What are the "current" best options for engine repair/replacement

This winter came with low temperatures and one of my trusty 996 suddenly went kaboom. Wery sad day to say at least. It's 107k miles tiptronic, knocking pretty badly (shop says it's rod knock), there metal shavings in filter. At 2.2k rpm knocking kind of stops, but most noticeable on idle. Runs and drives great otherwise. I did a lot of searches and I know that my car is never would be worth nowhere close to what I need to put in it to make it run good again, but I still want to put it on the road or kind of upgrade it to another 911 if I can get at least anything for it... What do you think would be the best way for me to proceed? Rebuild engine from ebay / rebuild it myself / try to trade it in for 997.2 (but that might not go well due to noise) / sell it as-is on craigslist / carmax ? Please let me know latest experiences with engine failures on 996. Really appreciate your help.

Drive it

Mine does the same thing, scored cylinder #4 still driving it until I can afford to rebuild it but Canadian dollar sucks right now. Also considered trading it but practically every dealer including non Porsche dealers have been burnt by a 996 trade in around here and they are wise to it. Here is someone selling engine here, might be a good option for you. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...much-more.html

Damn. That sucks You're in my neck of the woods (I'm on the other side of IAD). Who is your shop? The cheapest/fastest/easiest option is going to be finding a used engine to swap in. Last I heard that was running about 12k or so if you are doing the work and 15k or so if you have to pay for labor. You can look at AWDguy's and Asashi's (sp?) threads for what is going to be involved in rebuilding a motor yourself. Another drop in solution is from RND ( http://rndengines.com/ ), but they are about $20k if I remember correctly. Of course you may be able to get yours rebuilt. Sending it to Jake is probably the most expensive and will take the longest. Martin (mbmotorsport) is another option. For a local option you might talk to Ivan at IMA in Chantilly if you haven't already. Prices will likely be all over the place for that work.

The lowest cost option is going to be finding a used engine. You may be able to find one for less than $12K. RL member onefastviking recently listed one on here for $10800. https://rennlist.com/forums/parts-ma...seats-etc.html

What are the "current" best options for engine repair/replacement? Options include: * New motor (subject to availability - call your local Porsche dealership) * Used motor (as TB stated) * Rebuild (Flat 6, MB Motorsports, others as recommended by 996 owners who have gone through the same thing). * Motor swap (at least one RL member has swapped in a Boxster motor; WhiteOut and others have done LSx conversions) The "best" option is the one you can afford that will make you happy with the car. If the engine really needs to be rebuilt/replaced, you find yourself in the realm of spending as much to get the car fixed as it will be worth, so this is also the time to decide if you cut and run or double down...

I'm still relatively new the 966 scene, but read enough to know most of the time it's never rod knock, but a scored cylinder. I would say drive it till she dies, then put in a re manufactured motor.

RE: Sweet victory's comment: If you stop driving it before something really bad happens to the block, it's probably still an asset. Once something catastrophic happens and it's got one or more extra holes, you don't even have a core worth selling.

If you don't mind driving to the Baltimore area, Sloan at SSI Motorsports rebuilds M96/97 engines. [phone removed]. They may even have one already done they could sell you. If you car otherwise is a nice clean example of a 996, then it may be worth saving.

http://www.mbmotorsportsrepair.com/index.html

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This sounds more better

Thank you so much guys! Lots of good info that I was looking for! Part of me says that it would be better to try trade it in for whatever and get SVT Raptor for winter (lol), but I still love the car Price for rebuild one from mbmotorsports looks great! Quick question - does it make any difference that I have tiptronic when I am looking for engine? I hope no...

Why not just rebuild the engine you have?

In the case of MBMotorsports.com, it's time - you can buy one that's on a pallet ready to ship, or you ship yours off, wait for the rebuild, wait for it to come back to you, etc...

Another vote for a rebuilt engine. Start looking around, and you should be able to eventually find a good one for about 9K or so. Have the cash ready so you can jump on it when you find it. It's a huge PITA if you wait until the car implodes, and suddenly you are stuck with a roller. Someone I know had this happen. If you go with MBMotorsports, I think all of use here would like your opinion afterwards. Edit: I just looked at their website. 12k plus a 2K core credit, so net 10K for a rebuilt with a 6 mo. warranty looks good!

MBMotorsports will also remove and replace the engine for $1k IIRC. You would have to ship your car to him in Florida

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Sorry for your issue but thinking about dumping the car knowing the car is hurting is not the best move.

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Even with shipping that would be cheaper then having it replaced here. Thank you.

Then you'll get a Florida vacation out of it if you pick it up and drive it back in the summer

I see three different used 996 engines on ebay right now for under $8,000 (plus shipping and install). No easy answer here. Might be best to sell the car as a roller.

Ok, I just brought it back home from shop with "death sentence". Sounds horrible. Not gonna run it again. Decided to save it. Spring break with daughter and wife in FL and driving it home then sounds like a plan. I need a vacation If I can also swap a tip with newer one at the same time, that would be awesome...

Sounds like a good plan, Valter. Keep us posted.

Sorry to hear the bad news. I hope this has a great ending for you.

If you want to sell the car as it is, I have a customer looking for a 996 to fit one of my engines to... He doesn't care if the engine has failed.

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Thank you for the offer! It's tiptronic, probably not what he is looking for. On another note, I know that you are one of the most respectful and knowledgeable professionals in in this field and it would be amazing if you can help me put my car on the road again I would trust this engine. If you have interest and capacity I would love to get a quote from you on 3.6 swap. Thank you!

I know someone else that may be looking for a tip.. I have a waiting list for car for those who want a broken one to fit with my engine. We don't do "swap".. We do reconstruct your engine into the 3.6 as our Street Performer, or 3.8 as the Streep Performer Plus. These add 25 and 40 HP respectively, every time to the factory power. It doesn't matter if the engine failed; I throw away almost 100 pounds of the original parts from the engine, whether they are good, or bad. These vary from 18-22.5K as a turn key project, meaning we get the car, and do it all start to finish.

Jake, I believe you are one of the best with these engines and have been successful in building a business. However, do you have many clients bring in a 996 for the upgraded engine builds? I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of cars purchased used for $16-$25K and someone bringing it in for an $18-$22.5K engine rebuild. I'm sure this makes financial sense to some. I guess the knowledge of having an improved engine with the reliability you build in is a motivating factor.

RDL, I think it's all about how long folks are planning to hold the cars. I'd like to keep my 996 running forever, so I wouldn't necessarily be unwilling to drop over $10K on a rebuild and more on a build-out with more displacement and more reliable power. I don't expect that Jake sees much business from folks like the Jalopnik guy with the $8K 996. Some folks are treating the 996 as disposable 911's - and if you buy in to the car for $10K and you think you can get $5K out of a roller if it blows up, that's not necessarily an indefensible position. However, some of us paid significantly more (especially the original owners, of whom there are a few here), so $15K doesn't necessarily sound like a COMPLETELY unreasonable number.

I don't mean to imply Jake's cost as unreasonable. I am sure the cost is justified with the amount of work, parts and fair market value. I think you are correct for the original owners looking at a long term investment. I suspect the secondary or more, owners may have a harder time with the additional investment. As a fourth owner myself, if it blows up, I imagine the sale as a roller and move on to another model would be my direction. I guess this will change if/when the value of the cars increase to an amount where the roller is equal to the cost of the rebuilt engine. In my mind the investment becomes more logical at that point.

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parts alone, your looking at 10-15k for a proper rebuild. throw in another 3-7k for labor and those prices make sense.

I agree with Mr. "Fast" above. I did spend more for my 2005 C4S and if the engine goes I would either go with Jake or at minimum the RND option as I plan to keep my car as long as I can drive it. Jake would be definitely the first choice if it wasn't for the long process time, which unfortunately I fully understand and agree with his business rationale that creates it.

I built my business well before the 996 came along. By the time these cars needed our attention I already had an extensive backlog with aircooled engines, and today we still do. We don't just build engines, I develop components for other companies, and I have since day one. The M96 was just one of the engines that I focused on, just like today with the 9a1 engines, and even the Gt4 as my immediate developmental platform for tomorrow. HA! Do they? Hell yes, I have 13 of them here right now, some from as far away as Edmonton Ab Canada. The 996 remains the majority of what we do today, just like it has been for the last decade. You won't. Don't try. These people are driven by their love for the car, and their enthusiasm for what the 996 has that none of the other cars do. This is NOT new! Its the same as I have experienced since 1992 when I started all this craziness. Back in those days the 914 and 912 wasn't worth anything, but I still had guys spending 10-15K on those engines, when their car was sometimes worth 2-3K. Today those people are spending 25-35K for the engine, but their car is worth something. Its not about the financial sense this makes. This is a Porsche, not a Toyota, and people will always love this car for more than just transportation. Many of my customers have owned the car since new, but just as many have just bought the car and want to keep it for years. They know the only real way to solve the weak link with the 996 is to get in line at my door, and spend the cost of admission. I sold two engines yesterday to 996 owners, one is a 2004, the other is a 1999. The motivating factor is love. Nothing more, or less. Thats why you don't see cars with my engines for sale; once someone has it, they keep it. In fact, this year I have seen an INCREASE in the amount of early cars we are building engines for... Not a decrease. Look at the fact that we can now easily create 80-110 more HP (for the street) than stock for these engines from their stock form, and that changes a lot. These days almost everything we build makes 300 RWHP in a 996 as a starting point, and it can be driven every day.

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Thank you! PM sent.

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I'm (or my wife is technically) an original owner that Schnelly mentioned. At almost 16 years in the decision is easy as we really plan to keep the car forever Now getting the money together for it will take some wrangling, but it will be worth it to keep it going (and better than ever). The year wait is really the biggest pill to swallow for me. Something else to consider is that if the current entry price to a 3.6l 996 is $20-25k and you really want to stay in a 996, then the motor is essentially the cost of getting into another one. True you could sell your current one as a roller for $5-7k, but when you factor in the hassle of selling it, the hassle of finding a new one, and possibly/probably transporting it to you that roller value may be eaten up. Another non-monetary plus of having yours resurrected is that you already know it's pluses and minuses where a new one will mostly be a mystery.

But its not really a year... The process may take that long, but for any elective build you only do without the car for 2 months at maximum. We can do 10 months worth of our work without your engine, so you drive the car and keep it as a daily driver, then ship it in when the time comes. I also have an option where an elective build can be turned around in 3 weeks, but with that option you don't keep your block, or heads, however the rest is all your components. You spend time waiting, but you don't have to do without the car, unless it has failed... The guys that wait too long are the ones that see the full effects of the 11-14 month process time. Don't be one of those guys :-)

Ah. I thought it was a year either way. Good to know. Maybe it's time to open a 996 savings account

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Yep.. We can logistically work around most anything as long as someone is doing an elective build.. I changed things up this year a good bit and it's all easier than it used to be.