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Hello All- Last November I purchased this C4S and had it shipped to me in SoCal... Clean Title, 3 owners, aBlack interior, 6MT, 86k miles, and good bill of health (wish I had bores scoped but no signs of any issues so far). The car has been really fun so far and has its little issues but seems very well sorted for the age and is cleaning up very well. In hindsight, I probably should have waited and purchased a local car but what's done is done and I love the car. Prior to this, I was without a 'fun' car for 18 months after selling my last Subaru WRX. I owned 11 WRX's/STI's/FXT's since 2003, every generation and body style, including a JDM imported 1995 STi Type RA. Loved all of them, but was just over it 18 months ago.
Welcome to the club! Wow, great list. Consider adding the UAOS to the list and you will have everything covered. Makes sense when you do the IMS.
Thanks! I will do my research and look into the UAOS. Appreciate it.
Originally Posted by Bosstaco
Lovely car! Just picked up a C4S myself, your mod list is much longer than mine!
I read your thread, congrats We'll see what happens on the mods I want to do a few more things than I have listed but nothing I cant undo and retain all stock parts. Thanks.
I would have done the IMS before I spent the first cent on it, but that's me, Where do I get my exhaust tips reconditioned like that?!
I felt the same way and immediately took it to a reputable indy, Performance Independent in San Diego, and he told me that I shouldn't be too worried but get it on my list for the future. I'm getting ready to get all the rest of the maintenance done. When I had the water pump done we found out it had a new one already. The clutch feels new, so there was some thought that perhaps the IMS was already done. We'll see what we find when we get into it. Everything else on the car is totally up to date and taken care of so there is a chance it was done. It belonged to a PCA member prior. I did negotiate a $3k reduction in sales price for not being able to confirm the IMS was done.
Long over due update… Car was running great, but occasionally would make a ticking noise when cold, and go away when warm. It would come and go with really no rhyme or reason, no smoking, and no crazy oil usage. Finally, the other week I started the car to head home from work and the ticking wouldn't go away and it started to misfire and threw a CEL. I had the car towed to my local Indy to do some diagnosis.
They found:
- Compression good across the board
- Leakdown good across the board
- SPEEDiagnostix Oil sample turn out really good- no metal, no signs of bore scoring materials, no water, etc.
- Audible ticking from head, and from DMF
- DME info shows issue with fueling on Cylinder 4
We then decided to pull the engine and then eventually the heads after initially thinking a lifter was stuck. It was discovered that a valve seat on Cylinder 4 had become loose and would seat and unseat depending on the heat... which is why the compression and leakdown came back good. The mechanic showed me how the valve seat would go back into place when the cylinder had air fed into the cylinder.
Good News:
- Bores look great, no scoring
- No metal in engine, SUPER clean filters around whole engine
- All chain guides intact
The heads are at a Porsche experienced machine shop for a valve job and all the repairs needed. We are also doing the following:
- Dual Mass Flywheel
- Clutch
- IMS Bearing
- Wear and Tear items on the driveshaft (forgot names)
- AOS
- Oil Cooler
- Low Temp Thermostat (water pump just changed)
- New Subframe Bushings (PowerFlex)
- New Transmission Mount
- Transmission Mount Inserts (PowerFlex)
- All needed hardware
- Injectors Cleaned and Tested
- New OEM Coil packs
- New Plugs
- Powder coated exhaust bracket and coil pack covers
- New Cam? Solenoids? (Forget name)
- New Rear Main Seal
- New Chain Rail Guides
- New Lifters (ALL)
- Anything else that comes up
Wow. You got a good tech there! Here is one for "while you are in there." Coolant to AOS connector, 996-106-226-52. Porsche product is made of plastic and will break when you least need it. Replace with the Rauch & Spiegel and not the URO product. URO is made of pot metal and can also break. Ask me how I know. The R&A product is more expensive than the URO but it won't break and is a better design than either the original or the URO.
If the voltmeter on the dash reads 13.5 or lower when you pull into the garage, check your starter/alternator cable.
Curious, since I need to do the vacuum test, where can I get the connector and plug that you screwed into your oil filler cap? That's the setup I want, so I don't have to buy two caps!
While you have the engine on the ground, go all the way with the UAOS track version. It will save you many headaches in the future. Not to mention bypass the coolant thru it. Use the oem aos for cigar ashes.
While you have the engine on the ground, go all the way with the UAOS track version. It will save you many headaches in the future. Not to mention bypass the coolant thru it. Use the oem aos for cigar ashes.
I would love to but I’m not sure I can pass CA smog with that. It’s visual dependent, but I’ll look into it. Thx!
Originally Posted by 996-CAB
Wow. You got a good tech there! Here is one for "while you are in there." Coolant to AOS connector, 996-106-226-52. Porsche product is made of plastic and will break when you least need it. Replace with the Rauch & Spiegel and not the URO product. URO is made of pot metal and can also break. Ask me how I know. The R&A product is more expensive than the URO but it won't break and is a better design than either the original or the URO.
If the voltmeter on the dash reads 13.5 or lower when you pull into the garage, check your starter/alternator cable.
Curious, since I need to do the vacuum test, where can I get the connector and plug that you screwed into your oil filler cap? That's the setup I want, so I don't have to buy two caps!
Yes sir, RS connector is already installed after water pump job
I’ll ask my mechanic, he made it I think. Super good shop from the times I’ve used them. I feel like they are very methodical and clean.
Got some more photos today… 1 head is done and the bad head is going to a different shop for all new exhaust valve seats, new valve, and all the other work needed. I guess the 2nd shop wants to do the valve seats vs the 1st shop. You can see the loose valve seat in the pics I respect when someone passes something off vs doing something they are not 100% with.
I would love to but I’m not sure I can pass CA smog with that. It’s visual dependent, but I’ll look into it. Thx!
Dont remember. You can always pm @Porschetech3 or maybe some of the CA guys see this thread and will comment. I do believe a number of them have the UAOS.
It’s great you found that valve seat issue ahead of it tearing up the cylinder, or worse, snapping a chain and wreaking havoc on the entire engine.
despite the large repair bill coming, I do consider myself super lucky as well… could have been so much worse as you said. Now I get a refreshed car that will probably drive so much better and will be rock solid. The fears or bore score or other lurking issues will be subsided as well
06-02-2023, 04:13 PM
First Porsche- 2003 911 Carrera 4S (Journal)
I want to do a few more things than I have listed but nothing I cant undo and retain all stock parts. Thanks.
