2.7 engine removal
 

I'm in the process of removing the engine in my 1975 targa. Other than not being able to find the reverse backup light switch, I've done everything in the procedure listed n 101 projects for your porsche. My questions are:

1) How do you disconnect the wiring harness by the transmision? The wire goes to the starter then on towards the front of the transmision. In the other direction it goes under th CIS system to the rear drivers side of the car. Do I need to remove the CIS?

2) Is the engine connected to the transmission by a hex nut, one bolt and two more nuts or did I miss something. The engine drops down just fine but when I try to seperate it from the transmission it only moves about 1/4 inch. Maybe I'm not pulling hard enough.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks,
Jason

1. Follow the wires past the starter to the end of the transmission. They terminate in the reverse switch. No, there's no need to pull the CIS in order to drop the engine. Unplug the harness at the 14-pin connector on the driver side of the engine bay. A couple other stray connectors (CDI for example) and the harness will be free. Are you dropping the trans with the engine? If this is your first drop, you should. MUCH easier, especially if you're not using a lift. If you're dropping both, there's no need to remove the starter solenoid wire or the reverse switch wires during the drop. However, after dropping the engine several inches, you'll need to remove the starter power cable - that cable comes from the chassis, not the engine harness.

2. The engine is connected to the transmission by four fasteners. Shouldn't be any bolts. I strongly recommend you drop them together, instead of trying to split them in the car. The trans will like to bind up on the engine studs. Dropping the trans just requires removing the shift linkage, popping the throttle linkage, removing the ground strap, and dropping the two bolts that secure the transmission mount crossbar. Easy.

On the 75 does one have to roatate the throwout bearing 90 degrees to disengage from the clutch fork?

No - but you do have to loosen the pressure plate from the flywheel before the trans can be separated from the engine. There is a complicated procedure, but I have just reached through the starter motor hole and loosened the bolts one at a time - just enough so they still clear the bell housing when you turn the engine over to get at the next pressure plate bolt.

mmmmm, no. not on a '75. that was the factory's suggestion for 70/71, but you really don't have to do it on those either. just pull the fork back and turn the T/O bearing 90° with a screwdriver. (on 70/71 that is).

To make this list more complete I would add - removing the rear swaybar and of course detaching those pesky half shafts from the tranny. The engine already needs: disconnecting breather hoses, taking the charcoal filter off the right compartment side, engine wireing, starter wireing, fuel lines, oil lines.

I am in the remove engine/transaxel together camp. It can be done engine alone but getting to the access opening to rotate the throwout bearing in the car is more trouble than it's worth. To me anyway. Besides gives you a chance to clean up the t/a. I will admit I wasn't familiar with the prodedure of turning the throwout bearing although I knew one had to. So I did it the dirty way by removing the bolts on the clutch. Now that I've had it apart it's easy to see how it all works. Funny thing is the one bolt I did not touch was the bolt that the clutch fork piviots on. A week after the rebuild I slowly lost clutch and gained freeplay in the pedal. Had to drop it all again and that bolt had worked it's way out and the gearbox was leaking oil through that hole. Red locktite and a good torquing fixed that.
If you do drop the engine and transaxel together go ahead and get the gaskets for the cv joints. I have never gotten them off in one piece. Also some aluminum foil or plastic bags over the cv joints and axel flanges will keep that grease out of your hair when you're under the car. That is the voice of experinece.