual tension type of guy. Give me reasons to like it other then its automatic? I don't know anything about them on 944's

Mike Lindsey

It's only automatic to the point where you get the proper belt tension. Then you lock it down in place and it don't move.

Mike Lindsey

We believe the '83-'85/1 944s are the thinner cylinder wall blocks, and the '85/2 onward 944 is the same as the 951 on wall thickness. Not 100% sure about '85/2, but the '86 is.

Chris Prack

How about the old school VW manual tension type the stud snaps off the block and trashes the motor. I personally have never seen the late model tensioner fail. I have seen the spring get weak and people modify them and hose them up.

Olli Snellman

'87 and onwards blocks should be the same. I have '87 n/a and '89 S2 block and both of them have also oil feed for a tlocated in the balancesaft cover; there's just a plug there.

pormgb

I have an 86 N/A, all turbo bits bolted right up to my block, balance cover oil feed, oil pan drain and turbo down pipe mount were all there.

Tom M'Guinn

Have to disagree here. The 89 n/a block makes for a much more interesting motor.