Flashing CEL while away from home for three weeks...

I am working down in DC for three weeks, and driving today the engine started to idle rough. Seemed fine when I was on the gas, but as soon as I came to a stop light... rough idling again. Then, the CEL started flashing. I limped it back to the parking garage (less than a half mile), and noticed a bit of a ticking noise in the garage - although I think it was just the exhaust noise with the rough idle. I'm waiting for the car to cool down but it does not look like coolant is in oil, or oil in coolant. No unusual smoke, steam, etc. I'm super paranoid, so I brought my Durametric with me on the trip and checked the codes. I have: P0491 Porsche fault code 80 - Secondary-air system bank 1 P0492 Porsche fault code 208 - Secondary-air system bank 2 P0300 Porsche fault code 507 - Misfire detection (total) P0302 Porsche fault code 510 - Misfire cylinder 2 Now on the Secondary-air system bank - that's an issue I've had off and on. I replaced the starter a few months back and I think I knocked a line off the vacuum reservoir. The light only comes on sometimes; so those codes are "normal", so to speak. That being said, for the full picture I figured I'd throw them up there. The main thing I'm concerned with is the misfire. Instant reaction is coilpack/plugs - so I'm thinking I'll order those. There is LUCKILY a shop I can use on the weekends here, so if it is the coilpack/plug - I can swap that out. I'll only have a day/about 5 hours to work on it, so anything else I should check before or while I'm in there? What's a good plan of attack?

Start with plugs and coil packs. Hopefully that will take care of it, so you won't need any further plan of attack. The flashing light is the "imminent danger to emission system" - the unburned fuel dumping into the exhaust isn't great for the catalytic converters - so you may not be looking at anything any more serious than a bad coil pack.

I'm sure it's nothing. Kinda getting a Chip light in the 65A. Nothing to really worry over but a good excuse to get off the cutter for a few days just to be sure.

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Good to know! I currently have a catless X-pipe on the car (it's been on there since the fall), so luckily no damage pending to the cats... So ultimately, should be fine to drive a couple miles to work on it?

If the coils and plugs don't cure the fault then you may want to consider reinstalling the cats to the original exhaust set up. Good luck with the fix.

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Those secondary air system codes are not normal. If you think you knocked off a line to the vacuum reservoir you need to find that and fix it and any other collateral damage that you might have done. Clear the codes and road test the car. If the misfire codes come back or the engine manifests untoward behavior you can then come back for further assistance.

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+ 996. I also had 0491/0492 (bank 1) recently and the vacuum reservoir was the culprit (lines, valves and pump were good).

Thanks for keeping me in check! Borrowed a mini-van, bought a socket kit at Home Depot, and then setup in the basement parking garage where the car was. After awkwardly tinkering I got the intake plenum and alternator out so I could have more access. I reached back to the vacuum reservoir and found this.... photo296.jpg Well, I found the line that is supposed to connect the #2 changeover valve to the reservoir was completely snapped. So, I'll be walking over to Porsche of Arlington (conveniently two blocks away) tomorrow morning to pick up some vacuum line, get everything buttoned up and then I'll see how things are running. Also many thanks to Ahsai for posting this diagram in another thread (which I'm reposting for visibility purposes) photo741.jpg

Hey, that photo looks familiar lol Glad it helped.

Just wanted to let you know that I had the same symptoms as you, plus a coolant leak, and yesterday I changed the coil pack for cylinder number 1, the misfire is gone as quickly as it came. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Good to know! I had about two hours free this morning so took it to a nearby base DIY shop and tossed the car up on a lift. Got the exhaust off, heat shields off and then swapped he number one and two coils - new ones were ordered and are on the FedEx truck as we speak, so figured I'd troubleshoot for now. Rough idle is still present, though not as bad as before and no codes came up after 2-3 minutes of idling (previously they'd show up within 10-15 seconds). Looks like fiddling with coils hasn't fixed it, but just messing with them shows at least one was finicky. New plugs and coils tomorrow and hopefully she'll be good as new!

Welp.... replaced all the coils and plugs (they had not been changed in years so figured I might as well), took it for a drive and thew up a code, idled rough and started again with the rough noise at idle. So, off to the dealer on Monday to see if they can troubleshoot for me - it's only half a mile away from where I'm staying. I'd prefer a competent indy, but google searching didn't give me the warm fuzzy. Anyone know a good/great mechanic in the Washington DC/Arlington VA area?

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Just recently I went after misfires that only occur at cold start. I attributed them to bad coils. Oh, same 2 cylinders: 3 and 6. Engine, oh in a 996 Turbo, runs a bit rougher than usual just before the CEL comes on, but not a great deal rougher. About the time I think hey the engine feels maybe a bit rougher than usual the CEL comes on. But not always. Anyhow, I figured coils and had these replaced along with the plugs. The plugs were not that old didn't have that many miles but since it was the Turbo I figured better safe than sorry. Engine felt a bit better afterwards, but the misfires came back. Never went away actually. Consulted with a tech and he suggested a sticky injector or two and suggested I run some fuel system cleaner through the engine. I believed this a bit of a long shot as I've been running Chevron gasoline for over a year now and while the Boxster engine perked up after a couple of tankfuls the Turbo engine didn't. Still I believed that the Chevron gasoline had removed any engine deposits including any injector deposits. Still what the heck. And the tech handed me a bottle and refused any reimbursement. Used a full bottle in a tank and ran the tank down to nearly empty and the misfires were back. Never really left. Came on at least once while I using the tank full of gas with the cleaner. Same circumstances and cylinders as before. I haven't had time to check in with the tech. It has been suggested the problem could be related to the fuel pressure regulator being slow to let fuel pressure develop upon cold start and the injectors run with fuel pressure a bit subpar and the 2 cylinders that misfire are the most sensitive to this. On this same vein it has also been suggested that a line in the Turbo's fuel tank is leaking and fuel pressure at least at engine start is down. I note your 4S has the same basic fuel tank and fuel delivery system as my Turbo so you might want to keep this in mind. Might mention the misfires now are coming more often, just every few days and not only at the first start of the beginning of the day after the car has sat a day or two unused, but also when starting the engine at work. Never misfired even 8 or 9 hours after the 1st start of the day before. Be sure you come back and update us what is found. I'm certainly interested in knowing before I take my Turbo back in for this.

Copilot: You had a misfire on cylinder number 2. After changing the coils and plugs, what cylinder do you have the misfire on? You say it had a code, what was it?

Sorry yeah should have been more clear -P0300 and P0302 are back; still misfiring on the number two again. Secondary air bank is gone at least but that was expected since I did find (and fix) a busted vacuum line.

How many miles on it?

86,417! Not too many but not super low mileage either.

At the start of your thread, I would have bet $$ it was the coils, but you've eliminated that possibility. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking "what is making my M96 not run properly" and get tunnel vision when we should take a step back and think big picture "what is making this engine not run properly". Just doing a quick Google search, found this article on generic misfire codes. http://www.random-misfire.com/ It focuses on random misfires (P0300), but also discusses specific cylinder misfires (P030x). What's interesting to me pertaining to your situation is the author's discussion of vacuum issues causing the misfires and you also had a vacuum system issue. Maybe it's just a red herring, but an interesting coincidence especially given the usual suspect (coil) wasn't the culprit. That being said, my second least favorite thing to hunt down (next to an intermittent electrical gremlin) is a vacuum leak. If it isn't obvious (like the broken hose you found), then it may be best to take it in. I agree that an Indy would be better than the dealer, but if there's no better alternative. BTW, as Macster noted, the fuel delivery system could be the culprit as well. On our 951, we recently had an intermittent misfire and I changed the plug wires and fuel pressure regulator and that took care of it. Not sure which of the two it was (did both at the same time as having the FPR removed made the plug wire routing easier), but it fixed the problem. Having coil on plug units eliminates the spark plug wire in the M96 vs the 951 engine.

I would think a FPR or other general fuel delivery system problem wouldn't affect just cylinder 2, though.

just a thought, what about a fouled injector?

Definitely a possibility with the injector. I'm not giving up on the car or losing hope by any means, I've just hit the limit of what I can troubleshoot away from home with the resources I have here, and with the remaining time before I have to drive home - so just turning it over to the pros for now. It's a shame as I am generally very much and OCD, nobody-works-on-my-car-but-me type, but I figure they have more time to dedicate to it than I do. Hopefully the fix will be easy, even if there's no way that (at a dealer) it will be cheap.

What is a catless cross pipe with cats installed? Do you have durametric?

Not sure what you mean - I have a catless x-pipe installed. Not cat present currently. Now I'm going to scan my posts to see if I wrote something weird earlier. And yes, I have a Durametric enthusiast cable (as opposed to the Pro) which is what I've been using to read those codes/error messages.

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Sorry I misread your posts. I got it now. Can you try driving the car with the MAF unplugged? What are the durametric reading of the following during IDLE amd DRIVING: FRA, RKAT, cam deviations, MAF, O2 precat sensor voltage and misfire counts of all cylinders?

Heading in to work now but I'll check it out when I get back to the car tonight!

Didn't get a chance to drive last night but had an appointment at the dealer this morning and took it in. Running a compression/leak down test right now and from the mechanics tone, doesn't look good. I believe he suspects scored cylinders.

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Will keep my fingers crossed for you. Hopefully they will take some photos of the borescope insepction. Leak down and compression thenselves won't be sufficient to id bore scoring.

Well.... not the best news ever, but not the worst either. Leakdown test showed an 85% loss on the number two, while all other cylinders were 4-6%. He said that it appears based on the noise at idle and also from the hissing while doing the leakdown (and probably some other stuff, I was walking to work when they called so my attention was slightly split), he said that the cause of the misfires is a leaking exhaust valve. He said he doesn't know the exact cause - said it could be a stuck valve, broken valve spring, broken lifter, or possibly a cracked head - the service manager had said something about smelling coolant, but there isn't any indication of mixing in the coolant system or oil. The service manager seemed to thing the best/easiest course of action is going to be to buy a rebuilt head and replace it. It looks like no matter what I'm best off dropping the engine and getting into the head - if it's a stuck lifter, I'm hoping that'll be evident once I get things open. Now I just have to look into how much that'll either cost to do myself, or have done in the Detroit area. I've replaced the head on a couple 951s, but that's a much simpler affair. For now, I have to find a shipping company to take the car back to Michigan, and I'll be renting a car to get myself home this week. I guess I know the answer, but I figure it's worth asking - any recommended quick things to try and free a lifter (ie. italian tuneup, Seafoam, etc.). I am figuring that neither is a good idea, as best case scenario they might just dislodge the gunk that has caused whatever is sticking to stick... but I'm open for anything that could help.

Hmm, Washington DC to Detroit, just a hair over 500 miles. Current symptom is a miss on one cylinder. I'll put my flame suit on and say that I might just consider taking it easy driving it back home to deal with it on my own turf.

I wouldn't chance it if it is misfiring and causing a flashing check engine light. I would potentially ship it back and troubleshoot it yourself with the help of this board. I think that's the best chance of doing it right/first time. Best of luck!

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That's my plan - I'll ask the dealer if they think it's driveable, but I'm sure they'll say it's not - so I'll be getting it shipped. Looks like about $600 with insurance, so really not too bad. Now I get to research all the fun stuff for the 996 engine removal, head work, etc. Good times. What kind of "while you're in there" stuff should I be looking at? Off the top of my head I'm thinking tensioner pads on both sides, AOS, IMS, RMS, anything else? Not looking to spend any more than I need to on this - but at the same time, I'm not looking to do it cheaply either - if that makes sense.

Definitely not driving it! I would not even start the engine if possible. I would recommend when the car is home, do borescope on all cylinders first, then a leak down test on cyl#2 to confirm the finding and check if you can tell if the leak is from top end or bottom end. Then drop the engine and remove the bank 1 cover, cams, and lifters and check the springs. Then take off the head if needed. How many miles on your car? Sorry if I missed it.

86,000 miles on the car. Honestly, I'm good with trusting their leakdown and borescope test, since they're charging me $1200 for it!!! You bet I'll be asking for all the data to be written down three times Otherwise I think that's my plan. Drop it, pull things off, learn a ton about the 996 engine...

if you are already planning to rent a car to drive back home, why not rent a truck/SUV with a trailer and tow your car home?

Sure, if you trust them so much. You can do those tests once you dropped the engine. The reason is trying to see if the problem is in the top end or bottom end. However, if you plan to tear it down completely no matter what, then yeah, probably no other tests needed. Note if you touch the bottom end, you will need to replace a lot more things like main and rod bearings, rod bolts, etc. Also, at 86k miles, the cylinders are most likely very out of round so you may want to consider re-sleeving, which will address potential bore scoring issues as well.

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That was my first thought - you wouldn't believe the quotes I'm getting. If you know of any good companies that will rent a truck/trailer, point-to-point, for less than $800 - let me know! At only $600-ish with insurance for shipping the car, it's pretty hard to beat.

Final diagnosis after borescoping is burnt valve - but luckily, no scoring - so that's a plus! They think it is likely from a bad lifter, but it means I'll need to replace the valve - and probably just do the whole head. Anyone have a cam timing tool set they want to rent out?

That's great news. For cam timing, this kit is all you need. http://www.ewktool.com/PorcheEngineT...product_id=138

Progress update - had the car sent home to Michigan so I could fix it. photo924.jpg Spent the last few weeks taking parts off to prepare for the drop. photo843.jpg Just finished pulling the engine this morning before work. photo468.jpg photo969.jpg Engine will get the full treatment - lots of stuff was about due anyways so, it'll be getting an LN IMS Single Row Pro, a new RMS, new clutch, new AOS, and various seals. Also toying with the idea of porting and polishing the heads (they're going to have to come off so I'll send them out to get rebuild, and may as well) and an IPD Competition Plenum when it goes back in. I already have a set of 997S headers to go on, which will mate nicely with my current exhaust photo801.jpg

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Man, I don't know how you do it. I can't even manage to work out before work. lol. Looks like a good amount of progress. Just don't get KK'itis or you'll be detailing that engine for hours.

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Burnt valve? That's rare event. But not the end of the world. Up to a trusted mechanic to know if the head can be salvaged or not. Usually the valve seat needs replacing and the guide if the guide is shot and the spring if the spring has failed and the lifter, oh and of course the valve. If the lifter bore is bad though the head will likely have to be replaced. However, it is possible a competent auto machine shop could enlarge the bore and press in a sleeve and then properly size the hole to accept a new lifter. But again this call is best left up to your trusted mechanic.

I like your enthusiasm and already see some real progress. Keep us in the loop as you replace parts and make improvements.

It's been a few weeks since I've updated - got the heads off, and as diagnosed - burnt valve. photo916.jpg photo395.jpg Still trying to establish the cause - best guess is bad lifters. Anyone have a good test? They're stiff enough that I can't compress them by hand but maybe I'm just weak. Anyways, they're boxed up and being shipped off to Hoffman for a rebuild. photo250.jpg One final note - there seemed to be a bit more carbon on the pistons than I expected. Any ideas what may have caused the excess buildup? I don't have pictures right now unfortunately. The good news is that all of the cylinder walls were gorgeous so no major damage done. Any tips for cleaning the Pistons safely while still installed in the block?

This is a good confidence builder to those that are timid about working on their own cars. As for getting the deposits off the piston heads?.....not sure outside of a wire brush / wheel. Maybe contact some shops for some advice but I'm sure someone will chime in.

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Thanks for the update and your heads are in good (best) hands with Len! The carbon build up is normal. You can clean it usimg the Permatex gasket remover or marvel mystery oil, both available at o'reilly auto parts. https://www.permatex.com/products/gasketing/permatex-gasket-remover-low-voc-formula/

Btw, I suggest you replace all the exhaust lifters ($23 each OEM by INA). You can squeeze real hard wih your fingers to raise the plunger of an intake lifter. If they feel smooth, just reuse them. The plunger's hole is very sharp like a hole puncher so be careful and don't wear gloves when doing that.

Agree! That'll be my plan - cheap insurance. Plus if you order from Warehouse 33, Jason offers a rennlist discount and I think the cost drops to around $15/per. Will be cleaning the injectors as well. And of course, putting about $500 worth of new gaskets everywhere!

Did you buy this car used? Wonder if the previous owner used regular gas along with long extended oil changes(factory interval) with less than optimal oil over time. This kind of scenario could've been a ticking time bomb to go off.

That's burnt and then some. A co-worker's Subie burned a valve and there was just a small v-notch in the valve edge. Probably not a lifter but if you want to replace the exhaust lifters of that cylinder or the entire bank that's entirely up to you. If I were in your shoes I probably would as I would not want to have to go back into the engine any time soon. Be sure the valve springs are good. Leave the deposits on the piston tops alone. When you get the engine back together run a bottle, or two given the condition of the piston tops, of Techron through the engine. Use according to directions. Actually, having just used Techron with my Turbo I can tell you the bottles I bought were large enough to treat 20 gallons of fuel (each), but I just dumped in the entire bottle of Techron then filled the gas tank. That's around 16 gallons of fuel. Oh, I shook the bottle of Techron before pouring its contents into the fuel tank. Ideally after the last tank of fuel treated with Techron is down to say 1/4 tank you should change the oil/filter. Since you just had the engine opened up an "early" oil/filter service is probably a good idea as an engine that has been opened up is going to shed a bit more trash into the oil so an early oil/filter service is, well, like I said above, probably a good idea.

I did - and, drum roll, it did have a very short over-rev count. So all your possibilities and then some. I've put about 12,000 miles on the car since I bought it. All in all, with what I paid for the car I'm still not that bad off, even after the cost of these repairs. I'm getting a full job from Len (new springs, valve job with guides/seals) plus a stage 1 job to get a tiny bit more flow.... You know, as I've justified to my wife, "while I'm in there". She actually told me "I'm afraid this is going to turn into your 944 Turbo all over again"

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Nice. This is the exact combo I got from Len.

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$15 per is a smoking deal. The best I found was $20 each from rmeuropean. Free shipping.

Any noticeable effects from the increased flow from the stage 1, or is it dyno-noticeable only? Not too concerned as the increase in cost is minimal so I'm going to have it done regardless. I've been wrestling with getting the blocks reserved but unfortunately I think at this point it's SLIGHTLY outside my skill set, but more importantly it's not really within the budget.

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I will let you know once I finish my rebuild IMO, since your cylinders are good, unless you want to invest in re-sleeving them or you feel you have issues, I don't see a good reason to open up the bottom end. The cost w/o re-sleeve is actually not bad (rod and main bearings plus lots of gaskets and bolts) but it's way too much work for nothing. What imsb you plan to go with?

I think he probably was talking about yours when he referenced the last one that he did. I'm think I'm going with the LN Engineering Single Row Pro. I have the faultless tool so that makes it doable. I'm torn as to whether I should go with the Solution, or the Single Row Pro - but I think cost wins out in the end.

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That's a tough one. LOL. The 944 may have higher frequency of repairs but the 996 parts seem to cost more. hmmmmm.....

The 944 was more like, "the engine is leaking a bit of oil, time to drop the engine, put in a huge turbo, injectors, MAF and other supporting mods to fix the problem. Oh, and all the oil seals too "

It's been a while since I updated, so here's where I'm at now. I think I mentioned it before, but I sent the heads off to Len Hoffman at Hoffman Automotive Machine in GA for a rebuild of both heads. As I mentioned before, I have a bad case of "while you're in there/do it right" - so I figured if I have to get at least one valve redone, why not do all of them on one bank. And if one bank is getting done, why not the other... etc. In the end, ended up getting "the works" which included: -Teardown -Pressure test -Ultrasonic clean heads & parts -Cut valve seats with Serdi performance profiles -Diamond mill decks -Set stem ht�s -Assemble with new high�performance Viton valve stem seals -Clean, inspect &grind valves -R&R guide. Includes guide, reaming and honing -R&R intake valve seats -R&R exhaust valve seats -New genuine Porsche valve springs -Stage I port work. Blend bowls and Short Turn Radii (STR). While I won't share Len's pricing online as I figure that's probably a bit rude, it's comparable to what I'd expect for all that work at other shops... but when you factor in that he is THE best at working on these heads, his prices are a very, very good deal. Here's a quick shot of the refinished heads: F4CC7083-553D-445F-9AD1-D27F48CE51C4_zpslusjee9c.jpg And here's where the engine was left wrapped up after weeks of work: BA6195AC-C2F3-48AE-A559-9C0656CEED4A_zps3vg0sk0e.jpg I got the heads back about a week and a half ago, and finally hit a lull with stuff at work. Simultaneously, my vacation days are way above the balance I can carry over every year, so I found myself with a bunch of time to burn and nowhere to go... so, I took this week off completely and am dedicating it to working on the engine. With any luck, and without any major hiccups, I may have the engine back in by the end of the week. So, I started off by putting the 4-6 head back on. There's a bit of a start contrast between the rebuild heads and the scrubbed, but not ultrasonically cleaned, engine block: 735CBD2F-A42F-4D7E-9CCD-660FC016D381_zpsnm3nejca.jpg Got the lifters back in, having ordered all brand new INA exhaust lifters. It appears a bad lifter on the #2 exhaust valve was the primary cause of failure, but since I'm in there and you can get these for "only" $15 each at Warehouse33 thanks to Jason's Rennlist discount... why not: E94508BE-FADF-41D3-A4E7-69732268CD2A_zpspuhp6u6e.jpg Following Ahsai's guidance and the links found here ( http://workshop-manuals.com/porsche/...nd_inspection/ ), I successfully installed the cams, set the timing on the 4-6 bank, and buttoned everything up. Used the proper Loctite 5900 sealant on the cover, which can be a real pain to actually get out of the tube. 73737C79-5D41-477C-B1AF-28FB5B1AA139_zpseu3xjmhg.jpg I ran into my first mistake in parts planning - forgot to order new sealing rings for the Variocam solenoids. I had bought new cover gaskets, but not these rings: 9468AE4E-9C81-45EA-938C-7937D65F61A4_zpsi4r8ht42.jpg For reference, the part numbers are: 996-105-903-05 and 996-105-901-03 for the left and right variocams. Order two of each! Yesterday, I got the 1-3 head on. Unfortunately, when I was putting back in the timing chain rail guide on the tensioner side, I noticed just a TINY bit of wear.... but, still wear. And, no way I am popping this thing back open voluntarily in the next 5 years if I don't have to. 4B9BF596-6F60-48B3-B9A8-0A5F42121C75_zpsjpgpe1g5.jpg To keep my week of vacation productive, I ordered a new chain tensioner pad yesterday and had it overnighted - should be here by 2-4pm today. So, I spent my time doing some general housekeeping/R&R on other parts. Cleaned the transmission, and then decided to get the headers looking nice. I bought a set of used stock 997S headers off another forum member. I'd read that they should offer a bit of performance gain, so I figured why not? His price was pretty good. They came to me looking like a normal used exhaust header would: 970125EB-FC13-430B-87E6-733C02E96F23_zpsuu3xqulc.png I went to town on the headers. First I used rust removing pads to knock off any dirt/corrosion. Then I started using coarse grit sanding sponges, then fine, and then moved to 600 grit paper (wet sanding), then 800. Once I got to the 800, I pulled out my bench grinder and swapped one of the grinding wheels for a buffing wheel and started to go to down. Here's a shot after one pass of the buffer on one header, next to the "just sanded" other header: A98E8B72-F000-4360-85DC-59CE4E775384_zpsaeljmsz4.jpg And, here's after a couples stages of different buffing compounds and an hour or two of polishing: 004C9218-6E3F-415D-B035-4F61B0ED3E74_zpsd3yjbacs.jpg I'm fairly certain that adds at least 60HP That's where I'm at so far! Now I'll just stare at the door as I wait for the UPS guy to come. Other big plans for the week - once I get the heads back together and the engine mostly reassembled with a new AOS, seals, new PS lines, gaskets, etc. - I'll be doing a DIY installation of the IMS Solution. I figured I've invested so much money, there is no way I'm going to let the thing implode on me. There's another thread where someone is DIYing it which would be worth following (I know I am!). My solution arrives Wednesday, so I should be able to get that process started by then I hope.

Lol, those headers indicate a slight case of OCD but they look amazing. Have fun wrenching on your week off. Rooting for you one getting it back together this week.

Good work! Love how you polished the headers. They look amazing. Never thought they could be so shinny!

Copilot looking good and thank you for your business! I'm in the middle of an engine build and it's always some little washer or o'ring that delays everything while you wait for that part to show up. It is what it is though. -Jason

Wowza another great thread. You make getting a CEL look fun!

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Bimmer?

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Nope my 996tt, the Bimmer is patiently waiting for it's next track day! -Jason

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Awesome! Are you doing a thread on the rebuild?

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I'm having a guy do it, I'm not brave enough for that engine. -Jason

Wednesday update! So, after whole long debacle of trying to actually find someone that has an IMS Solution in stock, mine will be arriving today. I no joke placed 4 different orders - Jason finally came through for me, when 3 other well known vendors could not. Side note: how hard is it to keep an accurate record of stock, and ship when you say you're going to ship?? Anyways, armed with my new gaskets for the variable timing solenoids, I finished up the heads and timing them. Side note: always make sure you're paying attention to what you're doing, or you'll end up doing something REALLY stupid like this (don't worry, I took the cames out, gave the engine two full rotations and tried again): D01C97B8-F239-43A9-8896-7FDAEA85A37C_zpstltqja0u.jpg A missing bolt from my bag of head cover bolts caused a bit of panic, which caused me to pop open the 1-3 head cover after painfully applying the Loctite 5900. I was afraid maybe I'd dropped it in there by accident. I had not. It would appear the bolt got lost "somewhere", but not in the engine at least - phew! I also got creative with dispensing the 5900 as the tube is REALLY tight, and the hand plunger is worthless: 8D6C73BD-E4D4-4D02-8F19-7C4EB15A9F37_zpsnunxhgqa.jpg After the heads were back on, I figured it was time to do a quick preventative job - so I opened up the oil pump, replaced the hex drive with the LN Billet hardened driveshaft, and resealed it with a new gasket: 86415F2B-412F-420D-9B33-9496153CA747_zpsbi8giaqy.jpg Then, I started bolting everything back up. I think the most time consuming part about this whole project is looking up torque specs. Note to self - buy the Knowledge Gruppe/Jake Raby's torque spec book!!! F71A5285-FCB0-40B1-924E-8CCD4D348AED_zps4yl1bruh.jpg IMS Solution arrives today... we'll see how it goes!

Lol, cool idea on the 5900. The tube it comes in is a PITA.

Looking good!

Long overdue for an update! So after the last thread, I ended up having my last few days off turn into a series of around-the-house catch up days before I left for a month for work, so never ended up getting any further in July. But, I had a month where I was away from home and reading/re-reading everything I needed to do in order to make sure that once I could get home, I was ready to dig into the last phases of the project. Before I left, I had gotten the engine onto the ground and removed the engine mount yoke. For movement/stability/reinstallation ease, I took a Harbor Freight transmission jack, modified it a bit and bolted on 2x4s in order to make the base wider. I then lowered the engine onto it so that I could not only use it to raise the engine back into place, but also have it stable for my IMS Solution install. I wasn�t able to do the IMS Solution install on the stand, as the yoke would have prevented me from getting good access and there wasn�t enough room to use the IMS Faultless tool I have. Once I got home, I got back to work and replaced the RMS. I really went back and forth on this for a while � the RMS was perfectly dry, and a large part of me was thinking �if it ain�t broke, don�t fix it�. However, there was a part of me that said, �if it DOES start leaking, do you really want to do this again?�. So, I went about it. Here�s the seal removed: 63A429FC-3851-49B7-98DE-D34881C2840F_zpst0vgrsof.jpg New one in place, with the driver base in place: 5B94E384-9208-4441-88ED-AFC7B6E78FB9_zpskp6vrqse.jpg Tightening the driver: 188F637F-6778-4C29-BA6F-EF497A7767C4_zps3761nuox.jpg I should note that I ended up somehow messing the first one up. Don�t know if the seal was faulty, but when I removed the driver it looked like this: 1792961C-77F6-4BA5-B11E-DE185793B918_zpsczjlw8th.jpg So, I bought a new one from the local dealer (THE ONLY PART OUT OF THE ENTIRE LIST I HAVE THAT THEY HAD IN STOCK � ARGH), and did it again. No problems on the second time. I think my issue is that the first time, I attached the driver base and then slid the seal over it. I think that caused the lip to catch. Second time, I loosely placed the seal around the crankshaft and then installed the driver base.

Then it was time for the IMS Solution install. There�s another really good thread by charlieaf92 ( https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...thread-10.html ) where he documented a lot of the process and some of the difficulties with installing it with the engine installed. I can tell you, based on his thread � it is WAY easier to do this install engine out. Not saying it�s necessary, but I was able to do the install of the kit start to finish in a morning, taking my time. Here are a couple pictures from the process: Creating the hole: F896D2B7-C146-4F6D-B251-748B43282BD5_zpscyqmfd0m.jpg 40D1C2EC-866E-4027-AA1A-A45E3A08DB82_zpsg1ean4b2.jpg 5E6FE772-13B8-456A-8AA8-53E572B22698_zpspofvbxec.jpg IMS Flange Removed 0091DA47-953D-485F-860F-32366551ABA3_zpshaolwfuu.jpg

So prior to my decision to install the IMS Solution, I was going to be installing the LN Engineering Single Row Pro bearing, which would have upgraded my single row bearing to a dual row bearing. If you read the documentation provided on the Single Row Pro, you know you need the Faultless IMS Tool to do the installation. There was a guy locally that had one, so I picked it up from him. For the record, I now own a variation of every LN 996 IMS tool you can buy (two regular IMS tool kits, the Faultless tool AND the Supplemental tool kit required for the Solution). Since I had the Faultless tool, I opted to use it to remove the bearing. The tool is really well designed and provides for a much more stable and stress free removal of the bearing. 0041834A-4B40-41CA-8FCC-E798BE051FA6_zpso7dthxf7.jpg E280D678-9B79-42D8-9D19-A25F95E0E7DF_zpsy7a7wham.jpg 33EA8A6A-3199-4D9D-BCF3-87D482D843A5_zpswdeozagm.jpg DAC6EE76-372A-4E8F-A042-CDBB5D860FE1_zpsfmwulxev.jpg Here�s the bearing post removal. As you can see, seal still intact, no real play in the bearing. Didn�t pull the seal, as I�m going to send it back to LN Engineering and I imagine I should leave things as is. Side note: Technically, since the IMS Solution is supposed to be a professional only install, since I DIY�d it, I don�t believe any warranty, etc. will ever apply to me and thus sending the bearing, UOA, etc. back to them as the card requires will be a pointless exercise from my end. However, they�ve been a very helpful resource during this rebuild, and I still plan on sending the stuff to them so they have it for documentation. 60909A5B-8599-46F7-8E37-9C5AAEB773DD_zpstrfcunhj.jpg I used the plug driver from the IMS Supplemental kit to install the IMS tube plug: 6F86D5C4-F726-4653-BC39-D1260F10BB53_zpswrsheud3.jpg Here�s a shot after the bearing, protective washer and lockring were reinstalled. The IMS Solution instructions come with the kit, are very descriptive, and provide no real areas for guessing so follow them and you�ll be all set. 04685C90-91F9-4CE8-874A-450AADD710BD_zpsvzktequg.jpg Flange installed. On my first attempt at putting the flange on, I found that despite the fact that I thought I had measured very carefully, the notch I cut was not centered well and provided minimal/no clearance on the left side of the oil fitting. This began a very nervous process of removing the flange, and filing more. I plugged the exposed IMS flange hole with latex gloves stuffed with rags, and used a vacuum as I was filing to prevent any material from entering the engine. I did a pretty good job and did not have any issues with material entering the engine. I also used microfiber rags soaked with acetone to clean up afterwards too just to be sure. 4C9B2FDA-0056-4A6E-A6D2-FDC428C756B7_zpssgyujxxg.jpg Here�s the engine with the whole kit installed. Once the engine was installed later, I changed the angle on the fittings a bit so to provide more clearance from the sway bars. F116BD31-44BA-4B16-AAB7-6B8897F7362C_zpsk5f742v9.jpg She�s so pretty!! E7F4098C-8EE3-4847-8557-EA1172D4BEF4_zpskva0pxpb.jpg

Then, I was ready to start bolting stuff back on. New stock Sach�s clutch and PP installed. Found a great deal on ebay, brand new for only $325 for the WHOLE KIT. Awesome. FFA99205-0D8E-48E0-8208-476A9B7D8A44_zpsxetjlsw1.jpg I took very detailed photos and used them all to make sure all the electrical wires were routed correctly, hoses were installed properly, etc. The biggest thing is that with a project like this is DOCUMENTATION IS KEY!! None of the manuals out there, even the best ones, have detailed �this is where this wire goes through� diagrams. The extra time necessary to document was WELL worth it. Also, note the shiny new GT3 throttle body and the IPD Competition Plenum. These were purchased during my �well, I�m already a couple thousand into my project, what�s another thousand more� phase of the rebuild. D6E9ED83-F3B3-40EB-A54B-D2C626A18D15_zps8qvwoydv.jpg Bolted back up. Alignment of the transmission with engine was bit of a pain, but mainly because I was doing this solo, and just had to keep making small changes on the angles to get everything to line up. Basically, if it doesn�t fit easily, it�s not aligned. Luckily, I got it eventually. 2D2B588C-BC5D-4252-B6D9-ED3CAA9DB56B_zpsehjwsssh.jpg Here�s the car with everything ready to go back in. I�m a little embarrassed with how cluttered I let everything get during the process, so my apologies for a messy garage. 3246F4BC-FA92-40DD-AA9A-5CCA7370310E_zpsw0hw92m5.jpg Engine back up and installed. Of note: I replaced the AOS and the coolant reservoir while I was in there. I cannot fathom how people can replace the AOS with the engine installed. My hats off to you all. CCABD5F8-7B11-455F-902A-BF316EA3C365_zpsb7n2sltb.jpg From there, it was pretty standard stuff. I got the engine/tranny combo installed (using the Function First Street/Orange transmission mount inserts). My only issue was getting the stupid clutch slave cylinder installed. In the end, I ended up disconnecting the slave cylinder, compressing it and then installing it with the engine/transmission at the lowest point, while still on the engine mounts (supported by a jack still). Of course, that meant I had to bleed the clutch slave cylinder, and since I was at it, I did the brakes for good measure. It had been a while so figured it was worthwhile. I then refilled the engine with coolant and oil. I used 10 quarts of Joe Gibb�s BR40 oil, and genuine Porsche coolant. For those that haven�t read it, Ahsai�s thread on coolant flushing ( https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...pump-tips.html ) is basically the only way to do it. It�s how I drained the coolant when this started, and using the Uview Airlift is so simple, it�s almost cheating. Buy one if you ever plan on working on any car, ever. I used the engine described in the IMS Solution instructions of multiple quick starts/stops to build oil pressure. To my surprise/delight, everything worked exactly as it should have. No crazy lights, no abnormal noises from the car (there were a couple cries/shouts of relief from me), and everything ran smoothly! Believe it or not, since the engine was effectively COMPLETELY drained of oil, I needed to add even more. Can�t remember how much, but I believe by the end of the process, I put 10.75 quarts in the engine. After that, I bolted the rest of the suspension pieces, bumper, etc. back into place and was ready to go for a drive. I ALMOST forgot that I had removed all 4 wheels (see the brake bleeding mentioned above) and almost took off before putting the proper torque on all the wheel lug bolts. As in, the car was started and I put it in reverse when I suddenly realized. Crisis averted.

The first drive everything worked well for about 2 minutes, and then I got a check engine light. I was only driving around the block, so I took it home and hooked up the Durametric. I don�t recall the specific code, but it was for the 4-6 block cam position sensor. LUCKILY, you can reach that from under the car without unbolting anything. I reached up and sure enough, the plug was simply not seated properly and had popped off. Reconnected it and everything was back to normal. And�.. that�s basically it! No more stories! I put about 300-400 miles on the engine with the BR40 motor oil. I had about half a tank of gas in it initially, so I ran through that and then refilled with a full tank and one bottle of Techron, just to ensure that any remaining carbon on the pistons, etc. was taken care of. I kept everything under 3500 RPM til I hit 200 miles on the engine, just to make sure I didn�t overstress anything. After 200 miles, I did a couple of strong on-ramp accelerations. The upgrades/mods I did while I was in the engine are kind of smattered through my various previous threads, so here�s a summary of every engine related upgrade on the car: --Speedtech Exhaust catless X-pipe (installed prior to this project) --Tubi-Style Exhaust cans (also installed prior to this project) --IPD Competition Plenum --996 GT3 Throttle Body --997S Stock Headers (polished to a mirror shine!!) --Hoffman Stage 1 Head Job (I believe it�s a basic bowl job, but Len said the result is a 5% flow increase), as well as brand new valve springs, etc. as part of the rebuild --IMS Solution (not power producing but still an upgrade) No dyno test, but my initial reaction � WOW. Quite, quite noticeable power improvement from the 3500-5000rpm range and no noticeable torque loss in any other part of the power band. Which parts are responsible for the increase? Who knows?? And since the car was never dyno�d prior to this, I have no idea what the baseline was so I�ll never know how much power was added� but ultimately, that was never the main point. I really just wanted to get the car running well and reliably again, and if I could squeeze out some extra HP while I was in there�. Well, so be it! My final test comes soon, as I went away for work for another 3 weeks, and just need to drain and check the oil. I don�t anticipate any major issues � partly because it�s worked so well, and partly because I still have the IMS Guardian Senior installed in my car and if there was any major particulate buildup in my engine, I would have been alerted. Even though I now never have to worry about the IMS bearing coming apart, EVER, I think I�m going to keep it installed. Maybe it�s because as a pilot, I like having a chip detector on my instrument panel  A couple major thanks for this project: First, Ahsai is awesome. I can�t count how many panicked PMs I sent him. He helped me idiot check a number of things, and was able to get back to me almost immediately. It was great. Secondly, big thanks to Jake Raby. A lot of info I needed I gleaned from the board and his posts. I exchanged a few PMs with him, and while he was understandably hesitant to give me direct instructions, his guidance helped me make the right decisions in what parts to use (for example, roller bearing vs. IMS Solution). A huge thanks to Jason from Warehouse 33 � not only did I get almost all my parts from him at a massive discount due to his rennlist discount code, but he also helped me locate some hard to find stuff � like the IMS Solution, which at the time I was buying was completely out of stock everywhere. Apparently only 2 left in the country at the time, and he got me one of them. Huge thanks to RND Europarts and LN Engineering � they�re about 1 days shipping time away from me in Detroit, and they got me a lot of parts quickly when I came up short. Additionally, Charles Navarro was also extremely helpful with helping me make some decisions about which direction to go. They also sent me a socket for my IMS Guardian plug (I had the old kit where you used angle torque to set the plug), which was super cool of them. Lastly, Vertex Auto managed to get me a chain tensioner pad when I couldn�t find anyone else with them in stock - I had inspected all the pads prior to reassembly, but missed a tiny bit of wear on one pad that I felt warranted replacing. Overall, it ended up being way, WAY more expensive than I had originally intended. After all, I could have just slapped on a used head from eBay, and probably been done with the problem for under $800. It was... well, let's just say.... a lot more than that. As in, I'm afraid if I post the number online my wife will see the grand total and beat me in my sleep (while I kept her up to date on all my purchases, I think she intentionally avoided totaling up the expenses. That being said, I did an extensive Excel spreadsheet of all the parts I used as well as their cost (for my own maintenance records), and I can send that to anyone or post it if anyone is interested.

Strong work and congtats! Another engine saved and I'm glad to help! ​​​​​​

Great progress man! I bet it's a blast to drive again especially with the upgrades. -Jason