Cuda911

Thanks for the additional info, Macster!

Jake... that pic of yours sure does look familiar! Nearly identical to mine.

I'll shoot you an email, and also some info. regarding the 914.

iii911ooo

Cuda, if you want to sell it as a roller, you can list it on RL. I sold mine in 4 hours that way.

Cuda911

^^^ Good idea. Well, I'll explore some options before I do anything. Sent Jake an email.

Jscaramella

Sorry to hear about your engine, a rebuild under these conditions is always hard to swallow.
I'm new to the 996 forum. Appreciate the post so others can take away from the experience. After reading I'm interested to see the consensus elsewhere on timing pad/wear guides change intervals. I believe I've seen 50K miles, not sure, maybe it was 100.

In any case hope something positive happens for you. Everything happens for a reason.

Diablo360

Since you're in SoCal you should check out this thread (no affiliation): https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ld-review.html

If you can squeak out with a rebuild for under $8k it seems like that would be the better option vs. spending more for a newer/better car. With the rebuild you'll have a fully sorted car that's upgraded exactly the way you want it; and should be good for another 100k miles.

Also to save on towing costs you should definitely sign up with AAA (if you don't have it already). Your yearly membership cost (aroound $85/yr) will be recouped with 1 tow (you get 4 per year).

jumper5836

I agree.

Also would like to know Jake's thoughts on the new engine. Is the new engine something that a long term owner/buyer should take a chance on and will it not have similar issues as the m96/m97 engines. I am not talking lease or a pampering owner. Someone that DD the car under all weather conditions including winter.

Sneaky Pete

IF you do go that route you will be in good hands.

rpm's S2

Cuda - Just bummed for you. Nasty and depressing. Thanks for being so matter-of-fact and willing to share. Here's hoping there is a path out of this.

Flat6 Innovations

Pete speaks from experience… X2!

Cuda 911, I am replying to your email now. Yes, your "outie" is a fairly common issue these days. I have sent his one occur from different primary modes of failure; because any debris that gets caught between the chain/ drive and the case can cause this. Based on my experience you have not had an issue with the chain it's self, but rather something that the chain picked up. If you look closely you'll see that the chain appears to be taut and properly seated against the drive, that would not be the case if the chain actually failed. Also, that chain is 1" wide, if the chain would have failed the damage to the case would typically be much wider, and cover the entire width of the chain. These chains do wear, and they do stretch, but to date we have not seen the internal tooth type chain snap in half. See the pic below for a good illustration of a normally worn chain, and an abnormally worn chain that had stretched almost 5/16". The deflection between the two really tells the story.

Considering where you are, the good news is we won't need the whole car. My co- instructor in my Porsche engine classes is Tony Callas, of Callas Rennsport. His shop is in Socal and he's the only other person I trust to install one of my engines. We've had great luck having Callas extract the engine, and ship it to us, then we do our work and ship it back to them, they re- install and evaluate the vehicle. We ship cars across the US all the time, but this method has proven to be more cost effective and simpler for those in California. Its also proven to protect my reputation, because the Callas crew is just as detail oriented as we are.

FWIW- It is 100% IMPOSSIBLE to "rebuild" one of these engines thoroughly for 8k! The term "rebuild" is used very loosely, and thats why we refuse to use the term. To go through one of these engines properly, from cradle to grave, addressing all the factory deficiencies costs 14-16K IN PARTS & PROCESSES ONLY.

BTW- The 914 looks solid!

alpine003

Can you enlighten some of us and explain how a rod bolt can just "fall" out? I gotta say, I've come across some odd failures on this motor that I don't normally see with other marques.

As for the content deletion on your upcoming book, bummers...


As for a signed copy, bummers too.

Also I hear two things being mentioned, repair and rebuild. However it's funny that most posters here automatically express the term rebuild which once again speaks to the mentality of the 996 gloom and doom folks.

So Jake, without tearing into the motor does this look like a repair candidate or does the probability lean more towards a rebuild?

Flat6 Innovations

Other marques may not use rod bolts that cost 3$ each at retail. The rod bolts stretch, then they lose their load that keeps them in place. When this happens they will literally fall out during operation. I have had a customer a few years ago call me from a dealership after he found an odd bolt in the engine bay that no one knew what it was. This was just about the time that we were easily able to send and receive pics from smart phones. He sent me a pic of it, and the bolt that no one could ID was indeed a rod bolt. He got a CEL for a lean running condition, as the rod bolt poked a hole in the top of the case when it exited and that wigged the fuel trim out. The engine was still running fine, with only one rod bolt holding the rod cap in place. Luckily he didn't rev the engine high enough to toss the cap off the rod. Thats a crazy situation and the only time I have not seen a massive failure from this.

He never heard the rod bolt exit the block..

I concur with Colonel Jessup in your photo, as I am also a Marine.

All that signing stuff is hype, just like marketing. I care nothing about marketing, bling or flashy ads. We make things run and we make things live. I spend all my time making the better mouse trap, and it'll never be good enough. The book is the same way, I have designed it to be a TOOL and it should have dirty finger prints on the pages and should live in the drawer of a tool box, not on someone;s shelf who's afraid to use it; because its a signed copy.

"rebuild" is totally different and has as much looseness in its definition as a 5 dollar hooker! Others use that to their advantage, because since nothing formally/ legally defines the term an engine can be rebuilt if you just take it partially apart, replace the bearings and clean it all back up again.

Physically speaking, at our level the engine could be repaired. The caveat to this is the mileage is too high for a positive return on investment to occur.

If I see this failure with a 40K mile car, I'll repair it and address a few deficiencies and the return on investment will be great.

If I see this failure with a 119K mile car, I won't even consider repairing it; because the owner will be throwing good money at bad, and will not get the proper return on investment for the expenditure.

Generally the highest mileage engine I'll "repair" is 65K, but thats dependent upon the mode of failure that required the repair to be made. I will also "down" any engine for repair if the cylinders show ovality, taper, or any sort of visual or measurable wear.

A rebuild is not a reconstruction. The term "overhaul" is more what these "rebuilders" should be using, but they don't. It doesn't market as well, even though its a more proper term.

kromdom

Cuda, if you decide to go with Callas in Torrance, I will gladly tag along with you (if you do not mind). I was going to message you about him since he is the ONLY guy in our neck of the woods with JR's stamp of approval

Cuda911

Sent you a reply to your email, Jake.

In fact, my car is a 119,000-miler, so that may limit my options. Not a garage queen by any stretch of the imagination. I bought it to drive.

I 100% agree about the term "rebuild". I've been saying that for years, that the term "rebuild" has close to zero value.

Amazing how many cars for sale say something like "rebuilt engine." That means nothing, without specifically defining what was meant by the rebuild.

niche

I'm interested too in the new 9A1 engine. Has new new engine been known to include these types of failures?

Flat6 Innovations

It has its own modes of failure. I am up to MOF#9 for the 9a1 so far.
We've been developing the 9a1 engines since 2010, and have already produced a 4.2L beast without any help from anyone outside our network.

Cuda 911, I didn't receive your reply?