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 Intermediate Shaft(IMS) was Porsche's solution to what was essentially their biggest black in history. Like Porsche, we recommend upgrading all '99-;08 M9X IMS's to the larger bearing and in addition, we remove the seals to nearly double their rotational rating using splash fed oil. This is a permanent solution.
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 a recommended upgrade for track engines.
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 a tri-metal race grade bearing. This bearing is a recommended upgrade for track engines.
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 significantly reduced or eliminated. Hartech racing sumps are required for dedicated track engines and recommended for any engines that will be aggressively driven.
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.
