Hartech Engineering:
- Cylinders - At the heart of the Hartech engine design is their Nikasil plated closed deck replacement cylinders. This means that instead of the top of the cylinders remaining unsupported, which can lead to ovality, Hartech replacement cylinders extend out to the sides of the case in order to be fully supported. This is similar to how Porsche solved this issue as well in 2009 with the 9A1 engine which is a closed deck design. In addition, Hartech also increased the external surface area of the cylinders and opened up the coolant channels in order to provide the cooling required for endurance racing both their standard and increased displacement engines. For capacity upgrade engines, Hartech also manufactures a lower support ring that is installed to support the bottom of the cylinders for a truly hardened engine.
- Pistons - Hartech cylinders and pistons are custom manufactured to their specifications by Capricorn, one of the leading providers of cylinders and pistons for Formula 1. After the nikasil plating process, each cylinder is precisely honed to the exact specification for its matching piston and they are provided to us as a numbered set.
- IMS - The non-serviceable larger bearing M97 IMS was Porsche's solution to the IMS problem and what they use in all M96/M97 short blocks and crate engines that they sell today. This bearing not only solves the issue but is in better shape than the rod and main bearings when we get M97 engines in for rebuilds. Best of all, it costs less than $50 to replace the larger bearing during the rebuild process. Like Porsche, Hartech and Slakker update all smaller bearing and aftermarket IMS's to the M97 IMS and simply replace the bearing on engines that already have the M97 IMS. We also remove the rear seal from the IMS bearing so that it is splash oil fed. This makes the IMS bearing a non issue and Hartech has not had a single IMS failure after rebuilding 1000's of engines.
- Rod Bearings - The M96/M97 OEM rod bearings, when combined with inadequate oil pressure, are the major weakness of these engines from the factory and account for over 50% of the engine failures that we see. To help overcome this issue, Hartech Developed a tri-metal Motorsports Rod Bearing that is stronger and also increases the bearing surface area by 12%. This bearing is used in every rebuild that we do.
- Main Bearings - Porsche increased the size of the main bearings for the 996.2 and 9x7.1, overcoming some of it's limitations. However, in order to withstand the rigors of endurance racing, Hartech developed a Motorsports Main Bearing as well that is used in all of our 996.2/9x7.1 rebuilds to further harden the engine.
- Hartech Racing Sumps - Oil starvation is the most common cause of failure on M96/M97 engines that we see. Slakker and Hartech have done extensive research into this issue and have found that it is 100% preventable. By using a high quality 50W (or 60W depending on engine temps) oil at the max fill level with a Hartech Racing Sump, we have proven through extensive data logging and testing that the extreme pressure drops indicative of the oil pump sucking air can be eliminated. Hartech racing sumps are required for all builds that will be taken on track and recommended for any engines that will be aggressively driven.
- Hartech 8th Main Bearing - For endurance racing engines or early M96 engines that will be raced or heavily tracked, Hartech has developed an 8th main bearing that is fitted directly behind the RMS and supports the flywheel end of the crankshaft in order significantly decrease crankshaft flexing, particular when downshifting at the end of a straightaway.
- Proven Endurance - In 2022, Hartech engines were proven the ultimate in performance and reliability by bringing home year end championships in both WRL (2 - 8 hour races per weekend) and the British Endurance Championships (2 - 3 hour races per weekend). These were both on capacity increased engines utilizing stock heads and valve train.
Slakker Racing Development:
- Slakker/Hartech Engines - Slakker is the exclusive authorized distributor and rebuilder of Hartech Engines in the US. We have gone to extraordinary lengths to reproduce Hartech's capabilities here in the US. To support this, Hartech has provided an extensive amount of training, process documentation, access to their CNC programming code, our initial set of tooling, and ongoing support. Our Hartech branded engines start with a Hartech kit that provides all of the specialty parts that they offer and are machined and built to their strict set of tolerances and specifications right here in our US facility.
- Engine Machining - One of Hartech's keys to success, and ours, has been a fully integrated model that allows us to control the quality and continued development of every aspect of the engine rebuilding process while simultaneously reducing costs and lead times. On a typical rebuild, we remove the old cylinders and open up the cooling channels in the blocks on our mill, turn the new cylinders on our lathe to the exact specification required, recondition the heads including facing the valves and regrinding the seat profiles as required, and deck the block and heads for an exact mating surface. We also have the capability for welding and repairing damaged blocks that have not been "windowed".
- Testing/QA - Every engine we build goes through an extensive QA and break-in process on our Engine Dynometer where we monitor and record every aspect of the engine during testing. We use the ancillaries and the tune that the engine will be installed with to ensure that it is ready to reliably perform on the street or the track when it leaves our facility.
- ECU Tuning - For capacity upgrade engines, we make the necessary changes in the engine control unit for it to adapt to the larger displacement. Beyond that, we offer custom tuning services for specialty applications such 101 octane race gas or track only use.
- Warranty - All of our engines include a 2 year, unlimited mileage warranty. Unlike some rebuilders, as long as our oiling and sump guidelines are followed, this warranty also covers use on the track. At the end of 1 year, an extended warranty will be available to those that want to further reduce their ownership experience (details pending).
- Lead Times - We do our best to keep total turnaround time to 3-4 mos, But we believe that hurry is the arch enemy of quality. So while we can guarantee quality and budget, every build takes what it takes to get it exactly right and so the best we can do is estimate total build times.
- Deposits - The build process begins with a 50% deposit. At this point, we will order all of the parts necessary from Hartech and Porsche in order to complete the build. Typical lead times on parts is 4-6 weeks.
- Shipping Car/Engine - Shipping brokers can be a tough lot to deal with and so we offer logistical assistance at no charge to all of our customers. Essentially we will work through our established connections to get a shipping quote, for your approval, and then work with you on the scheduling and pickup. For cars, we will try to schedule the date for after we get all of the parts in and are ready to begin the rebuilding process. For engines only, we will generally schedule them as soon as they are ready to ship.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is this an engine exchange program or do you use my original engine? We are Porsche purists at heart and will try to reuse your original block and serial numbers whenever possible. When it is not possible, we work to source and refurbish core components at a reasonable price to fully restore your engine.
- Can you reuse my oil fed IMS Bearing? Unfortunately not. The large bearing M97 IMS is the Porsche proven solution for the IMS bearing issue and the only one that we will support. In addition, oil fed bearings rob oil pressure from where it's needed the most, the rod and main bearings, and diverts it to the IMS which is already well lubricated through splash oil.
- Can I customize my build? - Absolutely. Our base build package is the minimum amount we feel is necessary to provide a rock solid engine that we can be proud of. From there, we try to tailor each individual build to best meet our customers goals and objectives.
- Can a Slakker/Hartech engine be used on the street? Yes. The beauty of the Hartech design is that they are hardened enough for endurance racing yet refined enough to be enjoyably daily driven.
- Is the 4.1L as reliable as the stock displacement engines? Absolutely. The British Endurance Championships was won with a Hartech 4.1L. Because we replace the cylinders (not just bore it out), we are able to maintain cylinder wall thickness on our largest builds.
- If I ship you just the engine, what do you need with it? We would like the engine, all of the ancillaries, and the ecu for final testing on our engine dyno. This also gives us the opportunity to clean out any foreign debris from the intakes and hoses that may exist from a failure. Items that we don't need are the flywheel, airbox, or engine mount.
- Can I use a LWFW on my Slakker/Hartech Engine without voiding the warranty? We support use of the Aesco LWFW and the stock OEM (Sachs) clutch and pressure plate. This can either be purchased as a kit through Aesco or they can be purchased individually. This is the setup recommended by Aesco, not a sprung clutch as is often believed.
- Can you perform other services on my car that make sense while the engine is out? Yes. Below is a list of services that are frequently asked about and that we will perform for our engine customers only:
- Center radiator installation
- Clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, and slave cylinder replacement
- Numeric shifter installation and numeric or stock cable replacement
- Exhaust upgrades
- Brake bleeding and fluid replacement
- Custom tuning
- Racing dash and sensor installation and setup
- Suspension upgrades
- Plenum and throttle body upgrades
- How much horsepower can I expect from my Slakker/Hartech Engine? Here is a list of peak HP numbers that we have seen on our engine dyno during testing since we have upgraded our dyno to a Superflow 902:
- 997.1S X51 4.1L - 405HP
- 997.1S 4.1L with upgraded TB and plenum - 402HP
- 997.1S 4.1L with stock TB and plenum - 395HP
- 997.1 4.1L - 390HP
- 987.1 4.1L - 390HP
- 997.1S 3.8L - 377HP
- 996.1 3.7L with IPD tuned for 101 race gas - 340HP
- 996.1 3.7L with X51 intake - 337HP
- 996.1 3.7L stock intake - 330HP
- Do you support turbo charging your engines? Officially, no. However we currently have 2 - 987.1 Cayman's with the TPC turbo kit that we are going to be rebuilding to 4.1L. Both had spun rod bearings due to oil starvation but one of them spent the last 11 years as a track car prior to the failure. So based on the results of these builds, we may offer a similar option in the future.
- Can I pick my car up and drive it home? Yes.
- Is there a place where I can see what my car is really capable of when it is complete? Yes. We offer custom track day experiences at Eagles Canyon Raceway which is about 1 hour from DFW airport for our customers where we will haul your car down and spend the day with you at the track.
- What type of post sales support do you offer? If you have an issue or question, you can call, email or text us and we will get back to you as soon as we can, regardless of the day or time.
- What oil and change interval do you recommend? We use Driven BR40 for the break in and then we recommend Valvoline VR1-20W50 as an intermediate oil for the first 2000 miles to allow the rings to fully seat. Following that, we recommend Driven DT50 or Motul 8100 5W50 for street use and XP6 or 300V 15W50 for track use along with used oil analysis. Change interval moving forward is recommended at 3000-5000 miles depending on the UOA results. We equate one track hour to equal 500 miles.
- Do I need to limit my driving initially on my engine when I get it back? No, it can be driven aggressively. Our process is the same for all of our engines and so they leave our facility "race ready".