Ah great stuff, thanks for the info. V useful. Interesting with the $ exchange too. As are the latest photos, love the detail for the sump gasket, grease types n locations etc Useful. Though I'm not looking forward to doing that job with the engine in the car. Im based just south of Avignon, in St Remy de Provence. I think having a garage is the key, despite the dry weather keeping a car nice and rust free, a garage is to keep out the rotters, having woke up to find 8 tyres slashed, several windows put in, all my tools stolen, on separate occosions can give a guy some negative issues...and this is in the countryside on a french registered car... I will bring my motor down for a road trip after xmas and keep it here as a 2nd car for a few months and use a friends garage. Keep the pics coming, So are you guys around Paris area? Are your motors part of a business, you look like you have a lot of experience working on 944s! Cheers JB Think iv included a picture of my chain tensioner from last yr, looked ok to me??!!
Engine build progress
- Thread starter TTM
- Start date
Hmm, I've never heard of modifying the S2 piston to lower the c/r?? I am sure that they're cast pistons anyway, no? You could just get some custom pistons made, but you might need to get rods as well. If you are genuine about this, I would hop onto Rennlist and do some searching through older posts. There will be plenty of info there for free, well it might cost you a small joining fee to search? Not sure on that, but there is too much info in there from around the world to ignore.
Sandspider
New member
Hi Thom. Just found this thread - most impressive! I thought I was doing well to be able to grind out a bolt in the front bumper to let me get out the main beam bumper lights, de-rust them, hammerite them up, change bulbs and put them back in again! Seriously, wish I had your skill - well done. (Are you an ex-Porsche mechanic or similar?) Cheers, Giles
No problem Thom, I'm not planning an engine conversion at the moment but I was suprised to read about the modified S2 pistons, I wouldn't have thought it is a good idea removing metal from normally aspirated pistons and then using them for a turbo application with the increased thermal stress.
sawood12
New member
Well from the reading i've done on other forums it seems there is nothing to be gained from starting from an S2 engine apart from and angry bank manager, divorce, huge stress, major disappointment, massive frustration, major problems every step of the way, extreme poverty and not much of a life outside of your garage therefore no friends. And on top of all that a broken engine. Seems to me why bother? What's wrong with a lined 2.5ltr block opened up to 3 ltr's or more with 8v? They are good for 400bhp or more and in reality any more HP is useless (in fact much more than 350hp is useless) because you won't have the traction to put the power down. Why go down a road that few have travelled and even fewer have succeeded when there is a well trodden and known path. A few who have turbo'd an unmodified S2 engine (with low boost pressures) have reported failed engines as the pistons don't seem to be able to stand upto the task.
TTM
Active member
Please define "not cheap". According to my calculations my 3.0 will have cost me in the region of €16k when it's complete, and the turbo aside I consider it to be a pretty basic spec. If I remember correctly what I read on here Diver944's 3.2 did not end up being widely more expensive, so an engine built with Darton sleeves and by experienced professionnals such as JonM/SimonP might no appear "so" expensive in the end. Also I have to say that having the ability to build such an engine on your (relative) own adds tremendous subjective value money definitely can't buy. I haven't found yet anything quite as much as satisfying as completing such a project. I just hope the pistons won't go through the hood when I turn the key [
]Thom, I meant "not cheap" in relation to what Pauly was implying by building something like this on a tighter budget. I know the engine in the link Tam Lin provided. You probably do too. Markus' engine which Duke/Gustaff now owns (and blew up overboosting[&:]) was done on a reasonable budget by using many stock components. I guess it's possible to do this and run low boost with E85. I think you would need better rods and pistons though. 16k Euros is not cheap either but do you mean for your whole car or just this engine build? If it's for the whole car then I agree that is a good price for a 3L turbo. I'm not totally sure what Jon charges to do even a basic sleeved block, but his work is top notch and he gets paid commensurately for this. You have the VERY real advantage of being able to do much of this yourself or with friends .This would represent a MASSIVE saving over having to pay for it. Ask me how I know. I think you should be justifiably proud of this build. Looks great.
TTM
Active member
Well Patrick, I am too embarassed to answer your question ... and that certainly answers it [&:] Thanks for the compliment, but I will feel proud only if it meets the drivability, reliability and power & torque goals I am aiming at. Parting with a lot of money is one thing, doing something "worthwhile" out of it is another, and I believe it's way too early to judge. PS : I have just remembered the €16k mentioned include a carbon fiber air intake that won't be used before the engine is properly running & run in. Will probably end up not using it at all anyway, or at least not before one year.
c/f intake?? You're not talking JME are you? That's the only one I know of and it certainly doesn't come cheap or easily.16k Eu equates to about $38k au and that's really cheap for a 3L turbo. Speaking of JME, to get one of his engines you would have been paying over $40k US so I think you're doing OK.[]
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