Hello, I have been looking into the 06-08 Cayman S- specifically for SPC and or H class racing.
Its my understanding these engines are prone to failure in track / race conditions due to the intermediate shaft design . I am aware of the IMS bearing updates available but was told its not cost effective to do on these motors.

Several of the cars I've looked at have in fact had to have the engines replaced .

I would be interested in any info from those with first hand experience & knowledge regarding engine failures & prevention . I am getting the impression its best to avoid the pre 09 Caymans for racing ....

Thanks !
Sam

 

Sam - The big difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 cars is that the Gen 1 cars have an engine driven oil pump where oil pressure is based on RPMs. You therefore have to run a deep sump oil pan or accusump system on these Gen 1 cars to assure adequate lubrication. IMS is not the issue.

I have approx. 125 track days on my 2006 Cayman S: My first engine (used - unknown miles) failed due to oil starvation caused by the absence of a deep sump oil pan and over-revs caused by a tune that (unbeknownst to me) completely removed the engine rev limiter. My most recent engine was a brand new Porsche crate engine and required a rebuild due to a bent exhaust valve caused by a missed shift.

From my experience and from observing others that had engines fail on the track, these engines do not fail from IMS bearing issues. They fail primarily due to missed shifts which is easy to see from the over-rev report. I have seen several Gen 2 engines fail - all due to missed shifts or foreign objects bending vales.

If you need more info, please send me a PM and I can provide you with more detail.

 

Others will give you details and a complicated answer but any of the really reputable shops can make a gen 1 cayman reliable and fix the IMS issue.

Also think about going to I class. We'd love to have you.

 

Have been running an SPC all season (7 races + testing). No problems as yet.

Have Mantis deep sump, 6-cup motorsports AOS (have to d/c SAI system), meticulous attention to cooling, and oil & filter change every 2 events.

We plan to tear the motor down end of season, measure, do rod & main bearings and IMS fix then button back up and go racing again.

Frank's comments spot on.

You have to be prepared for any M96 engine to grenade. There are NO race car engines that are problem free but the Gen1 987 is still much cheaper overall to run vs. cup car engine time.

 

I my experience mirrors previous posts. IMS is not an issue, oiling is. I had about 125 track days on my 987.1. Mantis deep sump + Motorsport AOS resulted in a reliable car. The last two years I ran Motul 300Z oil. The next issue is transmission oli cooling.

 

Thanks all - useful & helpful information.

Ive been waiting on the sidelines to see if SPC will "catch on "... I know of only 2 more for next year.

 

^ I suspect independent of the builds/conversions you know about, I know of one more for sure, one likely, one possible. I think it's going to catch on

 

You can always hedge your bets and buy an H car. Caymans are very competitive in H and (depending on where you live) there are usually reasonably sized fields.

 

Frank - have you seen this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Porsche...gAAOSwu1VW4yr0

 

Wow - that's really funny. Not sure why anybody would buy a photo of my car - LOL. Now I did win the Group 10 for Modern GTs in the 24Hrs last year ....

 

the Gen I caymans are for the most part time bombs on the track.
Engines are also getting harder to find.

Oiling and cooling is the common issue.
Yes, you can mod them as others have suggested, but with 2009+ caymans available with better engines why bother?

2009+ caymans make great race car builds and you can still get new engines with decent core charges from porsche when doing swaps.

As much as i hate to say it, I would stay away from Gen I altogether.

 

If I didn't already have a 996 build underway I'd be awfully tempted to buy this one. Great entry price, a little more expensive to run, but a whole lot of car for the money.

https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...3-cup-car.html

 

Have been running one all year with no problems.

Also have one SPC for sale.

 

Gen1 short blocks still available from Porsche for very reasonable money.

 

Where did you put me we have a 150 plus track days on our Cayman, agree with Matt oil is critical.