Too much power.. something all Boxster owners wished they had a problem with :)

I had a chance to look over his car and it looked very fast on the track (Mid-OH).

Hope it gets sorted out since there are probably others that would like to move up to a 3.6L motor.

Its been a joy working with Phil.. He has assumed the role of our new test Pilot so hopefully his car will be the bench mark for all others to follow.

When we turn up the volume on any combination it is a matter of finding the new weak link and then addressing it.. Phil's was the strongest 3.2>3.6 to date and let me tell you, that car is a rocket ship!!

At the same time it is very driver friendly, I drove it to/from home about 100 miles before he took delivery of the car and it was very docile and easy to drive until the hammer is dropped. It even passed an Ohio State Emissions test, which is somethbing I didn't expect to occur!

We are going to install the same data acquisition system in Phil's car that I have on both my dynos and the test car, so we can compare notes on the same sheet of paper.. Phil wants us to make him go even faster, so we are taking this opportunity to do that and gather more data.

Mts,
The stage 1/ 3.6 engine based from a 3.2 nets about 250 RWHP, we hope to have that up to 265 with even more torque after this week as I am assembling one of them now. I have another one in line right behind this one.

What I shoot for on the full street engines is big torque and all very usable..

An engine like Phil's can be easily driven daily and would offer more power than anyone could ever imagine from a pump gas 3.2 base. I am building one now for my 996 using the same combo as Phil's..

I'll be following this closely as it sounds like the ticket! :dance:

Jake,

Is that 250whp on a Mustang dyno? My stock 3.2 makes 228whp on a dynojet (2004 anniversary edition). There seems like there should be a bigger difference for all the work/cost involved. Maybe its in the torque numbers? I realize comparisons dyno to dyno are hard, but what am I missing? For some reason I was thinking that 3.6/3.2 upgrade would produce closer to +50-60whp on the same dyno vs stock?

Thanks,
Mike

The next stage of the 3.2>3.6 makes 290 RWHP on my Dynojet...

The torque is the big difference on the stage 1, 3.6 engine as thats what a street car needs most. On the base engine we keep the heads stock and only bump[ the CR .5 point over stock. This engine does not need any aftermarket components to make the power I listed, not even an ECU flash.

We make more torque at a lower RPM and that enhances drive ability greatly. We also make the HP lower in the RPM range which is great if you like to DE or AX the car and don't want to drive it around at red line all the time and that makes for a longer life.

Attached is a dyno graph from a recently completed stage II 3.6 engine that started off life as a 3.2.. Here are the before and after differences that my program made for this Boxster S. Don't just look at the peak numbers, look at how fat that torque curve is and how broad the power is..

Jake, I know your exhaust system analysis is in process, but I was wondering what exhaust you are using with, or recommending with your 3.2 > 3.6L conversions? The engine in my 2.7L is running fine now, but if it dies, I would love to be able to stuff one of your 3.6L conversions into it. But I dont know what I would need for the conversion besides the engine.

Stock base 2000 ECU?

Stock base 5-speed manual tranny?

Do most folks stick in a new clutch?

Intake?

New exhaust system?


Ed

:)

Jake,

Thanks for the info. The area under the curve on the torque piece is what I was missing. For the stage II, you've got a 70+ whp peak difference and a 50+ torque peak difference in addition to a much fuller area under the curve which is in the range (actually slightly higher) than what I was thinking.

Do you have a before/after on a stage I?

Thanks for all your efforts with this.

Mike

The main idea behind what we are doing is to utilize what functions best and is most efficient. I do not care about sounds at all, with this kind of additional performance all sound does is attract the Cops.

The engine below required intake enhancements and an ECU flash and our own version of an aftermarket exhaust. I do not want to state more because the company who's exhaust this is was absolutely unwilling to listen to any constructive criticism of their component and how we developed it better than they did. Because of this they will receive zero kudos from me.

The car this engine went ointo already had an aftermarket intake, but it did not need it to create this power, in fact I prefer the stock intake and on the stage I engine I even prefer the stock modified myuffler with a good set of FSI headers and more perfromance oriented cats. This stage II engine uses the same headers, cats and a modified aftermarket muffler.

Matter of factly I am working on the stage 1 combination so it makes it's power with ALL STOCK induction and exhaust and does not require any ECU mods at all as most people I find are spending way too much money on bling and zing thats actually decreasing the actual performance of the engine, or is offering 2HP for a 2,000.00 investment.

And the graphs don't do it justice! It drives as easy as stock egst 28-30 MPG, runs cool and you'd never know its built if you heard it idle.. Its smooth as silk at 650 RPM.

Yes, but not yet on the "new" current offering that I am positive will be better than the previous generation... I'll refrain from posting one until the new version is fully understood and has seen service on the street.

Any engine I build today is totally out of date in less than 6 months.. Thats how fast we are developing and learning.

Jake, what's a ballpark price on a stage 2 3.2>3.6 conversion and how does it differ from the stage 1 conversion besides the ecu tune? Do you plan on taking it even further with a stage 3 upgrade?

First off:
My program is NOT a conversion. This is a program where we revolutionize your stock engine into a reliable, advanced, performance engine that is assembled by one individual, by hand.

Prices start around 15K, dyno proven with no break in required. The stage 1 upgrade costs another 2K, etc, etc.

Can each customer customize their options like cam, compression ratio, ECU tune.... ect ect or is that pre-determined? So a stage 2 is roughly 19k. What is the difference between stage 1 and stage 2 exactly? I assume if the customer wants you to use their original engine and not do a core exchange and get someone elses that would be ok?

All great news! I appreciate you keeping us updated on progress!!

Mike

To a point.. I do build Custom engines, but the user generally doesn't understand enough about the engine to dictate any components or set up. There are windows for customization. Basically tell me what you want and I create it from scratch as a complete package.

1500 bucks of the difference is the CNC port work on the heads that has been proven to add 30CFM of port flow. The CR is also different and while the stage II uses stock cams, they cam timing is altered to my own settings.

I prefer to build the Customer's engine. I stay away from core exchanges as I prefer to build from an engine that has a previous history that we can document.

Haven't had time to catch up with this thread. How many engines are on the road now and how far are you with the engine kits for DIY like you do for the Type 4 engines?

I just got done rebuilding the engine in my 08 STI (don't even ask, it's a long story) and the Boxster is coming up on 70k. I am going to give it to my son in 2 years when he turns 16, but I don't want it to blow up on him. How much am I looking at for a reliable 2000 stock 2.7l fully rebuilt or as a kit? I'd like to rebuild it with him, it would be a great project together.

Any news on the M96 rebuild program?

Not much
 

other than Jake has a big backlog of orders, has built another building and you occasionally hear of an engine that was either IMS-updated or completely rebuilt. From a news perspective, a lack of bad stories. Guess the owners are busy driving. And he doesn't post as often because he is too busy...and the subject has been talked to death.

That's understandable, but hopefully we can get some owners in here to tell us about their experience and about the performance of the various iterations. :cheers:

I don't mean to take anything away from Mr. Raby, his reputation precedes him but, I performed a complete rebuild on my base '99 Boxster recently using more or less the parts he uses like LN Engineering's Nickies and JE Pistons (Thanks Charles!). I also got their IMS upgrade as well as the 160 thermostat and other goodies for fair pricing. Blueprinting, P&P, etc. of course is way out of my league.

Living in Puerto Rico, sending the engine to Mr. Raby was not an option and there is a lack of reliable Porsche mechanics here (aside from the dealer which I hate) so I was kind of forced to tackle it myself. I'm happy I did. I was able to perform the upgrade for under $7K and that included a 996 crank to make it a 2.9 and 12:1 compression. So far, I have 8K miles on this engine (the las 4K driven like I stole it) and everything is great! I'm averaging 27-28mpg and 0-60 in the low 5s. Seems to get faster with time... :rolleyes:

I only had VW type 1 and 4, and Chevy I-4 rebuild experience in the past and was able to complete this rebuild in around 30 m/hrs so the project is 'doable' by the 'average joe'. After that, I feel there's nothing I can't tackle on this car except maybe ECM reprogramming. The major challenge with this cars still is the special tools required. Even then, they can be made 'in house' fairly easily at a fraction of the cost of new tools.

Idea: Maybe somebody can invest on these tools and rent them online (with a hefty deposit of course) thus, facilitating the job for somebody else.

If anybody is considering tackling a project like this, PM me and I'll be more than happy to chat and hopefully save you some frustrations.

Regards,
Fred

Our program is going very good, so good that I haven't the time to spend updating the websites and etc.. We suspended parts sales earlier this year because we just didn't have the time for them and needed every person on deck to assist with the engine build program.

Engines are doing well and people are happy, happy enough not to complain online as most people have come to expect these days.. No news is certainly good news.

We are being very successful, in the past year we have had ONE experience where a customer had a small issue that was fortunately not catastrophic and we took care of the engine under warranty, even though it was out of warranty by several months... Small issues can be expected and we deal with them when necessary.

We have six dedicated track cars running our engines this year, ( i cpould have had more but turned down the builds) all of those had successful seasons and none had any issues. One of them has done 1300 track miles in 2010 and the oil samples from it are looking very good.

I have been focusing on my book, our engine oil and my training classes more than anything personally here at the facility. We don't want to be building hundreds of engines per year, but rather to help others build thousands of engines per year with our knowledge.

The engine combinations are now fully developed and have standardized components. This has made things much better in many ways. We thank the Lord that more work has come our way than we want to do and that during the time when most every other business is struggling we are growing by leaps and bounds. Things are so good that we can be selective of what engines we build and who we choose to work with, which is something I have been able to do since I started my engine business 19 years ago... In the Porsche world, being able to selectively choose clients is a huge benefit.

One thing is for sure... We are pleasing people.. If we weren't you'd be hearing about it to the point that no one would have to ask the question concerning our effectiveness.

Good news= Silence....
Bad news= Loud mouths that want to tell everyone...

lets say I were to want a jake raby 996 gt3 motor. what parts of a 996 gt3 motor would we have to supply. Case? long or short block? etc. or is there a base where we can give you the bare necessities and you would put all the rest of the enhanced parts and know how?

My specialty is the M96 engine, the GT3 isn't of much interest to me.

When we build engines the customer just needs to supply a car and a core engine, it is our job to design the package and sort the parts.

thanks for clarifying. I was under the impression that the gt3 motor was m96 based. my mistake.

so what M96 motor is best for you to work your magic on? is there any that has more potential than others?

Our procedures make all M96 engines equal.. Pretty much we can start with anything and end up with a standardized, upgraded unit.

Revised the post

I have one of Jake's rebuilt engines. I have put about 2000 miles on it so far and not only am I not complaining, I have been raving about it to everyone I know. I opted to keep the stock exhaust, only because I don't like the drone of the after market systems. I have the lightweight flywheel which contributes greatly to the throttle response and torque perceived in street driving. I chose every other available performance option at the time.

I did not have a blown engine at the time I decided to go for the 3.6 upgrade. This 2001 986S is the third M96 car I've had, and while I never had an engine failure, it was always in the back of my mind. My first Boxster was a 97 and I loved the way it drove and handled but just didn't have the uumpf I was used to. I decided to get one of Jake's engines the first time I read about the work being done in conjunction with L&N. Going for the full blown performance upgrade can be an expensive proposition for a car that is depreciating in value, but I can't think of a better car to spend the money on than a Boxster. The chassis and brakes are up to the task of the additional power already, and while I have not heard Jake say so, I would imagine the upgraded internals would make it feasible to go to the next level of performance with a single turbo.

I don't have any specific performance numbers right now, but I can attest that the car is much quicker and easier to drive fast than my E46 M3 or the 996 I sold while Jake was building my motor. In fact, I believe it is faster than the 930 I had back in the 90s but that was a long time ago and my memory isn't as good as it once was. I know for sure it is easier to drive hard. On the highway it is phenomenal. I can cruise at 70 in 6th gear and pass easily and quickly without a downshift. It is of course a lot more fun to drive in 4th gear at 70 and blow past traffic but in 6th I can get close to 30 MPG. As I said previously I kept the stock exhaust at least for now, but the sound of the intake is so intoxicating, along with the additional displacement, that I have a very hard time keeping my foot out of the accelerator just driving around town. Driven hard the sound reminds me of cars worth 10 times the money.

Reading here that Jake is concentrating on helping DIYers get going with these upgrades is great news. There are thousands of these cars out there that can be bought for not very much money. If you can build an engine yourself and get it back in the car you could have one very nice and highly reliable machine for the cost of a Camry or less. If I could get away with it and stay married I would pick up a 996 and do the same thing, but I need to sell a few cars and a motorcycle before I can even think about it.
Edit/Delete Message

My Car Next
 

My 2001 S goes in for the 3.6 upgrade in late December and I'm really excited about it. I also will get most of the optional stuff. Can you let me know what additions you had done to it? Does it include deep sump? What torque and hp are you pumping out now?

Raby rebuild?
 

I have the next best thing to a Raby rebuild, a Jake Raby trained rebuild. I have 200 miles on my 3.2 - 3.6 rebuilt engine. After attending Jakes 1st M96 engine rebuild class in Feburary 2010 I rebuilt 2000 Boxster S engine with LN Engineering sleeves, JE pistons & rings, R&R rods, new timing chains, wear pads, tensioners,billet tensioner paddle, oil scavenge pumps, spin-on oil filter & magnetic drain plug. Balanced all recepricating parts. Since my CA registration expired while the engine was out & required passing a smog check to renew & drive on public roads I got it tested with 30 break-in miles & it passed easily with about half the emissions it had 2 yr. ago @ 78,600 miles. With only 200 miles on the engine & a strict 4000 rpm redline, it is much smoother & has enough added low rpm torque to make righthand turns in 3rd gear instead of 2nd. IMHO as a former PCNA test driver this modification/upgrade makes the Boxster a far superior driving experience over a standard 996. :matchup:

BYProdriver, thanks for posting the info above. I'd love to learn how to tear down and rebuild a Porsche motor with LN parts and learn from Jake one day. That would be a blast.

BYprodriver - Congrats on completing your build!! I am jealous!! :cheers:

Thanks Guys, once I get this first engine broken-in I am anxious to start on the next & shop for a Boxster S in need of revitalization. I must say to build 1 engine after $10,000 for parts & special tools, transportation to Georgia & 4 months of your life, just shipping your Porsche to Raby drive is more cost effective. :D

Re:Your Raby Rebuilt Engine
 

I also commend you on your efforts. I do not at present have the time or the space to accomplish what you did. My 01S ships to his facility in December for rebuild. Hope to keep in touch with you to get any add'l feelings regarding the performance of your car. Again, congrats!

And people wonder why my engines aren't cheap... That sentence from BYprodriver is classic.

smshirk is coming to pick up his Boxster with a Raby 3.6 installed later this evening after it's 2,500 mile service and oil analysis.. His car is one of my best builds to date, perfect HP and TQ balance, all within a very broad and usable power range. No drones, no negatives just well balanced performance.

StevenC just initiated the purchase process of a big bore Raby 3.6 for his Boxster.. We look forward to completing his project in the early spring of 2011.

Very nice! I wish I had the $ for one, but until then I'll keep running my 2.5 that has 101k on it now. She still runs strong at least!

Chris

I have a quick question to Jake. I had a look on your web site, and found this interesting option - your 4.0 Performance engine. I found it hard to understand, but is the price you list for a replacement engine, or the price to rebuild and upgrade my current engine?

hi, gusy thanks for all. in the very ideal posting.

:rolleyes: Wrong thread...

Anyone know when Jake will publish his rebuild book it was supposed to be out by now. Thanks[/I]

question 1. for Jake what would cause a secondary pump (from heads) to seize or freeze to the point that you cant turn it ;once is out of the head.causing one of the heads to crack on a 2000 Boxster S.

That didn't cause the heads on a 2000 Boxster S to crack.. They crack for no reason.

2000 Boxsters are notorious for this issue, I have 3 here now all the same condition.

to be specific. secondary pump froze. broke metal tab that fits into timing chain gear.than I bought this car like that. what do you think; change secondary pumps every 30k miles or so.:rolleyes: