frayed

Well, my car has been out of commission for 6 months. After taking delivery of the car last year and putting on about 1,000 miles, I ran into all sorts of oil leakage and running problems. Turns out the blow off valve was bypassed and I was getting intermittent boost to 1.4ish bar. Ended up lifting the heads, resulting in 25% to 40% leakdown per cylinder.

In short, the prior owners of the car abused the motor with half assed modifications, and the internals show that it was cracked open in the past by a tech who was incompetent or didn't care or both. I ended up flipping the bill to make it right.

The car now has basically a completely new motor. Split the case, new rods, rod bearings, various sprockets and timing chain (prior tech pounded on two sprockets), new cylinders, new pistons, heads were completely worked and had them ported to 36mm, port matched to intakes. Basically everything was balanced and blueprinted as it went back together. Also found that the diff, which was originally an LSD like all these 964T's, was replaced with a cheap open diff. We're guessing that a prior owner roasted it, then threw in a cheap and widely available open diff just to sell the car. Went back to stock intake system, fixed the heating pipes (which were disconnected). . . list went on and on.

So, I am now running a safe 0.8 bar spring in the tial wastegate, notable headwork to get the car to breath, a slightly bumped compression for better off boost response, ARP hardware throughout, kept the HFS turbo, B&B headers and exhaust, added a Motorsport LSD, and RS flywheel/clutch package.

It was wallet draining and frustrating, mainly at myself for not having a proper PPI done.

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The good news: It runs like a freaking scalded cat with *VERY* manageable boost transition. My big beef with the car as delivered wasn't so much the on boost transition, but the off boost transition that will give you some pucker moments under hard charging. Now, even though this car delivers two bucketloads of tq, it is very drivable, the boost coming on and off very predictably and manageable. Not as tossable and linear as, say, a cayman or a 997S, but pretty damn good.

I'm going to finish the car with replacing the interior and minor paintwork and new plastic, and hope to keep it for a long time to come.

I wouldn't want one as a primary means of transport, but on certain days it makes your trip to work an event. It's hard to describe, but a properly running 965 feels quite special to drive. Also, although my 3.6T is black, it garners a lot of attention from non-car people. Seems the voluptious body is univerally admired by folks.

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I'll report back in a bit after I get it fully run in and dyno'd. Not really sure what to expect from a new motor and my mild mods. Any guesses?

schnele

Hey Frayed, the work while frustrating is well worth the dime, going forward you should have no surprises since you know exactly what went into your machine. ENJOY! I think you will put down 380rwhp and 390lb/ft of torque.

Frank 993 C4S

Jeff,

I am so sorry to hear of your adventure. Look at the bright side:

- some of the $$s that you have invested in the car would now be recoverable if you sold it
- all of it should be recovered should you decide to sell it in the future
- the car will likely appreciate over time
- now you know that the car is solid

If it makes you feel better - I had a similar experience (although not quite as expensive) with a PPI performed by a very well known and reputable shop in the US NorthEast.

frayed

Thanks fellas. Yeah, I'm not that frustrated anymore now that the car is back in the garage, but it was a shocker to find out just the parts bill! Whoooboy. Matched pistons and cylinders cost a grip!

It's a great car, and fits my inteded use quite nicely. I've played the merrygoround with car choices over the last 5 years, and I'm now quite happy with the 3.6T. With an aircooled 911 such as this, I'm I've found I don't get caught up in new car fever, and instead enjoy it for what it is.

One of Twenty

Congrats Jeff!!! Sounds like the prior owner and my car's prior owner (once removed) shared notes on how to try to destroy an engine.

Shortly after my car's prior owner picked up the car, he noticed the car would hesitate under heavy throttle. His tech told him that the exhaust valves where burned and the intake valves we also damaged because the last owner had basically allowed the turbocharger to create much more boost than the engine was designed to withstand. This was accomplished by bypassing one of the electronic boost controls, the second one was defective and the waste gate spring had an aluminum spacer inserted that kept the waste gate open longer to create more boost. Great for increasing horsepower but the idiot didn’t bother to add fuel so all it really did was overheat the engine. Needless to say he dropped $10k into the engine immediately. Like yourself, he did not get an independent PPI on the car.

Glad you got her back.


Cheers,


Greg

frayed

LOL. That's exactly the case; the electronic boost control was indeed bypassed.

Though at some point, the motor was pulled and the halfassed engine work did include a hefty spacer b/t the case and the cylinders, to reduce compression ratio. All the knocked down ratio did was screw up off boost response (WHICH IS IMPORTANT), and give a false sense of security for the bypassed controller. . . it still grenaded my motor.

Oh well, like y'all said, I now know I have a mechanically perfect 3.6T.

asimler

Frayed, really pleased for you that you love the car after all the expense. I know exactly what you mean about new car fever too :-)

Kurgen

Shows a nice commitment to the car!

It's a bit like investing in a woman.. you buy her nice jewelry and clothes, etc. Then you realise you have an investment tied up in her.. makes you hang in there, when things are rough!

cobalt

Great to hear. The turbo is a car like no other. The feel, the look the attention is worth the expense. It was a tough road but you now have a sound car that must be a blast to drive.

Although the newer cars are great the 3.6T is a car you will only appreciate more as time goes by and will probably be one you keep longer than all the others combined.

Enjoy.

dholling13

Man your patience really has paid off. Congrats on a proper turbo, may you have many many happy boosted moments which leave you smiling ear to ear!