Was wondering if it is worth it to buy a cheap 993 (around 23K) that has about 100K miles on it and then rebuild then engine after a while. How much does a full engine rebuild cost?

 

I asked this same question not too long ago....according to Tony C., as published in Excellence....somewhere north of 22K. As long as the car you're considering has documented service history by dealer/reputable independent, you should be ok, especially if the top end has already been done...has it?

 

Here's the link:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/331210-full-rebuild.html

 

A full rebuild shoud cost nowhere near $22k, even if done at a Porsche stealer. That's nuts. I've even seen a 3.8 RSR conversion for far less than that. If you do the rebuild yourself, you should be able to get it all done for under $8k and that's doing everything. A shop would be closer to $10-12k.

 

Hi Rick.. you're not at SP..today?

See ya at the next tech insp....

 

Can't make it to the track this weekend. Too much gun and 993 stuff to do this weekend.

 

Exactly, when I rebuilt my engine from the crank up the bills were about that...I never did add them all up but its far enough away now that it might be a good data point. That included new bearings, polished crank, all new gaskets, guides, valves, etc.

Cheers,

Mike

 

Actually the MSRP on a remanufactured (nearly everything is brand-new except for the crankcase and camshaft housing) 993 engine from a Porsche dealership is $19559.91USD, so figure paying maybe as little as $12-15k + core.

 

Ridiculous. Cut that figure in half.

 

depends a lot on what has to be done. If you have to replace pistons and cylinders it will head towards $18k-$20k. If not will be down in the lower ranges quoted here.

When I rebuilt mine 3 of the cylinders were noticeably scored - so I did the P&C replacement as well.

I also spent a fair bit of money (~2k ) on extras like a new wiring harness - replacing quite a few plastic components that were heat damaged, spark plug wires, etc. All those little things add up. So just make sure you're comparing apples to apples when you talk about rebuild prices.

Good luck - I know I don't regret having done it!

 

I think he meant that he was going to spend $23k on the high mileage 993, not the motor rebuild.

 

Pilot I was going to spend 23K on the high milage 993 but FLYT993 was saying that he heard from excellence that its 22K for a full rebuild.

 

Jordan, my jaw fell open too, so I went to my Excellence "archives" to see if I had the issue. Sure enough, October 2006, Issue #150 beginning on pages 52-56. Here it is, verbatim, from the article...


"In Shop Labor 65 Hours or $7,800
Remove the engine and gearbox, remove clutch assembly including flywheel, disassemble engine for complete rebuitl, inspect and clean everything, sublet any necessary machining, assemble the engine, replace intake aribox hoses, replace clutch pack, and install engine and transmission.

Sublet Machinist $2,295
Cylinder heads/valve job: $950
Cam towers resurfaced: $150
Rods rebuilt/balanced: $375
Rebuild countershaft: $550
Balance clutch pack: $150 (optional)
Shipping: $150 (estimated)
Repaint engine tin: $300
Sublet gold/cad #2 plating: $300

Parts $10,210
Upper gasket kit: $625
Lower gasket kit: $125
Pistons and cylinders: $4,000 or so
Exhaust valves:$950
Intake valves: $650
Counter-shaft bearing set: $125
Timing chaines: $200
Cylinder head stud set: $600
Main bearing set: $275
ARP C.R. nuts/bolts: $300
Rocker arms: $800
Oil return tubes: $125
Rod bearing set: $350
Main bearing set: $250
Engine oil: $45
Oil filter: $20
Fuel filter: $45
Timing chain rails: $35
Spark plugs: $35
Rocker arm shafts: $400
Drive belts: $30
Heater and vacuum hoses: $125
Supplies, hazardous waste, and hardware: $100
Tax: $842.33
Miscellaneous: $500
Total $22,277.33

Then I [Tony] have many questions. Does the car have Carrera-type chain tensioners? What is the condition of the clutch? How many miles do you have on the car? What is the condition of the fan and fan housing? Is your alternator okay? Is your flywheel within factory specifications? What's the condition of your cams? Are they pitted? What condition is your exhaust and muffler in? What is the condition of your engine wall sound pad? What is the condition of your motor mounts? What is the condition of your ignition distributor? What is the conditon of your ignition distributor vaccuum po[r]t? Are you interested in more power? What is the condition of your gearbox? We also recommend a Carrera oil pump, which is $1,000 or so..."




When I finished reading the article, I just mumbled to myself "Daaammmnn" because I assume if the engine needs rebuilding, then all of these other items he's asking questions about are probably also in need of removal/replacement...meaning one could go well above the eye-popping 22K.
I'm not qualifed to speak on these matters so I defer to the more experienced and knowledgeable folks in the RL community.

 

There were a couple of low mileage 993 engines on ebay @ less than $8K, but they're gone! Look for salvage or recycler engines they're alot less than shop rebuilds.

 

It is not cost effective to buy a 23k 993 that needs a rebuild, unless you do the work yourself. But why does the car need a rebuild at 100k miles? It still should be good and if anything, may require a valve job. That can be done fairly cheap, if you can do the work yourself.

That 22k quote for an SC engine rebuild is hogwash. There are a lot of parts on that list that can be rebuilt instead of replaced with new. This includes cylinders, rocker arms, valves etc. Also, some parts usually do not need replacing or machining, like rocker arm shafts and the top head studs. It goes on with the labor charged. $120 an hour is top rate even in expensive places and an SC rebuild should be a week plus R&R of the engine. 45 hours maybe. Then there is also a bunch of cosmetics on the list, like engine tin and hardware plating that's not needed.

Again, if you can elaborate why a 100k mile 993 needs an engine rebuild, I may be able to chime in some more.

Cheers,

George