Spec Boxster Build

[bkovac]

Absolutely more interesting fighting to get to the esses first, we have gone thru there 2 wide with half the car in the dirt

[thstone]

I replaced the brake pads/rotors in Feb with EBC Yellow pads and Cquence cross-drilled rotors and flushed the fluid with ATE Type 200. I've run this exact combination several times before and it has worked pretty well.

Then I raced at Buttonwillow and did the Friday practice at Las Vegas and by then the brakes were not inspiring the usual level of confidence. They didn't have nearly as much initial bite as I expected and overall felt a bit mushy.

When I pulled the front pads, they looked and smelled cooked. Maybe even over-baked. I wonder if the EBC Yellows are not quite up to the task of my braking level and style, so I bought a set of Pagid Orange and re-flushed the brake fluid just to make sure.

I have run this combo (Pagid Orange front and EBC Yellow rear) previously and it worked quite well so I am hoping to have confidence inspiring braking at AutoClub Speedway in two weeks. This track really puts brakes to the test.

I'll do a quick run up Hwy 2 tomorrow morning to bed the new pads and then the car should be ready to race!

[AZ986S]

Originally Posted by thstone

I replaced the brake pads/rotors in Feb with EBC Yellow pads and Cquence cross-drilled rotors and flushed the fluid with ATE Type 200. I've run this exact combination several times before and it has worked pretty well.

Then I raced at Buttonwillow and did the Friday practice at Las Vegas and by then the brakes were not inspiring the usual level of confidence. They didn't have nearly as much initial bite as I expected and overall felt a bit mushy.

When I pulled the front pads, they looked and smelled cooked. Maybe even over-baked. I wonder if the EBC Yellows are not quite up to the task of my braking level and style, so I bought a set of Pagid Orange and re-flushed the brake fluid just to make sure.

I have run this combo (Pagid Orange front and EBC Yellow rear) previously and it worked quite well so I am hoping to have confidence inspiring braking at AutoClub Speedway in two weeks. This track really puts brakes to the test.

I'll do a quick run up Hwy 2 tomorrow morning to bed the new pads and then the car should be ready to race!

I'm assuming you did the proper bed-in procedure yes? Maybe a higher boiling point fluid like Motul 600? I run the EBC yellows on all 4 and they give me quite the initial bite after being warmed up, but then again I don't compete in an SPB or BSR

[thstone]

Originally Posted by AZ986S

I'm assuming you did the proper bed-in procedure yes? Maybe a higher boiling point fluid like Motul 600? I run the EBC yellows on all 4 and they give me quite the initial bite after being warmed up, but then again I don't compete in an SPB or BSR

Yes, I did the recommended bed in procedure and since I've run the EBC Yellows before several times, I was surprised. Definitely going to use Motul 600 - I might even do another flush next week before racing at Festival of Speed.

[thstone]

Took a run up Hwy 2 (known as Angeles Crest Hwy) north of LA to bed in the new brake pads and stopped at Newcomb's Ranch for breakfast. There are usually some Porsche folks up there on Friday mornings and I ran into Magnus Walker and Hannah Elliott!

[thstone]

Its time for the PCA Festival of Speed at AutoClub Speedway in Fontana, CA. This is the largest Porsche event in the West.

If you are planning to attend, please stop by Garage #3, Spaces 25-26 and say hi!

[thstone]

Well, that didn't go as planned (Part II)...

Anyone remember this post from last October? Replace Entire Engine as Preventative Maintenance.html

To quote myself:

Originally Posted by thstone

Yes, you read it right: Should I replace my entire engine as preventative maintenance?

Racing experience suggests that 2.5L engines last about 60-80 hours on the track (which is a lot of time at 5000-7000 rpm). This rough estimate of engine life is highly variable with some engines failing earlier and some lasting much longer. Its impossible to know how long any individual engine will last. So there is no way to know if I have 2 hours left or 25 hours left.

My current engine has 75 hours of racing time and I already have a replacement engine sitting in my workshop.

Looks like I had about 11 hours of engine life left after I made that post.

In this morning's first practice at AutoClub Speedway, the engine suddenly lost power coming out of the Turn 9 hairpin. Erin Vogel and I had been working our way through the field when she passed me without any effort while I had the pedal to the floor. The engine coughed a bit and then regained power. I got through the next two turns ok and then the engine cut out. I tried re-starting while coasting but no joy.

Luckily, I was right at track exit so I pulled in and coasted to a stop in the paddock. I was able to get the car re-started and it sounded fine, but the low oil pressure light was now on. Uh oh. That's not good.

At this point, I concluded that the engine was probably starting to fail so racing anymore this weekend was out of the question.

I figured that I had nothing to lose (and yes, I know what the owners manual says about not running the engine with the low oil pressure light on) but I decided to take a chance and see if it would still get me home.

So I packed up and headed out for the 40 mile freeway drive. At about the halfway point, the engine started sounding like marbles in a tin can. I pushed in the clutch and it died. I coasted to the next exit and parked it. Tried starting it again and it would turn over but not catch. Called a tow truck and got a nice, air conditioned ride to House Automotive in Pasadena.

House did a quick compression and leak down test. Looks like cyls 4-5 aren't too happy.

This afternoon I made arrangements to have the spare engine trucked over to House on Tuesday. Then they'll swap in Engine #5.

Racing is life.

[CrisZenithBlue]

Aaaah.. living with a 986..
had the same experience when my original engine went out but it got me home somehow. Strange enough, even with a toast engine the Boxster never left me stranded so I could say I’ve owned worse cars. I promised myself next time it happens a bigger engine will go in.

You’ll be back in action in no time Tom!

Replace engine, rinse, repeat!

[husker boxster]

Dang. Your weekends haven't been going the distance lately. Hopefully you've gotten this out of your system and have lots of trouble free events ahead.

At least the engine got you up to see Magnus & Hannah.

[Geof3]

All race engines are defined by time. A local shop here had a Daytona prepped 993 race car, crazy fast... they expected 30-35 absolute tops as it was spec’ed for 24hrs. They were shaking down a tired engine at a local track event. Still scary.

Replace, rebuild... rinse and repeat! At least 2.7’s, even in race trim, are relatively inexpensive!

[AZ986S]

Sorry to hear that
What do you do with your "blown" engines?

[thstone]

Originally Posted by AZ986S

What do you do with your "blown" engines?

In the past, the engines ground themselves into aluminum-burger so they went to the metals recycler. This might be the first engine that is in a condition where it might have some parts that can be salvaged. Not sure what I might do with it...

[seningen]

Originally Posted by thstone

In the past, the engines ground themselves into aluminum-burger so they went to the metals recycler. This might be the first engine that is in a condition where it might have some parts that can be salvaged. Not sure what I might do with it...

I suspect its still not worth it to dig in -- but looking forward to the diagnosis.

Mike

[Topless]

Bummer Tom. The same luck has been plaguing Dan Carusillo with his 3.3L air pumper. Hope things get sorted so you can get back out there.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Topless

Bummer Tom. The same luck has been plaguing Dan Carusillo with his 3.3L air pumper. Hope things get sorted so you can get back out there.

Consider the issues sorted.

Engine #5 being uncrated yesterday...

This is an engine from a Tip-equipped 986 so there is a list of items to swap to make it compatible with a manual car along with moving some nearly new parts from the failed engine to the replacement engine. Add in a few new items and it should be ready for installation.

Task
1. Swap engine wiring harness
2. Swap clutch, pressure plate, and light weight flywheel
3. Swap Fuel injectors (recently cleaned/calibrated)
4. Swap deep oil sump, baffle, oil return pots, and extended oil pickup
5. Remove air conditioning compressor and lines
6. Swap under-drive pulley and shorter serpentine belt
7. Update cooling hoses (remove 4th line)
8. Update vacuum lines (remove 4th line)
9. Swap AOS (brand new)
10. New spark plugs
11. New air filter
12. New S model oil cooler/o-rings
13. New oil and filter
14. Refill with distilled water and water wetter

[Geof3]

So while we are on the subject of engines... driving along the other day I had a though. Which is rather scary usually for me, because there is usually a $$$ figure associated with it! Anyway, would it be possible to "de-turbo" a turbo 996 engine, and retro it into our cars? The reason to eliminate the turbo "stuff" is I don't think the inter cooler etc would fit. Eliminates the IMS BS, and make some fun HP? Just a crazy thought? Stone, motor looking good! Fun thread!

[seningen]

Originally Posted by Geof3

So while we are on the subject of engines... driving along the other day I had a though. Which is rather scary usually for me, because there is usually a $$$ figure associated with it! Anyway, would it be possible to "de-turbo" a turbo 996 engine, and retro it into our cars? The reason to eliminate the turbo "stuff" is I don't think the inter cooler etc would fit. Eliminates the IMS BS, and make some fun HP? Just a crazy thought? Stone, motor looking good! Fun thread!

I'd probably want to up the CR on the pistons --

The Turbo's do have issues with chains failing.

Probably not worth the cost -- that's a $20K+ engine into a $5-$10K car.

Mike

[The Radium King]

metzger engine - same as gt3. doesn’t fit apparently (even without turbos).

[rastta]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

metzger engine - same as gt3. doesn’t fit apparently (even without turbos).

I have heard that as well. As it is - the 2005 3.6 911 motor is a REAL tight fit. My airbox is in the trunk.

[rastta]

Originally Posted by thstone

Consider the issues sorted.

Engine #5 being uncrated yesterday...

This is an engine from a Tip-equipped 986 so there is a list of items to swap to make it compatible with a manual car along with moving some nearly new parts from the failed engine to the replacement engine. Add in a few new items and it should be ready for installation.

Task
1. Swap engine wiring harness
2. Swap clutch, pressure plate, and light weight flywheel
3. Swap Fuel injectors (recently cleaned/calibrated)
4. Swap deep oil sump, baffle, oil return pots, and extended oil pickup
5. Remove air conditioning compressor and lines
6. Swap under-drive pulley and shorter serpentine belt
7. Update cooling hoses (remove 4th line)
8. Update vacuum lines (remove 4th line)
9. Swap AOS (brand new)
10. New spark plugs
11. New air filter
12. New S model oil cooler/o-rings
13. New oil and filter
14. Refill with distilled water and water wetter

As much as I'd love to get in to racing - it's stuff like this that would simply stretch my ability to pay for it just a bit too far.

Good luck with the swap!