Just been told I need a top-end rebuild on my 964
Just been told I need a top-end rebuild on my 964
Author
Discussion

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
took it to an independent porsche place on saturday - got it up on the ramp and had a good look at it. Around 4K which seems to be the norm. Its leaking from everywhere and has been for about 1 year now. The smoke from the wheelarches when hot is just getting tiresome now.

I dont see much point in selling it and buying one that has already had this done - considering I wont get much for it now - what do people think?

I have decided to do it - the rest of the car is in very good nick, I am also going to do the clutch as the engine will be out.

The car should be good for another 50K-60K miles after this.
I am going to keep the car for life now....

robmug

1,047 posts

292 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
Does it definitely need top end rebuild? The symptoms you describe could be other things...

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
its a 1990 and has done 112K miles now.
I have had 2 seperate garages look - believe me I am sure.

I could go on for another year like this but it is using up quite a lot of oil and it is just annoying it bellows out smoke when it is at a standstill and hot (ie at the dover ferry port the other day!!)


Gunny Sergeant D

2,248 posts

269 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
The engine and clutch will be as good as new. looks nice in the pic so I'd say worth doing. A top end rebuild is still about what you lose anuualy on most boringwagons.

Edited to add: http://www.jazweb.co.uk/howitsdone.htm

Edited by Gunny Sergeant D on Tuesday 16th December 13:37

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
thanks for the info - that site is interesting - wish I had the skills!!

wildoliver

9,302 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
If it's pouring out smoke at standstill and losing a lot of oil I would seriously check it isn't the union from oil pipe to oil filter housing in wheel arch, or the union from oil pipes to oil distributor behind the side skirt. There are other leak points too. The symptoms you describe sound exactly like a leak on to the oil filter housing as opposed to top end rebuild (unless the smoke is coming out of the exhaust) most 964s have wet engines anyway, it is a big leak to be losing a lot of oil. Check it may save you a lot of money.

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for the info - the oil is coming from everywhere - you can literally see it dripping out the back when its had a long blast down the motorway.

Leigh from Leigh's garage (next to Chelsea Carrera) is going to do the work for me. He seems to know his stuff - he spent almost 3 hours with me on saturday taking me through everything.

Ultra Violent

2,827 posts

298 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
I'd take it to JZM.

1231

122 posts

238 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
The "danger" is that once the engine is out and stripped the number of things that "need" doing increases..

Pistons, barrels, heads, chains, bearings.

may need attention / replacing

Oil pipes will be cooked

Tin ware will be knackered.

It can cost you a lot more than the 3-4K you can expect to pay if "nothings wrong"...

I spent 14 grand, yes 14 grand rebuilding my 964 engine.


barchetta_boy

2,513 posts

261 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
1231 said:
The "danger" is that once the engine is out and stripped the number of things that "need" doing increases..

Pistons, barrels, heads, chains, bearings.

may need attention / replacing

Oil pipes will be cooked

Tin ware will be knackered.

It can cost you a lot more than the 3-4K you can expect to pay if "nothings wrong"...

I spent 14 grand, yes 14 grand rebuilding my 964 engine.
£14k!!!111oneone eek

Ouch. I'll remember that figure next time someone tells me 928s are expensive to look after.

Joel

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
Ultra Violent --

Leigh and the chap who set up JZM are very good friends.
They used to work together.

christer

2,804 posts

280 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
I would budget for £6K plus/minus 20%

£14K is the highest I have seen, but then I guess pretty much everything was knackered? I would have thoguht you could have got a new (or factory recon) with 2 years warranty for less than that....apparently a replacement engine for my GT3 (on exchange basis) is around £18K.

wildoliver

9,302 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
14k????

It genuinely would have been cheaper to buy a new 964!!!

To the OP if oil is pouring out from the back it is fair to assume you have an issue!

I would however still ask him to make sure the major oil leak is coming from the engine itself and not one or more of the many external oil pipes on the car. If your engine is just a bit weepy but otherwise in fair condition (not smoking) and an oil pipe has gone or union/joint leaking then it will give the impression of a leaking engine while the actual engine is probably only providing 1% of the overall oil and you probably wouldn't bother on it's own. New oil pipes while not cheap aren't 4k. Also check it isn't the cam covers, if the seals have gone here it will be a cheap job too and not necessary to rebuild the engine.

If you are dropping the engine I would consider replacing all the flexi oil pipes unless done in the history as they go hard with age and crack, also consider replacing the clutch slave cylinder as it is hard to fit with the engine and box in situ. I would also consider doing the handbrake cables if they look even slightly tired as it is a very easy job to do with engine out. If you do only use genuine cables, the spurious ones do not fit as I found to my cost.

stuttgartmetal

8,145 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
I'd bin the car.
Sell it and take a bit of a hit.
I would reasonably think you'd get £8k for it.
Then get a coupe.
Targa 964's aren't that popular, but the coupe C2's are.
Don't plow a load of cash into it.
Say you're into the £8k territory, you're getting near 993 money.
Think twice before you commit.

hartech

1,929 posts

246 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
The advice to think seriously about what you are doing is good advice -- but if you do decide to have the engine rebuilt, that year didn't have the cylinder head seals that later 1993 engines had (like 993's) and the heads distort and leak oil out. Although our rebuilding for most engines will be of similar cost and spec to others - we also do re-machine these heads and fit seals - so if you want this doing - we can help. Just contact me on auto@hartech'org if you want more info.

Baz

pikeyboy

2,349 posts

243 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
hartech said:
The advice to think seriously about what you are doing is good advice -- but if you do decide to have the engine rebuilt, that year didn't have the cylinder head seals that later 1993 engines had (like 993's) and the heads distort and leak oil out. Although our rebuilding for most engines will be of similar cost and spec to others - we also do re-machine these heads and fit seals - so if you want this doing - we can help. Just contact me on auto@hartech'org if you want more info.

Baz
surely a reputeable specialist would degrease (jizer) and steam clean the engine bay and block to identify the source of any large leak befor comitting a customer to a 4k plus bill. if i were you i'd want to be 100 percent sure it wasnt something simple like a loose pipe union or fretted oil pipe

EDSEL1

Original Poster:

181 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
Many thanks to all the advice.
Also just spoken to Charles Marsland - he also suspects it needs a rebuild.
It doesnt smoke out of the exhaust though ever, apart from initial start up sometimes, which is normal I hear.

To Stuttgart Metal - I dont want a Coupe, I love Targas, far better looking & love driving with the roof off at all available times. I went to a few garages at the weekend - I was offered from 5K - 8.5K ---

Will have a think about it for a few weeks and get the engine bay steam cleaned.

thegoose

8,077 posts

239 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
Is anyone else surprised by the difference in this thread compared to the normal "I'm thinking about buying a 964" threads? scratchchin

They're usually full of warnings that the engines always need rebuilding due to oil leaks etc - yet on this thread, when the OP has had two trusted specialists tell him it needs doing on his car it seems everyone is trying to persuade him that it probably doesn't need doing.... confused

Scamper

732 posts

251 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
EDSEL i also experienced a lot of smoke coming out from the wheel arches after a trackday. I steam cleaned the engine and degreased then pressure washed again and it seems the smoking has died down quite a bit.

I was worried i might need a rebuild (its on 100k) especially as the clutch is slipping at max revs now!

Keeps us updated on what you decide and who does the work, i am interested in knowing what the costs will be. Hopefully if i can clear my credit card i can slip the bill on there without the missus finding out!!

Agent Orange

2,078 posts

269 months

Tuesday 16th December 2008
quotequote all
lEIGH learnt to rebuild engines 30 years ago he ll sort it and he ll get it right , just remind him i taught him all he knows ..................hope we re talking abt Leigh K H ?
IF IT IS THIS GUY HE IS A PERFECTIONIST TRUST HIM ............