philooo

I was just thinking today so what if I loved my 996 enough to not sell it ever... and not buy a gt3...

how much would a 3.8 engine upgrade would cost ?

Many have done it on broken engines, for +-$15k, but i don't remember anybody doing it on an healthy engine. Would that be any cheaper ?

I am not really planning to do it myself, but for the sake of forum conversation, I figured that would be a good talk

Ahsai

That's an interesting thought. I would think probably between $15 to 20k when it's said and done?

I think I would be more tempted to move to the 9A1 platform in a few years once they prove their robustness (having 40% less parts than M96 yada yada...)

RF5BPilot

But if you like your car, $15-$20 won't get you a decent 2009 or better vehicle.

On the other hand, you won't get your $18k back out of the car, either. decisions....decisions....

philooo

the idea would be to make a 3.8 an d bief up all the component that have been a bit cheaped out like
- ims
- chain tensioner
- secondary oil pump
- aos

would be interested to have people here posting the list of part they thing can be upgraded for high reliability

philooo

Base of the discussion : never ever ever sell the car.. or the pain will be strong

Still at the current value of our cars, let's say +- $20k, that is so far from $60k of gt3 or 997.2 cars.

So I figured a $10k - $15k investment bringing the cost to $35k is 'sane'

Gonzo911

I know you don't want to sell, but why not go ahead and do it, put the cost of the upgrade on top of that, and go buy a 997? From a pricing standpoint, you're almost there.

philooo

first price for a used 997.2 : $60k

996 3.8 ... half of that, and I think it will be a better car

Byprodriver

LNengineering.com has the most comprehensive list I'm aware of.

philooo

yeah it seems lnengineering are providing most of the high reliability component available for our engines.

Gonzo911

997.2. Gotcha.

Byprodriver

My theory is if you like the car, why wait until you have to upgrade the engine. Do it now & do it right & enjoy it now. By the time the rebuilt engine has 150K+ miles on it you will be ready to trade into a OldsmoBuick.

philooo

I hear you... and that is a bit the reason for the trade, not that I really want to do it.. but may be a little discussion might make me change my mind and jump on it.

I just want to hear our fellow rennlister opinion and ideas about the dream 3.6 upgrade

Hardback

Phil, now your talking...

Depending on how many parts you want to upgrade I would say a healthy engine can be rebuilt with LN 3.8 for $12,000 to $15,000.

$4099 for re-sleeve includes pistons, rings, clips
$1699 for billet rods
$800 for ARP studs and bolts
$895 for triple row IMS
$270 for billet chain tensioner
$726 for gaskets
$107 for AOS
$99 for low temp stat
$1100 for main and rod bearings
$360 for new water pump
$350 freight to LN and back
$1000 to balance crankshaft and check/clean/rebuild heads
Labor 40+- hours labor $3000 to $4000 depending on negotiated price
Miscellaneous another $500

Now, these parts can be bought for less of course. But you will be hard pressed to find an indy that will allow you to drop off all your discounted parts in a box for them to assemble. Most mechanics will not warranty parts given to them from the car owner. So you are better off negotiating a discount on parts and labor in order to have a full warranty for your build.

One of the biggest concerns is the time it takes to rebuild. LN has a waiting time of 1-2 months maybe longer. The plating can hold the job up too. So, plan to be without your car for at least 3 months.

Ahsai

Correct hence I said after a few years but I know you won't be able to enjoy the 3.8 in the meantime....

So I think your 3.8 upgrade makes sense if you want to do it NOW since getting a 997.1 doesn't make much sense. Can't upgrade the IMS (just look at their IMS poll ~5% failure. BTw, our numebrs are better at 3%+ )

philooo

Carey, thanks for the numbers !

I assume there is also a need to some ECU tuning to get the most of the new engine, no ?

What kind of power do you get out of your 3.8 ? did you dyno it .. yet ?