Best place to get a 3.4 996 engine

[steve_wilwerding]

I am getting very serious about putting a 996 3.4 into my 98 Boxster - the only issue left is finding a good engine.

Obviously, the best option would be to buy a crate engine from Porsche, but that runs around $12K plus core.

I talked with Jake Raby, and the only engine they have is a high-mileage one. I'm ideally looking for one with less than 50K miles.

So, I searched car-parts.com, and there are number of engines out of wrecked cars for sale on there. However, I have no idea about the history of these engines, or if they were damaged in the accident, etc. The upside is that the engines are pretty reasonable, with no core charge.

Ideally, I'd like to find an engine that was rebuilt by a reputable shop (like Raby). Second best would be to get a low-mileage engine from a known source.

Anyone have any ideas on this? Any shops that people have worked through that would be a good source for an engine?

[phillipj]

The 3.4's are a pain in the a## to find because so many people want them. You might want to consider going up to a 3.6. There are lots of them around and then will have a true rocket. I don't believe that the conversion is much different with the 3.6

Edited December 15, 2009 by phillipj

[txhokie4life]

The 3.4's are a pain in the a## to find because so many people want them. You might want to consider going up to a 3.6. There are lots of them around and then will have a true rocket. I don't believe that the conversion is much different with the 3.6

Why is it that everyone is looking for a 3.4 as opposed to a 3.6?

Doesn't the DME 7.8 requirement for the 3.6 make this a more expensive upgrade?

You have to get a new DME and get it programmed to match your IMMOB?

There are also wiring harness difference between the 3.6 and 3.4 -- I think

I read it requires a different instrument cluster as well.

someone will have the pointer that escapes me at the moment.

thanks,

Mike

[steve_wilwerding]

someone will have the pointer that escapes me at the moment.

Here is a link the article about why putting 3.6s into a 2.5 is so tough:

THolyoak

[txhokie4life]

someone will have the pointer that escapes me at the moment.

Here is a link the article about why putting 3.6s into a 2.5 is so tough:

THolyoak

The very postings I was trying to remember off hand -- thanks Steve,

Mike

[ericinboca]

I am getting very serious about putting a 996 3.4 into my 98 Boxster - the only issue left is finding a good engine.

Obviously, the best option would be to buy a crate engine from Porsche, but that runs around $12K plus core.

I talked with Jake Raby, and the only engine they have is a high-mileage one. I'm ideally looking for one with less than 50K miles.

So, I searched car-parts.com, and there are number of engines out of wrecked cars for sale on there. However, I have no idea about the history of these engines, or if they were damaged in the accident, etc. The upside is that the engines are pretty reasonable, with no core charge.

Ideally, I'd like to find an engine that was rebuilt by a reputable shop (like Raby). Second best would be to get a low-mileage engine from a known source.

Anyone have any ideas on this? Any shops that people have worked through that would be a good source for an engine?

I'm on LA Porsche Dismantlers email list - just got an email from them advertising a sale on Porsche reman engines...

I have no experience with these guys; just passing on the info.

[txhokie4life]

I am getting very serious about putting a 996 3.4 into my 98 Boxster - the only issue left is finding a good engine.

Obviously, the best option would be to buy a crate engine from Porsche, but that runs around $12K plus core.

I talked with Jake Raby, and the only engine they have is a high-mileage one. I'm ideally looking for one with less than 50K miles.

So, I searched car-parts.com, and there are number of engines out of wrecked cars for sale on there. However, I have no idea about the history of these engines, or if they were damaged in the accident, etc. The upside is that the engines are pretty reasonable, with no core charge.

Ideally, I'd like to find an engine that was rebuilt by a reputable shop (like Raby). Second best would be to get a low-mileage engine from a known source.

Anyone have any ideas on this? Any shops that people have worked through that would be a good source for an engine?

I'm on LA Porsche Dismantlers email list - just got an email from them advertising a sale on Porsche reman engines...

I have no experience with these guys; just passing on the info.

Skip the middle man -- they are cheaper at Sunset (who has them on sale as well)

But in the OPs case -- a the core expense is a killer.

m

[suburban99]

I have had good luck getting used parts from Oklahoma Foreign. Call as they do not return e-mail very quick..

[seafeye]

Sunset has a deal on a boxster S motor.....$9000

https://www.sunsetimports.net/product.php?pid=9831

[Jaay]

I got mine from LA Porsche. Came in four days from them to Long Island NY. 6400 shipped and it had 30k on it and that was verified by the dealer and insurance. It is in my car running strong. No issues at all and was packaged/palleted great. Shipping company called me to tell me when they were coming and took it off the truck for me. I put it on a dolley and BAM it is in my car :) Hope this helps.

[Jake Raby]

We sldom have used engines... Its a liability for us to sell any used engine, or any engine that we haven't totally upgraded.. Its easy for a broken used engine to be mis-interpreted by the public as one of our performance engines, should it fail.

We don't just "rebuild" engines as we only retain about 5 of the OEM Porsche parts- the rest is new, updated parts that we have developed with LN Engineering, not sourced from Porsche.

There is a big difference in a rebuild and a total reconstruction with all upgraded, overkill parts.

We are seeing absolute nightmares as more people and shops are jumping on the "engine rebuild bandwagon" and patching up used engines from parts and then selling them as rebuilds... They are using rods from 3 engines, pistons from 2 engines, cylinder head castings don't match, etc, etc.. It takes us SEVENTY hours to assemble an engine.. Do the math on what the cheap rebuilds cost and then consider that amount of time..