How much would a 2002 3.6L swap cost?

[Jacques79]

I have a 2000 Boxster S with a 6 speed manual. Engine has about 50 000 miles and in perfect condition.

How much would a 3.6L engine cost with everything needed for the swap and how much $$$ should I pay for labor?

Plus I imagine I could sell my current engine for about 4000$?

[ChrisZang]

wild guess:
$12k for the new engine
$2k for the DME (you'll need a 7.8) and parts
$8k ~ $10k for labor (probably less if the guy has already experience with engine swaps)

[jmatta]

Contact our board sponsor, Jake Raby from www.flat6innovations.com (big logo in upper right hand corner).

He'll build you a 3.6 from your 3.2 and make it virtually bulletproof. More likely cheaper than a conversion and certainly less in the long run, and you know it will be done right.

[mts]

I looked into the same upgrade for my 2004 Boxster S through Jake Raby. They can do the upgrade for you and you'll be looking at $18-20k out the door which would include labor & shipping your car to/from them and using your current engine. In my opinion, that is the best way to go right now to get a turn-key deal and know that you are getting a solid upgrade.

Jake thought I might be able to knock $2-3k off the total cost buy buying a core from them and selling my current healthy motor. Of course, that would all depend on what I could get out of my currently healthy 3.2. You also might be able to save a little cost if you can get a smoking deal locally on the install labor and just buy the engine from Jake or install everything yourself.

I'm having to hold off for now due to the cost and me not feeling too great about the economy right now, but I plan to go through Jake eventually on this upgrade.

[Jacques79]

So basically it would be cheaper for me to sell my Boxster S and buy a mint 2002 911 convertible...

[ChrisZang]

yep, but remember that a 911 has the engine in the wrong place and having it turned 180 degrees will cost you even more

[ekam]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

So basically it would be cheaper for me to sell my Boxster S and buy a mint 2002 911 convertible...

How about upgrading to a 09 987 with DFI engine?

People who do these type of mods want to be different from everyone else. Yes they can buy a new one but that's not what they're after.

And a Porsche is not a Honda where it costs $3k for a mint JDM motor and spend an afternoon at your buddy's garage to do the swap.

Either you fully understand what you're doing and do the work yourself for much less, or fork out $25-30k at a shop to do the full conversion.

[BoxsterLewis]

I'm currently in the process of putting in a 2004 3.6L. I can say its been a little of a nightmare but heres what has gone on:

spent 6K for motor at about 30K miles
it needs new headers to fit and also new fuel rails but i have a 2001 so u might not need it. its looking like aorund 8-10K to put in. I also bought a clutch and new flywheel along with other parts. The HARD part is having the electricals work, getting it in is not a problem its having the car work right with the 911 variocam, ect stuff. As of now i need to get a 911 ECU and you have to cut some wires and reattach to make it work which my shop says takes quiet sometime. So they are looking at 60 hours for the whole project unless i can buy a harness from Thoyalack that i can pay him to make me. ill keep you guys updated, its expensive but i cant wait to have a faaast boxster!!

[tholyoak]

You don't need new fuel rails and 60h of labour is a bit on the absurd side.

A 2001 is cheaper to do than a 2000 as other components need to be upgraded to work with the 7.8 DME and CAN bus system on the earlier cars. The nice thing about the 2001 is all of the CAN bus network is there, it just uses a 7.2 DME.

In general you will need
Engine
Clutch and flywheel
Exhaust
Air filter/intake system

Depending on the year you will also need other components like fuel pumps, DME, other system controllers and rewiring.

For a pre-2001 car I if you are paying someone else to do the work I would probably go with one of Jake's big bore motors.

For the later cars I still like the 7.8 DME with the variocam plus, that I don't think is present in Jake's conversions. The variocam plus gives a lot more range in cam timing as well as more valve lift that the earlier variocam heads don't do with there simple all or nothing ramp system of cam timing adjustment.

At this point if you are going to do a swap, go with the 3.8 the only difference is a small difference in the initial cost of the motor, the rest of the expenses are the same.

-Todd

[BoxsterLewis]

Todd they did get a new clutch but its a clutch for the Boxster S but a 996 flywheel i think.For the fuel rails he was tlaking about the return system being dufferent on mine? Would you be able to fabricate a harness i could buy from you?

[70Sixter]

Originally Posted by jmatta

Contact our board sponsor, Jake Raby from www.flat6innovations.com (big logo in upper right hand corner).

He'll build you a 3.6 from your 3.2 and make it virtually bulletproof. More likely cheaper than a conversion and certainly less in the long run, and you know it will be done right.

I agree. Tholyoke said it well also.

There is a wonderful piece on the M96 in Dec Excellence by the late great Jim Pascha that you should read if you haven/t already.

[Jacques79]

It would cost me 40 000$ to buy a new 2009 Boxster S, so 15K for a swap might not be so bad...

But still, resale value on my car with a 3.6 swap would be bad and I'd lose a lot of money...

Hmmm

Maybe a turbo kit?

[boardertj]

Anyone know how much a raby built 2.9 turbo engine rebuild costs? Their website mentions stage ii and stage iii configurations capable of up to 500hp.

Anyone done this yet?

[mts]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

It would cost me 40 000$ to buy a new 2009 Boxster S, so 15K for a swap might not be so bad...

But still, resale value on my car with a 3.6 swap would be bad and I'd lose a lot of money...

Hmmm

Maybe a turbo kit?

Resale value on a Raby 3.6 big bore should be very good though. You wouldn't be doing a swap and will have made the motor much more solid than it was new from the factory. I would think it would increase the resale value.....kind of like a RUF car.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

It would cost me 40 000$ to buy a new 2009 Boxster S, so 15K for a swap might not be so bad...

I wonder if you can get $15k loan from the bank and tell them you need it because your Porsche blew up its engine?

[23109VC]

Originally Posted by ekam

I wonder if you can get $15k loan from the bank and tell them you need it because your Porsche blew up its engine?

would a person like me with a 2000 2.7 be better off doing a big bore 2.9 or going to the 3.4L? i was under the impression on a 2000 base the logical swap motor is a 3.4L.

i wonder if the "race" built 2.9 would work better -

then of course - I live in wonderful California with all our smog laws... and I wonder if ANY of these motor swaps would be "legal" in CA or would I spend a pile of money only to learn that I have now voided the smog on my car and no longer be able to register it to drive on the roads???

would a 2.9L rebuilt by RABY have siilar smog characteristics to the stock 2.7? if I swap in a 3.4L what happens then , do I smog as if I'm a 911?

smog issues aside -w hat about be a better performer on my 5 speed - the 3.4 or hte 2.9 and what could cost LESS???

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

It would cost me 40 000$ to buy a new 2009 Boxster S, so 15K for a swap might not be so bad...

But still, resale value on my car with a 3.6 swap would be bad and I'd lose a lot of money...

Hmmm

Maybe a turbo kit?

Bolt on turbo and supercharger kits for our cars are a bad idea imo. It's not a good idea to put forced induction on a gasoline engine with 11:1 compression. Due to the high compression anything more than a light breeze of 4-5 psi will blow your engine. Secondly, our engines have cast parts in them like the pistons ect, that where not designed to deal with the extra pressure and heat forced induction creates. Forged parts are best in these types of applications. So in order to do this right you need to rebuild the engine with lower compression forged pistons and probably reinforce or change several other things so this isn't going to be a cheaper option if done right.

I second this.

I spoke to Jake personally. He took about 45minutes to find out what I wanted, and then he talked me thru some options...his 3.6 engine is something I'd love to do...but I think it's time for me to sell my car.

He strikes me as a class act, and you can tell he's passionate about these engines...which isn't something you're going to find at Porsche.

Originally Posted by jmatta

Contact our board sponsor, Jake Raby from www.flat6innovations.com (big logo in upper right hand corner).

He'll build you a 3.6 from your 3.2 and make it virtually bulletproof. More likely cheaper than a conversion and certainly less in the long run, and you know it will be done right.

[pecivil]

having done the 3.4l swap in my 2000 box, it is totally worth it.

Sad to say I am selling mine, if anybody wants to buy it..

as for cali smog, I just got it done. The engine passes the snif test easily. What you need is a tech who can overlook the fact of the swap. and in my case the supersprint headers and 200 cell cats, the intake, the ecu tuning, etc.

I have a great smog guy in poway down the street from me.

Me: Hey Ely, can you smog my box that has the 996 3.4l swap in it?

Elias: Sure, and you say it has the stock engine, right?

Me: Yep sure does buddy.

Elias: Cool, it will pass no problemo.

I have to sell as I just bought an 2006 elise!!

first 16k takes it!!