kiesan

Hey as stupid as this sounds I might make an offer on this car. An '05 base model Boxster with 45k on the clock and 2 previous owners. No bad stories other than it has an IMS failure and the motor is toast, bent valves, etc.

So here is my question(s). When you get the $10k replacement engine from the Porsche dealer, is it a reman or is it brand new piece? Would it have the latest version of the IMS unit? Or would it be identical to the crappy one that came in the car?

Thanks~

lithium1330

I would guess the motor would be remanuf., esp. if the motor is from a dealer. I believe the motors suncoast sells, for example, are remanufactured. You will want to check with the seller/dealer, but if it was remanuf in the last year or so, I believe those will have a stronger components to reduce the IMS risks. So, def get the facts from seller before spending the 10k.

cviles

Any crate motor you buy from Porsche should have the bigger IMS & bolts. When the motor was replaced in my '05 a little over a year ago, the new motor had the latest updates and that's what I cared about. I don't know if it was new or a remanufactured motor -- will the updated bolts & shaft that Porsche uses even fit on the old case?

If this is on your dime though, why not consider a bigger motor from a 997? So long as you get a motor for the same year car it should almost be plug-n-play.

Macster

There is no way of knowing. Could be an engine removed from a car under warranty then the engine returned to the factory and torn down and the problem fixed. Might have been a broken valve spring, a bad lifter, a cracked ring.

Or the engine could be an engine that failed some final assembly check out and was moved off the assembly line for rework and has never been in a car.

If engine "remanufactured" supposedly the engine serial number has an X at the end. I've never seen one though and I have been trying to collect a serial number from a remanufactured engine.

If rest of the car looks ok -- since engine not running you can't test other systems, and can't of course test drive the car -- might be worth it. Depends upon how much the seller wants.

Depends too upon the final price of the engine installation. $10K sounds a bit low.

Be sure you get a firm quote and in writing before you move. I've read some of these engine replacement quotes have a habit of going up when the work is actually done.

But if engine bought from PCNA and through an authorized Porsche dealer and installed by a dealer's technician the parts (engine) and labor come with a 2 year, 24K mile warranty.

Do an early oil/filter service (at 1K miles), another at end of break in (at 2K miles), then another at 5K miles (3K after break in) then every 5K miles after.

My 02 Boxster is on its original engine and has over 227K miles.

Oh, consider using some other brand of oil. Castrol Syntec 5w-40 instead of Mobil 1 0w-40.

Post what you do. I might be tempted to do the same thing. Find a good used Boxster with a blown motor and having it replaced with a factory sourced replacement engine.

Or even have my 02's 227K motor at some point replaced with one sourced from a dealer, if this engine ever quits running that is.

Sincerely,

Macster.

kiesan

Thanks for the reply, very helpful.

The car is from a seller I know very well and have done business with for years. He is very forthcoming and all other known defects are being disclosed beforehand. Those defects are just a few things. Time for front brakes and the actuator for the front trunk release needs to be replaced. One tiny paint ding on the front hood. A ding in the windshield. Slight driver side seat bolster wear. Its a base model with essentialy no options other than heated seats and 18" wheels. Unless a trunk cd changer was an option, which it has. The thing has 37 option codes although they all seem to be like "Version USA" or "with air conditioner" or some such thing. The rest of the car is in very nice shape.

The $10k figure is just the cost of the part. The P-car dealer here told me $9500 for just the engine, no labor. I'd also replace the clutch, replace the AC drier, etc. I have friends in the biz for that sorta work and if I can find the time I might do it myself.

Type_LT

Every time I see something like this it makes me uneasy, my 05' Boxster has 38k and the one you're buying failed at 45k. Then you see Macster's 220k+ miles and once again all it right with the world.

If this happened to me I would take the opportunity to put in a lightly used 997 motor as was suggested

You may also want to check with one of the shops that does IMS upgrades, they may have a used or rebuilt engine that can purchase. This way you'll at least know the IMS is in good shape.

Macster

Well, if you think the car's in otherwise acceptable shape and are sure of the cost to put a factory remanufacturered engine in it and can get the car at a price that makes sense then...

You might not need to replace the clutch. Not only is my 02 on its original engine, it is on its original clutch too.

Easy enough to check the clutch's condition and of course replace whatever shows need of replacing. But if in good shape, be sure to clean all the clutch hardware up real good the actuating hardware inside the bell housing, and where there are pivot points apply a light (very light) coating of high temperature high pressure grease. I had this done when my car was in for a RMS at around 20K miles and the greasing smoothed the clutch action out and I think helped it reach 227K miles.

Sincerely,

Macster.

kiesan

I'm giving thought yes to installing an upgraded motor. If anyone has some links to a suitable motor for sale let them fly please!

kiesan

Macster that is good advice but I am a "while I'm in there" sorta guy to the bitter end. This car (if it ends up mine) will have a new clutch no matter if I go back in there with a stock or upgraded engine.

Macster

You can replace the clutch if you want. Up to you, of course.

Still be sure to clean all the piviot and sliding contact points very thoroughly and apply a very light coating of heavy, high temp grease. Note before you clean where there is any signs of grease to know where you want to put some after cleaning.

Having tech do this when my car in for RMS under warranty I think helped the original clutch last 227K miles.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Type_LT

kiesan,

Read this, it's opinionated (a bit), but I wanted to share it with you http://www.flat6innovations.com/used-engine-article

Maybe you can ping them to see if they have some engines around or know where to get them. Probably others on here have experience with them.

Google always turns up lnengineering also...

Macster, is it possible to lube any of those spots easily when I do my next oil change? Or do you have to remove the bell housing?

Macster

You'll have to look next time you're under the car. I've never bothered since my clutch is fine. The closest I've been to the clutch under the car is when I did the clutch slave cylinder bleed a year or two back.

My memory -- from working on other cars and the Boxster is similar -- is the pivot points are located inside the bellhousing. To gain access to these the tranny has to be removed. As I mentioned I asked the tech lube these points when tranny out for warranty RMS repair. I would not drop the tranny just to lube these points though. It is just a bit of extra preventative maintainence while you're there for an RMS fix or if you're doing the clutch.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Motobob

Contact Jake at:

http://www.flat6innovations.com/

kiesan

Thanks again everyone. Great info and that Flat 6 place seems like they know their p's and q's.

Well it was inevitable that I ask. What do you all think is a fair price for this pup as she sits? A clean, 4-owner '05 base model Boxster (5-sp) with 45k. Clean Carfax. Blown-up motor but that is the only real issue with the car. Needs a front hood release actuator and front brakes in the next 5k miles. The 1st 3 owners were in Texas until 2/09 and 33k miles. The 4th owner was here in WA State.

The seller and I are either making a deal tomorrow the 19th or not. I want to be in the car "right" but I am not expecting it to be free.

Opinions?

Macster

Back early in 2009 I spoke with a business (Parts Heaven in Hayward CA) that told me it was paying $3500 for "dead" Boxsters. Just bought 2 at this price. Price had been higher ($4K maybe higher) a few months earlier. These cars not being resurrected either but being used for parts.

An '05 might be worth a bit more but not much more.

Or visit Porsche dealer and see if used car manager would quote you a "price" for an 05 Boxster in good shape. No trade in. Just outright purchase. (The number he gives you will be low, probably less than the public trade-in values you can find at online sources.)

Or another possible course: Price *running* 05 and 06 Boxsters optioned similarly. I'd not use retail sale values and maybe not even private seller values, but trade-in values.

Then call and get price quote -- or better yet visit dealer and get it in writing -- to have dealer replace engine with factory sourced replacement engine. Subtract this amount from whatever value of a similar but *running* car you arrived at from the above.

Also allow some extra expense to get car to dealer -- doesn't run of course -- and to handle/cover *incidentals* like maybe hoses, or tires, brakes, other services like brake fluid flush/bleed, 4 wheel alignment, A/C refrigerant recharge, etc.

Since owner wants to sell car with blown motor I'd be sure he bore the brunt of the exceptional depreciation the car has suffered from this and give myself some room to frankly cover my *ss in case something else turned up.

Sincerely,

Macster.