Le Roi est mort... (Boxster Engine Problems)

[savowood]

...well, maybe just really ill.

It looks like King Sparky needs a new motor. I was coming out of the Karrusel this morning and noticed a strange sound coming from the back of the car. I came around to Big Bend and gave the pit signal and rolled in to the paddock area. The clacking sound was heartbreaking. It happened only when coming off the gas. After "resting" while driving the evil twin (a black Boxster), I came back and it was worse.

Symptoms:

1. Clacking from the motor area.
2. Oil light comes on when returning to idle.
3. No apparent loss of power. (Could be wishful thinking)
4. There is no number four.
5. Whimpering sound coming from the proximity of the driver's seat.
6. Giant sucking sound expected from my wallet.

What do you think? Fixing it is going to cost as much as a new motor...I think so anyway.

New 2.7 (217 HP)? New new 2.7 (245 HP)? New 3.4 motor swap (2950000000000 HP)? Carrera 996 motor? 996S?

What should I see for cost? I'm guessing in the $10K range.

The whimpering and sucking from 5 and 6 above may continue to be there.

[Rick V]

Well looking on the bright side, you have lots of options. Lets look at this in true Dorki fasion.
1 Replace engine with the largest, badest, ugliest, twin turbo, beast you can find.
2 Dorki engine drop (don't forget the fat pills)
3 You will increase the #6 but the #5 will be changed to a sound like a rebel yell.
I hear the 3.4 will drop right in, or lift in as the case is.
I'll trade you a running 44 with a fresh head for your wounded Boxcar.

[savowood]

I'll trade you a running 44 with a fresh head for your wounded Boxcar.

Strangely enough, this is truly a tempting offer. I was trying to convince my boss to get a Porsche, and he had decided on a 944. When he showed up at work with a black Boxster, I about fell over. It was a good deal.

I've been thinking about a track car and a 944 or 914 are extremely tempting.

[Rick V]

I don't need the car, Beth wants a Boxcar, I don't mind doing the work. Let me know before I start swapping body panels, and getting it painted.
I'm sure we can work something out.
Sorry about the bad luck, at least you were on the track and not the local 7-11 parking lot.

[Richard Curtis]

FWIW: Friend of mine at work just replaced his Boxster engine (threw a rod) for an all-in cost of about $12,000. Ouch! I think that was for a new one from Porsche, with a two-year warranty IIRC.

[savowood]

FWIW: Friend of mine at work just replaced his Boxster engine (threw a rod) for an all-in cost of about $12,000. Ouch! I think that was for a new one from Porsche, with a two-year warranty IIRC.

I dropped the car at IMA and got a similar "rough idea" from Ivan. The good news is the 2 year warranty. Currently, there's no warranty on my motor. :p

[savowood]

I forgot to mention a couple of symptoms:

7. Oil temperature unusually high for running at Shenandoah.
8. Slight gas smell in the oil on the dipstick.

[Rick V]

Time to buy a 911? This might be a sign from above. After some thought I think a 996TT transplant would be just what the Dr. ordered.

[Trak Ratt]

No lose of power is a puzzler? Big or small end of rod? Broken ring or land? Dozens of other possibilities? 996 motor reportedly same neighborhood as 2.7. PM Anengineer on board for details. Gas smell in oil could mean dilution and loss of oil film. Sounds like Rich’s on vacation.

[rs911t]

Ouch! Don't make any rash decisions - read this thread first.

http://dorkiphus.net/porsche/showthread.php?t=13831

[Rick V]

I'm wondering if the oil seperator has gone FUBAR? I have seen it cause some bad noises and not smoke.
Keeping fingers crossed.

Greg, That thread was closed..............interesting

[Terry #44]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, but this is a great opportunity to build a killer track car. For about the cost of a replacement Boxster motor, I'm guessing that you could install a nice 3.4 or 3.6 from a 996 and have a real beast. As the owner of a Frankenstein transplant car, I can tell you that they are a bunch of fun.

[dholling13]

Sorry to hear about your motor problem; I also have a few ideas for you:

Sloan at SSI in Towson MD has a sweet European 944 turbo for sale and he's always open to suggestions if you lean towards a trade. If you are at all interested send him an email: info@ssiauto.com.

If you are looking at fixing her, GT Performance up in Edgewood is always a good bet. Ask for Genady - soykhermotorsport@yahoo.com

[Jazzbass]

Greg, That thread was closed..............interesting

The OP closed it, not one of the mods. I guess he didn't feel like chatting about his parts :D

[Vicegrip]

$12K? How much of that cost is the motor from porsche? Is it a new or remanufactured motor?

[savowood]

Ouch! Don't make any rash decisions - read this thread first.

http://dorkiphus.net/porsche/showthread.php?t=13831

If I had $30K, I'd be all over that. Tranny and Ruf GT-3 motor would be an amazing boost. I wish I could afford something like that. I'm selling some stock to make the fix. I have a budget of about 10.

[savowood]

$12K? How much of that cost is the motor from porsche? Is it a new or remanufactured motor?

I understand pretty much any of the stock motors are about 8-9K. The rest is the science project of installing it. If you figure 10 hours labor for a simple swap, that's about a grand. Then, if it's a Franken-Porsche, a few more days for the engineering.

Paul, if you're looking in on this, what's the link to the site you were talking about where the guy shows the step-by-step for installing the 3.4 in a Boxster?

[FTS]

Michael:

Sorry to hear about the problem, but it may turn out to be a great project. I think this would qualify for as a Dorki idea, but probably would also be unpopular:

- For $10K I am pretty certain, you can drop a Subaru STi engine with all of the gear and body modifications for the intercooler. The STi engine, brand new on crate, is about $2500, it is a Flat 4 turbo charged, and I can tell you it really has a kick in the behind performance, very reliable as well :D

[Toby]

Michael,

Sorry about the problem. You may want to check Renntech about engine swap. Attached one of the threads I found http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11411&hl=

Seems like a few of the guys have done swaps themselves.

I understand that 996 3.4 is a bolt in swap, while the newer engines (987 3.4, 996 3.6 or 997) require DME change and quite extensive rewiring.

Toby

Edit: Here is another link, with step by step. He was swapping out a 2.5 (with no eGas), so you might even save a couple steps. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4798&hl=swap

[savowood]

Fatih

Interesting idea. I'm a little afraid of the science project to put it in. I'd love the 300 horses, and being able to kick the butt of just about any STi or Evo down the straight would be an added bonus. =-)

That would lighten the car a bit, I think. That four, even with all the turbo plumbing, is probably about 75% of the weight of the six that comes in the car or a replacement 3.4 from a 996.

Do you have any links for people who have done it?

[Chopper Dropper]

Don't forget dropping a Subaru motor in would exclude you from most PCA DE events.
Dirk

[rs911t]

Don't forget dropping a Subaru motor in would exclude you from most PCA DE events.
Really? DE events, too? Club racing sure, but I didn't realize it affected DE eligility

[savowood]

No worries...I don't do the PCA events. I instruct for just about everyone else and get all the track time I can handle (or should I say, all the track time my girlfriend will let me get away with) through the "other guys".

On the research front...

I just got off the phone with the esteemed Herr (or is it Dr.?) Roock. It looks like, as long as he can find a good price on a used motor, I'll be able to get a 3.4L, a GT3 nosecone, a nice exhaust, and possibly some suspension work done, all within my budget.

With any luck, I'll be able to successfully chase GT-3s around the local tracks.

This of course depends on how closely he can stay within my budget. The good news is, he can pick the car up from here, ship it to Atlanta, do the work there in his shop where they have done a lot of these conversions, and get the car back in about a week. If he can find a motor today, I may be able to pick up the car by Saturday and drive it back in time to do the PDX for SCCA on Sunday.

[BlackTalon]

This of course depends on how closely he can stay within my budget. The good news is, he can pick the car up from here, ship it to Atlanta, do the work there in his shop where they have done a lot of these conversions, and get the car back in about a week. If he can find a motor today, I may be able to pick up the car by Saturday and drive it back in time to do the PDX for SCCA on Sunday.I hope he doesn't follow in Europro's footsteps WRT quoting schedules! :lol:

[}{arlequin]

Really? DE events, too? Club racing sure, but I didn't realize it affected DE eligility

yup... i've inquired ab running a beck spyder w/ a hot v-dub 4 cyl... answer was no b/c it needs to have a porsche vin AND motor. never followed up to ask if a vin plate riveted on would be sufficient

as for the club racing, i'm not sure but maybe they've changed the rules b/c i'm pretty sure "Doom" I and II didn't have a porsche vin (custom tube frame) and was racing in pca... then again, maybe this is one of the reasons why it was banned :)

[Vicegrip]

Last time I looked you do not need a Porsche motor for DE. The Beck spyder is out as it is a kit type car, nice one but not Porsche in any way other than looks.

Good luck with the retrofit. I hope you make lemonade from your lemons

[Rick V]

I'll be able to get a 3.4L, a GT3 nosecone, a nice exhaust, and possibly some suspension work done, all within my budget.


Oh Yeah, Thats what I'm talking about!
You had better also install yellow headlights to finish the "roid" effect.:shock:

[racer]

Hmm. That must be one heck of a budget!

[savowood]

Hmm. That must be one heck of a budget!

Well, I told him what my budget was and he said he could work with that. It really depends on the cost of the motor. If it's expensive, then the list of mods is going to be very short.

[racer]

Well, I told him what my budget was and he said he could work with that. It really depends on the cost of the motor. If it's expensive, then the list of mods is going to be very short.


:lol: :p :shock:

Sure "work with it"...As in.. "I've done all the work, now give me my money?"

I would think a 996 motor would work best. Can't remember what else you might need to convert (2000 986 has E-gas, not sure if the 3.4 996 does). There is a guy with a blue boxster that autocrosses with potomac and he runs a 996 motor in his boxster. I always seem to read that a 3.4 conversion (motor, brain, harness etc.. ) maybe even with labor, is a $10K project. Perhaps as more people do it and more donor motors are available this figure has dropped.

[savowood]

I would think a 996 motor would work best. Can't remember what else you might need to convert (2000 986 has E-gas, not sure if the 3.4 996 does). There is a guy with a blue boxster that autocrosses with potomac and he runs a 996 motor in his boxster. I always seem to read that a 3.4 conversion (motor, brain, harness etc.. ) maybe even with labor, is a $10K project. Perhaps as more people do it and more donor motors are available this figure has dropped.

You're correct. It is about $10k. My budget is slightly higher, but not that much. That $10k is heavily dependent on the price of the motor. That's the biggest expense in the whole plan. If I can get the motor for 4-5 instead of the 9 the dealer wants, then I can do more work.

You're talking about the guy with the AN ENGNR plate (or something like that)? I've seen him, but haven't talked to him. As I told (I think it was) Kurt in a PM, you'd think all us Box-car guys hang out and talk. :lol:

If I end up needing a motor, and I almost certainly will, I'll see if I can hook up the rest of the gang with the contact info on getting this stuff done for yourselves. They do a lot of these conversions.

[Trak Ratt]

You're talking about the guy with the AN ENGNR plate (or something like that)? I've seen him, but haven't talked to him. As I told (I think it was) Kurt in a PM, you'd think all us Box-car guys hang out and talk. :lol:
That’s the one. He also posts on the board under some version of that name. The reason I recommended talking to him is that he did the 996/boxster swap some years ago. As to the other, I hardly think about boxsters at all :p

[Jase007]

Michael:

If you don't care if it is a p-car motor ... why not put a high revin chebby 350 / 383 small bloc in there? :lol:

Cheap parts, already have radiator setup, easy to modify, tons-o-torque :)

Just thinking out loud ...

* no idea if it would even fit

[}{arlequin]

As I told (I think it was) Kurt in a PM, you'd think all us Box-car guys hang out and talk. :lol:

not even a support group? i'm guessing the collective shame might be too much.

[FTS]

not even a support group? i'm guessing the collective shame might be too much.
Actually, we do, he just does not hang out on 3-4 other msg boards and misses out on bunch of stuff.

And also, I have no intentions of giving him more ideas for him to open the time gap to me during autoxes :D

[HoodPin]

Michael,
Sorry to hear about the engine loss. Bummer. I've sent you PM.

[racer]

Mike.. at least with a 3.4 you can skip right over improved and run modified with Bob W. ;) Good times!

I think the Boxster owner we are refering to is David (another one) Simon, IIRC.

So.. what about a 250hp 3.2 from a Boxster s? (would a 987 3.2 work or is that more computer/egas hassle) I would think you would have priced out 2.7, 3.2 and 3.4 motors by now ;)

[dholling13]

I hear that all you have to do on the motor swap for a 3.4 is reverse the intake???

Michael, I have a lead on a motor, sent you a pm...

[thomschoon]

Contact Sunset Imports or Brandywine and see what a new motor actually costs, I saw a post on PPBB where they had gotten one for around $6500

Good luck which ever direction you go

[racer]

I saw your car today. My car was parked behind it. Luckily it was not parked behind my car when I picked mine up. I didn't feel like pushing it around the lot ;)

[savowood]

I saw your car today. My car was parked behind it. Luckily it was not parked behind my car when I picked mine up. I didn't feel like pushing it around the lot ;)

It was good exercise for me when I dropped it off. ;)

Anyway, I just bought a motor. I won't tell you guys what I paid for it, but with 10k miles, it was incredibly cheap and about half the previous estimates in this thread. Looks like the H&R is going on there as well. With about $4k to do the installation (including the ECU flash and other slight mods), I might even have them put the GT-3 bumper on there.

I still won't be able to keep up with Bob, though. :lol:

[racer]

You don't have to tell us what you paid.. merely its displacement ;) - - Goodbye P5, Hello M!

[savowood]

You don't have to tell us what you paid.. merely its displacement ;) - - Goodbye P5, Hello M!

3.4L 996 motor.

With the H&R, I should be closer to Bob. Now he'll beat me by only 1.5 seconds instead of 3. :lol:

Now to see if it'll help me beat Stuart. At least now, he worries about beating only you and Fatih.

[racer]

3.4L 996 motor.

Nice!


With the H&R, I should be closer to Bob. Now he'll beat me by only 1.5 seconds instead of 3. :lol:

I don't know.. 3.6 with 300hp and 2900lb, mid engine and abs vs 3.6 with 330hp, no abs, rear weighted ass dragger with exceptional driver on 3 year old tires.

Don't forget to do a LSD while your in there so you can actually put that power down. Stiffened up... I would hope once you get used to it that you would be close.


Now to see if it'll help me beat Stuart. At least now, he worries about beating only you and Fatih.

For now anyway... :p

[savowood]

Nice!

I don't know.. 3.6 with 300hp and 2900lb, mid engine and abs vs 3.6 with 330hp, no abs, rear weighted ass dragger with exceptional driver on 3 year old tires.

Bob knows his car, but this motor should push 330 with the intake, exhaust, and ECU flash. So power-wise, we'd be equal. It's going to take a bit to get used to the car. He's going to smoke me until then. He's not just exceptional, he's almost legendary. :D

[racer]

Did I mention Bob's car is only, like, 2100lbs? mmm 700+lb advantage to the 911.

Sorry.. I gave you credit for a 3.6.. but its only a little 3.4 ;)

You're upgrading brakes during all this work, correct?

[smdubovsky]

I might be able to work you a deal on 996 (boxster S) brakes;) Black - from a friends 99 996. Got rotors and pads sitting in my garage too... Shoot me an email if interested.

SMD

[dholling13]

Michael,

I would also look into correcting the oil starvation problem the 3.4 motors have on the track.

[savowood]

I might be able to work you a deal on 996 (boxster S) brakes;) Black - from a friends 99 996. Got rotors and pads sitting in my garage too... Shoot me an email if interested.

I already put some nice brakes on there. It's the cooling I need work with, but the GT-3 front and ducting should help with that.

[savowood]

I would also look into correcting the oil starvation problem the 3.4 motors have on the track.

I asked them about that, and they have a fix they're doing to the motor.

I think this may be what happened to my 2.7 although there was the required 10l of oil.

[SkipC]

Guys,
Except for an injector stuck open, how can fuel get into the crankcase (into the oil) ?

[smdubovsky]

Past bad rings usually but can also come from other bigger failures. A hole in the piston (been there, done that), crack in the head, etc. Anywhere the combustion chamer is breached and can push the mixture somewhere its not supposed to go...

[pjalexandre]

Hey Michael,

Just found your thread. See what happens when you post with a title in a foreign language. Great to see that you scored on the 3.4 motor. I was going to by it for myself originally before the folks that you bought it from transported it from Neptune, NJ and marked it up. Still a great deal for you!

Now it should be pretty interesting seeing what that thing does on the track! Can't wait for my first ride.

:)

[savowood]

Just found your thread. See what happens when you post with a title in a foreign language. Great to see that you scored on the 3.4 motor. I was going to by it for myself originally before the folks that you bought it from transported it from Neptune, NJ and marked it up. Still a great deal for you!

Now it should be pretty interesting seeing what that thing does on the track! Can't wait for my first ride.

I'm really happy with the deal I got. It actually cost me less to get the 3.4, even with the remapping and stuff, than to get another 2.7 installed. With the PSS9 and the Dansk, I should be turning some pretty hot laps. On a cool (65 degree) day, I could just make 1:29 on SP. I should be able to obliterate that time, now.

[FTS]

I have seen the story too many time to even remember how many...

Michael, please be conservative on you first few outings with the new suspension. It will behave differently and you won't be ready initially for all the things it will tell you and they will happen faster than before. Too many people crashed thinking with a new suspension, they'll just go out and beat a time.

[pjalexandre]

Michael,

I'll be right behind you with my all new suspension... And hopefully closing in your rearview mirror. Oh wait, that is your line ;) However, it will be like learning a new car again so baby steps :twisted: