Wow great info here. Thanks for posting the progress!

 

Ha! Yes, when you're used to 90-100's and like it, then yes, 30 or lower is miserable! I have no problem people calling me a whimp when it comes to cold. Ha!

I've definitely got the engine bug, so definitely not apposed to helping people out with theirs.

 

Your engine was starved for oil, and you only had damage to the main bearings? Are those cams untouched? They look fine in the pictures, I'm just a bit surprised...

 

How many special P tools do you need to assemble the motor, and what's the cost of acquiring them?

 

Well, I had scarring on the crankshaft, so sent that off to get repaired (only one place in the US does it) and upgraded. One camshaft had to have the same treatment. I replaced all the main and piston bearings, upgraded some internal engine parts, as well as the complete IMS upgrade, not just the bearing.

I needed to buy Porsche tools: 9599, 9634, 9612, 9608, and 9602. Yes, they're quite expensive (over a $k), but you need them to put everything together and set the timing!

Duralube rocks! Definitely saved the engine!

 

Well then I'm mistaken. After a lot of research, it seems that there was just one that does Porsche 996 cranks. It involves a special process. There are several that will say they do, but in reality, they're just sending it to the same guy.

If you know of more, then congratulations!

 

did you have the crank welded n then polished or just polished n used a larger size of main bearing?

 

It had to be welded, polished, magnafluxed, and then hardened. There aren't oversized bearings available for the 996 crankshaft, that's why no one can do the work.

 

hi guys , same thing here big end failure , the big burning question is who does rebuild the cranks, i can find used one too but i would think that rebuilding is cheaper

 

I had it done in several different places, the one I'd recommend now is Beck's European in AZ, the price is reasonable, let them know Luke Edson sent you.

 

I would HIGHLY recommend anyone tracking a 996 to purchase the Mantis Sport Oil Sump Extension Kit. The fact that they have a cover that keeps the oil in the pan as you take hard corners is a crucial aspect that no one else has!

 

cool , it seems the community here is also very active and friendly
I am new to the watercooled world , but not to porsche , i had a 914, a 914-6, a 70 911T and i am now working on a 1968 911S soft window targa

form the air cooled experience , i can see that the wter cooled have the same basic design for assembly and timing ( with some variation)

forund a site that had a picture of all the special tools , so you dont have to shell out all that cash for stuff your never going to use again , there was a dozen of video showing how , was done on a 986 but i am sure its the same ,, whoever designed the water cooled worked at porched when the made the air cooled stuff

just bought a 996 with a crank failure ( but i knew it was dead ) so it was a lot cheaper , just need to go pick it up and take the sucker apart,

 

Yep, it's not too big of a deal if you're just putting it back together with stock parts. The way you bring on failures is if you do a bunch of modifications for performance, as then the weaknesses of the design of the 3.4 engine starts coming to the forefront. I've thrown rods three different times at the track, so it can be an expensive learning process if you start upgrading the car's performance. Sticking to stock engine and drive characteristics (no slicks, upgraded suspension, etc.) is a safe bet though, and nothing to worry about. Just upgrade the IMS, and you're good to go!

If you get the bug though, it can be quite rewarding! I now have a Turbo S/GT3 killer that is amazing to drive!

 

i have heard a lot of contradicting info on what is reusable and whats not

the engine still runs but it has a vibration , and after removing the tranny , the crank seems loose

assuming the cranks is rebuildable ( worste case get a used one )
i heard that the Rods are single use , , on air cooled they just remachine them to make them round again ( can i do that or not )
can i reuse the same rods( without machining ) if they did not get damaged
would do bearings for the whoel thing
i assume the screws must be changed
i would upgrade the IMS
put new chains
since the cylinder are not damaged , do i just put the same piston and rings or new rings
would have the heads redone ( grind valve and seat , check guide and resurface )

i am not looking to race but rebuild o have a fun daily driver ( for the summer as i have snow on the ground already )

i would apreciate the opinion of an expert on that

 

It sounds like you have had an oil starvation issue, and the main bearings got affected.

As long as you don't have an intermix problem (water in the oil), just get the crankshaft repaired, replace all your main and rod bearings, full IMS shaft upgrade (LN Engineering) while you're at it, gasket set, and don't reuse your head bolts.

Purists would have you replace everything, but in my opinion, just replacing the above works perfectly for driving it around. If you're going to track it, then yes, I'd replace a bunch more, but for the street and no force induction, I don't see any reason why you can't reuse everything else. - Do NOT machine the rods, or hone the cylinders!