I think to take a P engine to 800hp you need to change more than the rods.The 840hp GT2 we have just built has only the caseing & crank left from the original engine

 

Porsche has always overbuilt. For example, we take a 930 that makes 260hp and punch it with the stock fuel system to 500HP. We are talking about cars from 1978 folks! We do a little massaging to the fuel head, but everything else is stock. We use better rod bolts, headstuds etc. That makes a damn near bullet proof motor. The increase is nearly 50% more. Porsche has always over built. Not bad.

I have well over 30K on levels of 515RWHP on up. I have dynoed the car 110 times and taken four 10hour+ trips. Only issues, blown clutch and a blown F hose. Not bad. I am opening the case up in the next couple of weeks for HP additions over where I am at. I feel like as much as I drive the car I will need them. The rumor from very high up in the Porsche food chain was around 650ish the motor was good for. That being the extreme limits of the stock internals. Make no mistake though, the rods and bearing size are the biggest complaint I have about the internals

 

Thanks, good information here..Nice to know that if we are doing mostly bolt-on modifications and getting 550-640hp flywheel we should be ok with engine and transmission..Only dilemma will probably be a clutch upgrade..Nice to know that many people have been running at these levels for a while without incident..

 

Mine is still too new to have any reliability issues, even if I don't I will still do internals this winter.

 

I remember reading that Ruf had some bent stock rods on one of their 600hp+ motors.
PorschePHD please be sure to take some pictures of the internals when you tear it down.

 

I believe it was in Purely Porsche GT. Alois Ruf said the rods were bending but did not fail at the power levels approaching 600hp. I'm not sure if he meant wheel hp or flywheel. I think his thinking was that he did not want to take the chance with the stock rods especially given his reputation. I don't blame him and agree with his philosophy but I still have not heard of a specific modded 996tt or GT2 with rod or related part failure yet.....

 

johnnie,

I am sure you are aware that Porsche won LeMans in 1998 with their GT1. That car had 600 hp.

The life of your engine will decrease as you add power. I addition, it is great to have 600 rwhp or more. If you have this power and don't really use it .... well your motor should last a long time. If you do consistently use it be prepared for a somewhat short lifespan.