Engine pull

I just got through reading all those posts about old people owning Porsches. I'm forty and just bought my first ('81 SC Targa). I never was activily interested in working on cars. I did some of my own repairs on simple things. Water pumps, alternators, brakes, etc. My question is, can an engine removal and replacement be performed by an individual. Can I realistically do this by myself.

In short yes. If you use the search function on this site, you will find many who have done it. I would also recomend reading the tech article section. Many thanks to Pelican for providing access to all this good information.
welcome to the 911 club.
david 89 turbo cab.

[This message has been edited by 5axis (edited 11-03-2000).]

A good thread to start at is "Easy weekend. Motor and tranny now on dolly " by DAVIDM... I've pulled engines many times and I'm a lot older than you. And I did it cheap... but I'm nuts and fearless (or is that senile? ). Gotta grab for all the gusto --- you only go around once, might as well do it with class --- welcome to the club!

Yes, you can and it's an excellent adventure. Have a second car. Unhook everything you see connected to the engine/tranny combo. Put a jack under it (rent a big transmission jack if it's scarry), take the four bolts out and lower it out. Perhaps the carriest part is how high you have to lift the rear of the car to get the engine out.

Really a cool adventure and makes you 'one' with the car. Makes you taller too.

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'83 SC

I just recently removed my 2.7L from my 1974 911. The Pelican article waws very good especially the part on how to jack up the vehicle using the motor to get the 30.5" necessary to clear the motor. It's fairly easy, just take your time and don't force anything. It took me aprox 3-4 hours total(a lot more time reading and re-reading) than the actual work. Tip - the motor is VERY heavy, be carefull.

One thing I noticed in that article, and this must be hotly debated (I'm new here so excuse me if I'm drudging up a FAQ) is that the motor is rarely removed alone. The way I always do it, and the shops I frequent do it, is to remove engine and trans together. The Porsche mechanics I know don't ever take out just the engine from a 911. Further, it is a very common practise to just *lower* the engine rather than remove it when it is only necessary to get better clearance for some operations. If you are aggressive and know the limits of the front trans mounts you can really drop that engine down for alot of clearance. Again, sorry if I am stirring up a debate but hey, it's fun!

the engine is pulled by itself (without the trans) ALL the time by professional Porsche shops.