Nice to meet you all, I'm just new to be a member here but I have been in the forum googling technical information for 3 years.

Here my 996 Turbo X50 was down and stayed in the garage for nearly 1 month. What's the problem...? Still unknown. The problem is that when I was driving on the highway, I heard a "PAK" sound and then my CEL keeps flashing, after that PSM Light also lit up. Then the car lost power and I drove aside to wait for towing. Once I stopped, all warning lights lit up, car can't start and just heard the starting sound... but can't start up with enough power. Towed back.

The next day I tried to start the car, it started! But the engine cabinet is extremely noisy and vibrated strongly like a old-enough washing machine. Power Pedal can make the car run for a few centimeters, then no reaction anymore. Towed again, and this time to my car smith.

Here the code my car smith received was saying Camshaft Position Error along with O2 Sensor, MAF Sensor got wrong as well. The most unlucky issue was seeing Cylinder 4, 5, 6 are also got misfired message.

Alright, after browsing the forum for any possibilities before asking:

Firstly, I have tried first changed coil, spark plugs and check the wiring. All are fine but the car can't start.

Secondly, I have spotted out that if it was the blue chip O2 sensor near the coil and also if the variocam solenoid bracelet was broken, changed. Still can't start the car.

Now, the engine is pulled down on the ground. And we can see the timing chain is now in a wrong position but not broken, but hit a part likely claimed as "umbrella" in Chinese. The valves are bent.







Here my car smith is not confident in rebuilding it as he was afraid there would be some other errors... afterwards. Therefore the engine was not broken down into piece by piece...

May I seek our members' advice on the possibility of parts damaged? Perhaps the costs as well... I was so poor that I really can't afford to replace the engine as the engine of X50 is rare in Hong Kong, and also it is along with K24 turbo charger which is also different from a normal 996 Turbo.

Please help...

 

Any 996 turbo engine will work mechanically. X50 means you have k24 turbos. That is the only difference between turbo and X50. Engine wiring harness maybe different then say a USA one but you could just swap yours over to replacement engine. I do have a stock spare engine that I will part with.

 

This is a tough one, depending on what is damaged inside, it could be less expensive to buy a used motor and pop it in and then part out your existing motor on ebay, as there are still many good parts on it or just sell it as a "needing rebuild". The problem is that it is going to cost money to get into disassembly and only then will you know the true extent of the damage...I think if I were facing this, I would look for a great deal on a used motor and part out the damaged one to recoup some cost.

 

Thanks... but it is selling quite a big amount... which is really unaffordable...

 

wow thats horrible. at this point i think unless you can find someone who will tear it down youre stuck sourcing a new engine.

side note ... ill be in HK in March, hopefully you have it back up and running by then

 

XwalkerX, hopefully my engine can be rebuilt... but not replaced.

As the car smith told me that the oil pipe from the oil cooler got no fragments found, therefore the engine should be just damaged a bit, minor issue hopefully.

Just see if he can fix it or not, as heard, if the pipe got some fragments inside, the engine was to be claimed as total loss... and today the car smith will tell me if we should amend it, replace it, or keep it in garage.

Meanwhile he found that the fan of the snail-shaped turbo charger (K24) part is a bit sticky on one side... I'm now browsing which is fine to have which I just saw the one from samahdoot in ebay is offering one...

Meanwhile as the right hand side one only... therfore I may choose to buy 1 side only... seek for you all's opinions!

 

lord have mercy that's a fine mess. i wouldn't be concerned with which turbos you re-install since as others have noted, it's the engine's pre-existing condition that matters. that said, sam's turbo's are well known throughout this community and this board ( i've got 'em ). the turbo's are just "bolt on" and as long as your tune supports the particular setup, that's a non issue. though a leaking turbo isn't!

i would also look to source out a motor from a salvage place for about $15k. i think ( unfortunately ) that is your best bet, given your geography and the fact the 996 t's are less common where you are. sucks man.. good luck though.

 

if timing chain skipped, pistons likely smacked the valves, which are probably bent now. pistons might be damaged too. rebuilding might cost you more if your mechanic is not comfortable doing the work.

 

if you do buy a used motor MAKE SURE ITS THE SAME TRANSMISSION style as your car originally.

if its a manual car buy a manual motor, if tip buy a tip or i can send you all the Tiptronic accessories =)

if you are in the motor and need parts theres two of us in houston hoarding 996tt parts. let us know

 

If one turbo is bad then both are are.. As a man smarter then I told me (Rob @Forced performance) "They are in the same playground. Same oil, same run time, same everything." The broken timing chain is a bad one. Lots of damage can happen inside. There are special tools needed to reassemble these engines, does your shop have them?

 

OS Inspector,

Thanks a lot, mine is a tip one.
Now the shop will be dismantling into pieces for me, and see if it is possible to repair, as he told me that it's kinda luck that the chain is not broken, but moved to a wrong position. Certainly it affects the "umbrella" which I don't know the jargons here... and also the valves were bent. I believe the piston may be affected too according to prodigymb!

Thanks! all

Tim, thanks!
The shop had the tools, and they will start dismantling within this week!

As now the engine is too expensive for me...
If it must be swapped and changing a new one... I may hold it first and just place in my car park.

 

here in the states in a lot of cases the labor of dis assembly and reassembly of the motor is more expensive then a used engine. Do check on this with your mechanic as most here will want 100hrs to remove disassemble and rebuild the motor at 100-150$/hr a used motor is cheaper and faster.

curious what mechanics over there are charging/billing

 

Perhaps in Hong Kong, there is a different case, the mechanic will charge on project-based but not in time-rate. While he told me that is to buy a used motor in the web, but you know the price is extremely expensive for me

Therefore he said that he can help dismantling the engine for me and see if there are some fragments inside the pipe... which would be an answer for me to choose - repair or change.

Meanwhile he is my great friend since 2004, he told me to send my car to other mechanic already... but all mechanic are not willing to check and repair, but just replace a new one. As I just have limited budget, I really don't wanna spend too much.

Last year, I have changed the fuel pump... and gearbox rebuild already... spent a lot of money... currently running about 100k miles.

 

any history on the car was it tuned? performance upgrades or all stock?

 

MOSTLY STOCK.
Just equipped PSS9.
Exhaust - Original
Air-intake - Original
Turbo K24 - Original