Please Share Your 996 Rebuild Stories with Me!

Longtime lurker, first time poster. I'm the recent victim of what seems to be an increasingly common tale around these parts; I purchased a seemingly well-maintained 996 3.4L that unexpectedly requires a rebuild. The shortest version of my story is I bought 60k mile example of 2000 C2 with a 6-speed that came with a big stack of seemingly clean service records (all dealership or Pcar indy spots), bone stock other than an LN IMS retrofit which was installed at 39k miles and a heap of carbon interior parts, and a quiet, strong-running engine. No smoke, no ticking, no drips. The previous owner cared about the car deeply and owned it for 15 years, but was not mechanically inclined. The car went grenade mode about 7 days and 800 miles into my ownership. The current diagnosis is that something went in the timing section and the car currently has low compression in cyls 1 and 2 and a dented piston and a bent valve in 3, along with some very early signs of bore scoring in 3 for good measure (separate issues from my understanding). I'll know how bad the damage is first week of Oct, but we believe the crank should be fine based on how/when the timing issue occurred. It's too nice a car to part out, clean CarFax, mint body work/paint/interior, and around $15k in carbon fiber in the cabin and I truly love the 996 platform (when it works). I was planning on keeping the thing for at least 10 years, so I've managed to get past the nausea the word "rebuild" and its associated costs and I've explored a lot of options for getting the car back on the road and optimized. I've settled on doing the typical 3.8 conversion that most people seem to favor with the early cars. After some good chats with my local Pcar buds and Judd at LN/FSI, the build is being done by Automotive Associates of Canton in CT and we're having LN do the machining and Nickies install, bored out to a 3.8 with the upgraded Mahle pistons/rings/etc, and I'm going to do the full monty LN "Deluxe" rebuild kit with the Carillo connecting rods, an LN "Solution" IMS, and I'm sending the top to Len Hoffman to be cleaned up and optimized. The advice I've gotten from everyone involved is to run a new stock Sachs clutch and Luk dual mass flywheel, upgrade the radiators to CSF in both banks and forgo the third radiator install to start (the car won't be tracked and I live in the Northeast), do the low temp thermostat, a deep sump/baffled oil pan, new coolant expansion tank and a replace any parts that need it with new, and eventually I'll install an IPD plenum/GT3 throttle body/x-pipe/exhaust/tune to take full advantage of the increased bore and headwork. But for now, I just want the engine rebuilt in a way that makes it functional and and allows me to drive it through spring/summer 2024 and do those extra bits in Winter once I've recovered from the cost of the rebuild. My goal here is to have the engine be as bullet proof and worry free as possible and to optimize the car as a spicy street/mountain road ripper. I have no plans to track it, but I'd love it to be that durable and have the option if I ever choose to convert it. -Is there anything those of you with similar 3.8 builds would do differently if you had to do it again? Any parts you regret not installing when you had the chance? -Has your ownership been pretty carefree (with proper maintenance and all that obv) since doing the rebuild? -I'm fine with the cost of the rebuild and I'm fine with the time out of service (it's about to be winter either way), but I simply couldn't afford to do it twice and I'd love to hear about how your 3.8 rebuilds are fairing since completion. Good or bad -- let me have it. Show me some pics of your rebuilt cars with rebuilt engines living happy lives, though. I need the good vibes this week haha. -Is there an upgraded oil cooler I should be looking at? -I've read that the air box from a 997 Carrera S makes a decent difference and is an easy mod. Is this also something worth investing in now or just doing down the line with the plenum/throttle body/tune. Thanks! -DVB

My story and better then a 3.8l. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-the-dust.html

Quotes source post: 19024948

Sick solution! It looks like my core is salvageable and I�m really not hellbent on tracking it, but a GT3 swap would be incredibly fun.

I have a 3.6 FSI in my Boxster S since December of 2015 . Rock solid performance. I have a 3.8 in my 996 C4 for a little over a year now . Rock solid performance . Your plan is solid . Len Hoffman in my opinion is the best out there . While the engine is out install the track version UAOS . Install a new oil filler tube . Replace every vacumn line and rubber hose . If your starter shows ANY signs of being iffy replace or rebuild . Install a brand new engine ground strap . Install a new Porsche OEM coolant tank . LN/Jud/FSI/Len will do a great job for you . All very professional with hundreds of builds performed . Another thing the 3.8 factory air box flows very well . I have one in mine . Along with a GT3 throttle body they will flow more air than the intake plenums can handle . Good luck with your build and have fun .

Here's my story 3.6 -> 4.0, https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...e-project.html . It now runs great and is bulletproof.

Save money and keep the stock radiators, stock rods if no issue currently, low temp thermostat not needed, deep sump not needed. That stuff is going to add up to multiple thousands of dollars you can allocate to getting the car back on the road better than it was when it came off. Do they think the rods need to be replaced due to trauma when the pistons kissed the valves ? I just don't see a value in the stuff above for a road car, even a road car that will see light track use ? If at a later point you decide it's needed, the only thing that you can't add back to the recipe are the rods and the only way I see you breaking a stock rod is to starve it of oil and watch it shoot to the moon - I don't see many reports of people having that issue on the road and the people we have seen have it on the track are generally pretty experienced running sticky tires. These are just my opinions so take it FWIW - best of luck on the rebuild. I didn't rebuild mine - I put 462WHP in it

If Jud says they’re good, they’re good. Only spend extra money on fancy internals if you really truly will build up. Extra power on these motors costs silly money. The 997 oil cooler fits. Nickies I assume! Nothing else is worth a tinkers damn.

I just got done with my 3.8 LN build , K1 rods, Mahle, IMS Solution, new oil pump etc. Two things I would have done different; 1. Pin the IMS gear. I've done it on all my other builds but for some reason, I didn't think I needed it this time. Now having second thoughts. 2. Stage 1 or 2 clutch. I do a bunch of city driving and didn't want a heavier clutch feel but the stock clutch is prob just marginal given the HP gains. One thing I do recommend is to replace the oem RMS with one that has a spring incorporated in it. The oem style just doesn't seem robust enough. Have fun. This upgrade is amazing and honestly a vast improvement.

@996C438 Killer. I believe that "deluxe" rebuild kit includes all new lines/hoses/gasket sets/fasteners, but the plan is to absolutely replace anything like that, including the coolant tank. I've gotten mixed reviews on the track UAOS' importance for a street build for the cost, but I've also heard the same thing about the Carillo rods. How would you describe the 3.8's feel? Everyone I've spoken to claims it takes the things I already enjoyed about the 3.4 and just gives it much more useable torque across the midrange. Glad to hear you've had such longterm performance with your Boxster build.

@zbomb I'm on the fence about the deep sump as I live in NY and the car is definitely getting driven in NYC sometimes and I'm going to lower it slightly, but I've been told more oil means cooler oil and I'm really, really interested in reliability/durability/increased performance for street type stuff. Same for the radiator upgrade, though I might stage those in with the IPD plenum/GT3 throttle body/x-pipe after the initial build. I'm opting for the Carillos at the suggestion of Scott at Auto Associates, but if there isn't a major performance gain or a proven durability gain in a build like this, I'd rather save the dough. My thing is just making sure I really put the right things in while I'm in there to set it up for success now if I do decided to throw more spicy parts at it down the line -- which very much might happen. I have no intentions of turning this into a proper track car ever (seems like the m96 is a mediocre starting point for a track toy in general unless you can afford a rebuild every few years). Sounds like you built a real monster. How'd you pull those numbers out of it and how does it behave?

@Jmrjimbo Awesome. Yeah, I will be doing city driving with it sometimes and I do not want a heavier clutch if it isn't necessary. So you're saying you wish you had done the stage 1 or 2 clutch or had not?

My C4 is running stock radiators but I did add the center rad . Being in Georgia I thought that was $$ well spent . I actually added a used rad from a Boxster S . If the fans are working properly you will stay cool on the street . Short term I would say run stock rads and add better rads in the future if needed. Extended oil sump . I was lucky and found one used for a great price ( thanks Jake ) . So I am adding it to my car . Not necessarily needed but extra oil in my mind is a good thing . My car also has aftermarket headers , catless x-pipe and Fister modified OEM mufflers . My car put down 318.5 hp and 290 lb ft of torque at the wheels when we dynoed it . That's aprox 385-388 crank hp vs the stock 296 . Public disclosure : I worked for 5 years as the FSI break in driver . In that role I have driven aprox 180 various Porsche models with a variety of engines . Where do I rate my 3.8 ? It's right up there for enjoyment . Not the most powerful but not the weakest either . She pulls like a horse in the relatively light chassis. I have no qualms about my decisions for both cars . Yes I am a fan of FSI/LN/Len Hoffman. I have seen in person their work over a 5 year period . Rock solid and repeatable due to solid processes used daily . Are there other quality builders out there ? Absolutely . Can you get quality results elsewhere ? Absolutely . Do your research , get advice and make the decisions right for you . Sorry for the long winded reply .

Quotes source posts: 19025291, 19025488

I would not sacrifice the ground clearance for the maybe cooler oil from the capacity increase. From a durability and reliability standpoint, I think the lowered sump presents more risk than any perceived benefit from the oil temp change, especially if you're going to be driving it over NYC roads. The radiators are great bling and there is value there, I would just not get them expecting to see any tangible benefit for your use case. Same with the Carillos, nice to say you have them I just don't know what they are supposed to do for you that a stock rod doesn't for your setup and goals. If it were me, I would take the money for all that stuff and put it to the intake mods you mentioned, I would add in exhaust mods with header, hi flow cats and a less restrictive muffler and the engine should make pretty good power. I would also get the ECU calibrated for all that stuff on a dyno to maximize the investment in the sum of the parts.This is something you will get to experience the benefit of far more frequently than the stuff I have suggested you hold off on. Heres a thread with a bunch of dyno sheets, should give you a feel for what does what. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post19025102 I put an LS3 into mine. I have little experience with it, just finished'ish but so far the behavior is, violent. ETA... Whats the approx crank HP for 462HP at the wheels ? And, can you share your graph in the HP thread ?

Forged rods are recommended if going from 3.4 to 3.8. I have a 3.6 converted to 3.8 and two 3.6 converted to 4.0. I have used both Carillo and K1 rods and I think the K1s are fine for a street car. The increase in torque is what really makes them fun cars to drive. LN / Jud will not steer you wrong. Have the rotating assembly balanced (pressure plate, flywheel, crank, pistons, rods, front pulley). The better balanced these are the smoother the engine runs. I have a 4.0 baqlanced to .5 gram and a 4.0 balanced to .1 gram and you can tell the difference. The UAOS with track drain back makes the system pretty much a “forget about it” system and you can easily change the diaphragm if it fails in the future. Have Hoffman do the heads and ask for stage II porting. Like the rods, these are the hardest things to change in the future. I used the deluxe kits on my engines and they are pretty complete except for coolant and vacuum hoses. You can run the 997 oil cooler which is 1/4’ taller so it has a few more rows for increased capacity. If you use a 997 oil cooler you should be OK with stock sump plate but I would install an X-51 baffle with aluminum parts rather than stock plastic. The 997 Carrera S 3.8 airbox is a good upgrade for a larger motor. The intake snorkel is larger and will flow better. X-51 intakes flow better if you can find a set, but I found on my car they interfere with the AC suction pipe so you have to modify it. The AC suction pipe for the X-51 kit is NLA. If you do not go to stage II porting the IPD and GT3 throttle body do not provide as much improvement. Think hard about what is important to you and let that guide you. Make sure you do the internal things right the first time (rods, balancing and porting) because it is so expensive to re-do them later. Good luck with your rebuild. Mark

Zbomb I " think " the driveline loss is in the neighborhood of 20 - 22 % but I am far from an expert . Not sure if there is a difference between C2 vs C4 . There is no doubt you have a lot of power in yours . I don't have a " soft copy " of my dyno sheets but I do have paper copies . I will see if I can take a pic and post . To be honest I thought I already did that .

I went from 3.4 to 3.8 and basically did all the goodies you're doing. It's a lot of money for SOME noticeable gains. I don't track the car, so I can't say that it was "worth" it to spend all that money. Don't get me wrong, love the car, etc. and if your only sports car and you want to keep it forever, then MAYBE it's fine. Overall, it'll be a fun car to rebuild and you'll learn a lot with the experience. I'd recommend doing the UAOS to make that bulletproof. UIDS as well if you plan to track the car.

@168Sierra Mark, do you know the reasoning behind the forged rod recommendation ? Would be interesting to know the why behind it as they will contribute a fair amount of expense to a rebuild. As an admitted simpleton, If I’m in the business of selling rods, I’m probably going to recommend my customers buy rods.

here's my 3.6-->4.0 build e30rapidic's 3.6-->4.0 build Some notables: I didn't touch the radiators (and only have 2, not 3) and zero cooling issues Stage 1 Hoffman heads Stock intake Stock throttle body Underdrive pulley Stock tune for now but that will change one day....

I'm about 4 months in to driving my 3.8, I did the full CSF radiator kit. (All 3) I have the low temp thermostat. I swapped the radiators because the stock ones were 20 years old and the plastic tanks at that age are a problem on the way IMHO.. (Based on 3 BMW's with plastic tanks before the 911... ) The CSF rads are thicker than stock, the third radiator is probably mild overkill but I got a sale price on the whole set I couldn't pass up.. My temps all the way up to outside temps in the 105 range are rock solid 180.. Probably partly the bigger cooling but also the thermostat.. #1 recommendation is get LN or the builder to hook you up with a tuner, I had mine done and we did 4 revisions so far and each time you can tell. The engine took about 3500 miles to really break in, now its amazing.. I'm nowhere near top of the list on HP but its a absolutely amazing drive.

The stock Mahle 3.4 pistons are very light weight, the bigger 101mm pistons are heavier and place more stress on the rods. So go with Forged H-beam rods unless you are "positive" you will never do a money shift, or run at near red-line for sustained periods.. UAOS is a no brainer, it is what should have been done from the factory. It uses the same diaphragm as the Mclaren Mp4 but is placed in a convenient location and can be changed in 10 min and the UAOS "system" is 4x more efficient than the Mclaren system or stock m96 system.. The only ones who have anything negative to say about the UAOS system are the ones who are so frugal they squeak when they walk or are newbies who have no clue what has happened in the last 20 years.. But you don't have to take my word for it, just look back in the archive here from the last 20 years, and that doesn't even tell the whole story because Porsche knew it and even lowered to oil level to help out the stock AOS.. Good luck with your build, I think you will make all the right choices and are in good hands..

Jason, I know they say the stock rods are adequate if you only increase the bore by 3mm (99), but you do need to use ARP bolts which are much stronger than factory bolts. I think the larger bore (101) just puts more stress on the rods and it may be due to the use of “cracked” rod big ends in the factory rods. Th K1 forged rods are about $600 less than the Carrillos. End the end it is a how do you feel about the risks. I personally feel better about upgrading the rods due to the difficulty of doing it later and the consequence of a rod failure. Everyone needs to do their own risk tolerance and make their decision accordingly. Mark

That upgraded rod reasoning makes sense Skip and Mark, thanks.

I suspect getting stock rods reconditioned is close to the same price as buying K1 forged rods. I put the K1�s in my 4l build and they have been very reliable for the last 900 miles 😉 I also popped for the IMS Solution and the UAOS because I want longevity. I bought ARP carrier bolts because they were cheaper than stock. I also bought ARP head studs but later found out the stock head bolts can be reused. I would reuse the stock ones if were to do over again. I bought new injectors, plugs, and cam bolts. And new gaskets, oil fill tube, 997 oil cooler� Early on I thought the LN kits were too expensive. I was wrong. They are a good value.

Quotes source post: 19025911

At this point, I have about as little tolerance for risk as anyone possibly could, maybe a hair short of the person that�d feel so burnt by the car blowing up after 7 days that they had to move it on as a roller or part it out. I simply cannot afford to do a rebuild twice. I can barely pull it off once, but I�d rather find a way to make it count now and invest in the most durable and high performance parts possible while it�s opened up than risk a second rebuild later. That said, I�m not just trying to throw money away and I do love the idea of the car and want to enjoy it for a very, very long time. I can totally commit to it if I feel confident in its longterm reliability after a rebuild of this nature. I also don�t hate the �bling� factor; those parts do look good on a build sheet if I ever DO want to unload the car and I still think the market for 996s is going to go up. No one ever thought 993s would cost what they do now and ppl are already swinging for the fences on low mileage 996s. I don�t expect to ever make a profit on the car with a rebuild, but break even�maybe in a decade? Who knows. I want to enjoy it that long regardless. So I�m sticking with the fancy forged rods, prolly forgoing the deep sump oil pan, but getting a metal baffle for the stock one, upgraded oil cooler, upgraded AOS, and I�m gonna do the CSF units bc the car has its OGs installed now and I�d rather just swap �em for peace of mind.

Thanks for all your advice, fellas. Not that this isn�t wildly unpleasant, but at least there�s some community to rely on. I still think I�m going to order one of these for the rear window and fly it after the rebuild to be a ****head.

Quotes source post: 19025294

Yes. The clutch and PP have wider surface area. Of course, it takes me less than 3 hrs to pull the motor and trans so its something I'll do in the future.

I did the stock clutch flywheel pressure plate on my 3.8 , if there were a pressure plate that was just a bit higher spring rate it would be a good thing, Or I have used a centerforce dual friction disk in a stock clutch on other rides, to just make it tougher.. Once my clutch broke in its holds nice but I had to be careful the first 1500 miles or so.. Taking off in first you could tell it wanted to slip, once it broke in its fine.

I sent a perfect running 3.6 down south and it came back as a 4.0. Absolute night and day difference. Total animal. Gave my turbo a run for its money before that car got a tune. 10/10 would do it again. Oh, I said perfectly running.....but let me tell you, on tear down at 29k, there was evidence of cyl 6 piston skirt failing.

Quotes source post: 19025511

Is the flow increase for the 997 airbox all due to the snorkel? If you use the 996 snorkel is there no benefit?

Answers for several comments/questions: stock rods cannot be rebuilt because they use “cracked rod” technology. The rods are manufactured and then the big end is fractured and put back together. The fractured surface between the rod and end cap is rough. This makes them fit together perfectly. They do not use a dowel around the rod bolt. When rods are rebuilt, the process is to grind down the mating surface of the rod and cap. Then they are bolted back together and bored to the proper diameter. This process shortens the rod so a new wrist pin bushing is installed and bored off center to re-establish the correct center to center distance between the big and small ends of the rod. With a cracked rod, you cannot grind the mating surface between the rod and the rod cap. 997 Carrera 3.8 and 996 air boxes both use the same filter element. I know the 3.8 Carrera S snorkel is large but I don’t know if there are other internal differences that allow it to flow more air the 997 snorkel requires the use of the mating fitting that snaps into the deck lid but this requires no modification to switch. if you use the 997 3.8 airbox you do need to move the Swecondary air pump about a 1/4” to the left. I was able to order a modified bracket for the air pump from EVOMS. Hope this helps explain a few things. Mark

Quotes source post: 19029194

I heard that too, and ordered the 997 deck lid piece. But the 996 "bellows" slides right over the top of the 997 snorkel, so I left the 996 piece in place. 996 bellows work just fine -- this is a shot with the spoiler up, shooting under it to show the parts with the engine lid closed

Thank again for the thoughtful replies, everyone. Good call on pinning the IMS; spoke with Jud today and I'm going to have it sent to LN with the block when it goes for the machining/Nickies and I'll have them do the job and install the Solution at the same time.

I also appreciate the thoughtful replies - thanks guys. Good food for thought for when/if I ever do an engine out on my 986 S. I see reasons to just run the motor and maintain it and reasons to reach for a little more performance if I'm already doing big mainentance. I guess I'll see what I think in the future!

I just drove my 3.4 to 3.8 first time yesterday. LN Nickies. Carillo rods, LN deluxe kit. (there is no Porsche supply chain in Australia), Standard heads. Standard intake/induction. Nothing to see, except cleanliness. Pinned IMS, IMS Solution, UAOS thanks Skip. Old tech deep LN Sump. Top Gear mild exhaust headers, X pipe, cats. Calculator shows 11.7% displacement increase. Hartechs post for their 3.4 to 3.7 is that max hp approaches the displacement increase. Torque under the curve from idle is close to double the displacement increase. Mine sound and drove responsively, with a noticeable wall of torque, as the difference. A very satisfying result.

Alright, teardown complete and it appears the carnage was limited to that one piston and valve and some bore scoring. Block and IMS arrived at LN yesterday and I�ll be having them install the Solution bearing and pin the IMS as well. Heads were shipped to Hoffman yesterday. Gotta say that Scott at Auto Associates, Len Hoffman, and Jud at LN have been exceptionally generous with their time and patient with my questions. Their explanations haven�t just helped to demystify the M96 and rebuild process, but honestly made me feel quite a bit better about the costs involved. It�s absurd dough for me, but I�m confident the car I�m getting back is truly going to be my optimized and bulletproofed NA 996. My new thing is considering installing an LSD while it�s in surgery. It�s a non-PSM and non-LSD car, but it felt pretty planted in the rain a few days before it went grenade mode. I�m a confident driver, but haven�t had wheel time with 3.8 996 build. Thanks again to everyone for their advice and stories. I�ll keep updating this thread as things move along.

Quotes source post: 19059729

Awesome! You are working with the right people. Good people. They can hook you up with a how-to on engine assembly as well. These engines ain't exactly normal when it comes to that.

Quotes source post: 19059876

Thanks! Scott at Auto Associates is the one building it.

Be sure to check the scavenge pump on bank 1 carefully during assessment. With a bent valve means the cam timing became un-timed and is caused by the timing chain breaking/jumping a tooth or the scavenge pump locking up and causing excess stress on the chain.. Scavenge pumps are very tight tolerances and it only takes a small bit of metal to lock it up and chain re-actions take over to form serious or catastrophic events. You would be surprised at how many catastrophic events start with just a failed $2 part ( clip , O-ring, ect.) or a small bit of metal getting in just the wrong place...

Quotes source post: 19059900

Right on. The heads are being gone through/refreshed and given a few performance and reliability upgrades by Len Hoffman, so I�m trusting he�s got his eyes on that.

Alrighty, little update: Len Hoffman is done with my heads and they�ve been shipped back to Auto Associates. All good news; no additional damage found besides the one bent valve and the typical corroded exhaust flanges. Heads got Len�s base service with seat and guide work and we also did Stage 1 porting, replaced the freeze plugs with threaded brass ones to further bulletproof the heads, and I upgraded to high performance valve springs. The list of work done in Len�s base service is pretty extensive and he was super communicative throughout the job, happy to educate without trying to upsell me on unnecessary work or parts, and the turnaround was much quicker than initially quoted. Obviously people on this forum know his work is the best, but I�d like to echo that he has been a great guy to deal with throughout. The block and IMS are still at LN and in the queue for the 3.8 bore machining job/Nickies install/IMS pinning service, but Scott at Auto Associates did say there was actually no bore scoring present at all when he split the cases, which contradicts what the first Porsche indy that diagnosed the kissed piston saw on their sump-routed bore scope. I�d have gone the Nickies route while the engine was split for peace of mind either way, so no sleep lost, but interesting news.

And we�re now in the assembly phase. Scott at Automobile Associates sent some shots of my parts coming together. Carillo rods, forged Mahle 101s, IMS Solution and LN pinned the IMS assembly while it was there with the block getting machined and the 3.8 Nickies installed, and some of Len Hoffman�s handiwork on display with the heads. The anticipation begins!

Curious. We see a large power bump with 4.0 Vs. 3.8 - what led you down the 3.8 path ? I understand you started with a 3.4 and am wondering if that played a part ?

Quotes source post: 19304305

I was told going from a 3.4 to 4.0 requires the crankshaft and carrier from a 3.6 and some modifications on top of that. I honestly liked the car a lot with a stock 3.4, so the extra power I should net from a 3.8 and Len�s head work should be gravy for me. My failure was a low RPM timing issue that luckily only destroyed a single piston and valve, so the crank was fine.

Cool thanks for educating. Good luck with the rebuild man. Hope it works out awesome with you !

Quotes source post: 19304340

Thanks man! I think it�ll boogie just fine for a spicy street build!

Sounds like your build is progressing just fine. You should really enjoy the power and torque of your new engine. Sounds like you did not get enough experience with the stock engine to be able to make a good comparison between the stock 3.4 and the 3.8 you will now have. Try to find someone with a stock 3.4 to drive and you will be very surprised at the difference. You should be able to find someone in your local PCA (PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA) One thing you might consider is to replace the fuel injectors because yours are over 20 years of age if they have not been replaced. LN should be a good source of quality injectors. I replaced the injectors on all four of my engine builds and am replacing them on my turbo due to their age.Their flow pattern will have probably degraded over this period of time because gasoline has no lubricator and there will be some wear. new injectors will provide better spray pattern and atomization of the fuel. Mark

Quotes source post: 19304446

Thank you! I drove quite a few stock 3.4s over the years before buying my own (ill-fated) one, so I think I�ll have some sense of it, but there�s a guy in my local car club with a stock �99 (white with factory aero�drool) that I�ll get to compare with. I had convos with my builder on the injectors and he said he prefers cleaned and rebuilt (and tested) older Bosch units to the new ones. He�s. warrantying the build for a year/12k miles, so I�ll make sure we check on the trims often and check for leak down and if we need to swap for new, I�ll have that convo.

Quotes source post: 19304455

Did your engine builder ever identify the root cause of your failure? Timing chain, scavenge pump, valve seat ect..? Also I would suggest that anyone who is doing a complete engine rebuild to drill these drain holes out from 6mm to 10mm. There are 4 of them that drain the ims area to the Sump....increasing the drain back to the sump has benefits but no draw backs, and is easy to do when all disassembled... ( see pic below) .....although it may be a bit to late on yours, but you are not planning on tracking so it is ok...

Quotes source post: 19304534

Sure seems like someone that serviced the car before I got it failed to torque a bolt to spec in the timing section and it let go. Really, really ****ing dumb.

And we�re into final assembly! I�m told it�ll be on the road this week. Unfortunately, it also looks like a late season snow storm is headed this way on Thursday, so that might put a damper on shakedown, but I truly cannot wait to get the car back, broken in, and dialed in for TRUE Spring.