johnireland

Because the question is being asked of 996 owners. For me, track worthy and street worthy meet when you make repeated visits to 6000-6500 rpms. My understanding is that the M97 fixed the IMSB with a focus on street use, at the expense of track use. I am not aware of any difference in the bearing in the 3.6 and 3.8 M97 engines. Excuse me if I offended you in some way. I was under the impression this was a forum for technical discussion.

DTMiller

I love the faux outrage you've ginned up over the stupidest thread you could post in this forum. Maybe the M97 is the new 993.

Gonzo911

No offense taken. Of course, you could have title the thread, "How good is the M97 engine". But that's not your style.

I imagine that you are correct that the 996 Forum is the best place to post this question since the majority of its followers have owned or driven one.

The 996 Forum a technical discussion forum? You need to start writing comedies.

williamr91

Don't take it to the track!!!! HHAHA you do realize these are Porsche's, they have quite the history of successful racing and known for being reliable. The m96 and m97 can be on the track, they can be revved out and it is probably good for the esp with proper maintenance.

Now the whole going 10-15-even 20k between oil changes was'/is a very dumb move but these by all means should be tracked.

williamr91

Edit: sorry didn't realize this was a shop's recommendation, yeah they must be very respectable.

Quadcammer

um...yeah. Might want to stop drinking the coolaid. Modern street porsches certainly have some engine concerns while tracking (and quite frankly, while not tracking).

That said, the M96 and M97 are equally crappy, and I own an M96 car.

TonyTwoBags

From what I've read the past year, tracking is doable if you take some precautions. Even then you have some nasty tail risk to deal with.

Risk mitigation:
- good oil that won't shear at elevated operating temperatures (XP9)
- low temp thermostat 160F instead of stock 187F
- upgrade oil pan (FVD, etc.)
- shift @ 6,500 or earlier to reduce operational strain (think localized oil temps)
- use fresh oil for track days & change afterwards to ensure integrity of engine lubricant (tracking absolutely thrashes oil in m96/m97s)
- third radiator kit a plus to ease burden of low temp thermostat

There are probably others I'm omitting but honest discussion is very often obscured by drivel in the archives.

williamr91

Out of the box they may need some help sure, like a oil change procedure a lot more recommended. Upgraded oil pan. But pretty basic stuff for a DE.

Cuda911

A good friend of mine owns a Porsche race shop and is the Chief Scrutineer for PCA (i.e., is in charge of the overall technical inspection program for track events). I asked him how often he sees 996s and 997s die from a failed motor on the track. He said very rarely.

Quadcammer

somehow my buddy who does 30 track days a year in his 993 never had to modify the oil pan, the thermostat, add radiators, go to a different oil filter setup, replace engine bearings, etc etc.

Quadcammer

yeah, ok. how many events does he oversee personally?

DTMiller

more than you?

Quadcammer

very clever counselor. And yet, a simple perusal of this forum and the research I've done on having to modify my oil pan, have shown that there are absolutely regular engine failures due to oil starvation.

I'm guessing people aren't paying thousands on oil pans because they are pretty. But then, you knew that.

TonyTwoBags

I haven't seen any evidence to support the oil pan purchase. Guys have had motors give out with all kinds of peripheral modifications. Refraining from redlining & using the best oil available seems like the 2 most effective ways to reduce odds of failure. But that's a highly subjective guess.

DTMiller

Maybe people aren't using the right torque wrench to open the right kind of oil.