And if the engine in the Kia blows in 3 years....they'll fix it free with their 10 yr / 100,000 mile warranty, but that's not my point.

It's not about the Kia, it's about the fact that expensive cars are ALWAYS expensive to fix, no matter their age. You can't go into it thinking that because you paid Kia prices you're going to have Kia repair bills.

You can...if you know how to troubleshoot and have time to fix it yourself...the price of parts is (mostly) a negligible difference

Hmmn, This is a classic issue for that particular engine. I don't believe that you need an engine, I believe that you need a repair.

No compression on one cylinder and those faults could mean a munched cam lobe or lifter (both super common with that M code engine) or even a broken valve spring. Any of these will lead to metal suspended in the oil, but in the hands of a specialist that's resurrected engines for over a decade, it may not be terminal. At the same time, not calling the tow truck could have lead to driving the car to death.

BTW- The factory engine program is gone forever- there are no more completes, just short blocks that are being quoted at 18-20K. That won't help you, because a short block uses your old heads, which is probably where your damage lies.

Get another opinion, get several and go invasive. Assume nothing, quantify everything.

Do this right, or you'll be doing it again.

Your engine code is synonymous with failed cam lobes on the outboard intake valve for cylinder #1, I've seen dozens of these fail, BUT out of all those we've saved all of them but one. At 64K, its worth seeing the extent of collateral damage before throwing in the towel. No one else will tell you this- they only know how to swap things out and at the end of the day, saving an engine probably doesn't mean more to them than their paycheck.

You are 100% correct Jake. That's where my frustration comes from. No one is willing to take the thing apart and repair it. It's been to two shops now.

I honestly thought of having you build an engine but I don't have that kind of money. To be clear, the engine is going to be about 10k, 1500 for a clutch and flywheel, and $2500 in labor.

The real problem is not many shops are willing to dive into an M96 engine.

You need the right tools, you need the know how, and because of the cost of parts and the unknowns of what you find with the original engine -- it isn't always a cheaper (short term) option.

Jakes the pinnacle, there are others out there, but very few folks have the luxury
of not having the additional expense of shipping the vehicle as well.

Mike

This is the situation most of us lose sleep over. It's the scenario we keep playing through our heads driving down the road.

So we all have a true soft spot for you and your situation

I have a year left on my extended Power train warranty. After that I'm truly flying solo and I maybe I'm flying solo even with it. Would only know if something happens

I would be in the same place if it let go with no warranty.
I have a loan so either I get another loan to fix the engine, part it out or sit it in the garage until I could afford to fix it on my own

And for those who tends to bash Jack as a domes day guy about engine issues - He is the one bring a ray of light and hope into this conversation

I got my 03 S for just a little more than that too.

Sops never became proficient with these engines because they were too cheap to replace in the old days.. That is, except for us. Thats why we are where we are, because of foresight and forethought, coupled to pioneering the components and assembly before we "needed" to. Today I have done the same thing with the 9a1 engine family.

All that said, a blown engine and a broken engine are two different things. To someone thats not proficient with the engine internally, they'd rather do brake jobs and oil changes than to tear into your engine. Why? Because there's more money in it and the car leaves the same day, and there's less liability. I don't know what its like for a car to arrive and drive the same day- everything we see is broken. Broken badly and typically given up on by everyone thats touched it before.

West Virginia is what we call "local" shipping. I have cars here from California, and Vancouver Canada as well as about 28 more places across N. America.

Yes, I always bring the real news. Call it doom and gloom, or call it reality. Most modern humans can't handle the truth. They don't want to hear that everything mechanical will fail at some point, unless it wears out first.

We have two sides of the house here at Flat 6, we don't just carry out or reconstructions, but we also do these types of repairs on lower mileage engines that prove themselves to be solid candidates for repair. Not everything has a good prognosis, but you have to give it a shot before just buying something else.

Well that is not completely accurate IMHO. We had no compression on Cylinder 5 and as I had many other cars to drive we decided to tear it down at home. Without having EVER rebuilt an engine. Not even a lawn mower engine.

Car was back on the road six months later, running like a champ. Never ran that good. New IMS, new clutch, new water pump, rings, etc as we were already there.

The only tool I really had to buy was the kit for the timing. Everything else I had at home.

So yes, it is an engine. It may sound complex. But at the end of the day it IS an ENGINE. Built by Germans and NOT Aliens.

And with some GREAT guides out there like 986fix, most people can do it if they have the time and patience.

CR

For sure Jake is the guy and the more knowledgeable one out there on this matter. If I were a new owner, first thing for sure is to take care of the IMS. And then make it a routine, changing it every 25,000 to 35,000 miles with the clutch.

We changed ours at 56,000 miles and it was in good shape as far as I could see. Next time clutch is done, new IMS is going in for sure.

CR

No, this engine is not just another engine. One reason why Cros probably had a better outcome than most is because he didn't have any other engine building experience to relate to this engine.

Thats where people screw up.. They believe this is just another engine, and no it wasn't built by Aliens, it was built by German Accountants.

People treating this engine like any other, is what keeps my reconstruction backlog at 10-13 months and its been that way since 2007 on the M96 side of the house...

Whatever it is, I am living proof it can be rebuilt at home by someone that had never attempted anything similar. :D
As I said mine has never been better, running much stronger and with zero issues. We are keeping a close eye on it of course. So far, 3,000 miles later it is all 100%.

CR

Your experience should be inspirational for many here and elsewhere.

As I had stated, your lack of experience has proven beneficial in reaching your goal.

More and more people requested my engine classes at an enthusiast level, so the first one is scheduled for January 2015. What makes these engines easier to assemble for a first timer is knowing the order of assembly.

The About to be released Faultless wrist pin/ clip installation tool omits the need for Porsche special tools for this portion of assembly and you don't need a bore scope. Load up a clip and a pin and it's magic from there. The installation of the pins and clips has also been the stumbling block with these engines, especially for heavily experienced pros.

That is a fact, and something most vehicle enthusiasts don't seem to understand. I often read "why did these engineers make this decision?"

I work for a company that makes machines an order of magnitude more complex and expensive than any Porsche.

The sad truth is that every good idea put forth to improve our product has to be approved by managers and has to "buy its way on" to the vehicle. The number of ideas that die or are replaced by chicken **************** solutions is staggering.

Not to say that we don't make a good product because we do. If engineers ran the cash registers our product would be fantastic - and we'd be bankrupt.

"As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder."

John Glenn

Well, the car is done. Rebuilt engine, LN IMS, "nickies", new clutch, flywheel, rebuilt starter, alternator, new sensors all the way around, tack welded the rattle in the exhaust heat shield, replaced the hacked up harness, new battery, and a few other small thing. It drives and sounds like a new car. Test drove it today. Going back tomorrow to bring it home. Below is the pile of old engine.

Wow
 

At the end of the day, that is one sweet ride.

Ok, so I've had the car back for a couple months now, and finally got word on what killed the engine. It jumped timing. Killed a rod bearing and bent some valves. What are the likely causes of such a failure?

Stretched timing chain is my guess.

So what are you going to do? Replace the motor? Get an different car?

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A rebuilt engine was installed. Had it back a few months. Had the front windshield replaced, replaced both front speakers, replaced the subs, added rear speakers, and polished the yellow out of the headlights.

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