This might be one of the nicest 996s we’ve had roll through Slakker, so it deserved a story of its own. Speed Yellow. Aerokit. Cable throttle. And now going from 3.4L to 4.1L. This one was too good not to document.
Spent the last few months documenting this 2007 987.1 Cayman S as it went through a preventative rebuild and 3.4L → 3.9L conversion.
The gallery is basically the build in order:
It finished up at 370.1 hp and 319.2 lb-ft on the engine dyno, but the best part was finally getting to see it back on the road after following it from day one.
We also filmed the first drive if anyone wants to see how it turned out. Brandon does a good job explaining what the extra displacement actually feels like from behind the wheel, and he talks a bit about the shared M97 platform between the 987.1 Cayman and the 997.1 Carrera.
Drive video: 2007 Porsche 987.1 Cayman S M97.21 3.9L First Drive
Always happy to answer questions about the build or the process.
Three 996s. Three Aerokits. One accidental shop lineup.
Moving cars around and ended up with this little 996 appreciation moment in the parking lot.
Sideways tacos looking proper. 🌮
#Slakker
Here’s a 997.1 Carrera S engine project we recently wrapped up at Slakker.
This one started as a 3.8L M97.01 that came in after a track day failure. When this engine arrived, we knew something had gone wrong, but we did not know how bad it was going to be.
From the outside, we could see the case had damage and inside was no different.
Windowed case, spun bearings, carrier damage, and the oil pan had plenty of metal in it. Definitely one of the gnarliest disassembles we have seen in a while.
From here, we save what could be saved, replace what could not be reused, and built it back better.
The engine was rebuilt as a 4.1L setup. Some of the parts and upgrades included:
The owner wanted something that would feel great on the street, handle a few track days, and still chase that 400 HP mark.
From the engine assembly, off it went to the dyno.
The cool part was that the owner flew in from Houston to be here for the dyno session. He got to see and hear the engine come to life in person, watch the tuning process, and be there when the final number came in.
Final result:
406.6 HP / 347.6 TQ
After everything this engine went through, seeing it come back together and hit the goal was a pretty satisfying way to close the loop.
From track day failure, to teardown carnage, to case work, to 4.1L rebuild, to dyno day, this one is now boxed up and heading back home to Houston.
Houston, we did not have a problem.
Before this one turns into engine-build content, I figured the car deserved its own post.
2004 996.2 C4S, widebody, 111k miles, and here for a 3.6L to 4.1L Slakkerized rebuild.
Soon we’ll be deep into the build, but for now… just appreciating the car.
Quick follow-up to the post I made about this 997.1 after we washed it.
We finally published the drive test video. This is the same 2008 997.1 Carrera that came in as a 3.6L and is now a 4.1L NA build with our modified head package, cams, porting, and 8k valve springs.
- What 8,000 RPM 997.1 Really Feels Like | 4.1L Test Drive -
The car made 419 HP / 363 TQ on the dyno, but the video is really about seeing how that translates to the road. Brandon warms it up, does a 7K pull to make sure everything feels normal, then starts easing it into the 8K range.
The fun part is that it does not just hit 8K. It keeps pulling all the way there.
Full drive test is live now.
This 997.1 came in as a 3.6L Carrera and left as a 4.1L.
During teardown we found scoring on piston 5, so it was a good time to get in there and do it right.
Build ended up with:
Final engine dyno result:
417.3 HP / 357.5 TQ
Pretty solid result for a Carrera that still keeps the flat-six character. Fun one to follow from teardown to send-off.
#WO268
For the racers and Boxster people, this one should be fun.
This 986 just pulled into Slakker, and we’re not quite ready to start the full build chronicle yet, but it has a pretty cool plan behind it.
Track car. Boxster chassis. M96 power.
Once the chronicle starts on this one, I think a lot of people here will enjoy following it.
More soon.
This red 2006 997.1 Carrera S recently came through the shop, and not long after, the owner sent us his video from Ozarks International Raceway.
This one started as a 3.8L C2S and now has our Slakker Racing 4.1L rebuild. Listed at 401 hp / 349 lb-ft, along with a full Soul valved exhaust, headers, and cats.
It’s a cool look at what one of these cars sounds like and feels like in the real world, not just on paper.
Escape to the Ozarks - 3 days of HPDE at Ozarks International Raceway
This 2006 Cayman S came to us with a spun rod bearing and some serious internal damage. The goal from the start was to turn it into a reliable 3.9L rebuild, see what it could make on the dyno, and get it back to the owner the right way.
What we found during teardown
Once disassembly began, we found oil where it shouldn’t be, metal in the oil sump, and damage that made it clear this was going to need much more than a simple refresh.
The deeper we got, the worse it looked. The spun rod bearing had done serious damage, including damage to the case and cylinder area.
At that point, we knew the cylinder walls could be addressed as part of the 3.4L to 3.9L path.
The good news was that the hole in the case was small enough that it could be repaired. We were able to weld it, machine it, and move the build forward.
This was the point where the story starts to take shape onto the engine build.
With the case work done, assembly started.
The rebuild included new replacement cylinders, pistons, rings, pins, circlips, timing chains and guides, crankshaft main bearings, thrust bearings, big end rod bearings, piston squirters, con rod bolts, IMS bearing, water pump, low-temp thermostat, AOS, seals, gaskets, and ECU MAF remapping.
The finished 3.9L was put on the dyno and made 374 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque.
That put it over the 370+ hp target for the build.
After dyno testing, the engine was reinstalled into the car.
Once the car was back together, Danny came by to pick it up.
We gave him a tour of the shop and handed the keys back over.
After that, he took the car back out on the road.
We also put together a full YouTube video covering the build from start to finish, including the teardown, rebuild, dyno, handoff, and drive test.
If you want to see the full story in video form, check it out here:
