2.7 or 3.2l in '98 Boxster?

[Whykes]

My '98 Boxster's (70k miles) engine just failed . Catastrophic engine failure, i.e. the intermediate shaft went haywire. I'm still discussing with the dealer and Porsche NA on who should pick up the tab, though the car is out of warranty.

Meanwhile though, should Porsche NA not be accommodating, I'm considering putting in a used engine. Might as well give it a little extra power then by exchanging with a 2.7 or 3.2l, right? Has anyone done this before? Is it 'plug and play' or are some modifications required? Any idea of cost?

Thanks!

[Perfectlap]

wow my worst nightmare come true.

well you'll need to change the radiators for sure. Someone one on the Renntech forum posted pics of a 3.6 swap. But upgrading the power is definitely in order.

how many miles since your last oil change?
If Porsche come through on this I'll have to give them VERY high marks because legally they are totally off the hook. I would post on other forums(Porsceh Pete's, Flaxsix, Local PCA forums etc) and then Email whoever you are dealing with the threads. Maybe they'd sooner give you an engine that's been rebuilt than risk losing some potential fans to Honda S2000's.

here's another idea, drop speed channel an email maybe they'll take on this project. I've seen them showcase the 911 in a long term road test and they are title sponsor for (primarily Porsche) Speet GT series.I forget the name of the show I think its called Sports Car Revolution. I'm sure a Porsche tuner would love the TV publicity.

[Brucelee]

I will ask at the service dept today.

Stay tuned.

[Brucelee]

Here is the short answer:

The 3.2 will "bolt right in" to the 2.7 slot.

The difficult things to handle are:

Clutch-you will need an S clutch and figure out if it will mate to 5 speed trans from reg Box.

Emissions-if you are in CA or MA, you need to talk to Smog shops to get their take on what issues you will have to handle.

Exhaust-need the S exhaust for the S motor. Try to buy complete engine/exhaust unit.

ECU Computer. Will need to use S computer.

Who will install--Hint, Porsche dealers will likely not touch this with a 10 ft pole.

Cost-Used engine is how much with right parts? Porsche will sell you a replacement engine but will require a like CORE engine back.

Interesting issues-hope someone who has done this chimes in!

[Porschekid]

^ remember, he has the 2.5, not the 2.7. He wants to know how hard a 2.7 or 3.2 would be for a 2.5 Boxster.

[Whykes]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Regarding the catastrophic engine failure, I've seen posts from people who had their engines replaced by Porsche (either free or half price), even when out of warranty. A very small number of the '97 - '99 model series apparently had issues with porous motor blocks, so it's a known issue to Porsche.

Still would like to hear from people who had their 2.5l exchanged for a 2.7 or 3.2l.

Thanks!

[Perfectlap]

3.6 Swap

[Brucelee]

What I posted applies to a 3.2 into a base car, either 2.5 or 2.7.

Not sure about the 2.7 into an older 2.5 Boxster but if it were me, I would simply go right to the 3.2 swap, in a heartbeat.


In other words, if you need to swap an engine, why not go for it!

The impact of going from 201 HP to at least 250HP seems to good to pass up.

Now the 996 engine is a whole other matter.

[Brucelee]

"A very small number of the '97 - '99 model series apparently had issues with porous motor blocks, so it's a known issue to Porsche."

Yes this happened. For the most part, the engines failed pretty quickly on these. I have to wonder how many are currently being ascribed to this source of the problem.

Good luck in either case!

[angelo]

hi, i have a 1999 boxster and the check engine light showed up and the OBDII sensor gave me the reading as p1125 and p1123 which indicates the MAS sensor? is this correct and if yes can someone tell me how to replace it? any recommendations ? thanks

[KRZTACO]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

3.6 Swap

That's right, GO BIG OR GO HOME!

[Adam]

Yeah, if you are going to swap go for the 3.2L at least.

[GTA_G20]

I'm currently sitting on a 2.5L 1997 with a cracked head.

I found a 6,000 mile 2.7L for a good price. Can I just swap throttle bodies and go?