berni29

Hi Guys

I am dropping my engine soon (have read so many great tips). The problem is that I am on a tight budget so am going to replace the minimum. That will include whatever needs to be done valve related, piston rings, steering and distributor belt and any perished or suspect rubber connectors etc.

What I do not have a clue about is any gaskets. I know Porsche parts will be required for all the previously mentioned bits (except perhaps the guides which I will go elsewhere for if required). I have seen gasket sets on ebay so it must have some.

Anything that is serviceable and can be reused I want to reuse. What bits are going to catch me out?

Thanks in advance!

Berni

plymouthcolt

Here you go...

Engine Crankcase Gasket Sets, chain cover, camshaft timing chain cover,

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...ENGman_pg2.htm

Linnm

You don't mention mileage but I would be very surprised if piston ring replacement were required. Had mine apart at 75000, rings, cylinders, bearings were fine. Did have to replace the lifters and 2 rockers

North Coast Cab

What is wrong with it?

trophy

185k Mileage in signature..... Looks like it is getting a little long in the tooth

MarkD

Berni, you need to start with a head gasket set. It will include most of the gaskets you need for the top end work you described.
A Victor-Reinz set is about $440 here in the states (from FDM) www.fdmotorsports.net

What will "catch you out"?
Nuts, bolts and studs related to exhaust very often need replacement and can be sourced outside of Porsche with some research.
The rest of the list is almost endless

Take it all apart and start making a list based on what you find.

race911

What are we seeing in ring land wear on the 150K+ milers that are being disassembled? As all of my experience on high milers is 3.0 and below (and a large part of those were Alusil cylinder engines), I'd like to know if the pistons are holding up better. Though I've got two under-20K mile sets from 3.8 conversions for the time when I might consider refreshing the C4S engine.

911PERVY

993 head & cylinder gasket set, £220 from your local parts shop!!

Mike J

This really depends on why you are rebuilding and the use of the car. If its a long term car for you, and you are going to put a lot more miles on it, then its worth going deeper into the engine. If its for a few years and then sell, just do the top end.

I would upgrade to the Wrightwood Racing gaskets/O rings for the longer term...Viton is a better material. I use these.

If you have 185K miles, the rebuild can get more interesting. There are good chances you need to go deeper to do it right, however if you are on a tight budget, and if the top end is all you need to do, I would recommend not pulling the pistons to do the rings if the compression checks out before disassembly.

The lands may be worn, and then you are out a set of pistons. If you are lucky, you are in just for the rings, but there might be wear on the wrist bushings, which means rod R&R. The would mean new rod bolts, and bearings, and then it just goes deeper...see what I mean?

If you go into the bottom end, its likely that your layshaft bearings will be worn, and perhaps the nose bearing. You would have to have the crank cleaned and checked, rods rebuilt with ARP bolts, rebushed and balanced, and at 185K miles who knows the condition of the cam chains, or the sprockets, or ...... anyways see what I mean?

If your valves guides are really worn, its also possible that you will need new valves if they are worn undersized or tapered. Be prepared at that mileage to add some extra things to your budget.

If the car burns oil and has 185,000 miles, it might be cheaper and less risky to sell it if its running well, and buy something with a lot less miles.

Cheers,

Mike

Cheers,

Mike

berni29

Hi Guys, many apologies for the very late reply to this posting.

I got sent abroad on work and have only just been able to start to think about the engine again. In fact I am still away, so the engine strip is being done by my brother with me directing over Skype. I am coming back to the UK late October to see the family and also put the engine back together, so it is now full steam ahead. I am keeping the car for the long term and have done a fair bit of work on it so far.

The car has done 185k miles, with 125k of those almost exclusively on the motorway. It has had no engine work that I know of.

When in the car the engine ran really well never tapped or smoked, used very little oil and displayed normal oil pressure. However, it had quite variable compression which was low on one cylinder. The plugs all looked a good colour.

The strip down will be complete this weekend and I will have some pictures posted up then.

By the way, what are the "lands" on the pistons? And is gripping and twisting the pistons by hand enough to detect play? I am pretty sure I will have to re ring and I was thinking of having the pistons and rods cleaned up balanced at the same time if I am going to be changing the bearings (yes that will mean bolts).

All the best

Berni

geolab

if on tight budget, you need time.
Came across few wrightwood racing engine gasket sets in the US for 3.8l RSR cheap, begining of this year part number 964.100.904.81
you should find some still, I will look again
only 6 piston sealing rings differ, so for a tenner or a few quids, you have the 3.6.
I ended buying from rennlister

for cylinder rings, there is a seller on ebay germany from time to time, who lists brand new 100mm 3.6l Mahle pistons with rings, circlip, axle etc, for the 993, I bought a set for 400 euros, matched @ 600 grams, second generation, so all good, instead of paying 130 for rings, + paying for 12 circlips + axles + machining the pistons in a machine shop etc.

race911

The ring land is the groove the ring rides in on the piston. It wears microscopically over time. You measure the gap by sliding a feeler gauge in there with the ring installed. Honestly, I forget the spec. But from the olden days, if you were even slightly out of spec just installing new rings was kind of pointless. That's why I asked the question. Always easier to pop in some good low mileage ones; I think I paid $2-300/set for both of the ones I have sitting around. Didn't have a use for them when I picked them up, but will be a real money saver when the time does come.

(Of course I've gone from 2K miles/mo. in the 4S earlier this year to 3K miles/mo. in the truck for the past month. Might not even remember how to drive a manual trans whenever I fire the car up next.)

berni29

Hi Geolab

Some very good suggestions there, thank you. In fact after your piston suggestion I started to think about it and found a set of 36k mile pistons and cylinders on the for sale forum here on Rennlist (titled 993 Pistons and Cylinders, only 36k, save$$) in very good condition and bought those. They are Mahle's. By the way, what are second generation and how do you tell?

Many tks

Berni

berni29

Hi race911

Thank you for that information. I am preatty sure mine will be past their best, hence the above purchace......

All the best

Berni

geolab

14 grams lighter than first generation pistons.
porsche 993 first generation pistons had 11/0 stamped on top
second gen have 24/0 on top
on Mahle pistons mahle branded, the stamp is 01 or 02
regards