Customer Reviews

How to Rebuild and Modify Porsche 911 Engines 1965-1989

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Wayne has put out another good how-to book packed with great detail and very specific step-by-step procedures. This book fills in most of the details left out of the other books covering the subject, and adds in a number of the latest updates that should be done.

The down side is this book gives an all or nothing approach, with no allowances for low-cost rebuild appropriate for a low value car, or a partial rebuild for a race motor. The list of parts that must be replaced is excessive and out of line with most engine rebuild books, and even the factory work-shop manuals. His recommendation on machine shops is to go to the most expensive one in the country. The procedures for cleaning are extreme, and time-consuming, and not realistic for a shop interested in making money or an individual without unlimited time. There are also a number of number of recommendations made that are still up for debate in the 911 community.

I have rebuilt a number of 911 engines, and this is a must have book if you are planning to do one yourself, but take some of the recommendations with a grain of salt.

Wayne Dempsey may be the Harry Pellow (r.i.p.) of the 911 world, based on his warm and encouraging style of writing as well as his deep technical expertise.

Since his original "101 Projects" book, the author has improved quite a bit as a writer. The level of detail here is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and the style is very user friendly. Rare among technical manuals, you can read this book cover to cover in your favorite easy chair like a novel, or weight it open on your workbench as you follow each detailed instruction and example.

The photography is excellent and there's plenty of it. Close ups with good captions abound. Unlike some other well known 911 technical books, the photography actually supports and illustrates the text very well.

This book is not just for engine builders. If you're the sort of 911 owner that pays more attention to the tachometer than the stereo, and who understands that dry sump lubrication isn't when you run out of hair gel-YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK!

I have always had the desire to buy and rebuild a 911. However, because of the Porsche mystic of being a high performance sports car I thought the reality of me performing the regular maintenance, not too mention rebuilding, on 1 911 was beyond my capabilities. After reading Mr. Dempsey's 101 Projects for your Porsche 911 I felt confident performing (and now do perform) all the maintenance on my car. I bought Mr. Dempsey's How to Rebuild and Modify Your Porsche 911 Engine 1965-1989 book hoping it would provide me with the same knowledge to take the next step in working on my car. Although I have not rebuilt my engine, Mr. Dempsey does not excellent job in describing the tear-down and rebuilding process which has help me gain a better understanding of how the 911 engine works. Furthermore, Mr. Dempsey's website, www.pelicanparts.com, provides a wealth of information to supplement his two books. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the 911 engine with a desire to perform more of their own work.

This book is one of the most impressive productions I've seen in a long time. The care and precision taken with the photos is simply amazing. The writing is very logical, and is easily digestible even for a guy like me who doesn't own a Porsche and has never rebuilt an engine before. The many summaries (eg, parts costs, machine shop costs, must-replace components, etc) and "group photos" of related parts was very informative. I especially liked that Dempsey attached actual prices to the various parts and machine shop tasks, rather than wimping out and saying "prices vary". Of course they vary - but now at least I have a ballpark idea.

I found a lot of the info to be generally applicable, ie, many of the tips and techniques helped me doing major engine work on a Toyota recently.

The book does an especially good job on explaining common problems, their root causes, and the tradeoffs with the various fixes.

The lengths to which the author goes to keep a pristine work environment are stunning.

My only complaint was that it was a bit sad to learn that a)the cost to rebuilt the typical 911 engine is $8k, and (even worse), apparently that only goes down to $6k if you do the labor yourself.

It would be great if the author wrote a similar book for a 3-series BMW. There's probably a larger audience of guys who can justify rebuilding a "practical" car like a 3-series, versus a 911.

I bought this book because I heard that Wayne Dempsey was working on it after completing "101 Projects for your Porsche 911." That book was really good and informative, I was looking for a bit more. Wayne repeats the easy-to-read style that he showed in 101 with this new engine book. The book contains six chapters that include when to rebuild, teardown, machine shop, performance enhancements, assembly, and run-in. There's even a really handy set of appendices at the end of the book that contains all of the specs and part numbers that you need for all of the engines from 1965-89. I thought that this was worth the price of the book alone, as I have often tried to find this info elsewhere, and couldn't.

The book is full-color with fantasticly clear pictures. Each step in the assembly process is documented clearly with colored arrows, and clear diagrams. There's even an intro at each assembly section showing you what parts, tools, and materials you need, so you won't overlook anything.

My favorite part is Chapter Four, where just about every performance option and/or upgrade you can place on your 911 engine is explained in detail. Stuff that was real confusing to me before is clearly explained (just like it is in 101 projects).

It's hard to find anything wrong with this book, as it really delivers on it's promises. I just wish there was more!

Excellent book that actually delivers on the promise to walk you through the process. Wayne Dempsey stands behind the book and my only question while rebuilding my 911 motor was answered by e-mail within a day. Easy to follow with great pictures that show almost every concept necessary to perform this complicated procedure. The author congratulates you as you reach the conclusion of each sub-process and the encouragement is appreciated. This book explains what the factory manual does not. Excellent job!

Drawing on a variety of respected mechanics as references, this book covers 90% of what you need to know to get the engine performance you want. There's enough here to help an experienced mechanic tackle a 911 engine for the first time. Even if you're not ready to tackle a DIY project, your understanding of the process of rebuilding will help you if you have somebody else do the work.

One of the best 911 books out there. Suprisingly clear and easy to read. If you've never torn down your 911 motor because you always thought, "I'd should leave it to the professionals" read this book. It will show you, with lots of great pics, how to do everything in a step by step way and give you the confidence to tackle your motor. I read this book then bought five more for my other 911 buddies and have since tackled complete rebuilds. If you only buy two book, it should be this one and '101 Projects for your 911'.

This is a great book for the enthusiast or for those with an interest in Porsches. I rebuilt a 911 engine without this resource; it would have been so much easier and faster with this book as a reference. I bought this as a gift for someone that acquired a 78 911SC -- he thinks the pictures are exceptional.

This book is really good in the fact it gives chioces and picks on the easiest way to modify your engine for added HP. It gives an excellant understanding when to rebuild a engine. Just because you have high mileage doesn't mean a rebuild is required. I've had people who have a volkswagen rebuild book tell me they wish there book was packed with this much information. You don't have to rebuild a engine to want to read this book.