Tiger03447

Gee, that cracked block looks bad..I guess that another engine was cheaper than sleeving the old one, changing the bearings, polishing the crank or respraying the journal and a rebuild from there. What a bummer..Better luck on the new mill, Butters.

odonnell

Sleeving is $1400+ (and then other logistics like transport to a reputable shop) just for the job... it's sweet, but doesn't make sense unless you're doing an involved turbo motor build. Most NA long blocks are under $800, I paid $350 for mine.

951Dreams

Or in my case, oil cooler seals. Maybe the head gasket, maybe not. It sure acted like a blown HG, but the gasket looked pretty good once I had the head off. It talked like a blown HG, it walked like a blown HG, but it sure didn't look like one.

kevin12973

Well, my case was an extremely well maintained engine. Always change oil every other event (race or DE). In this case, fresh oil prior to the event. And I only use CenPeCo oil (not anymore btw). Also changed the #2 rod bearing and nuts last year, which was in good shape when I replaced it.
No reason it failed other than the original design doesn't hold up to a racing environment without a few modifications.

RoyaleWithCheese

I had just done belts, rollers, and water pump (electric conversion). I'm assuming it's a rod bearing judging by the sound but it could be something else I suppose.

I bought the car from a pawn shop with the intention of doing basic maintenance until the engine gave out and then swapping to V8. The engine gave out sooner than expected, but as you said I didn't know the history of the car because I never got a chance to talk to the previous owner. I really have no issue with this engine design, as it was great for it's era (and I have huge respect for those who keep them in pristine condition), but if I wanted a 944 NA to keep original I wouldn't have bought a potential lemon in the first place.

I tried to start it yesterday to get a video of winding the engine out until it full on exploded, but the battery was dead.

Maybe some time soon after some charging and a few beers I'll try again and post the results

Butters944

Mine was more of a, "I spent a month with the motor out replacing all the seals and some water got in there during the rush of things... OOPS"

Got a free short block locally, cleaned it up and it's too pitted from sitting outside for years. Working on sourcing another block now

It's a shame because that was the original date matching engine from 1982.

lovemyp-car

I beg to differ. Read my last one again. That was my daily driver, and I spent probably 8k over a year and a half replacing things that were more preventative maintenance than anything else. A 45k original mile engine should not develop crank walk to the point it destroys a brand new clutch.

Engine still ran absolutely perfectly too, not a hiccup, hitch or burp with a K27-8 at 15psi.

Ethan

Cole

The engine was replaced with a sub 40k engine according to your post.

What was the source of the engine? It certainly didn't come out of a well maintained non wrecked car!!! Which proves my point exactly.

Either the engine suffered trama from a crash or sat for very long periods of time to develope corrosion inside of it that caused premature wear.

Todd951968

They were not my cars when they popped but a friend's 85.1 and 86 NA both had timing belt breaks from lack of maintenance. He is notorious for NOT doing maintenance and driving cars until they literally died on the road. He seems to get some sort of pleasure from just driving them and seeing how long they'll go. I went around an collected these from different parts of the city where they popped and ended up parting them out. He has a 3rd 944 NA, an '87 that I've been trying to save from him before it goes but he won't sell. Thankfully, its in storage and he's not driving it but its a time bomb as long as he owns it.

odurandina

Please update your blown engines!
Don't be sad. It's really just a normal thing.
With your cars off the street gathering dust, there's never
been a better time for 8 cylinders for your 944's & 968's.
Speaking from years of mostly thrilling, fun, endless enjoyment,
our V8's are the best thing since the Shelby Cobra's Daytona's.

jeyjey

Never blown a 944, but broke a crank on my Formula Ford. When the hours are up, the hours are up. "It's running fine" doesn't mean anything: it'll run fine right up until it doesn't.

fasteddie313

After boosting to 17psi for a thousand miles or so I developed a slight leak on my original 40 year old head gasket..
Some bubbles in coolant after engine hot..

I replaced the head gasket with a new OEM gasket and ARP studs and have been running a constant 18-22 PSI daily driver and up to 25 psi (when the weather is cool) for about 7-8 thousand miles since, with zero issues..

Its just about as much boost as it will make to redline with the WG pretty much clamped shut..


Oh..
Yeah it’s a 2.0 Audi van engine..

Dwizle

Mar 22, 2019
'86 944
10 miles outside of Tooele UT
https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...n-bearing.html

odurandina

Judging by the gouged up crank, it looks like a few more going in the "goner" parts bin.
I was in Tooele, UT for a few days in Oct, 2019.
There were a few crazy snowy + cold days that October in Utah (for sure)

924 Turbo? i had one of those engines: a 1.5 liter n/a Audi Fox.
totally insane little motor i couldn't kill.

Yes, i've had 3 motors let loose over the many years: an I-4 Porsche, V6 Ford.... and i had a Chrysler 440 blow up without warning one day in 1991. No warning other than that i was going ~135mph on a Sunday afternoon and definitely shouldn't have.
Perfect motor stuffed in the bay of a very good little car. Effed up day.

ealoken

Blew my 951 in May 2017... soon ready to drive again..