Hi All, fairly straightforward question here, but I couldn't find a comprehensive answer by searching. I have a 996 that is ticking. You know, like a stuck lifter? But, of course, it is very (very) unlikely to be a lifter. I would love to have a rebuilt engine, but don't want to put $15k into a $20k car. I also don't want to sell it to some other fool, even if I can find one. I could keep it around for my kids to drive till it D chunks, or the ticking drives me crazy (a la The Telltale Heart) but that means I have yet another car lying around. So, is my only option to just junk it or part it out?
Thanks in advance for any constructive advice.

The subject has been a hot topic for months here...
Sell it with full disclosure. Several people here are looking for a project.

Several options here:
1) Do nothing. Drive it until it explodes (fails in some fashion).
2) Begin to assess why it is ticking. Ticking isn't the end of the world, and I have heard of ticking engines going another 80,000 miles with no problems.
3) Determine where the ticking is coming from. A mechanics stethoscope is non-intrusive and you may be able to pin point where the ticking comes from. Which bank and what cylinder?
4) Provide more information. How many miles? Service life? Last oil/filter change? UOA (oil analysis)? What else have you done with the engine...any recent repairs? Plugs and coils?
5) Take it to a reputable/knowledgeable Porsche mechanic with 996 experience. Get them to diagnose and make a recommendation.

post a video of the ticking

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the advice so far, very helpful. Two things I haven't done yet are making a vid, which I didn't even think of, and taking to a Porsche guy. I do have an appt for it, but it's not till the 26th, and I guess I'm not very hopeful. I've listened to youtube videos of it, and it's the same noise in the same spot as far as I can tell. As for the video, I just let it idle for half an hour and couldn't get it to tick. I'll try to post one next time it happens. The inconsistency is something I forgot to mention. Also, the car had no service records when I got it, so I have no idea what did or did not get done on it. Since I've had it I have done oil changes on at 3.5k km (2200 Miles). I know that's quite frequent, but oil is cheap and plentiful, for now. Last time I did one, there was nothing on the magnetic drain plug. I didn't cut the filter to examine it like I have recently read about. I have done no other service, as I've never had any trouble with it, and have only put about 12k miles on it. Car currently has close to 100k miles on it.
I guess the best next step is to wait for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Thanks again.

Send a video of a similar youtube video to yours.. ill post one here of my car and its unusual tick.....it only starts after about 20 seconds of cold idle once the idke drops then lasts maybe 60 seconds and goes away. Less if I drive it..

Idk whats up but if anyone does let me know....runs great burns no oil at all in 5k miles

This problem has been a sleeping giant. Thank you, Porsche! Even the 991 crowd is seeing bore scoring. It all boils down to how much you want to keep this car around. If you like the car and want to keep it, then get it repaired. Obviously, we've all learned here on the forum, Porsche cars with bore scoring are not going to get any better, unless a team like Flat 6 "reconstructs" the engine with Nikasil bores. Apparently, part of the problem is the Lokasil and Alusil bores can't prevent the problem from occurring. Dam you, Mezger owners! hahaha Some people would say buy another short block from Porsche, but if you want all the known failure modes addressed then you need to purchase an engine from RND or get on Flat 6's wait list. Of course, as others have mentioned you could just part with it, but do the right thing and address the issue to the next owner first.

Good luck!

Part 4 Bore Scoring by Flat6 Innovations

Another option: If you have time and space, you could park the car and just take it really slowly. Drive a beater Mini Cooper S or some other fun car. Fix it gradually over time. Do more research and perform tasks yourself. The car could even go up in value in the next few years, making a rebuild seem to make more sense. You might find the rabbit hole is a challenge that’s like eating an elephant - not that hard if you have patience and time.

As as much as it pains me to say this, a 911 sitting in a garage that isn’t driven is still worth looking at and wrenching on. And when you complete one task at a time, you can still drive it if you want to.

I just listened to the video and at around 1:18 - 1:30 I can hear the infamous ticking sound. I'd watch Part 4 that Mike posted and get it examined with a bore scope.

Do you idle the car to warm it up or start it up and drive right away? Does the tick start when cold and remain when hot, or only cold or only hot? Goes away or stays with revs? What’s cold start oil pressure? What’s hot oil pressure (after 10 mins of gauge showing well past 180)?

other thoughts...


996 Cab C4S parked

Don't get yourself down about it, get it checked out. I thought mine had similar sounds, but upon investigation w borescope, no issues.

I have had engines tick right after rebuild. Ticking that comes and goes on other cars. I have boroscoped them and seen no evidence of bore scoring. I think it's pretty normal for these cars when they get older and it isn't always automatically bore scoring. Taking to a shop they will just tell you to drop 20K on a rebuild.

Don’t guess. Diagnose.

Use part 4 of my video series “A Focus on Bore Scoring” to diagnose the noise at home.

All you you need is less than 100 bucks worth of basic tools, some common sense, attention, and the ability to differentiate noises. This will diagnose the issue, and confirm whether or not you have reason to intervene.

This is why I took the time, and spent the money to produce this video series.