[husker boxster]

A couple of wks ago I got the diagnosis I didn't want to hear but was prepared for: Sydney my CSS has bore scoring.

Back in the spring of 2019, she was smoking a bit at startup. Changed the AOS, which seemed to help. That Aug on the way to and coming from the Indy DE, she drank oil like a drunken sailor. What was unusual was she didn't use unusual amts of oil the 3 days I was on the track. On the way home, I got a CEL that turned out to be for the driver's side cat. I changed the O2 sensor and that seemed to solve the problem but there was still the more than occasional smoke at startup and higher than normal oil consumption. I thought I might have gotten a bad AOS from the large Porsche dealer on the FL coast, so I bought another last summer and replaced it. Indy was in Oct last yr. Same situation - lots of oil consumption on the road to and from, but not a lot of consumption on the track. This time, however, there was more of a pronounced ticking noise echoing off the pit walls while I waited to hit the track.

Not long after I got back, I got more CELs. This time I replaced the driver's exhaust manifold because the CAT was bad. But it probably went bad because it was getting bathed in oil. When I had the manifold off, I peeked into the engine exhaust chamber of the #6 cyl and it was sooty. The other 2 cyl didn't look bad. Changing the manifold was just curing a symptom, not the problem, so I had an indy shop scope the #6 cyl. They confirmed it was bore scoring. They said it looked like I might have a crack in the cyl, so I've shut her down.

So now what? I've got 4 options...
1. Find a used engine with 50-60K mi and swap it in. That will run around $8K for the motor, $2K shipping, $2K installation for a total of $12K before incidentals.
2. I found a motor from an 06 CS in PA that has 2500 mi on it. It was removed many yrs ago for a 3.8L 911 upgrade. Guy has it listed for $13K but would probably take $11K. Add $2K for shipping and $2K for installation for a total of $15K before incidentals.
3. Have Raby or L&N rebuild it. Probably $25K but have to wait in line for 18 mo.
4. My indy shop said they work with a company in AZ that's one of the premier Porsche engine builders in the US. I asked the shop to write up an est and I wanted to know who the company was so I could do some recon on them.

Jake Raby is experimenting with a new cyl lining process that he says will revolutionize the bore scoring solution. The current process is to replace all the cyl with new ones coated with Nikasil (factory coating is Likosil). However, Nikasil is a plating type process that is very environmentally unfriendly. Jake's new process will allow him to hone the existing cyl and coat them with another material. (I think this is what he's intending to do but he was a tad secretive about it.) This new process is still experimental so it will be a couple of yrs before it's market ready. If I select options 1 or 2, I can hang onto my orig engine and send it to Jake when his system is perfected.

However, either options 1 or 2 would be replacing (even for a short while) with an engine that could shoot craps at any time. I did some checking with various Porsche dismantlers and ebay and there aren't any lower mileage engines around. They all have 100K mi IF they have any. The 2500 mi engine is a 'cat in the sack' since it hasn't been run for many yrs. There could be a multitude of issues with that one. Plus either option is using an engine with all the same inherent design issues.

I don't want to wait in line 18 mo for a Raby or L&N rebuild and be without Sydney that whole time.

My indy shop said the builder they work with is John Bray at EvoSpec. I had them send him a series of questions on build components while I did some research on him. Turns out he is one of the premier Porsche engine builders in the country. He'll put in Nikasil liners and punch it out to 3.8L. The build addresses all the weaknesses of the M97. I spoke to my shop today. The rebuild will be $23K and $2500 to remove, ship, and reinstall the engine. The good news is we should be able to get on their list relatively quick and then it will be 2 mo for the rebuild. I need 7-10 days to get that much money in place, but that's the direction I'm going. It sounded like that would be about the amt of time needed to get on his schedule.

While I'm sure I'll feel happy when everything is done, this is a big deal financially for me. At the end of this mo, it will be 5 yrs ago I was canned at the famous insurance company in Omaha. I've been keeping my head above water since then, partly thru my Wheeler Dealer activities and am now going to start my pension. My plan was to not use my 401k until age 70 (just turned 62). I'm single with no exs or kids (that I know of), so I just have to plan for myself, but it's not like I can sneeze at an expenditure of this size. Looks like I'll be dipping into my 401k funds. It's my money and I earned it, but it's not a joyous time at the Husker Boxster home. I certainly won't be doing any DEing this yr even if I have Sydney back in 3 mo. I'll need to be extra fiscally responsible the rest of this yr.

1st world problems, whatcha gonna do?