Refresh engine or leave it alone

[Jim Reym]

This question came up on another forum. Now I haven’t bought an engine and leaning to the SHO 3.4 and looking for advice whether to do a complete rebuild top to bottom or just the top end on 1 of 2 potential engines that have been out of the chassis for many years.

 

[SM105K]

This question came up on another forum. Now I haven’t bought an engine and leaning to the SHO 3.4 and looking for advice whether to do a complete rebuild top to bottom or just the top end on 1 of 2 potential engines that have been out of the chassis for many years.

I would make sure the cams are welded. I would replace all pulleys, and water pump. I would also look at replacing the oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, and any other easily replaced gaskets.

I haven't seen that you are going to modifying it in your other posts, and the vehicle is pretty light. I would leave it alone and enjoy it.

 

[Jim Reym]

Cool, yes definitely look under the valve covers and what you say makes sense to me.

 

[stephen newberg]

I think that was very good advice. Aside from the mentioned items, these engines are pretty bullet proof. Leave sleeping dogs along aside from those obviously needed things, would be my suggestion also.

pax, smn

 

[Jim Reym]

C4S is an awesome car. I have a 968 fitted with LS1 with LX6 upgrades, just in case.

 

[luigisho]

That sounds like fun too! Cool project cars.

 

[E1]

Careful with the bottom end bolts - they are all torque to yield.

You might want to throw in some new rod bearings. They tend to get quite loose around 150,000

Don't look to hard for an oil pan gasket - it doesn't have one. Just gray Permatex.

 

[Jim Reym]

Great, good to know. I went ARP in the LS engine top end, girdle, mains and oil pan, for the rods that got Katech bolts. Is there a preferred brand for the rod bearings.

 

[luigisho]

There are only a few options. Clevite/Mahle, Ford (if you can find NOS), and Sealed Power. You will probably want to look at the old ones and the crankshaft before you buy replacements in case there are size increments you need to deal with. Maybe another brand but not sure how many actual manufacturers there really are for this engine.

 

[stephen newberg]

C4S is an awesome car. I have a 968 fitted with LS1 with LX6 upgrades, just in case.

How difficult was it to fit that V8 into your 968? I have run across quite a few Porsches that have had motor transplants of one sort or another, but I doubt I would go that route for mine. I have owned it since 2012 and am still thrilled by it every time I take it out on a back road here abouts.

pax, smn

 

[Jim Reym]

How difficult was it to fit that V8 into your 968? I have run across quite a few Porsches that have had motor transplants of one sort or another, but I doubt I would go that route for mine. I have owned it since 2012 and am still thrilled by it every time I take it out on a back road here abouts.

pax, smn

There’s adequate space for the V, but exhaust was an issue and I bought just about every manifold made for the LS and ended with custom SS Kooks headers. Things of beauty too. Many many details as I proceeded with the build which is why, if I do the Type 33 project I’ll know how to do it and even then I know I’ll hit on unknowable.

 

[stephen newberg]

How were the results for overall car front to back weight balance?

pax, smn

 

[Jim Reym]

How were the results for overall car front to back weight balance?

pax, smn

Good balance and typical for the chassis great turn in I have custom cromoly A arms in front with spherical Teflon bushings. Rears stock Porsche with Elephant Racing bushings and Lindsey Racing multi position sway bar. Front has the M030 sway bar, Koni M030 coil overs all corners. The spring rates really need to go higher but I like a compliant ride and it works pretty good as long as corners are set up properly. I don’t know about corner weights but I lost 30 lbs in back going from the 6 speed to the Turbo 5 speed. Up front it’s a trade off in weight, but I went with a Fidanza light weight flywheel so there’s that. It’s nice always having adequate power.

 

[stephen newberg]

Very interesting. Where are you at, Jim? I am over on Vancouver Island. Should you ever be up this way, or I down wherever you are at, I would be most interested in taking a look at your project. What have you done with tires and wheels? And does the switch from 6 to 5 speed mean you have discarded the transaxle?

pax, smn

 

[zak]

Why not try to fit the Volvo 4.4L XC90 engine in place of the V8 SHO motor? Same bore spacing and heads IIRC.

 

[Jim Reym]

Why not try to fit the Volvo 4.4L XC90 engine in place of the V8 SHO motor? Same bore spacing and heads IIRC.

It adds 100 lbs and isn’t as revvy

 

[Jim Reym]

The six speed was sold, much in demand by 944 racers. I’m north of Toronto. Half the year anyway the other half I’m in Mexico. That’s where I am now.

 

[stephen newberg]

See, if you lived on The Island, you would not need to do all that traveling every six months.

pax, smn

 

[Jim Reym]

Haha, quite a few ex pats from BC here, 2 I know from Saltspring Isl. I was introduced to one of the best driving roads ever on the Island. Campbell River across the spine to Gold River and because the town is gone Road is pretty well deserted.

 

[stephen newberg]

Oh yes. Pretty much all the back roads on The Island north of the Malahat are never really patrolled, so you can drive them about as fast as you want to try. So that is the central island all the way up to the northern tip. Its a lot of remarkable road.

Saltspring is a really strange place. Its sort of mainly old hippies that have gone to seed after selling out to 'they system' and gotten fairly well to do, plus the services and younger people to support those. So you get a lot of silver haired earth mammas with small mansions and a tennis court out back. We drift over there for a visit once every few years just for the amusement value.

Of course, they are exactly who you would expect to go south for the winter trying to avoid what is already not really much of a winter, as it almost never snows or gets below freezing. Like I say, strange place.

pax, smn