M96-02 996 3.6 l (3-chain) engine rebuild DIY

[9552T500]

Just posted a docu. on my completed  02 996 M96 3.6 l engine rebuild for a gorgeous C4 cab barn find, I bough back in August 17 as roller with complete engine (Head&Case failure).

http://ow.ly/SjDf30fJkID

 It  is not about performance upgrades or how it should be done. Is about the process to get it done with very details on the critical steps for the hands-on engineer.

 

The car  drives fantastic now, and if it breaks I will be confidently enough to spend the needed money and time to order  on the new hard parts  (Nickies, rods, heads, etc.... For now I did not spend anything other than on a high-mileage used 997.1 donor engine  and a couple of 996 cases with paired pistons/rings from engines with other type of failures). 

 

I wish I had an alike docu. when I started - so I share it here, and hopefully  it is useful for someone who wants to bring a M96 996 3-chain engine back to life .  

 

 

[flatjoe]

Perfect!

[tony z]

Very good.

 

What do you think I should buy in relation to work shop repair manual(s) ?. 

 

I would so be interested in knowing the capacity and make of your sonic bath 

 

cheers

[9552T500]

Hi Tony Z- thanks for the comment! Let me give you some input on your questions:

2 hours ago, tony z said:

 

What do you think I should buy in relation to work shop repair manual(s) ?. 

I think it would be worth to get the workshop manual in German (Myself as a German  would say the translation to eg. English is sometimes misleading/requiring to cross-check/study more context), but if it comes down to dimensional specs, torque, tightening sequences  http://workshop-manuals.com was fully sufficient to me. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, tony z said:

I would so be interested in knowing the capacity and make of your sonic bath 

It is a BT1800 cleaning system made by Omegasonics (18 Gallon / 1KW/ heated, variable frequency controller up to 40MHz )... https://omegasonics.com. Not produced anymore (got mine back in '08) , but the current model of comparable spec is BT1900. One of the best investments I ever made for my garage (originally acquired for my passion for collecting and restoring VMX motorcycles...). The M96 crank case was the very limit in terms  size, and I had to flip it over to complete the cleaning. Sonic cleaning  restored all parts and surfaces of lubrication channels pretty much to as close to original state as it can be. It is the level of cleanliness which, I think makes a big difference to success for such a project.

[tony z]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply ......

 

I am now looking for advice in the forum wrt engine stands and whether I should buy a yoke or just use my traditional engine stand i.e. one that has 4 bolt fixing points. Am guessing that I will need to purchase the expensive yoke rather than run the risk of the engine crashing to the floor !!!

 

cheers

 

[9552T500]

1 hour ago, tony z said:

The Risk of crashing/impact damage actually scales physically with the potential energy to put the engine up on the stand :) Using a stand must not be safer, but the added convenience may certainly be worth the money...   

 

[tony z]

You should change your pen name to Issac -:)

 

So where is the best place in the US to buy the parts I need for the rebuilt ?

 

cheers

[JFP in PA]

2 hours ago, tony z said:

You should change your pen name to Issac -:)

 

So where is the best place in the US to buy the parts I need for the rebuilt ?

 

cheers

 

Board sponsor Sunset Porsche  Sunset Porsche Parts

[Ahsai]

^+1 not just because they are the board sponsor but because their price and services are great. I've been buying parts from them for more than 10yrs. Last rebuild I had I got thousands dollars worth of engine parts from them, all shipped to my front door.

[tony z]

Thanks guys...you are are great.

[dporto]

On 2/6/2018 at 12:00 AM, tony z said:

Thanks for the comprehensive reply ......

 

I am now looking for advice in the forum wrt engine stands and whether I should buy a yoke or just use my traditional engine stand i.e. one that has 4 bolt fixing points. Am guessing that I will need to purchase the expensive yoke rather than run the risk of the engine crashing to the floor !!!

 

cheers

 

 

I used a standard engine stand (with U base) that I got from Summit Racing, attached with 4 bolts - honestly I was a little wary of this method myself, but seeing as I was about $4k into the project in parts, I decided I didn't really need another ($600) tool that I'd most likely use one time (I have no further plans to pull my engine). If you do some checking, it seems that many folks have put their M96 motors on stands without the yoke. While it clearly makes it more convenient to work on the engine and probably makes it safer for the crank case in question, it's not really necessary (at least it wasn't for me and several others). If I was a professional that was working on many motors (especially customers motors), I wouldn't hesitate to spend the $...For a one time use, I think the chances of your "engine crashing to the floor" are near 0...Good Luck