2006 Ruf Boxster 3.8S X51 Conversion

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Originally Posted by z12358

Actually, how much does a new 997 3.8L w/X51 engine cost? And shouldn't just any good Porsche mechanic shop be able to do the swap? There's a guy on Renntech that swaps engines into his 986 like I change shirts. All done in his garage, two days tops.

From the article, it definitely doesn't sound like it just plops in:

Not that everything just fell into place. Ruf has installed the 3.6-liter 911 engine in earlier versions of the Boxster, but mating the 3.8-liter with the latest Boxster chassis involved a whole new set of wiring and plumbing issues to be solved. Hans Hoffman, Ruf’s technical guru in Dallas, advises anyone with a pre-2005 Boxster contemplating a 3.8S conversion that the main wiring buss for the ECU is completely different, and they are better off trading up to a later model Boxster–what Johnson did with his 2000 Boxster S.

Besides custom making the motor mounts, modifying the ECU and facing a “bit of a challenge” with the wiring harness, Hoffman said the the intake tubing of the 987S did not match up with the housing for the mass airflow sensor of the 997S engine. The engine ran okay, but—to be perfect—a new housing had to be designed.

Ruf also installed a new ceramic-coated exhaust system. The car passed its California emissions test.