To Buy 3.2 or 2.7 987 ?

[Electrical Engineer]

Hi All New to this Forum / my son has had 987-2 for a while and being an Engineer and coming up to early retirement age have got the bug ! having worked on his now want one for myself . Can't stretch to cost of Gen 2 987 but am looking at 987-1 . Have so far been looking at ads and considering pros and cons  plus reliability of 3.2 vs 2.7 ? This car is only going to be week end use .. looking to spend up to £12k . Years ago went through the Loads of Trouble and usually serious route when I had an 2.2 Esprit (or was it when I got married?) but looking to minimise that risk again. Have read the buyers guide book from Veloce publishers but it's all fairly generic common sense but doesn't really consider technical stuff to consider so want to be Pre armed before I go on long distance excursions. Cheers

[987_RDC]

The 3.2L (2005 & 2006 Boxster S only) can have the IMS issue so the 2.7L is more reliable in that matter.

[JFP in PA]

5 hours ago, 987_RDC said:

The 3.2L (2005 & 2006 Boxster S only) can have the IMS issue so the 2.7L is more reliable in that matter.

 

Really, how?

[White987S]

My old 2006 987S was rock solid. Drove it for 60,000 miles and sold ($32) to my neighbor back in 2013 for 1/2 of what I paid for it. All I did to that car was wash it, put gas in it, new tires every 20K, changed the oil every 7K miles, and scheduled maintnenace.

 

For a 987.....I'd recommend getting the S if your budget allows (more HP, bigger brakes and etc.).....skip the first year (2005).....and buy the best example you can find from 2006-2008. Good luck. Great fun Porsches.

[chipmunk13]

I would go for a 3.4 987-1 for the reasons quoted above however be aware that some of them suffer from heat seizure - a situation that can occur suddenly under specific conditions ie a fast take off after idling or when the engine is cold (they don't full understand the combination of events that causes it).  What this results in is damage to bank 2 and an engine rebuild.  Ideally therefore you should try to find one that has already had an engine rebuild - assuming of course that the rebuild has been done correctly.  I am familiar with the options available having just had my engine rebuilt after the previous owner cut corners and used steel liners.  I opted for all 6 cylinder to be bored out and re-sleeved with Nikasil liners - a pricey option but it makes the engine bullet proof.  Let me know if you need more info.  

[White987S]

1 hour ago, chipmunk13 said:

I would go for a 3.4 987-1 for the reasons quoted above however be aware that some of them suffer from heat seizure - a situation that can occur suddenly under specific conditions ie a fast take off after idling or when the engine is cold (they don't full understand the combination of events that causes it).  What this results in is damage to bank 2 and an engine rebuild.  Ideally therefore you should try to find one that has already had an engine rebuild - assuming of course that the rebuild has been done correctly.  I am familiar with the options available having just had my engine rebuilt after the previous owner cut corners and used steel liners.  I opted for all 6 cylinder to be bored out and re-sleeved with Nikasil liners - a pricey option but it makes the engine bullet proof.  Let me know if you need more info.  

You mean a 3.2 not a 3.4. I've been following Porsche a long time. Never heard of the "heat seizure".

[chipmunk13]

No, a 3.4.  The 3.2s have a lower capacity, produce less heat and therefore don't exceed the tolerances like the 3.4s do.  The 3.2 has Lokasil liners and the 911 GT3s, turbos and racing engines use Nikasil which has a much higher tolerance to heat.  Unfortunately when Porsche made the 3.4 engine they changed several aspects of the cooling and together with the increased heat from the extra 200cc managed to exceed tolerances under specific conditions.  When this happens you end up with scored bores, excessive oil consumption and loss of power.  I know a number of people who had their low milage 3.4 boxster and cayman engines replaced under warrantee.  Have a look at Hartech web site https://www.hartech.org/ - there's lots of information about the problem there and how to resolve it.  One newer option is to use Miller 10W50 Nano Drive oil (obtainable from OPIE Oils).  The nano particles act like small ball bearings in the oil and increase the point at which friction breakdown occurs under stress.  I now run my 987 on this oil even through the new Nikasil liners will have addressed the problem.  If you google 'Porsche bore scoring' you will find a lot of info on the problem.

Edited January 15, 2017 by chipmunk13

[chipmunk13]

I have attached a document that Hartech have put together on the bore scoring problem and the research they have done into it.  I can honestly say that their work is outstanding having toured their workshops and seen how they repaired my engine.  

Hartech Engine Guide (interim).pdf