996 Blown Engine, what would you do?!

Hi, The engine in my project car decided to give up the ghost a few days ago, the little rattle greeted by a rather large cloud... (thinking IMS, head, bore etc) so gonna be big No warranty etc Anyway Sh*t happens!, I've had plenty of fun in it and my monies worth... so looking at my options: 1. Considering poor resale values of 996 currently, sell as is rather than fix, consider new engine + resale value 2. Source replacement engine - tried Autofarm any others? 3. Continue project, go down larger engine route What would you do?, interested in anyones thoughts who has been through this process. I must say it was certainly dramatic and impressive!. Cheers brumbrum

Try Hartech He has a good reputation http://www.hartech.org.uk/

If yours is a 3.4, did you look at the Autofarm 3.7 conversion. Not cheap, but you say it's a project car.

What would you do?, interested in anyones thoughts who has been through this process. If this was me now. I would certainly get the issues diagnosed. Then if it's terminal I would source a low cost short warranty replacement engine and while the engine is down fix all my other issues as far as my wallet would go. There are specialist salvage companies out there 4 to 5 k should ger you rolling again. This all depends on your circumstances at present of course but breaking the car down will not give you much return. I don't know what Autofarm or Hartech will charge but you have to look at the return value later down the road. Will the invested money be returned at resale of the car? I feel for you and yes sh#t happens. Supreme Salvage in Leeds for one may have a unit but there are dozens of breakers out there. Good luck and chin up! :?:

get eh problem diagnosed and find out what exactly is the prob - might not be that serious - if it is, have a scout about at the specialist breakers eg :- http://www.douglasvalley.co.uk/results.asp?spg=78&pgid=2

Depending what is wrong a typical engine rebuild will cost between £3500 and £5000 (+Vat) but at the higher end this will include all new shells, seals, bearings, decoking, reseating valves and various modifications to protect against typical failures, preserve performance and the result is guaranteed anyway. This includes removal and refitting the engine, road tests etc. The problem with the alternative of a used engine - is (1) if it came from your car that you crashed a week before your engine eventually let go - you know just how little mileage it will last, (2) was it damaged in the accident that made it available in the first place - overheated, sudden shock of a wheel stopping when it hit a kerb, damage to the cases, oil surge etc. (3) How long has it sat in a breakers yard (Lokasil bores degrade in atmosphere and damp beyond repair) (4) there is an increasing number of people who upon enquiring about the likely cause of a strange new noise or reduction in performance are advised that an engine failure is imminent and so arrange a crash or fire to get the insurance money and the innocent breakers take out the engine not knowing what is just around the corner. It would be worth considering the risk of a used engine if it was much cheaper but since it costs about the same (or often more) than a full inspection and rebuild in better shape than it was originally and guaranteed - this seems to me the best option. Of course if you were on our maintenance plan it would typically cost about £1500 to £3000 (if it was a huge blow up and a top rebuild) - which is much cheaper. Baz

these guys are good for engines http://www.v-zweeden.com/ + http://www.v-zweeden.com/index.php?cPath=298_27_676_2452 A later 3.6 upgrade might be a better option

It will be more of a challenge to fit. If his car is a non-egas model it would be difficult to integrate, and even if it is egas you would need the later DME to control the Variocam Plus. I believe it can be done with a separate controller, but it isn't a simple job. Seem to be very good prices though - not that there is much detail.

I must say I had a look at the Autofarm website last night, & It looked very interesting. It may cost more than a standard replacement 996 unit, but at least there would be some reinforcement done around the problem areas with the scope of more power too :thumb: http://www.autofarm.co.uk/engines/water_cooled

Id source another engine, and stick it in.

Find out what's gone wrong first. Talk to Mike at Sports & Classic in Knutsford http://www.sportsandclassic.com

...if it needs an engine(likely) best to get one on a pallet. A good indy can fit it in a day. I have seen 3.4 engine rebuilds taking 4/6 weeks and costing much more than 5k euro's + del By all means get a diag first but best ££££prepare yourself!

Hi, sorry to hear this news. There's quite a chunk of labour taking out/putting in these engines, so I'd avoid the engine from a breakers, you won't know the history and if it goes wrong you are back to square one. Better to get a new engine or have yours rebuilt. It'll be back to new, warrantied and hopefully good for another 100k+ miles. Upping to the bored out variants from Autoform will add to the smile on the fun side! Get the car fixed, enjoy it and then sell when the wallet has healed and the experience isn't so painful (and by then the market may have come back a bit). Good luck whatever route you choose.

Does the engine turn over? Was there a huge pool of oil underneath? What colour was the smoke? If the IMS has gone, then I doubt it would be worth rebuilding. If it is a broken liner, then I would be on the phone to Hartech, as it might be salvageable. If you want to spend a fortune, Autofarm are the people to speak to.

"If you want to spend a fortune, Autofarm "......LOL There are breakers and there are quality engine supply companies such as V-Zweeden + 600/800 for labour.