Engine repair help / advice ,please

356 Porsche-related discussions and questions.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Julian Butcher
356 Fan
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:08 am

Engine repair help / advice ,please

#1 Post by Julian Butcher »

I have a '62 356. The 2nd bearing in the engine got damaged (oil starvation), and I ended up taking my car to a local mechanic who claimed to service (a) old cars, and (b) Porsche. My car has been with the mechanic since June 2016 (yep, over a year and a half).

How long should it take to repair the motor once the parts have been sources for a full engine rebuild?

The mechanic has my car and engine and parts so I feel helpless to do anything about it.

Comments? Advice? All welcome, thanks.

Martin Bruechle
356 Fan
Posts: 392
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2017 12:41 am
Location: So Cal

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#2 Post by Martin Bruechle »

Get your car out of there. After all that time it is time for "Plan B"

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

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#3 Post by Edwin Ek »

Martin Bruechle wrote:Get your car out of there. After all that time it is time for "Plan B"
+100. An engine rebuild with everything in hand takes less than a week.
#6386

User avatar
Adam Wright
Classifieds Monitor
Posts: 10304
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:00 am
Tag: KTF

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#4 Post by Adam Wright »

Julian Butcher wrote:I have a '62 356. The 2nd bearing in the engine got damaged (oil starvation), and I ended up taking my car to a local mechanic who claimed to service (a) old cars, and (b) Porsche. My car has been with the mechanic since June 2016 (yep, over a year and a half).

How long should it take to repair the motor once the parts have been sources for a full engine rebuild?

The mechanic has my car and engine and parts so I feel helpless to do anything about it.

Comments? Advice? All welcome, thanks.
Depends on a few things.
1. What is the mechanic saying?
2. Have you been in constant communication?
3. Have you checked on the car?
4. Do you have other options in your area?

I'm in a similar situation right now, I have an old Vespa that I dropped off at the local Vespa dealer for a tune up, new tires, etc. It's been there for a year, but I would rather have Rocco, the old Vepsa mechanic do it. I have few options in my area, so I talk to Rocco every few weeks, he promises to do it, I stop by every few months and make sure he didn't sell my scooter, etc. I'll probably get it back before Spring, if not I'll probably pull it.

But please give us some more info on your situation.
Attachments
vesparide.jpg
www.unobtanium-inc.com
Check out my Barn Find column in the Registry magazine, always looking for good stories.

User avatar
C J Murray
356 Fan
Posts: 9158
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:24 pm
Location: 30MI WEST OF PHILA
Contact:

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#5 Post by C J Murray »

Julian Butcher wrote:I have a '62 356. The 2nd bearing in the engine got damaged (oil starvation), and I ended up taking my car to a local mechanic who claimed to service (a) old cars, and (b) Porsche. My car has been with the mechanic since June 2016 (yep, over a year and a half).

How long should it take to repair the motor once the parts have been sources for a full engine rebuild?

The mechanic has my car and engine and parts so I feel helpless to do anything about it.

Comments? Advice? All welcome, thanks.
Six months is enough time no matter how bad it is or how many skilled people need to work on it. Find another shop.
'57 Speedster
'59 Sunroof
'60 Devin D Porsche Race Car
'63 Cabriolet "Norm"
'67 911 S Original Owner
'03 Ferrari 575M
'09 Smart Passion

User avatar
David Jones
Classifieds Moderator
Posts: 7323
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:32 pm
Tag: I wish I knew as much as I think I know.
Location: Kentucky

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#6 Post by David Jones »

Even a rank amateur like me would feel embarrassed if it took me even 3 months to rebuild an engine especially if I started with a complete engine and only had to source parts like P&C"s, bearings and machine work. Re-assembly only working part time would be in real time 2 weeks maximum working slowly.
Just make sure you get all the parts when you get it out of there.
By the way, where the hell are you? You cannot get a recommendation of where to go for a good rebuild if we do not even know what country you are in.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
David Jones #9715

User avatar
Neil Bardsley
356 Fan
Posts: 1100
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:21 am
Location: London

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#7 Post by Neil Bardsley »

I agree with the experts this is too long to wait. However, once I did wait 6 months to have an engine rebuilt. The short story is that you can pick 2 out these 3 high quality, low cost, quick time. I picked quality/cost but the time was longer than I imagined.

The long story is that my first 912 was rear ended and it took the garage many months to give the car bad to me. Being a new ignorant aircooled owner I didn't check the oil and shortly after getting the car back the engine failed because of no oil. I put quite a lot of pressure on the garage that they should accept some responsibility for this too. Now being a more experienced owned I always check the oil! Anyway a rebuild was agreed on for about £2.5k (including parts) and was sent to engineer builder. Which was quite a good price for rebuilt. Plus I paid in month installments after taking delivery of the engine. The engine was away for months and I started getting quite worried that it was never coming back. I also considered trying to get it back and give to somebody else. However, in the end the car did come back and ran very nicely until it was stolen. I also found out, when I know more Porsche people in the uk, that the engine builder was very experienced but only working slow/part time because of ill health and it took him quite a while to source a suitable crank at a descent price. However, I wouldn't recommend this experience to anybody else as it was very stressful at the time.

Dick Douglass
356 Fan
Posts: 316
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#8 Post by Dick Douglass »

Hi Julian,

You don't show your location, which could help fellow Registry members come to your aid.
My concern is that Richard Rawlings ( net worth in excess of $ 15 Million) will swoop in and buy the garage where your 62 356 is sitting and within 6 days throw away your car and create a lift in that spot, where it can earn $ 1,000 per day. We might even see it on a future Garage Rehab.

Check the Registry magazine for a Registry Club in your area and start making calls to members asking for local help.......

Tow your car home and wait for the correct solution.

User avatar
David Jones
Classifieds Moderator
Posts: 7323
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:32 pm
Tag: I wish I knew as much as I think I know.
Location: Kentucky

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#9 Post by David Jones »

Dick, not cool to ask for another members location when you do not put yours in your replies. One of my major peeves is a lack of location in the contributors information and which in my opinion should be mandatory in at least giving a state or even a capital city e.g. London or Chicago. Please fix or desist in asking others. To those who are afraid of being robbed of their cars if their location is found please recognize that even without a location there are just too many easy ways to find out where you live nowadays if someone wanted your car. This is a forum designed in large part to encourage ownership not a secret society of 356 owners.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
David Jones #9715

Dick Douglass
356 Fan
Posts: 316
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#10 Post by Dick Douglass »

Well I'll Be ! Didn't notice that it was omitted since last renewal. Desist? Talk about secret society....Location Police...?
If I ommited it I take full responsibility.

Huntington Beach, Ca. Surf City USA

Former person in whatever of the "Central Coast 356 Club" Oh yeah did you ever send pictures of your 356 on DY356D to Gordon? Where do you think that idea came from on 19-9-99?
Santa Barbara, Ca.

Miguel Antonetti
356 Fan
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:43 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#11 Post by Miguel Antonetti »

The machining could be an issue, only few people do that correctly... BUT at worst, i'd say six months - ask me how i know. Parts are all available and may be two days - at most - to put it back together.
Get your car out of there!

User avatar
Jim Alton
356 Fan
Posts: 1772
Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:11 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Engine repair help / advice ,please

#12 Post by Jim Alton »

David Jones wrote:Even a rank amateur like me would feel embarrassed if it took me even 3 months to rebuild an engine especially if I started with a complete engine and only had to source parts like P&C"s, bearings and machine work. Re-assembly only working part time would be in real time 2 weeks maximum working slowly.
Just make sure you get all the parts when you get it out of there.
By the way, where the hell are you? You cannot get a recommendation of where to go for a good rebuild if we do not even know what country you are in.
David, you're way, way faster than I. Then again, I was embarrassed at how long my engine rebuilds took. That's in part because I didn't source all the parts at once and had to unravel a few mistakes.

As to Mr. Butcher's position: it's definitely time for him to remove the car from the current mechanic. He should probably identify an attorney experienced in such issues. This sounds like one of John Draneas' Legal Files columns.
 
Jim Alton
Los Angeles County, CA
1958 Porsche 356A Cabriolet
1965 Porsche 911 Coupé
1966 Volkswagen Type 2
2003 Porsche 986 Boxster

Post Reply