Owners of Porsche 911 models built between 1968 and 1976 will be happy to hear that the German brand is now selling all-new magnesium crankcases straight from the factory.

These new crankcases can be purchased for F and G series vehicles equipped with 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.7-liter engines, including the legendary Carrera RS 2.7. The famous RS turned 50 last year, and to celebrate, Porsche introduced a limited-edition variant of the modern 911 GT3 RS.

Porsche says these crankcases can be ordered from any Porsche Classic partner (dealers with a dedicated classic section) or a standard Porsche dealership.

According to Porsche, it decided to reissue this part because of struggles owners have been having maintaining their classic 911s. Until now, owners have had to weld cracks or use parts from wrecked cars. Neither solution is ideal in the long run considering the pressure under which a crankcase operates. Even the tiniest imperfection can lead to catastrophic failure.

"This reissue closes another gap in our range of spare parts, making it possible to build completely new engines for most classic 911 models," says Ulrike Lutz, Director of Porsche Classic. "There's a lot of demand from our customers for true-to-original engine components like this." Porsche Classic is already working on replicas of crankcases for other generations of the 911.

This latest Porsche Classic venture was more complex than the aluminum crankcases built for post-1990s cars. First, Porsche had to make blanks, which it did by reproducing the racing engine from the Porsche 962. Still, the engineers needed help deciphering old drawings with production-related information. So it went through Porsche's part list and the information it had and even resorted to interviewing former staff members.

Once the work was done, Porsche used modern production methods. It gives CAD data to a third-party supplier that uses sand casting. After the casting, more than 50 different cutting, drilling, and milling tools are used to remove about three to four-hundredths of a millimeter.

To ensure it's good enough for a car as important as the Carrera RS 2.7, the crankcase is inspected by 3D measuring probes that scan over 1,300 control dimensions.

Because it's Porsche, they put the new crankcase through hell before giving it the green light. The automaker equipped a 911 Carrera RS 2.7 with a magnesium crankcase and various sensors and put it on a test bench for several weeks. During testing, Porsche took multiple oil samples; after the test, engineers took the entire engine apart. Porsche Classic engineers and specialists from Weissach inspected all parts.

Since 2013, Porsche Classic has reissued around 200 parts each year. These include engine components like the crankcase mentioned here and infotainment system upgrades to make living with classic Porsches easier.