mikefocke

Approaches you can take when your engine is blown that have been suggested on the forums are compiled here. Also in that site is a list of breakers/wrecking yards specializing in Porsche cars.

Can't begin to give advice as your emotional and financial circumstances are different than mine I'm sure. Tell us what those are... where you want to get to and what you want to put into it and maybe some will have suggestions.

I always wished that that had happened to mine as I'd have then have had the excuse to go the full $20k plus route with one of Jake's bored out and improved engines. Would have made no economic sense, but ...I loved that car.

Brian in Tucson

Yeah, me too. RND is now exclusively sold by LN. If they were the most inexpensive source of replacement engines, it still would have been out of my neighborhood. Flat 6 stuff is so good, but so unaffordable for me. A lot of us have old porsches for joy riding, and will never ever race them.

Macster

Options:

1. rebuild engine reusing some "good parts" from existing -> piston rings alone would be $1,200 ($200 each for genuine Porsche!)
2. replace entire engine with used -> light "refresh" for external items recently replaced on current car (e.g. AOS, intake seals)
3. replace entire engine with professionally rebuilt ($$)
4. sell chassis & engine parts "as is" and walk away

1) I would not attempt to rebuild the engine. Engines that have experienced problems due to oiling, overheating, or in this case have experienced mechanical failures are not good rebuild candidates. With other brands of cars if the engine is suspect one just orders a "crate" engine and drops that in the car.

Obviously this is not an option with the Boxster. (Well, it might be... Some couple of years back I priced a factory replacement engine for my 2002 and the cost with a core was around $17K, without $26K. You might want to check with a local Porsche dealer parts department just to get an up to date quote on a factory 2.5l engine. Yeah, if the engine is available I don't doubt the price will be horrifically high but at least you know.)

While it is relatively easy to identify hardware that is broken or worn and replace it is harder to know for instance if the crank shows no signs of wear or damage what forces it might have experienced that could have compromised it. The crank can be checked for cracks but an absence of cracks may not be a clean bill of health. Normally in a rebuild of this nature if in doubt replace but a Boxster crank is I believe quite expensive.

There is the question too about the block's integrity. There is a way to check the aluminum block for at least surface cracks but like the crank an absence of cracks may not mean the block is safe to use. Don't know how expensive a new block would be but I would have to believe it would not be cheap.

2) If you want to keep the car put it back on the road with some if you are careful acceptable level of risk installing a used engine is probably the way to go. You get a 2.5l engine from a donor car with the same transmission and it is out with the old and in with the new. You can do as much refreshing as you feel is warrantied as much as your bank balance can tolerate.

3) Certainly some go this route. The cost is I gather high but to some owners obviously worth it.

4) As a roller the car would be worth around $3K. Maybe. With a blown engine maybe not even $3K. Best advice I can offer is to contact say Oklahoma Foreign or perhaps Parts Heaven (in Hayward, CA), or check the ads in Excellence for any other businesses that special in parting out Porsches and contact those business and find out if any have an interest in the car. From those that are interested you will get a market price and then can decide if that is the way to go.

TexSquirrel

Boxster short blocks are quite a bit cheaper these days.
I wouldn't hesitate to rebuild a Boxster engine though.
Just make certain you've resolved ALL the oil issues.

400hp944

I would drag all your parts down to Vision Motorsports in Laguna Hills. Have Dwain Dement rebuild it correctly. He will be able to determine what happened and why.
22681 Granite Way, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: (949) 770-2421

tt9714

Update Mar 11:
I went with "Option 2: replace entire engine with used -> light "refresh" for external items recently replaced on current car (e.g. AOS, intake seals)"

Sourced a full engine (same year as original) with 87K miles from well known Porsche dismantler for $2,400 including shipping with residential lift gate freight delivery. Dismantler bought the entire car that was totaled in a collision, so I could trace the engine back to the chassis VIN showing mileage and service frequency.

The good:

• engine arrived exactly as pictured in listing (good seller); overall appearance appears consistent with mileage
• intake valves look good
• spark plug tips look normal; oily residue on threads (assuming that is from leaking spark plug tubes)
• removed oil sump plate and all clear
• sampled oil at filter canister and sent out for oil analysis
• I'm getting good at teardown to "long block" on the M96!

The bad:

• engine had typical oil filler tube leak that created a mess of oil on the top and sides of the engine -> I cleaned up
• water pump was aftermarket with metal impeller and mismatched mounting bolt -> no damage visible on block
• thermostat housing appears OK inside -> I will replace
• engine had green coolant that partially gelled with the original Porsche pink coolant...ugh! -> I opened two of the coolant passage covers on the crankcase (top near cylinder #1 & bottom near cylinder #6) and both appear clean; I will flush block with distilled water then replace pump
• camshaft covers have been previously removed -> excess RTV silicone oozing out -> more clean-up

Next steps:

• remove exhaust headers (will use original) and inspect back side of exhaust valves
• remove camshaft covers -> planning to replace VarioCam tensioner pads
• leak down test -> to confirm piston rings and valve seals -> if results acceptable then I will not remove the heads at this time

Well secured for shipping

Typical oil filler tube leak...a mess!

Creative problem solving!

Really creative problem solving!!

Down to long block, cleaned, ready for engine stand.

Aftermarket water pump. Note mismatched mounting bolt at top!?!?

Coolant gelled! Green + Orange = not good. Appears to be limited to this area in the water pump.

AnthonyGS

Kayaknfly