Hi all,
I am thinking about buying a 88 911 carrera targa. Beautiful car, but I have heard there are potential issues with the head studs. Does anyone have any info with this at all? Thanks.
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Hi all,
I am thinking about buying a 88 911 carrera targa. Beautiful car, but I have heard there are potential issues with the head studs. Does anyone have any info with this at all? Thanks.
I am thinking about buying a 88 911 carrera targa. Beautiful car, but I have heard there are potential issues with the head studs. Does anyone have any info with this at all? Thanks.
The headstud issue is pretty rare with the 88 engines. If you do lose one it will almost always be the exhaust side.
The 88 engine is an aluminum case, so the stud tends do fail (very rare) then tend to break not pull. The magnesium case engines displacing 2.7 liters from 74-77 especially with stock nasty exhaust are the ones that have the worst problem. They will frequently "pull" not break on the 2.7 so you get the fun of a tear down plus time-certing the case.
The 3.0 engines do break headstuds, we had two broken on our 82, both the usual place, exhaust side #3 and #6 cylinder closest to the flywheel. The 3.2 is newer so there are fewer instances of this with that engine. There may also have been a change in materials used for the studs that could effect their perceived greater longevity.
Easy to check for broken studs. Expensive to fix. Personally, I would have almost no reservation with an 88 3.2 engine. IMHO, one of the best and most durable engines Porsche ever built.
angela
The 88 engine is an aluminum case, so the stud tends do fail (very rare) then tend to break not pull. The magnesium case engines displacing 2.7 liters from 74-77 especially with stock nasty exhaust are the ones that have the worst problem. They will frequently "pull" not break on the 2.7 so you get the fun of a tear down plus time-certing the case.
The 3.0 engines do break headstuds, we had two broken on our 82, both the usual place, exhaust side #3 and #6 cylinder closest to the flywheel. The 3.2 is newer so there are fewer instances of this with that engine. There may also have been a change in materials used for the studs that could effect their perceived greater longevity.
Easy to check for broken studs. Expensive to fix. Personally, I would have almost no reservation with an 88 3.2 engine. IMHO, one of the best and most durable engines Porsche ever built.
angela
Thanks Angela, it is just making me nervous hearing some horror stories of $$ to fix the studs that beak or come loose. Can you upgrade the studs before they break with the engine in place or is this something you wouldn't worry about?
That makes me feel much better, thanks!
Don't worry about it until they break. It is simply not cost effective to do "Preventative" repair for this item. If you are over-hauling the engine, then replace them. Cost varies, the best ones (according to our engine builder) are ARP. They are painfully expensive. Seems to me I paid $900 for the studs themselves. This guy uses them in all turbo and any high-end rebuild. He has turbo motors putting out 27 pounds of boost. No headstud problems.
As for your 88, drive the stink out of it. The bottom end of a 3.2 frequently goes trouble free for a quarter million plus miles with no issues. Valves/valves guides, yes as needed, but the bottom end is pretty darn good.
angela
As for your 88, drive the stink out of it. The bottom end of a 3.2 frequently goes trouble free for a quarter million plus miles with no issues. Valves/valves guides, yes as needed, but the bottom end is pretty darn good.
angela
I think Angela has covered the topic well but you may be interested in checking out the forums at Pelicanparts.com.
The 911 rebuild forum will scare the pants off you with the horror stories but those engines from the 80s are supposed to be the best of the best. As with cars, check on the maintenance records!! This is very important I think. Treat it the same as buying a used Porsche car in that maitenance records speak volumes.
The 911 rebuild forum will scare the pants off you with the horror stories but those engines from the 80s are supposed to be the best of the best. As with cars, check on the maintenance records!! This is very important I think. Treat it the same as buying a used Porsche car in that maitenance records speak volumes.
Yeah David, read with a critical eye for detail on engine year when going over the scary stuff. 2,4 engines were good but not great (begining of the end because of heat/smog junk upcoming & I think the FI was iffy?). 2,7 engines were marginal particularly with all the smog equipment heat generated. I had two 911s with the 2,7 and no problems, but they were engines with under and just at 100K miles.
My 3,0 was terrific but a slug compared to my 3,2. Not only can you do more to a 3,2 than you can a 3,0, they are, as stated earlier, probably the best of the best pre'96-98 993 air-cooled engines. BTW mine is approaching 170K miles, no smoke, no rattles, no excessive oil use.
Famous last words...
My 3,0 was terrific but a slug compared to my 3,2. Not only can you do more to a 3,2 than you can a 3,0, they are, as stated earlier, probably the best of the best pre'96-98 993 air-cooled engines. BTW mine is approaching 170K miles, no smoke, no rattles, no excessive oil use.
Famous last words...
By the way, Paul, if I had a little spare cashola that black cabby of yours would be MY black cabby!
angela
angela
I can make convenient payment arrangements for you, if you should be so inclined! It really would look good sitting alongside your Spyder.
You are a BAD man! Stop tempting me!
Steve's cabby is pretty close to paint. It's an 80 turbo bodied all steel slopenose. Really really coming out nice. We put a 3.2 into it but haven't finished wiring. There are two directions for the wiring - the first is wiring the 3.2 into the 80 harness. Not really that hard. The second is repairing/replacing the 80 harness that the previous owner's hairless half-witted monkey MELTED with the dumbass boom box over-amplified stereo and butcher job alarm install.
It will be really nice when done. The 82 targa goes into cabby surgery next. That was the car that is the spyder's donor engine. Now has a replacement very nice running 3.0 in it. Hoping that will be my driver when it gets done.
Or maybe I could just go for the instant gratification and buy that little honey of yours! It is the perfect "Lane" color...
angela
Steve's cabby is pretty close to paint. It's an 80 turbo bodied all steel slopenose. Really really coming out nice. We put a 3.2 into it but haven't finished wiring. There are two directions for the wiring - the first is wiring the 3.2 into the 80 harness. Not really that hard. The second is repairing/replacing the 80 harness that the previous owner's hairless half-witted monkey MELTED with the dumbass boom box over-amplified stereo and butcher job alarm install.
It will be really nice when done. The 82 targa goes into cabby surgery next. That was the car that is the spyder's donor engine. Now has a replacement very nice running 3.0 in it. Hoping that will be my driver when it gets done.
Or maybe I could just go for the instant gratification and buy that little honey of yours! It is the perfect "Lane" color...
angela
...ahhh, the peace of mind knowing when you open the gargage door in the morning, it gonna start!
Thank you for the description of the former owner of your other car. I am going to use that tirade at work later this morning when I talk with our manager about the system/computer tech.
Hairless monkey-boy, I'm practising. Oh, I think I'll throw a coat of wax on the cab this morning, I love running my hands over those lines, so strong, so satisfying... got a light?
Thank you for the description of the former owner of your other car. I am going to use that tirade at work later this morning when I talk with our manager about the system/computer tech.
Hairless monkey-boy, I'm practising. Oh, I think I'll throw a coat of wax on the cab this morning, I love running my hands over those lines, so strong, so satisfying... got a light?