krazykarl

I am looking for input has to how to proceed with my 1989 944S2. It looks like the thrust bearing is failing on the engine, as the front crank pulley moves forward a good 1-3mm when pushed on from the back. I just had the cylinder head and head gasket replaced due to a crack and I'm not sure if it's worth it for me to repair the car.

A few more details:
116k miles on the engine
exterior and interior are in very good shape
clutch replaced within 10k miles

So far one shop has quoted me 4.5k to replace the main bearings and the rod bearings, and if I have them pull the head again to replace the piston rings I imagine it will cost at least another grand. I didn't have a full rebuild done when the head was replaced because the bottom end looked and felt fine at the time and I didn't want to make that sort of investment in the car.

I supposed I could try and sell the car as-is with full disclosure, but given the market and the bill coming to the next owner I can't see getting more then 4-5k for the car. I could have the work done and keep the car but I honestly don't think I could ever enjoy driving it again after all the headaches it has caused. In addition I will be unable to afford to properly upgrade the suspension for autocross and track use like I want to. I could have the work done and attempt to sell the car for more then what I paid last year with the added value being that the car basically has a new engine, but again with the market it could take a long time to sell that way.

I really don't have the expertise or energy to attempt to pull and repair the engine myself, though that would be the most cost effective solution if I managed to do it correctly. Just looking for input on my options or some other possible solution to this wonderful situation I have been placed in.

krystar

aw, that sux.

i'd do it for ya for much less than 4 grand, but logistics of getting car to my garage and impending winter would make it really hard heh

krazykarl

I could sell it to you for a reasonable price, then you could fix it and make a nice profit =)

Matt Sheppard

Most thrust bearing failures on 944/951 engines that I have seen muff the crank as well and the problem is more common than you may think.

Not that it is so with your motor, but just saying. . .

krystar

how about i buy it for 34.50 no randeezling, no wickdmonkeying, no nothing.

aren't there any techs at like local tuner shops that could do it on the side? ask crsx :P

Riff

Wouldn't a good used motor run you less?

Sorry about the car, don't let the experience sour you on the S2.

krazykarl

I am not sure to be honest, I haven't really looked into a used engine. I suppose if I found one for a reasonable price I could swap them and reclaim the refreshed head to sell for a decent chunk of change.

racer

You might look on the 944Cup websites/classifieds for a used motor. Sorry to hear of your woes and the current cycle of spending you are enduring currently. I've always viewed 100K mile cars as "teenagers".. they can be upredictable and need a lot of replacements/upgrades, to go for the next 100K miles. As mentioned, if you do go ahead and repair the entire motor, you would have the solace of (hopefully) having a new to you S2. The devil you know vs the one you don't. A new motor and recent clutch are big $$ that you would likely never see on a resale. Better to keep it for the long haul

As for suspension.. not sure how you intend to use it (heavy DE use, SCCA AX etc), but how old are the current components? I would look for some used suspension parts.. or, simply learn to drive the car as it is (very soft I assume) and save up for the upgrades. How extensive are the upgrades you want to do?

If it were me, I'd fix it and keep it and push back the suspension upgrades for another year.

whalebird

Are you sure that 1 - 3mm is out of spec? Sounds normal to me.

krazykarl

Right now the suspension is all stock. I was autocrossing the car as well as planning on doing DE events, I was hoping next year to purchase 968 sway bars and koni coilovers for all four corners. It certainly looked more play then normal, but I supposed it's possible that the clutch pedal problem that lead to the discovery could be coming from somewhere else.

Matt Sheppard

Yeah, 1-3 mm? Did you use a dial indicator or just eyeball it?

My 951 had 5-6 mm endplay before I rebuilt it - crank was bugger on the center-main thrust surface but the block was still OK.

krazykarl

It was just an eyeball measurement. I never noticed the engine change its tone under heavy breaking or sound any different. After replacing the clutch master and slave and not eliminating the problem I brought it to a shop and that was their assessment. It's possible the shop is using normal endplay as an excuse to get my business. Does Porsche have a specific tolerance for end play in the S2 engine?

EDIT: the 8valve workshop manual states .40 is the wear limit for crank end play. Nothing is listed in the 16v workshop manual so I can only assume it's the same. Question is, what measurement is that value?

Matt Sheppard

forgetaboutit. Even if it is out of "spec", what is the worst that can happen? End play wont bugger your new head. You can obtain a complete running 968 motor for $4K - an S2 motor should be less. Unless you have bearing material constantly going through your motor in large quantities, which I doubt, I bet you get lots of life out of it without having to find a replacement motor.

I had at least 5mm of end play an my first 951 and that motor still ran strong @ 270K miles when I tore it down to reseal.

Unless you really want to pay for your mechanics retirement, just drive it.

krystar

ah if it's not a big problem like matt says....then

run her till she dies, then tow her home and fix her back up!

krazykarl

If I accept it as normal, I still have to resolve the soft clutch pedal issue under heavy braking. Could the torque tube or transaxle be sliding forward?