Revo sp3 version 1.0

[Silver_TT]

I am considering the purchase of a 2002 996 TT. I initially wanted the x50 package but I found a car that has Revo SPS. I did a search and read this is an ECU flash update and can add quite a lot of power depending on the other components it's coupled with (exhaust, etc). Maybe a stupid question but is this approved by Porsche (or is there anything bad it could do to the car)?

Can anyone tell me what this addition is worth $ and what kinds of things I should be looking at related to it? What kind of performance increase would I be seeing? What kind of questions would an educated buyer want to know about this?

Thanks in advance.

3/16/13 CORRECTION: The title of this thread should say "REVO SPS"

Edited March 17, 2013 by ferrugia

[Dus10R]

X50 was a $18k option... Revo is a $1200 add-on that may or may not add useful power. X50 came with larger GT2 intercoolers, larger K24 turbos which can easily be upgraded to K24/18's , and GT2 exhaust and different mapping. X50 has a smiggin more lag but more top end speed. First thing you want to know when buying a Turbo is if the coolant line connectors have been replaced and welded or pinned in. The glue Porsche used to bond them to the engine wears out after awhile and then the car spits them out along with ALL of the coolant in a matter of seconds. It very very common and requires the motor to be dropped to fix and repace (10 hours plus)

But other than that they are great cars. Mezger engine = awesome. Porsche still using it in their race cars but have stopped using it in the street cars due to cost. I have personally seen a 996 Turbo with over 300k miles on the odometer. They're a bargin right now.

[Silver_TT]

Thanks for the response. Ya, I know about X50, it's pretty awesome. And, ya, so cool -- there's a guy here on RennTech too who has 300K+ as well. I'm looking for something solid like the Mezger.

As far as the coolant line connectors, is there an easy way to tell if I have the car on the rack? Do they check this during a PPI? If this just has the original glue, is the problem inevitable, only a matter of time? At what mileage does this problem usually manifest itself? The car I'm looking at is coming up on 60K miles.

Are there any other "gotchas" I should be considering other than this coolant line?

[wross996TT]

The most comprehensive list of things to watch for are here:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/tutorials/article/252-the-porsche-996-twin-turbo-potential-issues/

There are a number of ways to upgrade the TT. I spent half of what the X50 (or S) version was for more than twice the HP and torque. Been driving it since 2006 with all mods. No issues related to mods.

[Silver_TT]

Thanks for the reply, I have read a bunch of your other posts in the past. I actually saw jpflip's posted list previously -- Good list!! Most of those probems seem minor and some of the little things I'm fammiliar with from the 996 (window regulators, oil pressure sender, etc, etc). Definitely will ask them to check those coolant hoses in the PPI.

The X50 on a used car costs a small fraction of the original $18K but the problem is there aren't a ton of them out there and I'm picky. When I have found them there was something weird I didn't like about the car, interior, etc.

[Dus10R]

The coolant connector issue is strange... I've seen it happen on cars with 25k on the clock, it happened to me at 50K. I know of brand new GT3's that have had it happen with under 10K. There's even rumor that Porsche Club won't allow Mezger engine cars in their track events unless the mod has been done. Not sure how accurate that is and it could be just certain PCNA events were the coordinators are familar with the issue. I think the issue is a combination of age and heat cycles. I would def say the odds increase with time for sure though. They should be able to see at least 1 of the coolant connectors (there's 8 total), if they've been welded on it's going to be obvious, if not they need to look to see if they have been "pinned" which is basically drilling them and adding a bolt to hold them to the case.

[Silver_TT]

Interesting, don't know if it's from the same source but I heard that same rumor from a reputable source. I guess I will find out as I have a PCA track event here next month.

From what I understand the welding method is preferable/better than the pinning method (since pinning doesn't keep it from leaking, it just keeps the hose from completely coming off) -- with the caveat that you have to have someone who knows what they are doing do the job...is that a fair characterization? I know neither is cheap as it likely means pulling the engine.

The car I'm looking at has close to 60K miles, so from what you're saying, it sounds like there is a decent chance the previous owner has had to deal with this possibly at some point in the past.

[wross996TT]

Does anybody actually have any data regarding the coolant connections? I mean how many failures are there? Sorry, I'm a statistician and I get provoked when folks post information claiming this is a "bound to happen" event in which we are not sure of the causal structure (what factors/interactions lead to failure).

I know there are threads (like on rennlist) that are attempting to capture data on this failure....seems like the majority of failures (at a quick glance) occur on a track and GT3s are more prone?

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/997-gt2-gt3-forum/592328-catastrophic-coolant-hose-coupling-failure-registry.html

[Silver_TT]

If anyone has actually been through this and fixed the problem successfully please speak up. I plan to track some......so if this is even reasonably likely and having an instant coolant dump is a possibility, then I think I need to address it. Having a mass coolant dump could be extremely dangerous for myself and other drivers as coolant is very slick. Even driving on the highway this seems like it could be quite dangerous.

I talked to a company called Shark Werks in CA and he said they recommend the "pinning" method + glued with Loctite. They told me they have had no failures when using this method. He said they have seen a number of the welding jobs that were done wrong or had pin-hole leaks....and therefore they don't recommend it. I guess if you go the welding route you really need someone that has done it many times and really knows what they are doing so they get it right. He told me, as a rough approximation, that the "pinning" takes about 8 hours of labor (depends on various factors so take that with a grain of salt).

If anyone can actually give me some information on what the recommended fix is and who does it, I would greatly apprecaite it. Are other 996 TT owners concerned about this???