Diagnosed dead at 76K miles

[Ronzi]

This rebuilt 986/996 engine business gets stranger the more I look into it.
After poking around on the internet for a while I did find a couple of outfits that claim to rebuild 986 and 996 engines. One of them is here in the US, and another is an outfit in the UK that appears to specialize in hi-tech coatings.
After thinking about it for a while, it is obvious that rebuilding one of these engines is not like taking a boring bar to my MGB and then putting in some .020 oversize pistons. Everything is made of unobtanium alloy and manufactured with a microscopically thin coat of nikasil or some such to make it wear better. It is entirely possible that doing a whole lot to the guts of the engine is not worth the trouble, and a new unit is the cheaper and better way to go in the long run.
You win, Rich, I think I'm a believer.
I just hope to god I never have to find out directly.

[GhengisEEK]

I'm taking the car to another mechanic tommorrow for a second opinion... but from other posts (on other sites), it doesn't look good.

So many stories of 15K, 30K, and 60K engines going belly up. Luckily for those folks they we're under warrantee. I'm surprised that Porsche hasn't been flogged by a class action suite.

I'll keep you posted on the second look, and perhaps you'll see a happy ending.

[Brucelee]

"I just hope to god I never have to find out directly"

Yes, gone are the days when you just went down to Pepp Boys and ordered a $1200 rebuilt small block chevy.

Well, you can still do that for your older classic, but .......

Too bad this hobby can get so expensive.

[insite]

just a question here: i know that the oil cooler in the boxster is an oil to water type. has anyone ever seen a failure of the oil cooler that caused water to appear in the oil supply?

GhengisEEK: did the car lose power before you shut it down? have you drained the oil to look for signs of metal shavings?

if you DO have a blown motor, you can pick up a used 2.7L for around $4000 - $5000 if you look around enough. the labor quote those guys gave you is obscene. it only takes about a day to swap motors in the box; you should be able to find someone who will do the install for under 2K. if it's a head gasket, the labor is a pain in the a$$ but i believe it can be repaired without removing the motor (it requires a good bit of knowledge and some special tools, so don't take it to joe blow).

[GWPORSCHE]

This is worrysome to hear... I have a MY00 2.7 with +/-73K Miles. Engine is running strong. Should I consider selling the car as the engine is most likely to fail? Anybody here with a high milleage original engine?

[PorscheDoc]

Rebuilding a boxster engine or 996 engine is not rocket science if you are very familiar with 911 engine rebuilding. We are one of about 4-5 companies in the US that have the ability to rebuild a 996 or boxster engine (outside of porsche themselves). A big part of this is due to the special tools that are required to rebuild one of the engines. They do not use the same tools as a traditional 911, and we spent a little over $5k on tools just to be able to rebuild the engines. Porsche dealers as far as I know do not rebuild the engines in house, they go back to Porsche for recycling.

With that being said, you will spend less just buying an boxster engine from porsche than it would cost to rebuild.

[Ronzi]

Doc, you sound like just the guy to clear up a couple of things (for me, anyway) on "rebuilt" Box motors.
What, exactly, would you say consitutes a "rebuild" of a Boxster engine?
On the air cooled 911s each cylinder was separate from the case, so they could be, and were, replaced as a set (along with the pistons) if wear or damage made the old ones unuseable.
I assume this is no longer the situation with the 986, since the cylinders are bored in the block, not unlike most other engines. Can a shop actually install new pistons in an engine block , or are the cylinders and pistons matched at the factory, such that it is not practical?