In Saturdays ALMS race at Lime Rock one of the 997 GT3 RSR broke a radiator and raced the last 30 minutes with no water. If you think about it- the case is the same and they modified the head for better heat dissapation and kept the oil capacity the same. I think alot of the aircooling capacity of the motor is still there. Its a testament to the strength of this 964 series flat 6 motor. Obviously without the oil coolers up front a water cooled flat 6 is not going to be as efficient without water but still- to go 30 minutes at race pace with no water is quite a feat.

 

That is awesome. I doubt there is another car in the field that could take the abuse.

 

the impression i was under was that the engine in that car is partly air cooled ?

does that even make sense ?

 

No, it's 'based 'on an air cooled design, but the block is completely different with added water jackets in btwn the cylinders and on the cylinder heads. Further, no external cooling 'fins' like on some of the earlier 930 cars. The fact that they got lucky in the final laps at a slow track like lamerock doesn't imply dual cooling. Might want to check out a technical manual on the cars you're selling sometime, might be helpful, just some friendly advice.
C

 

The block is the same- in fact it is exactly the same- Until late 04 and Porsche opened up a factory in Spain to make cases-early GT3s and TTs and GT2 had 964 part numbers for the cases. It wasnt until those spanish cases showed up that they had 996 part#'s The 996 spanish cases only removed a few of the old air cooled plumbing ducts that are still present on the 964 case and not used. otherwise even they are the same as the 964 cases.
The 993 the 996 GT2,GT3 and TTs were the same cases that were on earlier 964 dry sump 911s. The HEADS are different. The HEADS are what have water jackets. So there probably is some air cooling capability left especially with 9 quarts of oil still in there.
30 minutes is not the "last few laps"
Doc you need to do a little more research as well as discovering the difference between PASM and PSM.

 

Chris
check your pm please
i was talking about that car in particular. i don't follow ALMS enough to know what kind of engine and technology they put in the car.

 

old guy
thank's for the info

i knew i had read somewhere that they were still partly air-cooled

 

Steve the old air cooled heads had the fins and the heat dissapated through them and also the oil cooler up front where the radiators are now did a heat air exchange and returned the cool oil to the sump. It still circulates the oil through the system but now instead of the heat in the head sinking in the fins and to the air it sinks to the water jacket in the head and that water goes up front to 3 radiators to cool and returns. The large amount of oil helps too.

 

that's why i love porsche !
... always using what works, no matter how old the technology is

 

That's nice old guy, how did I **** you off?

 

You didnt -I am just old and cranky and my dog pissed on my foot.
and I was trying to be funny but as you can see it was a miserable failure!
Feeble attempt at humour
I apologize for the off the cuff remark

 

You're not that much older than me(45) and i'm just as cranky. I knew the heads were different, thought the block was too, my bad. Still I wouldn't run one dry at the glen...

 

No you would want to do that on purpose. I would not want to be the test mule with my car!

 

Wait until you guys hit 50, and then we talk!