Death of my SPB Engine
09-27-2010 | 11:41 AM
#31
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,945
Likes: 5
From: Northern Virginia
One point to clarify, I was initially told the same "rumor". Fact is if the motor grenaded from within then Porsche accepts it as a core.
If the case was punctured from outside or cracked...ie accident then it is not accepted as a core.
Call a P Dealer that handles motor replacements and when they actually check the terms of the core exchange this is what they will tell you.
If the case was punctured from outside or cracked...ie accident then it is not accepted as a core.
Call a P Dealer that handles motor replacements and when they actually check the terms of the core exchange this is what they will tell you.
09-27-2010 | 12:26 PM
#32
Race Car
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,549
Likes: 2
From: Texas
One point to clarify, I was initially told the same "rumor". Fact is if the motor grenaded from within then Porsche accepts it as a core.
If the case was punctured from outside or cracked...ie accident then it is not accepted as a core.
Call a P Dealer that handles motor replacements and when they actually check the terms of the core exchange this is what they will tell you.
If the case was punctured from outside or cracked...ie accident then it is not accepted as a core.
Call a P Dealer that handles motor replacements and when they actually check the terms of the core exchange this is what they will tell you.
Very true with Porsche dealing with cores. Say if it gets damaged in a car accident or running over something in the road, core won't be accepted. Chunk failure or rod thru the side, core acceptable.
09-27-2010 | 12:29 PM
#33
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,312
Likes: 9
From: Roseville, CA
Is my memory correct in that your engine failed after having been previously "rebuilt?" I've seen all manner of reasons to need to go back into engines to fix things, and yes even catastrophic air cooled 911 failures that render the core as useless as these water cooleds.
But I'd still like to hear from anyone whose pre-'99 911 engine in near or stock configuration that has failed from just plain use. I have a 3.2L sitting around for the Spec 911. It has history from the original owner dating back to Day One; and was reconditioned at 175K, and probably had 30K hard, hard track miles. One of the premier shops in the Bay Area did the work, and it was in good enough shape internally the P/C set was still fine. Similarly, the biggest POS SC I got from an original owner in the early '90s probably had 5 oil changes in the 100K before I got it. Crank, and the rest of the internals were fine.
That's about all I have to say on the subject. I'm glad we have many classes and types of cars from which we can choose. I'll stress again that I'm most thankful we have choices, and there's a place for home-built cars for those of us who do like to do our own work. I seriously doubt I'd ever own a Porsche which wouldn't allow me to repair any of its systems.
09-27-2010 | 12:29 PM
#34
Race Car
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,549
Likes: 2
From: Texas
You can rebuild with cylinder liners on the chunk failures, fyi.
Although it does bring the cost up more, and time to repair also longer.
Although it does bring the cost up more, and time to repair also longer.
1) When water cooled engines fail, they seem to usually not be rebuildable. They grenade (D chunk failure, etc). Of the 3 water cooled failures that I've personally seen from friends, all 3 cores were trashed (not rebuildable). And even if they are rebuildable, the good availability of replacement engines seems to prevent most people from rebuilding.
My two cents for what it's worth (which ain't much...).
My two cents for what it's worth (which ain't much...).
09-27-2010 | 01:39 PM
#35
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 1
From: Dallas/FortWorth Texas
Actually, no. My engine had had a top end done in it's past (including new P&C's) under factory warranty earlier in it's life, but the lower end was untouched since it left the factory. But my car had almost 150K miles on it and a lot of it was track use (DE). The mechanic that rebuilt my engine speculated that it may have been run low on oil at some point in its life which led to the eventual rod bearing failure. But no way to know for sure after the fact. His point was that it either failed due to a weakness in that bearing from new (marginal bearing from the factory) or it was starved of oil at some point which set it up for failure down the road (no pun intended). I had only owned the car less than a year when it failed and it had multiple previous owners so I have no idea what it went through before I owned it. All I know is that engine should be all but bullet proof now!
09-28-2010 | 08:16 PM
#36
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 18,882
Likes: 100
From: Australia
So what are they doing with rod thru sides? Welding them up and sleeving them?
11-27-2011 | 10:35 PM
#45
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,140
Likes: 76
From: Austin, Texas
Sorry to hear your motor went.
Is this a 99? From what I've read they are the worst 2.5L for D-Chunk failures.
I've actually only seen it on a couple 3.4Ls (one was a 99 the other a 2002).
As far as 2.5Ls, I've heard some small # of 98's, but mostly 99's.
Oiling is not the issue -- it is stress fractures in the cylinder walls.
It can happen on any M96 (and therefore I assume M97 as well).
I need to check with my partner to see if we have any 2.5L blocks
at the shop.
Mike
Is this a 99? From what I've read they are the worst 2.5L for D-Chunk failures.
I've actually only seen it on a couple 3.4Ls (one was a 99 the other a 2002).
As far as 2.5Ls, I've heard some small # of 98's, but mostly 99's.
Oiling is not the issue -- it is stress fractures in the cylinder walls.
It can happen on any M96 (and therefore I assume M97 as well).
I need to check with my partner to see if we have any 2.5L blocks
at the shop.
Mike