My 996 Track car project

So I just purchased a 2001 C2 from a fellow Rennlister. The previous owner decided to sell it and upgrade after the car overheated during a recent DE event. The Porsche dealership suspected that the water pump had failed leading to an overheat. Since the price of entry was good and the car was in great condition (other than the engine of course) this seemed like a good candidate to turn into a (dedicated?) track car now that I decided to sell my Cayman R. Initial troubleshooting showed the following: - Car runs well but there's a ticking noise (valves?) - There's oil in the coolant (fluid more brown than green in the reservoir). No smoke from exhaust and apparently no tendency to overheat - No fault codes from the ODBII - Also drained a small amount of oil and there were small metal flakes. Appeared to be gold in color (perhaps due to the oil?) and non-magnetic - Appears to be a bit of oil on the bottom of the engine in the area below the IMS Next step is engine removal.

So I started the process of removing the engine. Mostly getting it up on jacks and removing things for access so far. I did drain the coolant and removed the water pump. As suspected one of the blades was missing (floating around somewhere inside the engine?). Just like seen in the reservoir the coolant showed signs of mixing with oil (brownish color). Found a broken bracket and at the rear engine support bracket and that a screw had almost worn through one panel under the engine. Added to parts list. Also ordered a X51 oil pan. Stopped the tear-down for today when I struggled to get the power steering fluid reservoir off. Turned the bayonet fitting to release as directed but still can't pull the reservoir off. Any suggestions? Hoping to have the engine out this weekend and then it's decision time: - Get a used running engine, install it (perhaps with some basic preventative maintenance first) and move on OR - Start tearing down the current engine to see how bad the damage is OR - Send it off for a full rebuild. I've talked to ebay seller Porsche-Land in Illinois. Looks like a small one-man operation. Has anybody had any experience with them? Perhaps a combination is the best, install another used engine to get me going while I try to figure out what's wrong with the current...

BTW, does anybody know what kind of wheels those are?

Looks like a fun project! The wheels are Porsche Sport Design Wheels. I have the same ones on my '03 Cab.

Cool project. Does the impeller spin on the shaft. That broken piece is not enough to cause an complete engine overheat.

By the way, that is possible the worst way go load and tow a 996. Look at that poor truck and imagine the massive load on the receiver hitch. The 996 is very tail heavy and to load it backward and then all the way forward is crazy.

Awesome project! Are you in IL?

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I know. I tried it the other way first but there was not enough clearance so I didn't have much of a choice...

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Yeah, it spins freely. Unless a piece of plastic clogged something up I don't know what else out would be.

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No, I'm in NC.

The flakes in the oil are sleeve bearing material as confirmed by the dealer. Additionally, according to the service tech, the rear main seal started leaking which probably points to a main bearing failure. From the experience of one of my friends, oil in the coolant probably points to a cracked cylinder head, most likely caused by a chunk of the water pump impeller getting lodged in one of the coolant passages and causing a hot spot. It also could be a head gasket.

V8 swap! V8 swap! V8 swap!

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Thanks for the info Randy. Yeah, that missing piece from the pump has to be stuck in there somewhere. From what I've heard the gaskets typically don't blow on these engines so it's probably a crack.

I'm going to save you some time. I've got a 2001 that looks just like what bought, except mine doesn't overheat at the track. Everything works great and I've upgraded it for track duty. We can work out a trade on your cayman R and simplify our lives...

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Look a little closer, the back of the blades looks like were starting to touch the block and that's why it snapped off. The shaft looks like it started to migrate towards to block too. I found an old pice of impeller in my head when I had the engine apart last summer. It just fell out when I flipped it to lap the valves. The flakes in the oil look like bearing material or hydraulic lifter material. The engine needs to come apart so unless you are in a rush, try to get this one repaired. The damage might be repairable and won't need a full rebuild.

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No V8, I guess I'm too much of a purist for that. Somebody suggested putting a 3.6 in it but I'm not sure what all is required for that. More work than it's worth?

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I saw that, it clearly started hitting the block. Based on the oil leaks, metal particles etc I think I'm going to have to go for a full rebuild though. May as well since it's going to have be torn down anyway. Will give me a bit piece of mind too.

Made a bit more progress tonight. Figured out how to get the power steering fluid reservoir of, just a bolt that I didn't see yesterday. Not so easy with the A/C compressor though. Two of the bolts are visible and easy to remove but the third one I can't even see it and that's using a mirror. Any suggestions on how to get it out would be appreciated. Once I figure that out I may be able to meet my goal of dropping it this weekend...

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OEM - BBS Sport Design II BTY... nice 996 Aero OP.

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imo000 i actualy read a write up about small pieces of the impeller getting lodged in the heads cooling jackets and not causing a complete engine overheat but causing a hot spot that creates a crack that leads to the intermix that this OP had on the car. Mine suffered the same fate. Heads can be repaired, but most people do a complete rebuild just because you don't truly know how long the engine actualy ran with water in the block. http://www.hamincgroup.com/blog/pors...96-heads-crack

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The time difference between pulling the heads or splitting the block probably about double. I only pulled the heads on mine last summer. The cylinders looked good and I didn't have metal in the oil so for me it made sense not to go any deeper. You might want to stop at the heads too and see what the rest looks like and then decided what to do.

cool project I hope you did not pay much for the body... engine is pretty expensive... looking forward to see how you gut it out

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Good chance this is exactly what happened. I'm most likely going to send it out to have it rebuilt so I'll find out then.

A pice of the old water pump impeller fell out of one of my heads when I was re lapping the valves. Even posted a picture on that thread. My head wasn't cracked but some said it was the first time anyone posted a picture of a impeller blade that was in a head.

So with the help of some pictures that I found online I was able to get to the rear mounting bolt of the AC Compressor. Unlike what I had seen on other peoples pictures there was a container with two fuel lines attached to the hoses in the back. Fuel cooler? Fortunately not too bad to disconnect. I now have everything disconnected and am ready for the drop. Nothing too difficult except the clutch slave cylinder which is a pain to get to. Need to pick up a ATV lift next. Like I've mentioned above I've decided to send the engine out for a rebuild. Probably going to take the opportunity to install a lightweight flywheel, new clutch, low-temp thermostat in addition to the X51 oil pan I already purchased when it's out. Trying to decide whether replacing AOS too is the way to go.

Who's doing your rebuild? You are reasonably close to Flat6 Innovations in Georgia...

what are you gonna add to your rebuild to make it track friendly ? accusump ? new IMS solution with oil feed ? send us a list of goddies you plan on doing on the engine I have an oil pan for sale, the X51 style but with the metal baffles, if you are interested. My regular x51 seems to have fixed my oil pressure problems for now.

Off topic question for OP. Since this is going to be a track car, would you be interested in swapping headlights with a little cash incentive? My lights are the first generation with yellow lower lenses. I absolutely HATE THEM, but they work just fine.

get Jake to turn it into a 3.7 - with all the track oiling mods etc... that will pull like a GT3 !

My hat is off to you for figuring out how to keep the compressor connected. These are some good discussion on the issues that a lightweight flywheel can create. Might want to read up on it.

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I talked to them and while I'm sure they're good they are pricey and have a very long waiting list. Taking to a guy in the Chicago area that goes under "Porsche-Land" on eBay. Checked a few of his references and they all seem quite happy. Pretty quick turn-around too. I'll let you know how it works out.

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I think I'm going to keep it mostly stock and focus on reliability items. I actually just bought a X-51 oil pan. Also replacing clutch, water pump, probably AOS. Only performance mods at this time will be a light-weight fly-wheel and an under-drive pulley. Considering turning it into a spec 996 later so I want to stay with what's allowed under those rules.

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I may consider that. Send me a PM with your offer.

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That would be a blast but given the time and cost I'd probably be better off actually buying a GT3. Trying to stay on a budget here...

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Thanks. I figured since the spec racing guys are using it it can't be too bad...

The flywheel should be balanced to the rotating assembly.

Woo hoo, found the pictures. Looks like fun.

Didn't do much with the car during the week, just cleaning some of the parts I removed. Today was the big day though as the engine came out. No major issues, forgot one coolant hose but caught it before I caused any damage. I had to remove the throttle body for the engine to clear under the chassis but that was easy, just four easily accessed bolts. I removed the gearbox, exhaust is next before it's ready to go to the rebuilder. Looks to me like it has a pretty good leak form the RMS. Not sure if it was pre-existing or a result of the engine failure. Also, looks like the clutch/flywheel has rubbed against the transmission casing, perhaps a result of the spun main shaft bearing? Transmission is going to need a serious cleaning. Open to recommendations for cleaner. Many years I used a product, I think it was Castrol, on aluminum motorcycle parts that was great. Haven't been able to find it though.

nice work ... so who is your rebuilder and what is the punch list of things you are gonna do the that motor ? Phil

The RMS was not leaking prior to main bearing failure. It's good to see that you are making progress.

Be sure to add the 3rd radiator.

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Thanks Randy. Hoping to have it running again by the end of the month. May even make it to CMP in Sep. Did you pick up a replacement yet?

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I think I'm going to use a guy called Martin up in the Chicago area (Porsche_Land on ebay). Complete head/valve job, new bearings including IMS, new water pump, new AOS. I'm going to put a new clutch in and possibly a light-weight fly-wheel (debating that one), low-temp thermostat and under-drive pulley. Also trying to decide on after-market exhaust / by-pass pipes. And yeah, an X-51 oil sump. It's already got new ignition modules and motor mounts so I'm leaving those alone. Also replacing the axle seals and fluid in the transmission. Third radiator as somebody ,mentioned is high on the list too.

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The Motorsports AOS may be a good upgrade also if you're tracking the car.

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Stefan, I am picking up the replacement on Friday. A 2010 C2S. Here is a link to the car. http://www.porschebeachwood.com/deta...-10400981.html

If you want to modify the muffles, now is the right time.

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Is there a specific mod that people; are doing?

I think it's called a Gondo hack. Mine came with aftermarket muffles otherwise I would have done the "hack...aka bypass". Looks like a very simple procedure.

+996^^^^^ I have the gemballa cans on mine but still did the gundo hack just to give it a better sound. Very easy and one of the best mods.

Too busy to work on the car last week but got back at it today. Transmission got a good cleaning. Not 100% done yet but got the worst of it. Took the half shafts out so I can replace the seals. Previous owner said that one of them had a small leak so this seemed like a good time to replace them both. Also got the exhaust off from the engine. Usual story with rusted exhaust bolts, snapped two of them off and had to cut two but now it's off. New bolts will be ordered. This thing's heavy, even more tempted to go aftermarket / bypass... Looks like I'll have to replace the transmission mount too, torn. This seems like a bit of a pain since a 5 ton or so press is required. May need to take it to a machine shop. Has anybody used the WEVO 986 mounts on a 996? Supposedly a direct fit and easier to install. This weekend it's off to drop the engine off at the re-builder. Using it as a good excuse to stop by and check out the MotoGP race at Indy on the way home. Better way to spend the engine than giving them to FedEx :-).

Forgot to mention, I bought a set of GT3 coilovers, lower arms and sway bars too. Should be a fun project while I wait for the engine.

SO I dropped off the engine at the rebuilder after a long drive up to Chicago. Nice guy, running the shop out of his garage that was filled with Porsche engines. Driveway full of 911s and Boxsters. I should have it back in 2-3 weeks. Meanwhile my suspension parts showed up so I've got something to work on while I wait for the engine. My third radiator should also show up soon. My biggest question now is what to do with the differential. From my searches it seems like the Guard unit is favored but it is expensive and requires modifying the flanges or replacing them with GT3 units. Would appreciate any input here from anybody who has installed these. Any experience with the Quaife unit?

Hey is that the guy that advertises on local craigslist?

The suspension on the car is a ROW 030 and it is only a year old. I belive that the sways are GT3 (gen 1) spec. Not sure how they compare to what you bought though. So, if you are going to switch to a different setup, then you should be able to sell the current parts. Research it but you should be able to get a pretty good price for the setup on the car as it is so new.

Not to throw a wet blanket on your rebuild, BUT. A proper rebuild on these engines cannot be done in 2-3 weeks.Good luck.

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Just curious as to what is a "proper rebuild" in your opinion and what would be an appropriate time table in a "proper rebuild"?

With the premise that this will be a track car. Replacing bearings and grinding valves and seats are a shortcut that will lead to headaches. The biggest issue is the cylinders. They do not take well to re-ringing, This means new cylinders and pistons, 6- weeks on that. A true rebuild is in my opinion. New Cyl, pistons and rings The rods are junk, New rods New Valves , Valve springs, Lifters and Lifter Carriers. New timing chains, guides, and tensioners Crankshafts are good or bad, Check for cracks and balance or replace. New bearings,If crank is polished, coat bearings to restore proper clearance. 2-3 weeks, after the crank and carrier are checked. New oil cooler New water pump, hoses, thermostat. Deep sump pan with baffles There are other things to be done, but that is a short list. The parts alone for a proper rebuild are in the area of 13-15K and figure 3 months. There is a reason Jakes engines are 20K. He is right on the money and you will have no worreies following his lead.

Regarding tranny mount...i'm using wevo. Very easy to install and semisolid. Removing your old one is easy also. You do not need a press. The housing is alum. Put a chisel in there and start hammering. It'll slide out.

Sorry if your going to reinstall factory mount, you do need a press. With the Wevo or Cheetah mount, it slides in nice and easy.

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Not sure about Craigslist but he's on eBay.

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Hmm, I just ordered a OEM mount... Could you feel any difference between OEM and the wevo?

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Well, there are rebuilds and there are rebuilds. What you're talking about would be great and result in essentially a zero-time engine but spending 20k on that or a crate engine from Porsche for a car that's only worth 20k wasn't an option for me. If I was trying to build a class winning spec racer that may be the way to go but that is not my goal. My options were getting another used engine or doing the more modest rebuild. In the end I decided that getting an engine that has been inspected and reassembled with new bearings, water pump, rings, valve job etc was better than another used engine. I think with the reliability mods that I'm adding that the odds are pretty good that I'll have a reliable engine for what I'm planning to do. I fully understand that it may fail again at some point, but even if I have to rebuild it again (twice) I'll be ahead. So while Raby would deliver a top-notch rebuilt engine spending 20k and waiting 9 months is not the right answer for everybody...

Careful with the new rings, make sure there is not ridge at the top of the bores.

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Thanks. My rebuilder has done a bunch of these so I assume he knows to check for this.

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I'm curious as well. Stjoh, Please keep us updated on your experience with this builder. This would be a convenient local option for some locals around here.

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night and day difference especially with the SS motor mounts. A little more vibration but I don't care.

Again you may come out ok with a refresh, but I have seen enough issues that I will not recommend this in my shop. What you are having done is not considered a rebuild and should not be presented as such. I have a motor in the shop right now that had the valves refaced, 1000 miles later the head of the valve broke off and broke the piston, not a pretty sight.

Quick update. My rebuilder started the job of tearing the engine apart. As expected he found metal particles in the oil. He's thinking they are from a rod bearing which will likely require replacement of the crankshaft. Not too surprising based on the info from the previous owner. At least it looks nice and clean now... Meanwhile I've started installing the GT3 suspension. Rear end is pretty much done. Front will be a bit more work since I'm replacing the lower arms with the split GT3 versions. Still looking for a rear GT3 sway bar, please let me know if you have any leads. Also, the parts for the third radiator are here. Finishing the suspension install and putting in the radiator will be the goal for labor day weekend. Then it's time to focus on getting the transmission ready before the engine comes back. Pretty much decided on getting the OS Giken LSD.

Sounds like a fun project for you, keep the info on your build coming.

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Have a 996 track car, built in a similar fashion to what you're contemplating. While I didn't have to deal with a blown engine, I did make many of the same modifications you've described throughout this thread. Thus far my car has been rock solid (knock wood) and I'm sure you'll be as happy with your's as I've been with mine. As for the diff-you may want to consider OS Giken. Had it installed a couple of years ago and it has worked flawlessly ever since. I realize that some may consider Guard the standard, but I have nothing but a positive experience with Giken. Thought I'd through them into the mix since it seems you're still at the research stage...

OS Giken is well known to the diff/clutch world and I wouldn't hesitate to use one in the same fashion as Recaro's being well known in the seat industry. Looking forward to updates. BTW, is it me or does the GT3 control arm shims seem a little outrageous but then again, this is Porsche we're talking about...

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Good to hear. What mods do you have on your car? Any you're not happy with? Glad to hear about your experience with the OS Giken since I've pretty much decided to get one.

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Yeah, nothing in the Porsche world is cheap. This is the best price I've found on the shims: http://www.tarett.com/items/996-997-...9#ITEM_2892261

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I hope I'm not breaking any rules here, but here's a link to my car's build...has all the mods listed. http://www.renntrack.com/forums/show...rack-Car-Build I'm happy with the car, VERY happy. My only regret is that I wish it was a 3.6L, but that's minor since I got such a great deal on it when I purchased it. I love the sound of the car, but it's loud. Can't run Sun at RATL or at AMP without baffles, so now I'm looking into a quieter exhaust that still gives the same (or more) power-if anyone can recommend one that would be appreciated. Perhaps a more sophisticated data system with a bunch of sensors...but just couldn't justify the cost...so not really a regret.

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Read your post at Renntrack a while back. My build is very similar. Up at Robinson Racing having the cage done this week. Who did your paint. It's really sharp.

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I wouldn't call it a quality paint job by any means, looks much better in the pics than in person. It was a guy in Brasleton, near RATL, that worked out of a shed in his back yard. It was a while ago, but I could probably dig up his number if you're still interested. LMK.

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I too read your post a while back. I'm sure I'll be wishing for the bigger engine too but isn't that always the case that we want more power...

So this was a pretty good weekend for the project. Today I got a visit from not just one but two different 996 drivers and rennlisters. Kazual99, good luck with the M030 suspension! Rear suspension is done, as far as I can without the engine anyway. Front suspension is pretty much in too. Couldn't quite finish it up yet since I'm waiting for new sway bar bushings and a rebuild of one lower arm. The RH one I got with the suspension had a torn ball joint seal so I sent it to Vortex for rebuild. A bit cheaper than a new arm and if it brakes again I can just buy the insert and screw it on the next time. I also went ahead and ordered a pair of GT3 brake ducts. Got the front bumper cover off and installed one of the t-hoses for the third radiator. Not too bad once I figured out how to loosen the radiator. Good opportunity to clean out all the bugs and track pellets. Going to add an upper vent to the bumper cover (aka GT3 smile). Looks pretty crazy how the current design pushes air in through the front and then dumps it under the car. The rebuilder has the engine apart now. Heads are out for rework and a new used crankshaft is on its way. Guessing it'll be a couple of weeks before it's done.

can you describe exactly which are the components you used for your new suspensions ? looks like gt3 shocks with tarret plate and also tarett top 'spacer/cone' phil.

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In the front I added the GT3 shocks and Tarett camber plates, GT3 lower arms and GT3 sway bar. I'll probably pick up some Tarett adjustable drop links too before it's all done. For now just the GT3 shock in the rear but I'm hoping to find a GT3 sway bar for the rear too.

Can you confirm the setup you have on top of the springs ? similar to these pictures ? I am about to install the same setup on my car. phil

At least the gt3 brake duct mod must feel good as that is probably one of the cheapest OEM mod out there I've also been back and forth on cutting a vent on top of my bumper for the 3rd radiator. IIRC, there is a specific air deflector you can buy that mounts behind the radiator and channels the air upwards. I've used Rancho shock boots to cover my gt3 shock pistons from the elements. Summit racing carries them for around $15/pair. Not really needed but I felt more comfortable since mine was a DD. Are your Tarrets fixed?

I was thinking about doing the air vent also. Can you tell me where I can buy one? thanks in advance...

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Best price I've found is from Suncoast.

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This is the camber plate I'm using. Monoball with a fixed camber offset. http://www.tarett.com/items/996-997-...lta-detail.htm

if you find the part number for the special defelctor behind the third radiator and how to cut the bumper I'd love to hear it, but I think I remember some members saying that mod is a bit difficult. makes a lot more send to blow the air on top for sure.

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Looks similar. Your caps are slightly different. Different year? I did not use the little gold colored spacers since they're essentially built into the camber plates. I've got a pair of those and some of the other adjacent parts used in the stock setup in case anybody needs them.

So the engine is fully apart, just got some pics from the rebuilder. Both the rod and main bearings on the clutch side were burned. There's even some damage to the crank case. Clearly in need of some care. Now I'm looking forward to seeing it come back together.

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Thanks!

Alright, the engine is back! Looks great. Installed the RSS under-drive pulley. Felt a bit weird to take the grinder to the engine block (had to grind down the boss for the standard pulley) but other than that it went on without problems. The light-weight fly-wheel on the other hand was a bit more work. I had pretty much decided against one when I found a used one at a price I couldn't resist. While the friction plate was in decent condition I decided to replace it with a new one (seemed like the right thing to do since I was putting anew clutch in). The way it's designed makes it very hard to hold the nuts in place while you torque the bolts but I finally got it done last night. Installing the flywheel and the new clutch went without glitches. Have the transmission back too with the OS Giken LSD, new seals and bearings installed. All that's left before attaching it to the engine is the 2nd gear pop-out fix and fluid. After some research I decided to go with Mobil 1 LS fluid. Lots of opinions but few facts about what's the best fluid... Also got a set of Tarrett drop links and a Cup car rear sway bar (couldn't find a GT3 unit). Took the opportunity to install my trusty Escort 9500Ci when I had the front bumper off.

any pics of the engine parts that blew up ? do you have a check list of what you replaced ?

**PICS ADDED** I'm having trouble posting the pictures but two bearings spun, crank and rod. Like you can see in the earlier posts the water pump failed too. Crankshaft was replaced along with all bearings, seals and piston rings. I full valve job was done and the water pump replaced. All other parts were inspected / cleaned. I'm planning to list all mods to the car when I'm done (if I ever get done ;-) ). Today I made some good progress. Installed the 2nd gear pop-out fix, attached the transmission to the engine and filled with new fluid (Mobil 1 75-90 LS). Exhaust was attached to the engine and the engine placed in the car! Moment of truth is getting close...

Now that I'm able to post pics again here are a few from the rebuild.

Here's a few more pics from the assembly. Got the 2nd gear pop-out fix with the LSD. Does anybody have any experience with it?

I never had any issues with the transmission staying in second gear. That said, I have a friend who used it on his 996 and it seemed to work OK for him.

Thanks. I got it for free with the LSD so I figured I may as well use it. Major milestone today, started the engine for the first time since the rebuild. Only ran it very briefly at idle since I don't have coolant in it. Started pretty quickly and idled well. Only fault code was the MAF which is not connected yet. A couple more evenings and it should be drive-able. Also picked up a set of track wheels from a local fellow 996 owner. Great guy who used to race 996s back in his home country. Not only did I get a good deal on the wheels but he also gave me a set of racing headers for free! This may be the best part of this little project - all the great people I've met thanks to it.

^^^ "general" tires with solid spoke wheels for racing?

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Who said anything about using these for racing? These were used on the previous owners street car. I'm going to use the wheels for track days, not racing. Tires will of course be replaced.

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I guess when I said "racing", I should've just said at the tracks because everyone is technically "racing" in my books when you're on the tracks, unless you are taking a DE 101 course.

She's back. Went on my first drive today. Engine runs great! Had some noise initially that appeared to be related to power steering. I added some fluid (it was right at the minimum mark) and it went away :-). Did a longer drive and not only does the engine run great but it handled pretty well too. Wasn't sure what to expect after having replaced most suspension components and not having done an alignment yet. There is some noise that I believe is from the LWFW but other than that everything seems OK. Engine/transmission is nice and dry. Only need to install the rear sway bar / drop links and get an alignment and I'll be done for now. Next phase will be the interior. Currently shopping for a roll bar and seats. Finishing the install of the Escort 9500ci is also high on the list. I'll add some pics after she gets a bath.

So after putting well over a 1,000 miles on it including one DE weekend (VIR) I think I can say that I'm very happy with how this build came out. The engine has been running great during the break-in period as well as on the track. While it has a lot of understeer on the track I'm overall very happy with the handling. Very fun to drive, rivaling the Cayman R I used to drive. I'll try to dial out the understeer using the sway bars before the next track event. Another must before that event is a roll bar, seat and harness too. Leaning towards a Sabelt Taurus halo style seat. Anybody have any experience with these? Hoping to find a used roll bar but haven't had much luck yet. Still have to finish the radar detector install and fix the washer fluid system, pumps running but no spray...

Understeer in a 996 is very common. Causes range from improper alignment settings (they like lots of neg camber), proper ride height (rake), aero, a heavy lockup on your LSD, or just ****ty tires. Sway bars and shock adjustments are the obvious cures. Where are you bars currently set at?

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Alignment and ride height are baseline GT3 with 2.0 degrees negative camber. Aero is also standard GT3 Mark 1. Tires are the ones that came with the car, RE760s, IN good condition but don't know much else about them. Shocks are also GT3 so not much to adjust there. Both sway bars are set one notch from the most inboard. Was going to try a couple of notches softer on the front. Any suggestions?

Wait, huh? The engine already blew up? WTF?

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What are you talking about????? The engine is running great. I bought the car with a blown engine and had it rebuilt. Recently started driving again after that rebuild.

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Glad to hear the motor's OK. KrazyK must have hit the kitty litter again last night.... Honestly it's probably just the tires. It appears your bars are 1-off full stiff at both ends which is where I run mine with slicks. You could soften the front bar 1 notch at a time, stiffen the rear bar to full stiff, or a combination of both just make 1 adjustment at a time. It only takes a few minutes a the track. Also play with tire pressures.... When you buy some better track tires (R compounds) get the biggest front tire front can fit on your rims, 235 or larger and stay 285 or less in the rear to help balance out the understeer.....

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Thanks for the suggestions. I've already ordered a set of 285 G-force R1 tires for the rear. Planning on getting 245s for the front. I'll also try playing with the sway bar settings as you suggested. Unfortunately it'll be a couple of months until my next opportunity to get on the track.

Radar detector essentially in, just need to mount the control panel. Leaning towards attaching it to the batwing in the center console. Ended up swapping locations between the DSP panel and the climate control panel to give me more options for future mods. Washer fluid pump turned out to be a simple fix, the connector next to the battery had come loose. Simply popped it back together and everything works great again. Decided on the Sabelt Taurus seat and a GMG roll bar. Both arrived today. Will be really nice to have a real seat (and the roll bar of course) for the next track day. Going to use the Crow 5-point harness from my previous car. Now I just need some mounting hardware...

seats are the nicest upgrade, next are the belts, with these your experience will be night and day guarantee nice roll bar by the way. I used to love the tequipment but it start rusting a bit ;(

Hey Karl here. Is that the seat you were looking at up at VIR? Going the solo route from here on?

Somehow your old pics got mixed in with your new ones. Wasnt sure what happened. Glad its OK.

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Yepp, same seat. I may get a second seat later on. Perhaps a cheaper (but still FIA approved) one like the Bimarco.

Got the roll cage installed today. After shaving a bunch of the plastic off the piece under the carpet by the door it went in without too much fuzz. Seat is next...

Looks god!

After all the important stuff time for some bling.

Very nice build. Can you explain how hard the underdrive pulley install was? My 3.4 engine died the same death. Gold colored flakes in the oil filter up until the end.

The under drive pulley wasn't too bad to install. The hardest part was grinding a piece off the engine block that is normally used to hold the pulley in place when tightening it but that would interfere with the smaller under-drive pulley. Wasn't too bad with the engine out of the car but may be a bit of a pain with it installed. Other than that it's a ten minute job.

BTW, what did you end up doing with your engine?

It's still sitting under the workbench. I haven't had time to tear it down and inspect it. Based on your repairs I'm guessing you bought bearings, rods, a new used crank. Specificially, did you 1. Did you get a bearing carrier with the crank. Are those a matched set? 2. What kind of bearings did you use? The OEM i think are tri-metal but many other engines are going to Aluminum silicon material. I read somewhere that the gold color in the bearing material came from copper 3. did you replace rods or just the one that was damaged? If you replaced them all did you go with OEM or forged? 4. any other engine upgrades while-you-were-there? I'll post teardown pics in my 3.2 thread when I get to pulling everything apart.

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I had somebody else do the actual rebuild. While I know he replaced the bearings I don't know exactly which type he put in. I don't think the carrier was replaced, just the crankshaft itself. The rods did not have to be replaced so still OEM. No internal upgrades were done so the engine is essentially stock. It didn't make sense to me to spend money on internal changes given my budget and goals for this car... Looking forward to seeing your rebuild posts.

Your going to seriously track this car with OEM rods? Did you upgrade the hardware? Man get this thing on the track and post some action vids!

Krazy, No internal mods are allowed in either spec 996 or spec Boxster classes and the y seem to hold up OK so I'm not too worried about OEM rods... I'll try to get some video the next time.

Stjoh, You get as much criticism for doing a budget rebuild as I got for doing a budget engine swap. Great build.. I hope it lasts 100k mi, then maybe we'll splurge on titanium rods or something.

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OEM rods are very sturdy and just fine for his application. Just keep it cool, water and oil, and engineer for pressure drops. That's where/when the damage occurs...

jrgordonsenior, When you say engineer for pressure drops, what specifically did you have in mind? Accusump?

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This is the exact reason I only posted my budget engine repair thread in the Canadian forum. Last this I needed was arguing.

It's the Porsche mentality. Porsche people think something is wrong or some how inferior if they're not paying gazillion dollars for something. I myself will not pay less than $300 for sport pedals since I want to make sure I'm getting top metallurgy and perfect drilled chamfered and equally spaced holes.

Sorry, didnt realize dgmark had already told you this. Even these two experts cant agree. I didnt realize you were going for stock internals. Looks like a great build and will be lots of fun on the track.

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I can attest to the original root cause for the failure, as I was the owner of the car at that time. The water pump failed during a track session, leading to a rapid overheating condition with a loss of oil pressure. If I had thought to look at the temp gage on the backstretch at VIR . . .

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I prefer user settable audible alarms myself. Too much going on sometimes to keep looking at gauges. All it takes is a few seconds too long for something to happen.

Aha. It looked like some extreme heat on some of the internals. What happened with the water pump? Any warning signs? How long was it overheating before destruction?

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No warning light came on. There was a misfire at WOT in 3rd going onto the front straight with a CEL. I coasted into the pits and only them did I see that the water temp was 250.

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No just the X51 baffles or similar (I use the metal ones from EPS). I think the deeper sump with extended pickup helps too as long as you're not sitting on the ground like my car. I would rather install a secondary pump like the older X51's had plumbed to the RF head than an Accusump. I think Jake has a kit for that...

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Thanks. I've already got an X51 oil pan that'll go on before the next track event.

Anybody ever installed that secondary water pump kit ? I saw it on ln website but never seen it done by on rennlist member

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I have the Bimarco seats for several applications (including a Grip in my 996). Been happy thus far. Especially considering the price...

So I finally got the seat in. Ended up using Brey-Krause brackets on a set of OEM manual sliders. Shoulder belts and outboard lap belt are attached to the roll bar and the inboard lap belt to the seat bracket using an Brey-Krause adapter. I got the Brey-Krause sub strap mount bar for the sub strap as well as the matching fire extinguisher mount (didn't mean to but it was a good deal...). I re-used my Crow five-point harness as planned. There's not much room between the seat halo and the window. No need for a lot of margin there but it had me worried for a moment. Trying to decide on what fire extinguisher to get. Is it worth the money to get a halon versus a dry chem?

seat upgrade is number one for track days. you'll love it

Today I did the first test fit of the car on the trailer I got a few weeks ago. While loading went well a winch is now high on the wish list. Suggestions are welcome. I think I've pretty much figured out how to tie it down, just need to buy some tie down straps now I also managed to get a couple of "beauty shots". Regular seats are back in. While it's a bit of a pain to take the seat in and out it'd be hard to live with the halo seat for daily driving...

I really like the color of your car did you add some strap anchor to the bottom of your car, in order to tie the car on the trailer ?

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. I see you are pulling with a Ridgeline. How does it do? I broke a rear leaf spring on my Ranger 4x4 pulling a very similar trailer with a 356 (1600 lbs?) on it... I bought an electric winch on eBay and bolted to the floor of the trailer. 2003 Carrera 4S Speed Yellow / 1955 356 Continental 1500 Rust Red

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I didn't. Planning on using a tie -down net on two of the wheels and just straps around the other two.

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The Ridgeline seems to be doing fine although the gas mileage goes way down. I have a friend who's been pulling his race car with hos Ridgeline for a few years now without any issues. Unfortunately it wouldn't;t be able to handle an enclosed trailer though. Planning on getting an electric winch with some kind of remote. Not sure what rating is really required. I believe my buddy's winch is rated at 2,000 lbs which works but it's straining a bit.

To bring up an old topic. I'm occasionally getting the old P04210 and P1411 CEL codes. I've started looking at the SAI system. Pump is getting 12V and appears to be running OK. I'm guessing it's the valve or perhaps a vacuum leak close to it. Tempted to get rid of it and install blocking plates if I'm going to have to get to it anyway. Does the durametric tool let you turn the SAI check off or do you need a ECM tune? While it's easy enough to clear the codes when they turn up it would be nice to get rid of them completely. They do not affect how the engine is running at all, still runs great BTW.

It's been awhile so time for another update. Still getting the fault codes from the SAI. I've bought some blocking plates so when I get a ECU tune I'm going to install those and turn off the SAI check. I've put over 2,000 miles including two DE weekends (didn't think I was going to make the second one due to the storm but it worked out good - see pic) on the car since the rebuild and it's still doing great. I did have a major issues with the brakes during the last event though. Totally lost them twice despite numerous bleeds and one flush Not much fun to find out that you don't have any brakes when doing 120mph+. When I came home and took a closer look I found that the dust seals were coming apart and probably interfered with the brakes causing them to drag and overheat. Took this opportunity to completely rebuild the calipers, paint them and add steel-spun brake lines. I bought all the parts from Zeckhausen Racing. Great service and communication. I didn't have time for a proper powder coat so I used one of the caliper paint kits. Turned out pretty good. Awhile back I also installed my racing headers, bypass pipes, a set of B& B mufflers and EVOMS intake. Not sure about power increase but it runs great after the adaptation and it sure sounds good. Not annoying on the highway either. Finally I got a set of NT-01s for my track wheels. Should be a nice improvement, the stock tires don't do so well after a couple of sessions.

What size nt 01 are you running? Wheel sizes ?

They're 235/40 and 275/35 on 18" Turbo twists.

Where did you get the caliper rebuild kits?

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Zeckhausen Racing

Quick update on the brake rebuild. Did a DE event at Roebling Road and the brakes felt great! No issues what so ever.

I saw in the for sale that you are selling the car ? you should link to this very interesting rebuild thread as well pricey car but with that documentation you may be able to get the price you are asking for.