Check out this cool video of a 908 engine on the engine dyno at Rothsport Racing in Tualatin. I had the privilege to not only see this engine during its assembly phase, but they recently had another 908 engine under assembly and on the dyno that I got to see at several phases of the rebuild. Those engines are remarkable in the engineering detail from that era. Every nut, bolt, and stud was titanium and the exhaust layout was impressive.

Welcome to Rothsport Racing - Engine Dyno Tuning - Porsche 908 Engine

Question: What engine was behind the 908 engine in the factory 914/8 car?

-Britain

No idea, but I recall hearing that they could dogear changes trackside...so it must have been a custom unit.

Any idea what the bore and stroke were?

Rich

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This is a photo of the silver /8 from the museum. Maybe you can identify it from this?

Good stuff , here is another that goes with,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McKRagEpqnk

Jeeze! did you see that freakin dizzy! Cool!

Sheer music

According to DGVWPB the red 914-8 had a "914-6 style transmission which was re-geared and strengthened" ...

The real kicker is the shift rod which goes from the shifter in a 90 degree angle towards the passenger side first, then in another 90 degree angle straight backwards under the passenger seat and then with another 90 degree angle into the bottom of the transmission!

Btw. DGVWPB also has dyno sheets and a acceleration diagram ...

The diagrams show the max. speed at 262 km/h in 5th gear at 8000 rpm.

However, the redline was set for 8400 rpm and the motor is supposedly good for 10,000 rpm so in theory the car can go even faster than that.

I have a Porsche book that lists the 908 as the "Widow maker" Wayyy to much engine for the car.

nonsense!

there is never "too much"!

No Such thing as too much motor, just not enough driver.

hike up your skirt Nancy!
"you have enough power when you can lay black skid marks from your last apex to the next turn in"
too much power is like saying too much money

I'll dig up the book when I get home and scan some details

If that pic is correct the diff cover is on the correct side so the diff/ring can be removed and serviced without having to take the gear cluster out first (911-like). That sure makes for easier LSD clutch changes and diff/lash setup! That's true in our cars only if the trans is inverted.

Then we have to put up with a steep CV/axle angle into the wheel hubs unless the car is lowered to about 1-2 inches above the ground.

.... too much power? bwaaaahhhhhh!

Cool, that's the same type of unit that was in the red 914/8...i forgot the 908 had a cooling fan like that.

I know the book. "Scary Porsches by Nancy Fancypants"
How about Mark Donahue in that short tail 917 with 1400-1700hp on a dial? that is the souce of the above quote. It takes all types to make this world go 'round. some write books and some make the history for them to write about.
"Scotty, I need more power, now!"

3 years ago a 908 arrived at the PCA AX race I attended. It was a "shake-down" exercise 2 weeks before Monterey Historics. They paid several Benji's and were granted unlimited runs. I spent almost 20 minutes oogling over it during our lunch break

It posted times 1-2 seconds faster than any other car. By the end of the day they were happy enough to adjust settings for faster AX times vs. track feel tuning. Then they got even faster. I think it was a 908/3 and know it was the one with Martini Racing stripes that took 2nd or 3rd overall at the Historics race that year.
I want one!

This one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFcm4KUvQsg

sorry but this motor makes every v8

look pussy

As I recall, and I could very well be wrong, the 908 had a tranny very similar in design to the "snail tranny" used in some 1979-1980 924s and 931s. The diff was behind the gear cluster instead of in front of it. Dennis Aase would know, he had one ...............

The Cap'n

Here's the scoop

1. 916 trans in the 908/1 and 2 starting in 1969

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2. 910 trans in the 908/3 like the one Vic Elford ran on the 'Ring in 1970...

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Notice in the 910 transaxle the R&P are in the rear of the car with the exhausts and inch or so below the inboard universal joints. Wow

I want one of those transmission for my Subaru conversion.

-Britain

Here's another of the 908/3, 910 transaxle that wouldn't fit into the last post.

Click to view attachment

Just for fun.

Well, I was 1/3 right. Can't win 'em all. Well, actually you can, if you have a 908/3. Who's gonna beat you?

The Cap'n

No one at the Targa did. What a cool car.

Do i see two hardy disks on those axles? I had no idea they could hold up to that much HP ...

I need 'em when my girls bring home questionable boys. Vibration happens!

I'll bet they were trying to get rid of specific harmonics and that they wouldn't last long at that torque... or it was an experiment and they squished out quick! Hmm. I wonder if they'd get rid of the low-ROM vibs in my 993/914?????

Naw. the dual-mass clutch didn't last long did it?

But the 908/3 had much larger tires than it's predecessors. I'll bet they were trying to soften the R&P hammering fed back from the axles. Rubber technology was thin back then...

Um, dude, I can EASILY do gear changes on any 901 style in a 914 at track side. Just slide the stack out and get to work.

Guibo is another name. Technical term is a elastomeric torsional vibration dampener.

935's used em too with titianium axles.

i can only think that it was an attemt to reduce the shock of down shifts on the ring gear which can cause chipping of the gear teeth on the ring and pinion. i see it on off road rigs from the effects of bouncing the tire and shocking the ring gear against the pinion.

think spool

shit! then that would spagetti those axels with the u-joints really bad. think insane wobble on tight turns.

you are such a Drag racer....

these aint no rag joint.

yea you're right.... with the wimpy assed euro torque [less than 250ft lbs] those flexy rubbers should be ok.

good ol 'merican torque would send those into a nice oscillating death wobble!

really what use would those be? if those are stiff enough to with stand the torque, what benifit are they?

Porsche 908 by cjcam, on Flickr

1971 Porsche 908 by cjcam, on Flickr

They worked pretty damn good on a 1200 HP 917 (Schrapnel-Knobben turned all the way up).

The Cap'n

is it me or aren't those u-joints phasing wrong?

edit: nope it's correct.