REVIEW: |
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 I decided to check out
Bruce Anderson's engine rebuild class mainly as a curiosity and also as a thank-you to my
technical editor, Tom Woodford. We had just finished working on my latest book, which happened to be
on rebuilding 911 engines. Tom and I thought it would be a good idea to head
up north and see if there was anything that we missed or accidentally left out of the
book. The final layout and manuscript was supposed to have been completed by the
time we took the course, but alas, delays at Motorbooks pushed the print time back about a
few months. I would in fact have one more shot to add any hints and tips learned
from the course to the final text of the book. |
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 The course is given over a four-day period. I must honestly say that I
wasn't really quite sure how I could possibly stay entertained and engaged over four days,
but to my surprise, it passed very, very quickly. The course is co-taught by Bruce
Anderson and Jerry Woods. Bruce is the lead PCA technical chair, and also the author
of the 911 Performance Handbook.
Jerry is one of the world's best Porsche engine mechanics, having a wealth of knowledge
earned from such gigs as being the chief mechanic for Kremer Racing for several seasons.
Jerry Woods Enterprises is the premiere shop for Porsche race engine development
and tuning. |
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 Bruce and Jerry put on a class-act all
the way around. Each day was started off with coffee and donuts, and an excellent
lunch was provided as well. It's obvious that they enjoy doing this, and are more
than happy to welcome fellow Porsche enthusiasts to their 'home.' Taking one step
into the classroom area, you immediately notice the many racecars that Jerry Woods
Enterprises is currently working on. My personal favorite was the bright
yellow 934 that was sitting behind us during the class. |
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 The
course began with introductions and a slide show narrated by Bruce, detailing some history
of the 911. I unfortunately had to miss the opening session due to some inopportune
computer server problems on the Pelican web server. The afternoon of the first day
began with Jerry disassembling a 'school 911' engine and showing the class what to look
for when the engine comes apart. The next three days were spent putting the engine
back to together, mixed in with interesting slide shows humorously narrated by Bruce. |
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 I found that the slide shows were much
more entertaining than I had expected. I had seen a few of Bruce's shows at various
events like the German Autofest. I think that I must have been distracted with all of the excitement of
the shows those times, because I distinctly remember not being able to sit still and
concentrate. Not the case this time - Bruce's slide shows are a colorful walk
through the pages of Porsche 911 history and design, from suspension components to engine
internals. Bruce was more than eager to answer my questions, and quite patient when
members of the class (me) didn't quite understand completely what was on a particular
slide. |
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 One
neat aspect of the course is the hall of fame and shame. Bruce and Jerry have a
unique collection of engine parts that show success and failure in engine design.
Everything from RSR rockers to failed rod bolts, to 962 water-cooled heads. The
display is quite interesting, and is enough to capture your attention and curiosity for at
least a few hours. I've got a lot of pictures of these parts located in our photos section. |
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 We were also excited to see Jerry
Woods' shop located next door. The shop currently had a 908 that was being
retrofitted. Also among the points of interest were two 934 engines that were being
overhauled, an experimental 911 six cylinder engine, and also the assembly of a brand new
908 engine. It was truly amazing to roam around the shop and see 908 cases, RSR
cases, and random 908 engine parts on shelves. I took about 150 photos of Jerry's
shop and the various cars that were inside. These photos are located in our photos section. |
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 An
unscheduled bonus was a tour of the Morspeed restoration facility across the street.
Hidden inside a discrete brick building were a 962, a 936, a 916, a 934 under restoration,
a 908-3, a 935, a 924GTS, and a bunch of other cars too rare to even imaging.
Morspeed and Jerry Woods work together on racecar prep and restoration, providing the
customer with a one-stop shop for suspension/chassis and engine work. Unfortunately,
we weren't allowed to take any photos inside Morspeed, so the experienced existed only in
our minds. I did manage to get a camera into their other shop, with some photos shown here. |
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 The course ended with a grand finale
at the engine dyno. Jerry has a specially designed engine dynamometer room that he uses for each and
every 911 engine that comes out of the shop. The room is soundproof, but you can
only do so much - we heard him testing an experimental 911 engine from the classroom
located next door. The dyno process was truly interesting to watch and learn, as
Jerry used a laptop computer to tune and adjust an engine controlled by the Motec engine
management system. |
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 Pros:
The course basically gives you unfettered access to two of the Porsche world's most
experienced resources. The ability to ask questions and have them answered by real
experts who actually can draw their experience from events like Le Mans, is priceless.
Jerry and Bruce are two regular guys, and don't pontificate from their podiums as
if they are the only source of knowledge. If they don't know an answer to a question
- they will let you know, or point you in the right direction. The course offers a
hands-on approach and actually lets you see an engine being assembled right in front of
you. Pictures in a book can only explain so much - actually being there gives you a
tremendous advantage.The slide show was very entertaining, and offered up a lot of information that is not published in any manual or book. Bruce's extensive knowledge base means that you can ask any and all of those nagging little questions that you have thought up over the years (like what are the differences between the regular and Club Sport 911s?). The shop was great, and we certainly felt at home. Kudos on lunch, donuts and coffee! |
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 Cons: The
handout for the course is a good, brief overview of some of the important aspects of
engine rebuilding. However, some of the information is a bit outdated though and
needs to be updated (in particular a comment about Dilavar studs). There were some
students in the class who filled two full note pads with writing, basically taking down
everything that was said. My somewhat self-serving advice would be to pick up a copy of my engine rebuild manual before taking the class, so that you are aware of the overall processes and
assembly procedures before you get there. Reading my book beforehand will eliminate
the feeling that you need to write everything down, and will also arm you with knowledge
to ask the right questions. I know from experience in college that if you know the
material is already written down completely and concisely, then you will be able to
concentrate more on learning, and less on note-taking.I would also suggest that they have a 3.6 engine on hand to help answer and explain the differences between the early and late motors. The engines from 1965-89 are so similar that one engine can be used to cover questions across this entire range. However, I was surprised at how many people in the class were planning on rebuilding their 3.6 engines. Having a sample 3.6 engine on hand would have made it easier to explain some of the concepts that are different than on the earlier engines. |
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 Conclusion:
The cost of the course seems cheap on Friday afternoon. The amount of
knowledge and information provided by the course is more than worth the cost of admission.
It's a rare opportunity to have unlimited access to these two great Porsche
resources. I doubt that anyone who has taken this class has ever complained that
they didn't get their money's worth. If you are planning on rebuilding your engine,
and have a few extra days to spare, I would certainly recommend taking the course (after
reading through my book). |
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| Additional
Notes: The Motel Six that we stayed at (listed as nearby by Bruce's website) was
barely acceptable. For $70 a night, I would have expected that the cleaning crew
would have at least been able clean under our beds (there was a whole bunch of garbage
from previous guests under there). Plus, I think that they made the towels paper
thin just to avoid having people steal them. Los Gatos / Mountain View is not the most exciting area, but it is a short 45 minute drive to downtown San Francisco. The classes typically got out around 5-5:30, leaving plenty of time to explore the nightlife in the nearby city. |
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