Flat6 Innovations

Balr14

Yes, but does that mean total rebuild or something a lot less expensive?

Flat6 Innovations

No matter the failure, at the minimum level this whole engine is coming apart to facilitate any repair.
The term "rebuild" is really a dirty word here, it does not describe what we do in any way. "Rebuild" means take it apart, clean it up, fix the problem by using the same regimen and components that the factory used. That never happens here.

qikqbn

It has always been my understanding and expectation that If I send an engine to FSI and it is taken apart, then when I get it back it will be better and stronger than before because all the weak links would be addressed, corrected, and longevity improved. According to my budget of course

Balr14

"Total rebuild" to me means replace the block and heads; probably a poor choice of words.

Iceter

Balr14

You are right. Sorry, I'm an old Chevy guy. I keep forgetting this is a whole different world. Swapping blocks or heads (especially heads) was fairly common because it didn't add much to the cost. Plus, the big valve heads added quite a lot of performance. My gut feel is I don't really belong here.

Iceter

Don't worry. I'm an old Ford guy. To me, for it to be called a "rebuild", almost everything EXCEPT for the block and heads should be replaced or machined. If I had a Dollar for every used car I looked at where the owner advertised that the engine had been rebuilt, then could only provide receipts for a new set of gaskets, I could retire.

As for the Bronz' car, Jake's posts are starting to read like a bad detective novel. Let's skip the teasers and cryptic references. It's ok if you don't post until there are actual findings from the teardown.

And I hope Bronz does release Jake to tell us the whole story. I, for one, am extremely interested in what's going on in that engine.

rw229

It would be interesting to understand the root cause, especially as you may have seen this before. Is it an inherent weakness in the early 91a and something they all are potentially subject to? Or perhaps related to colder temps, oil weight and/or bore scoring? If I recall correctly the OP's car was from the south before moving to the colder north-midwest. We know there are many 997.2 on the forum with well over 100k so trying understand if this is just bad luck, owner maintenance or an engine design issue like the BMW M3s that needed to replace bearings proactively.

sandwedge

I think that's an opinion shared by many here. As stated previously, this may be the first reported failure of a 9A1 engine on this forum so what happened is obviously of great interest. And I really don't get the secrecy of revealing the causes of the various failures unless it boils down to downright abuse and/or neglect on the owner's part.

rw229

@sandwedge But it's all good, will be fixed better than new and has a clean Carfax, right?

(Sorry to the OP and Flat6 for the OT)

sandwedge

The old bumper had some minor scratches, Same for the front bumper which not only got resprayed but also got a new clear bra. So yes, both good as new and no Carfax record for reasons I don't know. Close to a trade in deal with a southwest Florida dealership who knows about the bumper jobs. As previously stated, bumpers are considered "bolt on items" and replacement/refurbishments if done right don't reduce the value of the car unless other structural parts are involved. So you keep on flogging me about this while the dealerships I'm talking to don't give two s**ts. Bumpers are refurbished day in and day out with no record so I really don't understand the undertone of your post.

black997er

Balr14

I thought bore scoring was not an issue on the 997.2 engine?

Charles Navarro

It's nowhere as prevalent as in the M96 or Cayenne/Panamera engines, but nonetheless, the 9A1 engine uses the same Alusil process with Ferrostan coated skirts that are susceptible to scoring.