Service 01 of 11
Engine and gearbox rebuilds
The workshop's specialist field. The flat-six comes out of the car and is stripped completely, and every load-bearing component is measured and compared against the manufacturer's specification. Nothing is rebuilt until it is clear what the measurements call for — and you have approved the scope.
Air-cooled or water-cooled, 911 — Turbo and GT3 included — Boxster or Cayman: the route is the same for every unit. For BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi we rebuild on request — the scope is set after the strip-down report. What fails in which assembly is shown on the page “The engine you can pull apart”.
Prices
What it costs
Per engine, for the scope described. Click your car to see what the job covers — and every other price for it.
Air-cooled · 901 to 993
- 911 F-model1964–1973 · 2.0 – 2.4 l · 901 · 911901 · 9118.500 €
- 911 G-model1974–1977 · 2.7 l · 911/81 · 911/82911/81 · 911/829.100 €
- 911 SC and Carrera 3.21978–1989 · 3.0 / 3.2 l · 930/03 · 930/20930/03 · 930/208.500 €
- 964 and 9931989–1998 · 3.6 l · M64M648.900 €
- 930 and 964 Turbo1975–1992 · 3.0 – 3.3 l Turbo · 930/50 · 930/60 · M30/69930/50 · 930/60 · M30/6910.000 €
Water-cooled · 911, Boxster and Cayman
- 996 Carrera1998–2001 · 3.4 l naturally aspirated · M96/01M96/019.500 €
- 996 and 997 Carrera2001–2008 · 3.6 l naturally aspirated · M96/03 · M96/05M96/03 · M96/059.500 €
- 997 S2004–2008 · 3.8 l · M97/01M97/019.500 €
- 997/22008–2012 · Direct injection · MA1/01 · MA1/02MA1/01 · MA1/0211.000 €
- Boxster and Cayman1996–2016 · 6 cylinders, 986, 987, 981 · M96 · M97 · MA1M96 · M97 · MA19.500 €
All prices incl. VAT.
Symptoms
How you notice damage inside the engine
Knocking under load
A deep knock that follows the revs — the typical picture of a bearing failure in the crank assembly. Do not drive on.
Falling oil pressure
With the engine warm, oil pressure sits well below its usual reading, especially at idle, or the warning light comes on. Switch the engine off at once.
Swarf on the magnetic plug
Visible swarf in the filter or on the magnetic plug: something inside the engine is wearing away — more with every kilometre.
Oil consumption, blue smoke
Worn piston rings, worn valve guides or scored bores — the last above all on the M96 and M97 engines of the 996, 986 and early 997 and 987.
Lost compression
A cylinder no longer seals properly: leaking valves, sunken seats, pistons or rings, and on the 2.7-litre G-model pulled cylinder studs. The engine runs rough.
Not sure what it is?
Twelve seconds of video of the noise is usually enough for a first assessment. If the oil pressure warning is on, call instead of starting it.
Send a video
Scope
What a rebuild covers
A rebuild is not cleaning and bolting back together. Every figure is recorded and compared against the manufacturer's specification, and only then is it decided whether a part stays, is reworked or is replaced.
- Engine and gearbox out of the car, the engine onto the stand
- Stripped completely, down to cleaned individual parts
- Crankshaft, connecting rods, bearing clearances, bores, mating faces, valve guides and seats measured
- Measurement sheet with specified and actual values, in writing
- Bores honed, mating faces skimmed, valve seats recut; on water-cooled engines, liners shrunk in
- Bearings, piston rings, chains, tensioners and gaskets as sets
- Every fastener to specification: torque, and angle where specified
- Oil pressure and leak checks, warm-up and road test
Engines
What we rebuild
Air-cooled and water-cooled, plus the manual gearboxes. Price and scope for each engine are above under “What it costs”.
- Air-cooled
- 911 F-model and G-model · 930 · 964 · 993 – 2.0 to 3.6 litres
- Water-cooled
- 996 · 997 · 986 · 987 – 911 Carrera, Turbo and GT3, Boxster and Cayman
- Gearboxes
- 901 · 915 · 930 · G50 · G64 · G96 · G97 · G86 · G87 – manual gearboxes of the 911, Boxster and Cayman
Method
From diagnosis to handover
- 01
Diagnosis
Remove, strip, measure. Every figure is recorded and compared against the manufacturer's specification.
- 02
Approval
Measurement sheet, scope and cost in writing, labour and parts separately. Nothing is ordered without your yes.
- 03
Assembly
Repair what the measurements call for, renew parts as sets, every fastener to torque and, where specified, to angle.
- 04
Handover
Oil pressure and leak checks, warm-up, road test. Plus a clear word on running in, including the first oil change.
Questions about it
What people ask about rebuilds
Rebuild or exchange engine?
The exchange unit is the quicker route. Whether it is the cheaper one depends on what the old engine actually needed — and only the diagnosis shows that. A rebuild also, as a rule, keeps the engine that belongs to the car: where the crankcase can be repaired, the engine number stays the same.
Is the gearbox always rebuilt as well?
No. Engine and gearbox come out of the car together, and we take the chance to look at the gearbox. It is only rebuilt if the diagnosis calls for it and you approve it. If it already crunches going into gear, mention it in your enquiry.
How long will the car be with you?
A rebuild is not an overnight job. Stripping and measuring take the time they take, and then there are the parts to source, which on older series can vary considerably. After the diagnosis we give you a realistic window, and we come back to you if anything about it changes.
Engine and gearbox rebuilds
Offered an exchange engine?
Open it first, then decide.
Related
Related services
- 02
Gearbox rebuild and repair
The gearbox comes out with it — if it crunches, now is the moment.
- 04
Engine repair
When the diagnosis shows that a targeted repair is enough.
- 06
Engine oil service
After running in, the first oil change — with a look at filter and magnetic plug.