Christien

Really? I always understood it was north of $20K.

Dale Gribble

for the 996 twin turbos and GT series cars.

theiceman

wow 9G IS in fact tollerable .. I wonder if they plan on making money on the install .... you guys now me .. i would make them duct tape it to my skateboard and i would push it home.. I ain't paying for no rental truck to go get it ..

JDSStudios

Sputter

I think the 9k is in US dollars and for sure that price is pre-labour.

theiceman

that means I would have to push it from Buffalo ?

Torontoworker

As a car 'part' the duty is lower. Plus the exchange rate is 'near' par which perhaps 10 years back would have been a deal breaker if you imported a new motor. I haven't checked but I *think* the duty on 'used' car parts is lower then new so if you found a deal on a motor with low km's you may save even more $. A couple of friends, a van, a road trip, a few two x fours and casters... Maybe a trip down to see Jake Ruby for an exchange motor could be an option...

Sputter

I was going to say that. For 20k i'd have a serious look Raby rebuild at flat6.

BruceP

Can't add a lot to the great advice you've had here. But I've had a 996 for three years. I drive it all year round (on snows in the winter, of course), and find it very easy to live with. Maintenance costs, to me, are really reasonable for what you're driving. Outside mods and discretionary fixes, I'm probably in the $2,000 range for annual service costs.

Regarding the engine issue, I think the only scary possibility is an IMS failure. But you probably don't have to drive to Raby's shop to do the preventative mods. Engineered Automotive has done the IMS bearing retrofit (my car was the first), and got great support from LN Engineering. They'd also be one option for your PPI.

Good luck. You'll love it.

Sputter

Both Charles (LN) and Jake (Flat6) seem to be working hand-in-hand on a number of M96 issues.
IMS is the biggie followed by D-chunk.

I'm seriously considering the T-stat change.

How many kms on the new bearing? Who did the install? Did you have the single or double row before the install?
inquiring minds want to know.

Jim

BruceP

Less than 1,000 on the new bearing so far. Early days. My car is a '00 3.4, so I had the early double row bearing. The retrofit kit for this only came out at the end of May (has been available for the later, single row version for longer, I think).

When they pulled the engine to do the work, they sent me a pic... the IMS seal was starting to fail - big black smudge around the area that wasn't there when I did the clutch a couple of years back - and when they pulled the shaft, it was filled with oil. So it was probably only a matter of time.

Dave Tomassetti at Engineered did the install. I think he's a former Porsche tech. The new piece is really beefy, but the install wasn't simple. He was in constant touch with Charles Navarro, who I'm told was very accessible and supportive. I got the impression that Engineered invested some time in the learning process. You can all thank me for being the guinea pig later.

PPo

If you are considering a 996 or 997 and you are concerned about the cost of a yearly oil change, or a minor service, buy something else. You will lose more money on the yearly depreciation then you spend on maintenance for many many years. Are you planning on seperate rims/tires for winter? How much do you think they will cost? What about tire replacement, how much do you think that will cost? What about mods/upgrades etc? What about detailing and cleaning costs? What about track time!? and now that you are at the track, what about all the other costs?!? What's that you need better brake pads but the ones you have are fine for the street? Tough decision if you are worried about maintenance budget...

What I am trying to say is that you can't afford to buy a recent Porsche if you are deeply concerned about operating costs. These are very very reliable cars, and the maintenance is either on par or less then the average car. Parts prices have gone up in recent years, but they are still on par with other Japanese and German manufactures. But Porsche ownership opens you up to a whole different mentality... When you buy a Porsche, get a shoebox, tape the top on with VERY thick duct tape. Put a large label that reads: "Do not add up these reciepts." throw all Porscje related reciepts in that box and you will be fine. When your accountant asks about where the money is, quickly show him the box, shrug your shoulders, and hide the box again. The maintenance/running costs isn't the issue, it is the same as all other cars... what you do with the car will most likely change your life and spending habits. Not many people here can deny this...

Hope this helps..

P

Sputter

What Bruce said. Doing a proper maintence schedual is key and way less expensive than not doing it.
example, I did my 60k (miles) at about 38k miles due to not having a good maintence record from the original owner. I'm ****, i like to see the plug condition ect. It's only the cost of parts for me since I can do all my own work (aside from an engine/tranny tear down)

Sputter

That's my understanding as well, double first then single.
Also, it can be done with the engine in the car now. (for the box anyways)
From what I gather from Jake, my 02 can have either, double or single as he's seen both. There is no way of knowing till you drop the tranny.

I like the thought of his 3.2 to 3.6 conversion with all the updated bits.
This stuff interests me a lot, so much in fact that Excellence even printed a letter of mine a few issues ago.

Jim

Jake Raby

We are working on IMS retrofit support information to aid with installations that can be done by individuals or shops across the country.. This includes written directives and a set by step DVD comprehensively covering the entire IMS bearing extraction and insertion procedure.