factory rebuild engine

[ChrisZang]

So I am getting a "factory rebuild engine" (or whatever Porsche calls this) after the death of my original engine due to intermediate shaft failure @ 51k miles.
So this replacement engine is obviously not new as the 3.2L engine went out of production a couple of years ago. Does anyone know what I will be getting? Is the new engine "as good as new" or how would you classify the status of such a replacement engine?

To avoid the obvious questions why I don't do a 3.4 or 3.6 engine swap:
It's too expensive: my extended warranty pays for the new engine & core (and installation). If I swapped the engine for anything other than the original 3.2L, then I would have to pay for the core myself and would probably also void the (extended) warranty.

Thanks

[bigb]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

So I am getting a "factory rebuild engine" (or whatever Porsche calls this) after the death of my original engine due to intermediate shaft failure @ 51k miles.
So this replacement engine is obviously not new as the 3.2L engine went out of production a couple of years ago. Does anyone know what I will be getting? Is the new engine "as good as new" or how would you classify the status of such a replacement engine?

To avoid the obvious questions why I don't do a 3.4 or 3.6 engine swap:
It's too expensive: my extended warranty pays for the new engine & core (and installation). If I swapped the engine for anything other than the original 3.2L, then I would have to pay for the core myself and would probably also void the (extended) warranty.

Thanks

Chris, sorry to hear that. I can't help you with your question, but am surprised to see the IMS failure striking at over 50k miles. 2nd report of this nature I've read in the past couple of weeks, I think. I thought this problem only occurred when the car had low miles (35k sounded like the conventional wisdom), but clearly that isn't the case.

Regardless, good that you have the warranty covering you, and good luck with how things turn out with the new engine.

[meerzee]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

So I am getting a "factory rebuild engine" (or whatever Porsche calls this) after the death of my original engine due to intermediate shaft failure @ 51k miles.
So this replacement engine is obviously not new as the 3.2L engine went out of production a couple of years ago. Does anyone know what I will be getting? Is the new engine "as good as new" or how would you classify the status of such a replacement engine?

To avoid the obvious questions why I don't do a 3.4 or 3.6 engine swap:
It's too expensive: my extended warranty pays for the new engine & core (and installation). If I swapped the engine for anything other than the original 3.2L, then I would have to pay for the core myself and would probably also void the (extended) warranty.

Thanks

I have a factory replaced 3.2L in my S after internal tolerances couldn't be reached after 4 attempts. It has been just about 30k since the replacement and not a single issue. I am sure the engines are simple rebuilt to exact new specifications from good cores, but I guess there could be a stockpile of unused 3.2L engines built from scratch. I did not get the impression that the engine I received was simply a cheap recertified engine with just certain pieces added as new. It seemed to be crystal clean and "as brand new" as you could get at the time, but YMMV.

I wish you the best.

[rick3000]

I'm sorry to hear about that!

I don't mean to hijack but was just wondering;
Is there any precursor to an IMS failure?
I know that with the RMS you normally get an oil leak before it happens, is there any warning like this for IMS?
Thanks!

[blinkwatt]

What were you doing when you blew the engine?

[ChrisZang]

So here's the story, and I have to apologize as the statement "blown engine" is not 100% accurate:

A few weeks ago I changed the airfilter, for which - as we all know - you have to open the engine bay. Well, naturally to check that I did everything right I started the engine with the engine cover off and noticed a rattle from the engine at around 3k RPM. I wasn't too concerned about it and had the following 3 explanations:
a) loose heat shield (harmless)
b) maybe the rattle was there all the time and I just didn't hear it with the engine cover closed and all the sound deafening on (also harmless)
c) loose timing chain (not so harmless)

As I was out of ideas I brought the car to my trusted Porsche mechanic to have him take a look. 2 days later I got a call in which he told me he had "not so good news".

He noticed that the timing was off and looked further into it. The rattling sound was generated by the bearing of the IMS wearing out. The IMS shaft also drives the timing chains, therefore the "off timing". He removed the oil filter and the oil pan, and both looked, I quote "like a goldmine full of nuggets". The engine is beyond repair as all the shrapnel had enough time to create havoc inside the engine.

So actually the car still drives, but it's just a question of time until the "ultimate" IMS death would occur.

So now I am sure I made everyone's day worse as you guys will now listen for any unusual sound from the engine bay

[Cloudsurfer]

Not encouraging....

Sorry to hear, however

Patrick

[blinkwatt]

A guy on Rennlist mentioned he heard some rattling from the engine when he was experiencing an IMS failure,his was a 3.4L. Said it sounded like a quarter loose in the engine,did yours sound this way?

[ChrisZang]

not really sure how a loose quarter would sound well to me it sounded more like i'd guess a loose timing chain would sound, but yes maybe a loose quarter could sound like this

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

So I am getting a "factory rebuild engine" (or whatever Porsche calls this) after the death of my original engine due to intermediate shaft failure @ 51k miles.
So this replacement engine is obviously not new as the 3.2L engine went out of production a couple of years ago. Does anyone know what I will be getting? Is the new engine "as good as new" or how would you classify the status of such a replacement engine?

To avoid the obvious questions why I don't do a 3.4 or 3.6 engine swap:
It's too expensive: my extended warranty pays for the new engine & core (and installation). If I swapped the engine for anything other than the original 3.2L, then I would have to pay for the core myself and would probably also void the (extended) warranty.


Thanks

Based on what I was told by Porsche, there are in fact new engines but they may have reconditioned externals such as water pump, FI and the like.

For what it is worth.