Can't Shift Into First

[Grady Clay]

Randy,

The jack pads are just fine for positioning the 911. Make sure the jacks’ release is smooth and controllable. Going up is easy; coming down under control is a big issue. Since the jack-points are at about the fore-aft balance point, it might be wise to ballast the trunk with, say a half dozen 6-gal water jugs. Leave the jacks in place to augment the jack stands. Many, many years ago we had several homemade wooden cubes about 20” on a side. They were constructed from scrap 2x4s and placed under the tunnel at the rear firewall. A couple of extra jack stands should do for you. Don’t fail to block the front tires both directions.
Another good place to position jack stands is on the sheet-metal chassis just ahead of the torsion bars. There are some circular pads there. You will need some cardboard and plywood to protect the chassis.
In my almost 20 years with my 7-16 employee Porsche only shop, there never was an accident. PHEW! “Safety is no accident.”

I downloaded Jim’s suggestion. Now he has to explain to me how to make it do what we want. Yes, I really like the posting on this forum because it disseminates all our collective knowledge. No one person knows or has experienced everything.

You need to do some shopping (price and availability) for clutch components, CVs, and transmission parts. Be prepared.

Have you been to the library?

Thanks for the image of your car, cool!

The height issue is related to spring stiffness (torsion bar size). If you have stock torsion bars, IMHO the rear is too low. It probably is close to resting on the stops in the shocks.
Please don’t address this until after the transmission is resolved.

Best,
Grady

[rcecale]

Got a late start, but I am now in progress!

The oil filter is off and the oil tank is drained, but I seem to be haing trouble locating the sump drain plug. From the picture in Wayne's tech article, it looks as though it is in the middle of a circular plate, bit there is no plate. I was, however, able to find what looks like another plug towards the front of the case, could this be my plug?

Grady, I wasn't able to locate any manuals at the local libraries. The closest I could find was a Bentley's for VW...close, but no cigar!

Not sure what I was thinking the other night, but I took a closer look at the drain plug for the tranny and guess what I discovered...


Looks like there really was some damage done...hopefully, not too much!

Randy

[rcecale]

This is the "plug" I was refereing to...although it seems to be places a bit high to be the drain plug.


And, amd I correct in assuming this to be the Serial Number for the engine? (230.101.104.5R) Or is that just a part number?


Randy

[rcecale]

Never mind! I found it!

[Grady Clay]

Randy,

The 930.101.104.5R is simply a casting number for the crankcase. The engine S/N is up top behind the oil pressure sender.

The new parts you found are probably the dogs off first gear.

Best,
Grady

[john walker's workshop]

those little teeth are from the syncro hub that retains the syncro ring, and various syncro parts. that is a normal replacement item on a rebuild. always replace at least 1st and 2nd hubs on a rebuild, because either one commonly sheds teeth. the rest, 3rd, 4th, 5th, may be worn into a hook shape, or blunted from grinding, and should also be replaced if that's the case.
don't forget to drain the oil tank too.
barnes and noble should have a bentley and wayne's books.

[ischmitz]

Your first suspect for the drain plug is the safety valve for the oil pump. There is a spring and a small piston in there to relive oil pressure when it gets above 10 bar for some reason. Hey, seems you a getting down to business with your engine removal. Very cool. I hope everything goes well. Please post some pictures as you continue

Cheers,
Ingo

[john walker's workshop]

do yourself a favor and search and read all the 915 posts by ohecht and utkarmannghia. they both did their own work, and overcame various issues that came up, including detent positions on reassembly. pay attention to the detents. plenty of pictures in the posts also.

[rcecale]

Is it safe to jack the rear end by placing the jack underneath where I drained the sump? (My last posted pic) Would sure make it a lot easier.

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

if you pad it with a block of wood, that would work. the crossover pipe flange under the bellhousing would be safer, like i previously suggested.

[rcecale]

John, your suggested location is where I've been using to jack. It's just been a pain getting it started cuz it's so far under the car, it interferes with the jack handle. I'll just continue to use your location. Thanks!!!

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

i'm just used to my jack with the long handle.

[rcecale]

Okay...had a few more delays, but I've been back at work and have been following the steps in Wayne's Tech Article.

I'm at the point where he says to disconnect the plug for the reverse light where it connects to the transmission. Can't seem to find this. I've search all around the transmission and the only place I can find that looks like wires connected to the transmission is on the right side, almost underneath the starter. this doesn't look like what I'm supposed to me unplugging, can you give me some clues, something to look for, maybe a photo?

Thanks!

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

look directly on the end of the trans, under a rubber boot, between the trans mount and the firewall. needlenose pliers work well to peel back the boot and pull the wire ends out of the switch. the loom also is held by a black plastic tie-wrap to the side of the trans, which has to be undone to let the loom hang free. all the starter wires need to come off too. i assume you're leaving the trans in the car, otherwise you would just disconnect the battery cable from the starter and leave the rest of the wires.

[rcecale]

Thanks, John!

I'll take a look first thing in the morning. Other than the reverse switch, I've finished the entire first section of Wayne's article.

the next steps involve disconnecting the fuel lines, and since I AM using a halogen lamp as my main lighting source, I'll think I'll take the safe route and wait for natural daylight, tomorrow.

I've taken these pictures as references for when it comes time to re-assemble.




Randy

[john walker's workshop]

see that little bolt-on bracket with the pin sticking out of it in the second pic? the horseshoe spring pivots around it. remove it to gain access to the lower left engine to trans nut.

[rcecale]

Will do, John, Thanks!

Got another question that's been bugging me. Maybe I should wait until I get there, but I'm trying to picture the actual lowering of the engine.

Ingo's (Ischmitz) plan suggests lowering the entire rear end, with the engine still bolted in. He lowers it without the rear wheels so that the engine ends up sitting on the furniture dolly. Once there, the mount bolts are removed and the car is raised back up...without the engine.

Wayne's plan calls for lowering just the engine onto some 4 x 4 pieces of wood, with the car still on jackstands. May be a little tricky trying to balance the engine this way. He then transfers the engine to a furniture dolly.

Being a one man show, I'm kinda leaning towards Ingo's plan. Wayne suggests raising the car from the rear of the floor pan if more clearance is needed to roll out the engine. Can I use this location to lower the car with the engine still attached without damaging anything, or is the floor pan just too weak?

Randy

[ischmitz]

Randy,

there are many ways to get the engine out of the car. Do a search on the board with "engine drop" You'll see many threads with tons of pictures. Some suggest to take the engine out separate from the transmission. In your case that does not make sense since you need both to come out anyway. I would recomend to take the engine with the tranny as one unit. I am not sure if my method would work for jsut the engine.

The reason I did it my way was that I also was a one-man show at the time. I did not have the special jack adapter and did not feel confident balancing the engine/tranny on a jack 4 feet in the air. My way is very save since the engine can not fall off the jack. The trick is that you need to have three jacks. Two do the car lifting and one is used under the tranny nose. As the car goes up in the rear you tilt up the tranny nose. That way the shift selector shaft stays always more or less centered in the tunnel. Once you have enough height on the car for the fan housing to clear the rear crossmember you can slide the engine back 5 inches and lower the nose of the tranny. When I do the lifting I always wiggle the engine a little bit to make sure it does not catch anywhere.

Others have done the standard method jacking up the car high in the reat and lowering the engine with a jack. I would highly recomend to have more than one guy for doing it this way. If 400+ lbs start to slide there is nothing you can do. Trust me. Just get the hell out of harms way.

You might want to consider taking the rear valance and the rear bumper off the car. That gives you a little more clearance when sliding the engine out from under the car.

If you raise the car at the rear of the floor pan make sure you use a 2x4 to distribute the weight. The edge at the floorpan is very solid but you don't want to bite in there with the jack plate alone.

Have you tried and post an engine drop party to get some Pelican heads in your area over to give you a hand when you drop the engine. I have seen this many times.

Good luck,
Ingo

[rcecale]

Ingo,

Sorry for seeming a little dense here, but....

Clarifying your proceedure: with the engine resting on the furniture dolly, you raised the rear end with a jack underneath each jack point. You also lifted underneath the tranny as you raised the car and when you were able to clear the rear end with the engine. When there was clearance to slide the engine back, you dis so, pulling the shifter rod out of the tunnel, is this correct? Seems like you were doing quite a bit of juggling between the three jacks!

John, you've told me that the rear sway bar is going to have to come out. What about the bar that runs "inside" it...the rounded one that runs from rear wheel to rear wheel? Will this cause me any problems, or should it come out as well?

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

there is no bar inside the sway bar. you probably mean the torsion bar, and it stays put. the sway bar is the bar that runs crossways under the trans mount. disconnect the shift coupler in the tunnel before lowering the engine. access to the coupler is thru the hole in the rear of the tunnel, inside under the carpet. just remove the allen set screw, and wiggle it off forward, and leave the nut and bolt alone. disconnect the speedo wiring while you're in there and poke the connector thru the hole in the firewall so it doesn't get ripped off when you pull the engine. you better get rolling if you're going to be done by next weekend!