Ordering 2.5 tomorrow

[Overdrive]

In case you missed it in thejack's thread where I replied to you, Ghostrider, I'd recommend you get in touch with Jake Raby at Flat6Innovations and have a conversation with him. If you're going to drop money on an engine, I'd say be willing to drop a little more on something that you know was done right versus trying to bargain hunt and get less than you pay for. People can type whatever they want about what they've done to an engine. If you weren't a fly on the wall or standing there hovering over them the whole time they did it, you can't believe a word of it unless they're a company with a reputation that involves satisfied customers that they didn't BS...at least in the latter case there's likely to be a legit warranty/guarantee involved.

[Ghostrider 310]

Thanks OD, I'm investigating having my own engine repaired locally. I have a capable wrench looking at the pelican thread on tensioners, hopefully I can keep the motor in it assuming the internals are good and that he is up to the task, otherwise I'll keep shopping.

[thejack]

Just would like to express a personal opinion about that, accordind to what has already been said by overdrive.

Maybe you need to have a conversation with Jake Raby, he can tell you what would be the risk in swapping your engine with a unit where some other unknown hands have worked on. That engine doesn't get me convinced... You know... usage of orange sealing paste on the heads instead of original gaskets tells me something (negative) about the mechanic's skills and quality of job. Furthermore, a refurbished engine should have something more replaced than a IMS shaft (what about bearing?) and some other gaskets here and there...

Starting from the picture you have posted in my thread, that leakage could be addressed to a bad valve cover gasket and does not mean you have to face something expensive as an engine swapping. And honestly I can't believe that issue is coming from chain tensioner.

You have a number of checks to investigate your engine conditions, starting from a timing deviation check, oil debris check and some other simply checks that lead you to the best decision and action plan to save you car in the best and cheaper way.

Obviously, online diagnosis based upon a picture is always the best way to be trick...

Check your oil filter for brown plastic (tensioner) or shiny metal debris (IMSB), this will give you a clue on how the internal parts of your engine are on their way to go... and starting from this you can take your final decision about the action you have to take.

Let us know.

[Ghostrider 310]

Straight up, it's 100% the tensioner, Wayne's website (a treasure trove of perfectly executed repair tips, thanks!) mentions that some cars have had this fail. I heard it for the last two years at start up, chain against ___ slide grind, then smooth as silk. What I couldn't understand is how that would make the cam gasket fail but oil leaked from somewhere. My engine is coming out, I will try to follow up with guys like Jake but honestly, I don't have the coin to put ten or twelve in it. The mechanic I have now graduated from a good place, has mad Subie experience and I truly believe is up to the task. I changed my oil at 1/2 intervals, I'd like to keep my own engine and agree totally with you guys on the red sealant used on the 2.5 engine.

[97 Boxster]

Ghost,

Explain the sound you heard a little more if you would. Most Boxsters do make an unusual sound upon startup and we dont want everybody to think that what happened to you is happening to them.

Glad you can make it work and I will follow your post and wish you all the luck.

[thejack]

Uhm, not that I'm questioning your mechanic's knowledge but I wonder how he can state it's the tensioner to blame without any visual inspection. Starting from the left bank leakage, assuming it has been caused by the tensioner fault is pure speculation. Maybe your engine suffered a bad cam cover gasket as a stand alone issue with no correlation with the tensioner issue.

The M96.20 (and others) uses tensioner composed by metal polymer structure. In case of fail of the sliding surface you could suffer a lot of secondary effects as oil pump failure, oil pressure drop or lack of lubrication in a specific area of the engine aside from a huge variation in the timing of the bank if the tensioner cannot correct the loosen chain with its own spring effect. Don't forget that this will put a lot of plastic debris in your oil circuit that you should see in the filter cartridge.

My boxster sounds to be very noising at start up until the oil reaches its correct pressure and flow inside the engine (oil grade to be adjusted, now I'm using 0-50W). And that noise is coming from chain tensioner which operates without oil for the very first revolutions. Then you ear the engine running smooth and silky. In case of a bad tensioner, a noise would be audible also during normal operation.

Don't know... I am convinced that an engine should be swapped only if there's not any other chance. Oviously, imho. Let us know