Help. .Engine Almost Out
 

I spent the day endeavoring to take out the engine on my 1978 911SC. All was going smooth until I started to drop the engine with the help of my floor jack. The problem, however, is that I am half way out and stuck. I can see the engine disconnecting from the tranny about 1/2 inch. The engine fan is tight up against the rear of the engine housing not letting me continue to pull the engine away from the tranny so that it will fully disangage. I have double check all my wires, hoses, nuts, etc. Any ideas folks? HELP!

You are doing just the engine drop and not an engine/tranny drop?

If just the engine have you removed the helper spring that puts tension on the fork going to the throw out bearing. That is the big spring under the tranny that looks like an Omega sign.

I am doing just the engine drop and no tranny. I have already removed the helper spring. I should say that it's only loose. I have not taken the lever completely off the shaft.

If you look in the inspection hole can ypu see if the fork has diengaged from the throw out bearing?

I have not looked through the inspection hole. It just seems that I need more room to pull back the engine further but I can't unless I start removing the fan shroud through the top. . .

If the engine was not seperated from the trany by 1/2 inch would that be enough to clear the body frame.

I have not droped just the engine but there have been other posts in the search function on it. You are not the first to be stuck at this point. You could do a search and find a lot of info on it.

I myself think it is much easier to just drop the engine and trany at the same time and then seperate them when ther on the dolly

I would jack it back up and put one or two bolts back in to mate the engine and trany then llower it until it clears the frame the loosen the two bolts you put in.

Have you also disconnected the shifter coupling that is located on the floor in the back seat under the cover?

Yes, the shift coupler is disconnected. You know your idea of pulling the tranny with the engine is a good one. I thought of this when I started but then decided not to make too much work for myself. I should have went with my first gut feeling. . .

Are you saying that I should have dropped the engine sooner before dissengaging from tranny? I did not want to break the engine bolt studs by dropping the engine too far down then, pulling out.

THe first time I pulled the motor and tranny it took me 8 hours. I was very cautious . Then next time I did it under 4 hours and I only disconnected what needed to be. You might want to just jack it back up and do the hole thing.

Thanks Targa80. Your suggestions have been well taken. I must say, it has been a learning experience and well over 8 hours. I will try the hole thing tommorrow. At this point I am a little tired and somewhat frustrated. Thanks

Just my opinion. I just reinstalled my engine tonight :) Pulling the engine and tranny together is the way to go. I pulled the Engine only as you are trying to do. Got stuck in the same spot, eventually dropped the engine far enough to "un-mate" from tranny. What a job!!! However, I ended up pulling the trans after the fact anyway when I realized what a PITA getting the fork to engage on the TOB was while putting engine back in the car. Good luck. Take them both out, it's not that much extra work, and it will save you plenty of headaches.

Re: Help. .Engine Almost Out
 

Maybe I am just reading this wrong, but it sounds to me like you don't have the rear of the car jacked up high enough to get the fan housing to clear the sheet metal at the rear of the car. Is this correct?

Kurt, I am 32 inches from the ground to the bumber. I have taken off the valance for extra room.

But I am still confused. Are you telling me the jack is lowered completely and the fan housing is hitting the sheet metal or that you can lower the jack further, but the engine will not go lower, in essence it will just hang off the tranny and you could actually pull the jack out from under the car.

Kurt all of the above. Fan hits the housing, the engine will no longer keep going down, I can actually pull the jack from under the engine so it's just hanging. .

I havent done it this way but can you loosen the tranny bolts to get a little more room?

Ok, now we are getting somewhere! I just did an engine drop w/o tranny last month so I somewhat understand where you are at. First off, did you separate the shifter shaft from the shift coupler? If not that is your problem. If you have then you need to nudge the engine a bit forward towards the tranny to get some clearance so you can drop the engine some more. Keep in mind the engine just won't slide off the tranny, you need to give that biitch a good tug to get it to come off it really wants to hang up on the threaded portion of the tranny bolts.

Note: Dropping the engine too far without it being separated from tranny can result in ruined "bent" mounting studs. Ask me how I know this. :)

Just did same- here's my cut
 

Just dropped mine for the first and second time w/in a month (see seized motor thread...).

When I dropped it again Saturday, the motor would only back off 1/2" until I removed the helper spring AND lever arm from the fork shaft. Once that occurred, she backed out just fine. If you have stock motor mounts, I think the motor should "sag" with the tranny enuf to clear the rear part of the engine bay. It was easiest for me to separate the motor with the car lowered down, and then jack it (from the body portion forward of the tranny with a long 2x4 placed sideways) so the CIS clears the bumper after the engine is down on the jack (me trying to balance a motor lifted 24" in the air didn't seem like good risk/pocketbook management :) ).

Not to insult, but quadruple check all wires (starter??), hoses and such are removed.

Feel you pain- I had a few sleepless nights wondering why my motor was seized until I found the guilty SOB (me- pressure plate bolt too long). Good luck!