2007 Shark Werks 3.9L 997GT3 & Bilstein Clubsport Suspension

This jet black 07 mk1 997GT3 came into us with around 40,000 miles on the odometer and with the slight whiff of coolant making it a prime candidate for the SharkWerks 3.9L engine and coolant-fix upgrade. Also on tap was a much-improved suspension set-up in the form of the Bilstein Clubsport coilover kit.

In she comes:


Let's get rid of those fluids...


Airbox and a few top-soil parts are next:


Bumper is off and now the engine can come out:


Out comes that 3.6L engine:


Stripping her down...


And here's the culprit for the smell of coolant:


Off with her heads and cam adjusters:


With over 40k miles the hydraulic lifters / tappets are pretty worn and so we replace all 24 of them.


Getting down to the core now:


Down to the bottom end:


It's only a few pieces really:


With this sort of mileage a complete bottom-end refresh is required and hence the case is split:


And at the half-way point:



The rods bolts and bearings are replaced:



Case and engine parts are cleaned:



Right down to the nitty-gritty!


And the EVOMS clubsport headers are also added:


Installing our liners:


And the 3.9L pistons:


EVOMS headgasket is next:


Starting to take shape:


Our headwork is performed and valve race guides installed:


More assembly and our SharkWerks coolant pipe upgrade:



Timing our performance camshafts:




The performance RS 4.0 clutch and flywheel set up:


The Shark-a-fied 3.9L GT3 engine is back in:


No more cosmoline and SharkWerks exhaust installed:


In order to fix the rather jittery nature of the gen1 PASM suspension we chose rid the car of the PASM system and opt for the Motorsport-designed double adjustable Bilstein Clubsport kit. The end result is a more settled, planted ride and much improved compliance.


Installed in the rear:


And in front:


And all aligned by TC Design and ready to go home:



A gen2 black twin GT3 but with only 3.8L...