Engine Drop Question

[ventana]

I am getting closer to making the full commitment to really attack my oil leaks by dropping the engine in my '74 Coupe. I researched it here in several different threads and there seems to be a consensus to drop both engine and transmission together. Can someone tell me why? Is it easier? Or, do most Porsche mechanics simply prefer to do it that way? Is the rather expensive attachment for your floor jack that cradles the engine and trans necessary if you go the route of dropping both?
Thanks;
Ventana
P.S. I have learned a ton about my car here and on the Mid 9 site.

[Ros37]

Yes it is easier to drop both the engine and transmission together, as far as the attachment goes the way my father and I always did it was by using about a 1 foot piece of a 2x4 and it worked ok.

[buttjoint]

I droped the engine and trans in my 89 both at the same time and it was realy no hassele. As far as your 74 should be just as easy. I used a motorcycle jack that I bought at costco, $95.00. Check out the search function on this site and you will see the jack. Have fun.

[magic930]

Most stable way to drop an engine is with one of those $75 motorcycle jacks. Bolt a 2' by 3' piece of plywood to the top of it. Drop Engine and Trans together, make sure you drop only a tiny bit then slide back to avoid damaging the shift rod, then drop the rest of the way. Its easier to drop together because the transmission to engine bolts are long and the transmisison would have to hang downward and be supported. Getting it back together would be difficult.

[TWork]

While bolted to the car, there is limited space to separate the two and so it's easier to take them both together.

[sjf911]

Agree, very easy to get them both out at the same time. Trying to mate the engine to the tranny with it still in the car looks to add some serious time and frustration, not to mention a substantial increase in the use of four letter words.

[peritus]

It was my first time... lol.

Anyways, long story short... drop engine and tranny

[Jeff Alton]

I am not one for gimmicky tools, but I use the jack adapter available here on Pelican. It balances the engine and trans perfectly on your floor jack. I just put my motor in tonight with it.

Cheers

[Jeff Hail]

Originally posted by peritus


It was my first time... lol.

Anyways, long story short... drop engine and tranny

Is that a snapped pivot ear I see sitting in the bottom of the bell housing? Man those flywheel teeth were rock'in.

We will pray for the Tig-Welding Gods to be successful.........

[Patrice911]

I made a nice dolly with fairly big wheel. I slid it under the engine and tranny. I lower the car until the engine/tranny sit on the dolly using some wood spacer to adjust the height to suitable supporting point. I remove the bolts holding the engine, then I lift the car. I remove the rear bumper so i don't need to lift the car that high. When lifting the car i will pull the engine back to clear the shift rod ( i put the tranny in a gear that put the rod the most inside it ) when the car is high enough I just pull the engine/tranny out. Being on a dolly make it easy to move around and make it also pretty stable.