2.7 to 2.7 Engine Swap
 

Would anyone else here be suspicious of an Porsche shop logging 60 hours to do a 1 for 1 engine swap?

60??? Talk to "thestone" about engine swaps. He's a racer and has done several. 60 hours is crazy... That would be more in the realm of remove, rebuild, replace. Even then... seems excessive as heck!

Just buy a new car :-)

60 is ridiculous. What's the book say?

Mike

That’s what my Indy is telling me has into my car! I supplied the engine and he did all the prep work to that on a previous invoice. Ims,plugs, tubes etc. I think he is completely full of it. And he may have be acquiring another Boxster because I’m not sure I am paying that. I was originally quoted 16-24 hours for the swap. Between the used motor purchase the prep for that and now his new invoice I will be into my 2000 Boxster for 13k and that ridiculous!

He can't do extra work and charge you more than you agreed to. This doesn't sound right.

Do not let him take the car if that is what he is hinting at. If anything, you get to take the car, with whatever work was done, for the agreed price.

It’s ~20 hr job per All Data to do a R&R.

And to add insult to injury he has had the car since December

I've never done one on a Box but I bet I could do it in under 60 hours....

I am currently in the process of having my 5th engine installed!

A typical shop quote is 16-20 hrs for a 1-to-1 engine swap.

There are usually a few more hours to do some prep work to the new engine before installing it like swapping the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel from the old engine to the new and installing new spark plugs and oil/filter. But in your case, it sounds like all of that work was already done.

The shop doing my engine swap literally had it out of the car in less than 4 hours on Tuesday morning. They had to do a lot of swap work between my old and new engine so that was planned for today/tomorrow. They expect to get the engine installed on Monday and I might pick up the car on Tuesday. Total duration = 5 working days.

I can't imagine how a shop could have 60 hrs in an engine swap??? :confused::eek:

Me and two other guys had my 2.5 out in 3 hours so call it 9 hours working alone. With minimal swap overs, lets say another 3 hours to prep new engine, and then another 9 hours to reinstall.

60 hours is absolutely bull**************** insanity. that is robbery.

I agree with everyone. I am going to have to figure out how I am going to handle this

Do you have a written quote?

The shop already has the replacement engine installed. The car will be running later today. Total duration 4 days.

Does NY have a written quote rule/law? Like a tell the customer and get approval if over 10% over written and signed quote.

Why you check out the shop's reputation before committing to a job. Have they ever worked on Porsches before? Are you paying for their learning experience?

It is a very reputable shop and the owner is actually a big name in the PCA/Spec Boxster racing world

So let’s hear why the expert still needs 60 hrs for a simple engine replacement.

Exactly! The five months is because I got put on the back burner for his more important customers probably. And five months for an engine swap and the inflated hours tells a story to me. Lesson learned I never got a written quote because I have known him for years not a friend but friendly at the track over the years I really didn’t think I would need one.

Rule #1 in auto repairs: What isn't in writing, isn't...........

I own a shop that has done MANY 996/986 engine rebuilds and swaps.

Scratching your ass and taking your sweet time, I'd find it hard to justify more than 25-30 hours of labor. It takes about 3-4 days, tops. Including roadtesting and bleeding the system.

Is there information missing? Is he swapping over the intake manifold and accessories onto a long block and is taking care of broken exhaust manifold bolts?

No. The replacement engine was complete and all prep work was done on a previous invoice. I got suspicious when he let me review the work log and all the hours I questioned he said that the tech didn’t work there anymore so he couldn’t get clarification. Money aside clearly 5 months is a crazy turn around time.

Has he given you a bill yet?

No yet. He just verbally gave me the hours and balance.

Hopefully the bill will reflect the flat rate, not the actual hours.

This whole situation sucks. I have been doing DE’s with brother for about three years now and like most I was hooked the first day of the first event. From day one I have been sharing my brothers car. Finally I get the money together to purchase an engine and get my Boxster going and this happens! Not a happy camper right now and I have missed two events so far.

Any updates?

Tell us the name of the business... or the guy's name?

I'd like to know.

Still waiting to hear from him. Last time I spoke to him he was having a DME issues. Looks like I am going to miss a DE at Watkins Glen at the end of the month and that’s going to really piss me off! My favorite track

Screw that. Your engine swap should be done by Tues, May 14. Seriously.

As I posted above, my engine swap took less than a week at my local shop (and they had to do a lot of work swapping parts from the old engine to replacement engine). A straight 1-for-1 engine swap should take 3-4 days once they start the job.

If I were you, I'd go to the shop on Monday in person to see for yourself to see the actual progress of the effort and have a face to face conversation to understand WTF's going on.

It should have been done by the end of January not 4 months later and a bill of 60 hours and the car still doesn’t run! I’m going to go in tomorrow and see what the story is. I want to just take the car and bring it elsewhere but if I’m going to have to fight the bill at the end of the day I would like a running car

Good luck and keep us posted. You are such a gentleman that you do not name the name but this shop may deserve honorary mention for perfecting the engine swap in finest detail.

Im not ready to out this shop just yet but if things go really south I would be irresponsible if I did not put out the warning to folks on the forum.

Exactly, and looking forward to some pics of your reborn car ready for the track soon!

PS You know your car rocks a pair of original headlights out of mine that I traded for your 996 cable TB, so I'm kinda taking this personally! Did you end up painting them up?

I didn’t paint them yet. I was going to do all the final touches after I got car back from shop.