• Does your engine have a “tick” or “click” that sounds like a bad lifter?

  • Does your engine consume oil?


Learn about diagnosis, contributing factors, and how we reconstruct engines after they suffer this most common of all M96/M97 engine failures


In order to serve our clients better, we are changing our #1 form of direct communication to our new ticketing system thru the website! This is very easy to use and is similar to normal e-mail, however it gives us the opportunity to better organize the flow of information between us and our clients.
Traditional E-Mail will be phased out and we will no longer be utilizing it in the near future.



LIVE CHAT is also available – see the bottom of your browser window.

NOT ONLY M96/97

We offer all stages of our upgrades for the following Porsche® engines:

Services:

Internal Engine Repairs


More than likely you landed on our webpage after Googling “Porsche engine failure”, or after a friend told you about us. This may or may not have been after a local shop or dealer attempted to “fix” your engine. Let’s hope the latter has not occurred yet, and that no one has disassembled your engine, as that makes our job more difficult, and costly for you.
Here at Flat 6 we offer extensive engine repairs, with a focus on engine internals. We’ve been making these in-depth repairs longer than any other US based company. Our internal repair services are offered to those across the USA, and deep into Canada. These repair services can sometimes lead to a full engine reconstruction, but if anyone can “save” your engine, its our team. No matter the problem, we’ve probably seen it, can diagnose it on the phone, and can solve it under our roof.


Education

Born from Flat 6 Innovations, The Knowledge Gruppe offers specialized training for technicians and enthusiasts who have a desire to learn more about Porsche vehicles, and engines. Classes are based from both online and classroom environments. Online classes provide initial information to enrollees, and provide the necessary groundwork for the enrollee to progress to the classroom & Lab environments, where hands on instruction is carried out. This unique method of progressing through the learning experience helps build confidence, while providing a more evenly trained group of hands- on class attendees.

IMS Solution Retrofits

Here at Flat 6 we Invented the IMS Solution, developed the IMS Retrofit procedures, and spearheaded all things IMS. Due to this we have maintained our position at the top of the “IMS food chain” over many years. Holding a total of four US Patents for IMS Bearing related products, tools, and procedures proves this. We’ve written the directives, created the processes, and authored the resource materials used by other facilities, and stolen by the imitators.
Today we are very selective with the vehicles that we offer our IMS Solution services for. During our “IMS Solution Clinics” that occur semi- annually each March, and November we schedule vehicles back to back to have our version of the procedure applied. With our focus being primarily engine development, and building during the remainder of the year, these IMS Solution Clinics fill quickly, and are typically booked 6 months to 1 year in advance. Its during these times that 100% of the effort of all our staff, and facility are focused on IMS Solution preventative procedures.
If you don’t have a desire for our level of service, or don’t wish to wait, never fear, we’ve trained technicians across the US and Canada, as well as abroad. These “Certified Installers” can be found listed at www.imssolution.com
Never trust an imitator, always choose the originators. Contact us for specific details, and schedule availability.


We buy broken Porsches and engines

Have a broken Porsche or failed engine? Want to sell it? Contact us for a quick quote.
We pay cash and can arrange transport / shipping for the seamless, stress-free experience.


Porsche cars shipping services

Due to the national, and international business, we found ourselves needing to offer affordable, and reliable long- distance transportation services for our customers. Through collaboration with the P- Car shipping division of Specialty Vehicle Transport we have shipped over 650 Porsche cars to, and from our facility. See www.specialtyvehicletransport.net for your transportation quote. Remember, sales taxes don’t apply to our projects that are commercially shipped to and from our facility. It can cost less for a Californian to purchase an engine from us, than a Georgian, including the shipping charges!

Media

A video series made by Porsche Club of America in cooperation with Jake Raby of Flat 6 Innovations and Charles Navarro of LN Engineering, addressing facts and myths about the Intermediate Shaft Bearing in M96/97 engines.

NEW! Stay up to date! Subscribe The Knowledge Gruppe Youtube Channel for more videos and valuable content.

Intermediate shaft and IMS bearing explained


Extending the life of your original IMS Bearing


The four stages of IMS bearing failure


Types of IMS bearing retrofit kits


Stay tuned! Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

RENNVISION by The Knowledge Gruppe

About us

Flat 6 Innovations, a division of Raby Enterprises Inc. was founded in the early 2000s to support the development and specialized repair for the Porsche M96/M97 family of engines fitted to Porsche Boxster, Cayman and 996/997 series vehicles. Flat 6 Innovations, in partnership with LN Engineering developed the first engine program to effectively reconstruct the M97/M97 engine. Following enormous successes with these engines, Flat 6 Innovations was also the first company to offer a performance engine program for the Porsche 9a1, creating the first 4.2L engine in spring of 2010, debuting in Cayman X

Since the beginning of our program we have been constantly asked “Why are you doing this, Porsche sells new engines?” Our response to this is simple: They won’t be doing it forever.

We can do it better, make it last longer and best of all: it will be faster!

Jake Raby
Owner, Inventor, Developer

Raby Enterprises and Aircooled Technology was established in 1992, offering services for aircooled Flat six engines, and specializing in the Type 4 engine, used in the Porsche 914, the air-cooled, mid-engine predecessor of the Porsche Boxster.
When embarking upon our quest for a more highly developed variant of the Porsche 914 engine over two decades ago, our response was the same. We have applied the things we have learned while recreating the former “Black sheep” Porsche 914 engine to our Boxster and 996 (M96) program. With over two decades of intense development and application our efforts with the 914 engine have been recognized world wide, the 914 is no longer the “Black Sheep”.
A target of scorn, the type 4 engine was the “black sheep” of the industry, ignored and misunderstood until Aircooled Technology, headed up by Jake Raby and a team of innovative hard-chargers changed its image. Raby and his team proved the type 4 could both provide performance and longevity, even rivaling six cylinder aircooled 911s of the time.

Likewise, the next generation, water-cooled. horizontally opposed flat six engine used by Porsche in the Boxster and 911 is designed to be less expensive to mass-produce than the high-performance engines utilized in the 911 Turbo, GT2, and GT3. Porsche never intended the 986/987 and 996/997 engine to be the ultimate in performance, just as the type 4 was the lesser engine used in the 914, where Porsche fitted six-cylinder 911 engines in the 914-6.
Porsche currently offers rebuilt stock engines with trade-in of your tired or broken core engine, but offers nothing for a performance oriented package. Our program is intended to address known and yet to be discovered flaws in the 986/987 and 996/997 engines while providing upgrades to push the performance limits of these undervalued workhorses of the Porsche stable to further improve the reliability and desirability of these vehicles.

WE REQUIRE ONE WEEK OF ADVANCED NOTICE PRIOR TO ANY VISIT TO OUR FACILITY. We work modified hours creating priceless fixes for complex problems and that does require total focus.

Flat Six Innovations is one of several divisions that makes up Raby Enterprises Inc. Headquartered in a small town in the Mountains of Northeast Georgia called Cleveland; we are away from the traffic lights and fast paced atmosphere that makes up todays society. This allows our team to focus on our tasks without constant interruption that comes from a public location.

Our facility is located on family property, where I grew up working in our oldest shop space (still in operation!) as a child on old VWs. This old shop was established in 1990 as Raby’s VW Restorations, which soon lead to a specialty in engines specifically in 1998 as Raby’s Aircooled Technology, specializing in Porsche & VW aircooled performance engines. As Aircooled Technology grew Raby Enterprises Inc. was established, from that other specialty divisions were conceived, among those was Flat Six Innovations. (read more on our history elsewhere on this site)

Our facility is located in a somewhat secluded area, but near enough to Atlanta and other surrounding metropolitan areas that we are easily accessible for those who wish to visit for a tour or drop off/ pick up their Porsche. Our location is just miles from some of the best driving roads in the country, including the Tail of the Dragon, Blood Mountain and Richard Russell Scenic Highway. The Alpine Village of Helen Georgia is a great destination for those who favor German food and Beer and it’s only 5 miles from our shop! Wives and Children will appreciate Babyland General Hospital, the birthplace of the “Cabbage Patch Kids” which is just across the street from our facility.

Should you wish to visit our facility, feel free to set up an appointment by emailing us or calling, and we’ll be happy to accommodate your visit. We can provide private lodging within a few miles of the facility, at our “Renn Haus”, a company owned condo located at Innsbruck Golf Club, in the heart of Helen, Georgia.

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Testimonials

Jason W.

After my motor scored all cylinders in bank 2, I called Jake and after seeking his advice on some options I elected to send my 996 for one of their track performer packages(…)  I had many questions and Jake in took the time to answer them all to help me make the best choice for the type of build that would suit my intended usage. (…)  Jake and the whole team take exceptional pride in their work and have been absolutely fabulous to work with. Thank you for bringing my 996 back to life!

Ed W.

Flat Six Innovations and Raby Engine Development are a class act from start to finish.  (…) Jake and the team have a lot of character and take exceptional pride in their attention to detail. If there is a glitch, they will make it right and then go the extra lap just to make sure that you understand that for them “continuous improvement” isn’t just a catch phrase but a way of doing business. Thanks guys, for bringing my crippled M97 back to life and infusing an extra dose of the beast in her. Not only have you exceed expectations, but you have yet another outrageously satisfied customer.

Tim M.

My 996 motor developed an oil leak at the IMS flange. Mind you the IMS Solution had been installed several years ago. Jake overnighted a new IMS to my tech at no cost to me if I would ship the old IMS back to them for analysis. This kind of support and care is exactly what Flat 6 Engineering is all about. Old school honesty and integrity, coupled with knowledge and technical experience beyond compare. Many thanks!

John H.

I’ve already told Flat 6 how much I appreciate their work for my IMS Solution #2 pkg. For the rest of you I would like to say …they are utterly amazing. The peace of mind has turned my 996 C4s into a daily driver. I have more pic and info on this procedure than my 3 major surgeries to beat the big C in 94′ at Indiana University (…) If you want the best, send it to Jake and his excellent staff. It’ll pay for itself whether you keep it or sell it and you’ll something too sell.