Big Bore kit for Super 90

356 Porsche-related discussions and questions.
Message
Author
Edwin Ek
356 Fan
Posts: 1898
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:16 am
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#16 Post by Edwin Ek »

Have Nickie cylinders fallen out of favor?
#6386

User avatar
Jacques Lefriant
356 Fan
Posts: 4602
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:50 pm
Location: Washoe county NV

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#17 Post by Jacques Lefriant »

Hi Dan
You may not know I am a AA WD and I sell to the shop that does your machine work and also to others that resell even in Europe.
j
 

User avatar
Jacques Lefriant
356 Fan
Posts: 4602
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:50 pm
Location: Washoe county NV

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#18 Post by Jacques Lefriant »

Hi Edwin
I think LN sets are still well regarded. It's kind of like if you are going to an expensive restaurant you don't order hot dogs over fillet mignon.
 

Michael Foster
356 Fan
Posts: 338
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:14 pm

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#19 Post by Michael Foster »

After 50 years you need to confirm what parts (heads) are original and what parts are not original and match the pistons to heads either both 22 degrees or 30 degrees as case may be.

Michael Foster
MICHAEL FOSTER

User avatar
Jim Nelson
356 Fan
Posts: 2138
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:18 pm
Location: SoCal

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#20 Post by Jim Nelson »

+1 on the Shasta Design P&Cs.

User avatar
Harlan Halsey
356 Fan
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:05 pm
Location: No Cal SF Peninsula

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#21 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Jacques Lefriant wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:22 pm Hi Edwin
I think LN sets are still well regarded. It's kind of like if you are going to an expensive restaurant you don't order hot dogs over fillet mignon.
Nate,
If it were my engine I would go with 82.5mm Nickies with CP pistons set up for 9.5:1 compression ratio.

Brad Ripley
356 Fan
Posts: 4205
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:28 pm

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#22 Post by Brad Ripley »

Some of the discussion so far has mentioned price ... well, That Depends .... much depends on the cylinder material. On the market are "Big Bore" (86mm) kits with cylinders that are: all cast iron / alum/cast iron ("Biral") / and aluminum w/Nikasil -- that's cheapest to expensive, or $420 on up to $3300/set. So take your choice!

User avatar
Olivier Lory
356 Fan
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:45 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#23 Post by Olivier Lory »

Just found two C/912 heads in my bunch of parts that was put aside since a while, I was curious to measure the bore diameter...and result is that both are 92 mm.

Certainly coming from a race engine, isn't it ?

Edwin Ek
356 Fan
Posts: 1898
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:16 am
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#24 Post by Edwin Ek »

I visited the LN website for the first time in a while. Charles is now selling pistons from the Mahle motorsports division to go with his Nickie cylinders.

Surely they are the nicest available, probably the most expensive too.
#6386

User avatar
Al Zim
356 Fan
Posts: 4309
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: FT.WORTH/DALLAS TEXAS
Contact:

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#25 Post by Al Zim »

Cylinder finish is rougher than the factory. Piston to cylinder clearance is usually larger than the factory, cylinder height, you can count on the OEM suppliers to measure that. Do the pistons weigh the same as the factory? Is the piston pin clearance correct. Remember the quote from one of the lists engineers "get some tools, anyone can build an engine" we fix lots of these situations. al zim
www.allzim.com 
356 Parts and Services
www.facebook.com/ZimsAuto/
www.instagram.com/zims_autotechnik/

User avatar
John Clarke
356 Fan
Posts: 2115
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:38 am
Location: East Sussex, England
Contact:

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#26 Post by John Clarke »

How is Leonard now?
 

User avatar
Harlan Halsey
356 Fan
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:05 pm
Location: No Cal SF Peninsula

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#27 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Al,
Anyone can build a 356 engine if he has some mechanical ability, has access to all the necessary tools, all the factory manuals, gets the new parts to specifications, measures everything, and builds a completely stock engine.
Back in the day, rebuilding anything was a lot easier. Factory parts were available, if expensive, there were a lot of good shops which knew the cars, and the engines were usually all original and on their first rebuild. So parts replacement, without much measurement usually went well. Also we didn't have the internet to confuse things.
Today things are a lot different. The skilled shops have almost all disappeared. The owners have retired to Reno and with them went the experience and the expertise. Often the engines are worn out of spec. The quality of some of the replacement parts is questionable. And some of the new guys think, "La dee dah, I'll just throw in a big bore kit !", and maybe throw on some Webers while I'm at it. Apparently they think the internet knows all.
(And the Porsche engineers knew little.)
But there is good news too. Our vastly better communications, and shipping means that expertise is still available, you now have to shop nation wide, instead of hauling the parts down to the corner. And the skilled shops which now have a nation wide market, can in many instances, correct problems which would have rendered parts junk, back then.
I have a few friends who do specialized repair work, locally. As you apparently do, they think that everything needs specialized repair. But that is because, if the part is really OK, they don't see it.

Edwin Ek
356 Fan
Posts: 1898
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:16 am
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#28 Post by Edwin Ek »

Harlan,

I agree with what you have written. I point out though, that the Internet is the single most important factor in allowing the 356 world to continue to exist.

A couple of obvious examples:

Would you have called Al to discuss what you wrote above? Sent him a letter? Probably wouldn't have bothered, I bet. The flow of information is greatly improved.

You're right, almost all of the skillful mechanics have disappeared. Even some of the supposed hotshots who post here are a notch or two below the standards of 40 or 50 years ago. But these less-than-ideal actors are better than nothing.

Information wants to be free. The huge problem our society now faces is how do you decide what is credible. Our current president's mantra is fake news. Is the 356 world grappling with something related: the dissemination of nonsense?

Nonetheless, this flow of information is vital to the survival of our hobby. It is the reason so many new parts manufacturers exist. Remember what it was like in the late 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's? Our cars were orphans. How many current owners would have sold out long ago but for the current ecosystem?
#6386

User avatar
Harlan Halsey
356 Fan
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:05 pm
Location: No Cal SF Peninsula

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#29 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Edwin Ek wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:03 am,

how do you decide what is credible. …….Remember what it was like in the late 1970's,
Yes that is the problem with the internet in a nutshell.

But we did have the Registry and other publications with robust classified sections. And the swap meets were a good source.

There was a time, in the early 70s when I was restoring my Convertible D, when I was getting 3 of the 4 parts I needed from Porsche because they were the last ones. Then the aftermarket began to kick in, and became much easier to find parts.

Edwin Ek
356 Fan
Posts: 1898
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:16 am
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Big Bore kit for Super 90

#30 Post by Edwin Ek »

My dad bought his 1964 C new. It was a car (albeit a cool one) to him, not a hobby. We lived in Pennsylvania, and he sold it in 1979 because it became difficult to find parts. Stoddard and J.C. Whitney (!) were the two main sources. It became a burden to own.

Having a good mechanic and a good supply of parts make all the difference. When I bought my first 356 in 1986, I had already moved to So. Cal. The first mechanic I dealt with was horrible. (Anybody remember Culver City Dismantlers?) If I hadn't met my current mechanic in 1987 (who has become a great friend), my entire adult 356 experience would have been different and surely worse.
#6386

Post Reply