Rickker

Thanks Loren. That's what I needed to know. Maybe it's just as well that the GT3 and TT engines aren't feasible, since they would likely be too expensive anyway. I am now down to two options. ....Rickker

I had posted this topic in the DIY forum, but now think that was the wrong forum, since there has been no response. Anyway, my original 3.4 engine expired a few days ago. We were driving along at a leisurely 65 mph in 6th gear when there was a clattering noise, some vibration and smoke. After pulling over to the shoulder as quickly as possible, and looking underneath, this is what I saw (photo taken from driver's side). BTW, this is a 1999 C4 coupe, 6-speed with just over 100,000 miles on the odometer. I have owned the car for less than one year, and drove it over 6000 miles without any problems until now. I believe the chain broke, and was thrashed around causing the hole in the cam cover casting. The amount of internal damage will only be known when the engine is disassembled. I am not keen with the repair option, since this is a high mileage engine, and, frankly, I have lost some confidence with these early 3.4 units. I am now looking for a replacement engine. There is now the temptation to install a more powerful engine, if I can find and afford one. I'm looking for advice/suggestions on what is involved in swapping in a 3.6, GT3 or 996 Turbo. Has anyone out there done this? I don't expect to do the work myself, but I would like to know what I would be getting into before purchasing another engine. Thanks. ....Rickker

Hi all, I have just experienced a major engine failure. There is a hole in the driver side cam cover, and you can see the mangled chain through this hole. I suspect the chain failed and the resulting interference at the sprocket caused the casing to crack, leaving a gaping hole. This happened while my wife was driving at a leisurely 65 mph in 6th gear. All of sudden there was a loud clattering sound, smoke, etc. She pushed the clutch pedal down as quickly as possible, but it doesn't take long to do lots of damage. My C4 is a 1999 model which I have owned less than a year. It is a high mileage car, just over 100,000 miles on the odometer. Prior to this failure, it was running great, lots of power, good low end torque and no oil consumption in 6000 miles. So, I am now exploring all options: 1. Having this engine repaired 2. Purchase a replacement engine from a Porsche dealer 3. Look for used engines from the Renntech/Rennlist or wider Porsche community. 4. Investigate what is involved in installing higher powered engines (3.6, 3.8, or TT) My question to the forum is about the last option. How easy or difficult is it to install alternate Porsche engines into a '99 C4? I mean, if I could find (and afford) a 996 or 997TT, or a GT3 engine, is this a relatively straight forward swap? I expect one would need to swap the engine computer and wiring harness from the donor engine. Anyway, I just wanted to explore this and get some feedback from those of you who have done it, or know if it can be done. Thanks. ....Rickker