Cairo's Six - 3.6 in and running great! Options

[Cairo94507]

Hi Everyone -

Some may be aware I recently bought the '95 993 3.6 motor Chris (Tygaboy) had for sale. I must have looked at his ad a 100 times (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) and finally could not resist. Had it not been Chris and pretty local to me I probably would have passed.

The 3.6 has approximately 18K miles on it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) and came out of the 993 in 1997 following an accident. The engine was properly stored with rocker arms loosed and oil poured in the cylinders and turned over regularly. I pulled the plugs and it turned over like a new engine. Squirted some oil in, reinstalled the plugs and have turned it over a few times since it came to my garage patiently awaiting the swap.

Greg T. (master mechanic/technician/body man and painter) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif) and a very good friend agreed to tackle this project at his garage. So on Friday (2/16/24), we drove to Greg's (it ran great) and a short 5+ hours later the 3.2 was out. We took our time and the biggest hassle was pulling the wiring harness for the 3.2 out of the car without damaging anything. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The next day we trailered my Six in Greg's enclosed trailer, pulled by his wife's beautiful Dodge Ram diesel, to the Red Barn! Yes, Chris, (master fabricator if ever there was one) another great guy and good friend @Tygaboy agreed to do some metal fabrication as a part of this swap. After seeing Chris' skills on multiple projects, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) I knew if someone was going to be cutting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) and welding (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) on my car. I really wanted it to be him. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

After looking at the current oil cooler setup, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) it was decided to leave my existing GT style oil cooler and add the 2 Spal 6.5" fans and see how that works. My 3.2 stayed cool while driving unless I got in stop 'n go traffic (What? None of that in the Bay Area!) and then the temperature would creep up. We will relocate my oil cooler thermostat from the front trunk (where the factory installed them in the GT cars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) ) to the engine firewall- where we all agreed it belonged. I have to give Chris credit for this plan as I originally was going to swap in a larger oil cooler and open the nose panel of my car up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) to mate to the new cooler with a nice duct (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) . Chris pulled me back from the edge and said he believed cutting the nose panel out may not be necessary once the fans are installed.

Of course that is not all Chris is doing. My car has factory, non-retractible, seat belts and my brother and I prefer retractible belts. So we are installing retractible belts. Chris will do the fabrication; he did this to his LS car and it works flawlessly.

OK, here are some pictures to get this thread rolling; I hope you enjoy following along as this stuff happens.

Again, a sincere thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tiphat2.gif) to Greg T, Chris B., my brother Bob, HB (2 914 owner and good friend), for their support and encouragement. And thanks to anyone who has done a 3.6 swap into a 914 and posted about it so we have a road map. I will document our project to hopefully make it easier for others to do the same.

Cheers- Michael (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[technicalninja]

Quick question.

The engine in the first post is the engine you removed, correct?

If so, you ARE NOT driving hard enough as the flywheel doesn't appear to have even reached the "bedded" stage.

Looks "fresh" in the pics.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)

[rick 918-S]

Better get some flares and big rubber on that rocket.

[Cairo94507]

@Craigers17 Thank God I was still waiting for my coffee this morning when I read your comment as I laughed out loud. That is some funny stuff right there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[rick 918-S]

@Craigers17 Thank God I was still waiting for my coffee this morning when I read your comment as I laughed out loud. That is some funny stuff right there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Funny how things seem to snowball when it comes to car mania. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Long_ago]

Giddy Up

[burton73]

Hi Michael, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I sent you a PM

Best Bob B

[Craigers17]

@Craigers17 Thank God I was still waiting for my coffee this morning when I read your comment as I laughed out loud. That is some funny stuff right there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) In all seriousness, I’ve only owned 4 cylinder 914’s, and while they are a blast to drive, I wouldn’t describe them as fast. I can’t imagine how fast your car is gonna be with that new engine in there. Awesome build!

[tygaboy]

Let's get the party started! Michael has agreed it'd be OK for me to video this effort and post it on my At The Red Barn YouTube channel. I hope to have the first episode done by this weekend. In the meantime:

As an early car, it has no accommodation in the upper, outer corner of the fire wall for the seat belt retractors. Michael asked that I cut/replace that area with pieces from a later car. After looking at what that would require (remove rear window, drill spot welds, send sparks flying) and how close the needed welding is to the already completed (and insanely beautiful!) paint work and sail panel vinyl, I told Michael it wasn't a risk I'd be willing to take, above my pay-grade, etc.

That led to a discussion of options and, given he'll likely never sell the car, and that it's already been modified in a number of other ways to make it just the way he wants it, he approved mounting the retractors at the base of the fire wall, same-ish way I did it in my LS car.
So, here're the doubler plates I'll be welding to the already stiffened lower fire wall, complete with proper 7/16 -20 hardware in place and plug weld holes ready to go.

Next step is to SAND SOME OF THE PERFECT PAINT OFF PART OF THIS CAR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) and get to welding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[East coaster]

Don’t oops and do that center plug weld (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Cairo94507]

Yesterday we crated the 3.2 for travel to its new home in a 914 in Wisconsin.

[mb911]

Very interesting close to me?

[tygaboy]

"It's only metal..."
Whomever made up that saying must not have had to drill holes in a car this nice! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
With the chassis stiffener in there, it took a bit more than expected, but the clearance hole, she is done.
Then a quick test fit of the backer to mark where to remove paint (!) so I can do the plug welding.
Note that I did narrow up the backer so it'd be easier to get to the fastener that uses that hole to the left. I think it's part of what secures the back pad.

[tygaboy]

Question for anyone who's fitted retractable seat belts to an early car:
I noticed the passenger side seat belt receiver mount sits further rearward than the driver side. Note the hole in the vinyl where the later year cars bolt hole would be.

Does that mounting point need to be moved forward to match the driver side?

No, I haven't even tried mounting a late receiver - I figured I may as well ask first, just to see what info others may have. Thanks in advance.

[rick 918-S]

Very interesting close to me?

Wish it was coming to me... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Cairo94507]

@tygaboy Chris, Taking a shot... and speaking with Greg T., my '71 came with a fixed passenger seat. It has now got the later movable seat. I would say the receiver (female) for the buckle needs to be in that forward hole (where the hole is in the vinyl). They should be directly in line with each other, driver and passenger receiver. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[worn]

Very interesting close to me?

Wish it was coming to me... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

et moi

[Freezin 914]

Very interesting close to me?

Wish it was coming to me... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

et moi

This rules all of us out…….. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[mb911]

I know the new owner he is friend of mine. Exciting to see it go into his car.

[mepstein]

I know the new owner he is friend of mine. Exciting to see it go into his car.

He’s getting a good engine. I’ve known the builder for years.

[SirAndy]

@tygaboy Chris, Taking a shot... and speaking with Greg T., my '71 came with a fixed passenger seat. It has now got the later movable seat. I would say the receiver (female) for the buckle needs to be in that forward hole (where the hole is in the vinyl). They should be directly in line with each other, driver and passenger receiver. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I vaguely remember that there were different lengths of receivers.

I wonder if a longer one would be all you need instead of moving the mounting point forward.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)