M96 Rebuild options in Canada

[Darqangelle]

Hi everybody. I did my due diligence and searched through the forums for answers to these questions and didn't find anything. If I erred and these questions were previously answered elsewhere, please accept my apologies and feel free to direct me to the right post/forum.

Well, like many others who joined this board: I did my research. I read the horror stories, investigated the issues and then ended up listening to the folks who said the M96 faults were the minority and pulled the trigger on getting a lovely looking '01 Cabrio.

Now, two months later, I'm a little miffed at those folks I listened to. :censored: Even if the M96 issues are in the statistical minority, I find it uncomforting to know that I am now in the said minority. My darling car, with only 72,000 Kms on the odo (1K of them mine), sits in a garage with my mechanic telling me "it's bad". All this from that little light on the dashboard telling me to top off the coolant, and me finding the cappuccino-like froth in the reservoir.

So, to the Canadian contingent, I have two questions, actually.

1) A lot of our brothers to the south are mentioning how they have 3rd-party warranties that cover engine replacements. The 3rd-party warranty sold to me by the (non-PCNA) dealer appears to max out its claims at $6000. - a savings; sure, but not entirely comforting for a (what) $20grand(?) engine replacement. My mechanic (who also trades in P cars) tells me there is *no* warranty company that will cover that sort of expense. Is this true?

2) Seeing as I'm going to have to get myself another :censored: engine, I'd like to know what my options are. Do the rebuilds from Stuttgart come with corrections for all previous faults (RMS/IMS/Sleeve faults/D-chunk failures) or am I just resetting the countdown timer? (It doesn't make sense that I should fork out this kind of cash, only to repeat this wallet-raping procedure all over again in a few years)

Folks here have mentioned some pretty nice engineers who can offer rebuilt motors that DO answer all these faults. Are there any in Canada (namely the GTA) that you guys can recommend?

3) (Okay, I lied. 3 questions...) How many folks have managed to drag the PCNA suits to the legal table? Of those that did, what was accomplished?

As you can imagine, I am pretty :censored: angry, really :censored: scared, and devastatingly :censored: disillusioned.

Thanks for all your help and insight. :help:

Edited June 12, 2009 by Darqangelle

[RFM]

Original Porsche prolonged warranty cover all mechanical and electronic failures, unfortunately too late in your case. Porsche factory rebuild engines have all the latest updates as mentioned in your post.

[CarreraLicious]

Before you go and authorize a complete engine replacement, I would at least bring the car to another mechanic for a second opinion. I'm not an engine expert, but maybe there's a way to repair the issue. Perhaps folks on the board here may be able to help diagnose the problem. Good luck.

[kgoertz]

Before you go and authorize a complete engine replacement, I would at least bring the car to another mechanic for a second opinion. I'm not an engine expert, but maybe there's a way to repair the issue. Perhaps folks on the board here may be able to help diagnose the problem. Good luck.

I'm not sure this would help, but it might be worth an attempt. My mechanic in Waterloo may have some useful information since he has been working on 911's for a long, long time and he has considerable engine experience. He has a race team and I'm sure he knows all about rebuilds. His name is Uli Furtmair (Furtmair Auto Services). His info can be found at http://www.furtmair.com/

I don't have any ties to Uli other than being a customer.

Kevin

[Dharn55]

Please excuse the typo in the thread heading, but check out my thread on the intermix problem I experienced:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...mp;#entry142577

Porsche wants everyone to think that a new engine is the only alternative when anything happens to a M96. But that is not the case, altough it is incredibly profitable for Porsche to sell the Reman engines, which don't really address all the problems found anyway. There are several other posts on my project, but your problem may be fixable for only a few thousand dollars. My cost for parts and fixing the cracked head is less than $1,500, I did my own labor.

[BruceP]

Apologies for the semi-hijack of your thread, but it might be relevant to people interested in your question: I'm getting the LN Engineering IMS bearing upgrade done on my '00 this week here in Toronto. Engineered Automotive is doing the work (great Porsche guys, IMHO), and the delivery and support from Charles Navarro at LN seems to have been prompt and superb. It might at least be worth a call to Engineered with your rebuild question.

No affiliation, BTW.

[Darqangelle]

Update:

Thanks, all, for your kind replies. (Boxtaboy, KGoertz, Dharn) but I'm afraid a rebuild is out of the question.

My mechanic called me this morning and shared the bad news: Hairline cracks in the cylinder walls of 5 & 6 (And 3 is also suspect). He found this out after doing a compression test and then bringing in one of those invasive medical scopes to peek around. So a new engine is my only choice. :( (Dharn - apparently the cracks are in the side walls, not the heads)

I'm going to get more details from him about the cause of such a major fault and asked him to document/photograph pretty much everything.

I'm also going to make sure that the RMS, IMS and sleeve issues have been answered before proceeding with the transplant. :angry:

...and people wonder why I have trust issues...

[txhokie4life]

Update:

Thanks, all, for your kind replies. (Boxtaboy, KGoertz, Dharn) but I'm afraid a rebuild is out of the question.

My mechanic called me this morning and shared the bad news: Hairline cracks in the cylinder walls of 5 & 6 (And 3 is also suspect). He found this out after doing a compression test and then bringing in one of those invasive medical scopes to peek around. So a new engine is my only choice. :( (Dharn - apparently the cracks are in the side walls, not the heads)

I'm going to get more details from him about the cause of such a major fault and asked him to document/photograph pretty much everything.

I'm also going to make sure that the RMS, IMS and sleeve issues have been answered before proceeding with the transplant. :angry:

...and people wonder why I have trust issues...

I too used LnEngineering for the IMS -- they also have the ability to relign the walls with Nikasils

I did not need these but was prepared to do it when I thought I had a cracked cylinder wall

m

[oneyedjack]

Try Jake Raby at flat6innovations.com for info on nikasil and repair costs. Sorry for your loss.

Edited June 17, 2009 by oneyedjack

[Dharn55]

WOW! I have heard of cracks in liners, but never in 2-3 liners at one time. The issue you face now is a Porsche reman engine or another source. If you want to get an engine from Porsche, and to get the core credit back, you can't diassemble the engine, that is their policy. I believe it is because they really don't want the public to know what causes failures. The core is also supposed to be "rebuildable" but I have not heard of Porsche not accepting one that was not torn down. I guess to reject one would require that they disclose what is wrong with the core.

Some other sources also have core charges, rebuildable cores, etc. I think Jake Raby/Flat6 innovations is about $15,000 with new liners, IMS and lots of other improvements, and with the price of a reman from Porsche these days (at least for a 3.4) I would go that route if possible.

[Darqangelle]

Not to bring back a dead thread or old issue, I just figured I should bring about the conclusion to what happened.

Long story short, it was a cracked head. The crack was so small it was REALLY hard to find. Car's now running and doing lovely, thank you very much.

But boy, there's something to be said about these M96s, eh?

[johnj.moran]

Not to bring back a dead thread or old issue, I just figured I should bring about the conclusion to what happened.

Long story short, it was a cracked head. The crack was so small it was REALLY hard to find. Car's now running and doing lovely, thank you very much.

But boy, there's something to be said about these M96s, eh?

So did this require the installation of a remanufactured engine? If not, what was the fix?

Thanks,

John

[Dharn55]

Glad to hear it was only a cracked head. Did you repair the head or replace the engine?

[CabC2]

Lucky you, good for you!

[Darqangelle]

Wellll.....

What happened was the engine was rebuilt in trying to fix the original symptom.

After the rebuild and during the break-in period, I found the symptoms remained. Back to the shop it went in order to be taken apart (all on the rebuilder's dime) and he found the crack in the head, so he replaced it.

Now it's all good. So I still ended up getting a rebuilt engine... and fixing the problem. *RE*

Either way...it's a past chapter now.

[phillipj]

Great news!! Glad it all worked out :clapping: