There’s been a lot of chatter lately about Porsche engine Bore-Scoring issues in relation to the9X6’s(986 & 996) and9X7’s(987 & 997).
Check out my video describing this issue here.
Without a doubt, these issues do exist, our goal is to mitigate the chances of this happening to you and your car.
With these simple measures, you should have better peace of mind:
- Buy the best Gasoline you can, choose a top-tier premium fuel such as Shell (V-Power), Chevron (Techron) or Exxon (Synergy) Supreme, this is to keep your fuel injectors clean. Dirty fuel injector(s) can have a strange fuel spray pattern which can cause a rich fuel mixture. This raw fuel mixture can wash the oil off your cylinder walls which in turn will cause a lack of cylinder & piston lubrication. A lack of cylinder & piston lubrication is the major cause of wear or bore scoring. The minimum grade gasoline for all street production Porsches is 91 octane.
- Pour “one quarter” bottle of Joe Gibbs Driven fuel injector Defender in every fill-up of fuel, keep in mind that you can overdo this!
- When you start your engine cold, if the ambient “outside” temperature is 35*f or above, please take off immediately, BUT you must keep the engine speed below 3000rpm and with a low load until it reaches operating temperature. The engine management system is very rich, meaning it has lots of fuel when the engine is first started cold. This is mainly to light off the catalytic convertors, basically for emissions. A rich mixture can wash the oil off your cylinder walls, so by driving off immediately you will help burn more of the excess fuel.
- Change your engine oil once a year or every 3-5k miles.
- Have an engine oil analysis performed by SPEEDiagnostix at every engine oil change.
- Utilize a high-quality boutique type of synthetic engine oil such as Joe Gibbs Driven DT series or Motul 8100 X-Cess.
- Utilize either a genuine Porsche engine oil filter or if you have the LNE spin-on adaptor, install either a Napa Platinum or a Wix XP filter.
- Replace your factory engine oil filter housing at every oil change, because this contains a bypass valve that can get clogged with debris causing it to not operate properly. OR better yet replace your engine oil filter with an LN Engineering spin-on oil filter adaptor.
- Replace or have your fuel injectors cleaned professionally every 75k miles, this sometimes requires removal of the fuel injectors.
- Every 20k miles, remove and inspect your engine oil sump plate (oil pan), inspect it for any debris and have your cylinder bores checked for any scoring with a Borescope.
Please keep in mind that no matter what car you own, these are applicable recommendations for all internal combustion engine vehicles.
Remember to drive and enjoy your Porsche, sitting around does it no good.
For more information on preventing or fixing bore scoring in your Porsche engine, please visit LN Engineering’s website here.
Tony
Photo by Flat 6 Innovations
FAQs
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, you may be able to slow down the progression of bore scoring in your Porsche engine and continue driving the car for some time by using a thicker oil like Driven FR50 and by changing your oil no less than every 3 months or 3,000 miles.
How common is Porsche bore scoring? ›
Porsche Bore Scoring
There are many articles online and posts in Porsche forums about bore scoring issues and engine failure! While cylinder bore scoring has been an issue on a relatively small percentage of 996 and 997 models, it isn't a universal problem.
What Porsche engines suffer from bore scoring? ›
Porsche models that could be at risk of bore scoring
All water cooled 911's Boxster's and Caymans from 2004 through to 2009 are at risk of suffering from bore score however, it would appear the percentage of engines actually affected is relatively low.
What year did Porsche fix bore scoring? ›
Bore scoring less likely in the 09-14 model year range (997.2 and 991.1) but still can happen. 2015+ model year (starting 991.2), they used sumibore which pretty much you won't see bore scoring anymore. So, if you want bullet proof, go for 991.2 and up.
What are the symptoms of bore scoring? ›
One of the first signs of a scoring problem is excessive oil use, misfires, fouling plugs and O2 sensors and the engine throwing all kinds of codes for emissions. If you are having problems similar to these, you can pay a shop to bore scope your engine or you can do it yourself.
What are the symptoms of cylinder bore wear? ›
When the wear reaches 0.3 per cent of the bore diameter oil consumption will be getting out of control. Spark plugs may oil up frequently, leakage and blow-by will become noticeable and piston temperatures may rise, leading to the piston rings sticking in their grooves.
How common is 996 bore scoring? ›
Bore scoring is a rare issue. Oh really? The failure may be more common in Northern climates likely because people are not driving the car to hit normal operating temperatures and their oil is diluted with fuel. However, it does not make it a common failure on M96/M97s overall.
How many miles can you get out of a Porsche engine? ›
Most Porsche engines will last for 100,000 miles or more, especially if you take good care of your car. You can reduce the strain on your engine and make sure it lasts long by booking regular maintenance appointments at the dealership.
What is the most difficult Porsche to drive? ›
Porsche 911 GT3
Its precise handling and high-performance capabilities make it a challenging car to drive for some. The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance sports car known for its exceptional handling and track-focused design.
What percentage of Porsches are still on the road? ›
70 percent of all Porsches ever built are still on the road today. That's more than 700,000 911s alone. It's an enviable legacy that may soon become a bit of a burden.
As the cylinders lose ring seal, due to the bore scoring, harmful fuel contaminates the oil as it bypasses the piston rings. This fuel enters the engine oil, thus reducing oil viscosity as it intrudes into the oil.
What years did Porsche have engine problems? ›
The Porsche 911 and Porsche Boxster from model year 1997 to 2005 have a high failure rate of the intermediate shaft bearing also known as an IMS bearing. Its design and construction lead to premature failure of the bearing, which results in catastrophic engine failure.
Do you need to break in Porsche engine? ›
Handbuilt engines or engines with exacting tolerances for high-performance cars like a Ferrari or Porsche benefit from some form of a break-in process. One of the misconceptions about high-performance engines is that they are broken in at the factory.
Can a cylinder bore be repaired? ›
Nearly any worn out, out of round, or tapered cylinder can be easily repaired by boring the cylinder to specification, chamfering the transfer ports and exhaust ports (2 cycle engines), and diamond honing to specific tolerances.
What can cause cylinder scoring? ›
There are a number of main reasons for this to occur which include:
- Poor fit of piston to bore.
- Wrist pin walking out of pin bore.
- Overfueling.
- Poor oiling of the bore from a failed or stuck ring.
- Excessive heat or, the inverse, too cold when running.
- Excessive lugging.
